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System:
PlayStation
Genre:
Platformer
Publisher:
Sony
Developer:
Naughty Dog
Players:
1
Release date/year:
08/31/1996
Other systems:
-
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- Crash Banditcoot
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1996 Naughty Dog - Sony - PSX
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Well, most anyone you ask will know this game, at least if they have anything to do with video games at all. You see, this game stars a special little guy. This guy is a bandicoot, and this bandicoot’s name? Crash. Crash Bandicoot. Ring a bell? Well it should. You see Crash Bandicoot has been such a successful game that the leading man (Crash, duh) is the official mascot of the Sony Playstation. Quite a little accomplishment there. Of course, to get such an honour, a game needs three things. A fun leading character, it has that, great sales, it had them, and finally it has to be a great game overall, and this game definitely is that. In fact, this game is almost anything you could want. It has great gameplay, nice graphics, nice sound, high replay value, and so much more. A real success from the former underdog developers, now major company ‘Naughty Dog’. Here is what makes it so good.
- {~~Main Scores~~}
BREAKDOWN
Gameplay: 9
Graphics: 8.5
Sound: 8
Story: 5
Enjoyability: 8
- Gameplay
The gameplay in this game is one of it’s strongest aspects. It is a side scroller at heart, but in tune with the capabilities of the Playstation, you don’t exactly scroll. When playing that game you notice a few things, firstly Crash has great control; Whenever you are trying to make a corner fast or do some other fast movement, Crash is always well reactive, and easy to control. The other thing you notice is the nice overall levels. By this I basically mean the level design. From the shape, to the enemies, to the basic features, everything is put in very nice proportion, and fits very nicely with the level you are in.
While playing that game you are basically getting from one end of the level to the other, not a hard task you may think. Well if you think that, I’m going to have to think you are a fool. In this game you don’t just run to the side, you run all over the place. The levels go toward the screen, away, to the side, diagonally, and most other directions you can think of (except straight up silly, why would you include that?).
As you move through the level you will notice a wide array of different things. The first thing you will notice is the slopes and drops in the ground. In this game something was included that wasn’t in some other side scrollers like this one; True slopes and hills are in it. You don’t just get an incline in the flat line that may be your ground like you would in some games (Contra comes to mind). I this game you get real bumps in the land scape, that you can run around in circles on, and do whatever you so wish.
The other thing you will notice is the nice variety of fun and cuddly (on the outside) enemies. For example the penguin. This little cuddly creature is found all throughout the ice levels, when you first see it may seem nice, maybe even on your side, but your wrong. This little guy has a killer headbutt. He humps up in the air and slides to ram you, and ram you painfully at that. There are tons of enemies like this.
Overall the gameplay was done very well. It provided I really great base for a great game.
- Graphics
The graphics in this game are of the same level as the gameplay, and that’s a good thing. One of the really great areas were the nice colorful graphics. In this game, most of your levels are set a amazon-like jungle area. So, as such, you have a lot of contrast, overlapping and color to create the forest-esqe image. For the most part this is done with many wide varieties of green and brown, as they are pretty much your dominant colors. Green for the trees, grass, plants and other so called ‘greenery’, and of course the brown for the dirt paths and such which re pretty much everything you walk on. The other things that are surrounding you when playing this game are nice variation of random-features. For example, there is a lot of water in this game, but those are pretty much for the water levels ^_^. When you have an ice level, accordingly you are going to have ice, water levels will have water, and climbing levels will have rock, and such and so forth. From there is just a bunch of other stuff to complete your journey such as birds and vines and leaves, etc.
The other thing is the characters. They weren’t of as height a quality as the backgrounds and land. The main reason I think this is because they are a little bit choppy. For example, Crash, your main character. He is the best example I could use. I mean, look at his hair, it all sticks up in random ways, no smoothing or anything of the sort on the whole guy. His clothes are even pointy, which is bad because for a bandicoot in the amazon I don’t think they have large amounts of starch to make them like that.
But, despite all of that, I would have to say that overall, the graphics were well done. The shades and colours were enjoyable for someone who looks for these things to write about such as me. As were the backgrounds and other things. The characters weren’t quite as great, but I definitely say that they are still good. I liked all the graphics here, up to par with the PSX times for sure.
- Sound
Well, the sound. What can I say about the sound. It didn’t stand out as an amazing thing, but it didn’t stand out as a bad thing either, it sort of was just, there. Nothing really special about it, just there because it had to be. For the most part though, it was good, not amazing, but definitely good. The one thing I did like is how the music corresponds with the level you are in. For example, if you are in an ice level, then you will hear a lot of ‘clinks’ and such. Ice sounds and things to do with cold, no better way to describe it. And with the jungle levels, you hear a lot of jungle sounds. For example, you hear prominent bongos occasionally, and such things associated with the jungle.
In the area of sound effects, much like the area of music, I don’t have anything to rant about, but, I don’t have anything to rave abut either. In this area no rating or raving, sorry kiddies. The sound effects were more blended in than the music. I didn’t notice any prominent sound effects for Crash at all, except when he dies or something. The areas do make sound effects though. For example the waterfalls, you definitely hear a ‘swishhhhh’ of the water falling, and for rivers you hear their sound. But overall, a good section, that didn’t stand out. I am sure though that if it wasn’t there the game would be much worse without it.
- Story
This story is one of the most typical, overused, and frankly, boring story lines in the video game industry. In fact, scratch the video game industry part, this story is worn out in the whole entertainment industry, dating back to shakeperian playwright times. At least it has the Crash Bandicoot twist to it, and isn’t the same old homogenized stuff.
Basically you have the Dr Cortex and his right hand man living in a laboratory. They have toiled away for a long while, and finally they have their evil scheme. It is a thing, a thing used on humans (and animals a suppose). But the problem is, they need to test it, on someone, or something. Yes, you guessed right, the one/thing is our man Crash. But, when Cortex comes down to get Crash, he has gone out. You would think they would move on, but, Crash left his girlfriend at home. You guessed it right, they took her. This ends the Crash twist, the main story line, as you may have guessed by now is: save the damsel in distress. Blah, could have been much better. The only lacking area so far.
- Enjoyability
This game was very enjoyable for me. Every part of it came together for the most part (note most part). The part that mattered the most in a gam like this were the best of all. These parts being the gameplay and the graphics. Why are they the most important you ask? Well simply because in game like this, you are playing to play. Unlike RPGs, you aren’t as worried about what’s happening in the story line, and you aren’t quite as worried about the mood-setting capabilities on the sound. This leaves the most important parts; The gameplay, which makes up what the game you are playing is, and the graphics, what the game you are playing looks like. The reason they are the best? Simply because the game plays well, and it looks great, need I really elaborate? Very fun game.
- {~~Other Important Scores~~}
Replay Value: Hard To Determine
In this game, you can’t really describe what the replay value is like, and how is will be like generally for the population. The reason for this is how the game is. This is a general adventure game. Some people like these and will play them over and over again and some people will play them once, and never want to play them again. With most genres it is like that, and it accordingly is with this one. But with those games, you can easily make a judgement just from what the game is, and what you can do with this in the second time, most games you can. But in this game, you can’t really make a proper judgement. I would say the majority would like playing this game many times again though because it is simply fun to go through.
- Challenge: Average
Not a whole lot to say about the challenge in this game. It’s just normal. It isn’t really hard, and it isn’t really easy. I found it just right. I suppose you could say this game has the goldilocks challenge. Some games are too hard, some are too easy, this game is just right. Of course this game doesn’t include a family of bears in clothes, but it does have bears that attack you. Well, I guess that doesn’t apply.
- Buy Or Rent: Buy
I strongly suggest you buy this game. This is the kind of game one would want to play, and unlike the replay value, this is definite. A few things make this game so good, and such a good one to buy. Firstly the challenge, as I said, this game has perfect challenge. The other thing is the overall enjoyability of this game. Those factors and more make this one to buy, and enjoy.
- GOOD POINTS
-perfect challenge
-good graphics
-nice gameplay
-very enjoyable
-nice enemy variety and design
- BAD POINTS
-some may not want to replay it
-poor story
This game is great, and it gets a Seifer Guarantee!
9/10
//Seifer psx
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