After our detour through the wreckage of Raccoon City, it’s time to go back to our PlayStation platforming nostalgia series. Though a few months have passed since our last sojourn with the blunder from down under, neither Crash nor his sister Coco are any worse for wear.
With a new threat from old enemies on the loose, we’re in for one final adventure. The crystals are scattered through the ages, and it’s time for us to step into the Time Twister to reclaim them before Dr. Cortex can.
As I said in the Let’s Play, this particular game has a special place in heart. It was one of the first three games I ever got for my PlayStation when my parents bought it for me. That makes it one of my most formative gaming experiences.
That’s why I chose to play the Spyro and Crash games in the order that I did. The first Spyro and the third Crash games are both really positive experiences for me, so I figured they would make excellent bookends. Additionally, playing one franchise and then switching to the other was my way to avoid being fatigued with either one.
Watching the footage back, I am so glad that the enthusiasm I have for the Warped comes through while I’m playing. Even the commenters on stream noticed that I wasn’t getting frustrated, smiling even through any/all death I may have suffered.
I said that Crash 2 is my favorite in the trilogy and I do stick behind that, since I’m of the opinion that platforming games are at their best when they stick to a core set of mechanics and explore them to the fullest. That said, it’s clear that by the third entry Naughty Dog had learned much from building two whole games prior.
The most obvious example being the chase sequences, which are paced much more reasonably than they were back in the other two games. You can see that I had more time to react to the obstacles coming up than I did in those game. Though I still made mistakes, those were all mostly my fault for trying to rush when I didn’t have to.
Even in the world of gimmick levels, this game is much better about them than it’s earlier siblings. Aside from the racing levels, which can get pretty annoying later in the game, most of them are polished and feel great to control. In doesn’t hurt that I’m particularly fond of both the jet-ski levels and the Great Wall levels where Coco hops on Pura.
It’s good to play Crash again. I’m excited to continue this series. Until next time, I leave you with this:
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