Crash Bandicoot is a series ofplatform video games created byAndy Gavin andJason Rubin. Formerly developed byNaughty Dog from 1996 to 1999, byTraveller's Tales,Eurocom andVicarious Visions from 2000 to 2004, and byRadical Entertainment from 2005 to 2008, the series is currently published byActivision. The series features a large cast of distinctive characters designed by numerous different artists, which includeCharles Zembillas and Joe Pearson. It also features a cast of veteran voice actors.
The series centers on the conflicts between a mutated bandicoot named Crash Bandicoot and his creator, Doctor Neo Cortex. Crash acts as the main playable character of the series, though other characters have had occasional player access, such as Coco Bandicoot and Doctor Neo Cortex.
Crash Bandicoot is thetitle character andmain protagonist of theCrash Bandicoot series. He is amutanteastern barred bandicoot who was genetically enhanced by the series' main antagonist Doctor Neo Cortex and soon escaped from Cortex's castle after a failed experiment in the "Cortex Vortex". Throughout the series, Crash acts as the opposition against Cortex and his schemes for world domination. While Crash has a number of offensive maneuvers at his disposal, his most distinctive technique is one in which he spins like a tornado at high speeds and knocks away almost anything that he strikes.
Aku Aku is the guardian of the Wumpa Islands and the father figure of Crash and his friends. Aku Aku is the spirit of an ancientwitch doctor encased in a floating, wooden mask. During Crash's missions to stop Doctor Neo Cortex, Aku Aku scattered copies of himself throughout the travels in an effort to aid Crash in his mission.[1] Whenever Crash possesses an Aku Aku mask, he will be shielded from one enemy attack or contact. Collecting three Aku Aku masks gives Crash temporary invulnerability from all minor dangers.[2] He is voiced byMel Winkler fromCrash Bandicoot: Warped toCrash Twinsanity,[3][4] byCornell John inCrash Bash, andGreg Eagles fromCrash of the Titans onwards.[5]
Aku Aku was named after aPolynesian restaurant near theAlewife station that featured giant tiki statues out front.[6] Steven Rodriguez ofNintendo World Report, in his review ofCrash Nitro Kart, described Aku Aku's voice when giving advice between races as "sexy" and cited it as the best part of the game's audio, but admitted that "even he gets rather annoying."[7] In his review ofCrash of the Titans, Brian Rowe ofGameRevolution, while deeming the ability to "slap Aku Aku’s face into the ground and ride it like a surfboard" as "harshly inconsiderate", considered it "payback for his gratingly poor impersonations of that other floating head of wisdom –Frylock."[8] Lucas Sullivan ofGamesRadar+, in a dedicated installment of the "Why I Love" series, compared Aku Aku's charm to that of Mumbo Jumbo ofBanjo-Kazooie, adding that his vocalizations and protective hovering within Crash's vicinity exuded more personality than the power-ups in theMario series. He also enjoyed Aku Aku's speaking role in the series' later installments, describing his voice as having a "vaguelyMorgan Freeman-esque timbre".[9] The staff ofGameRevolution included Aku Aku in a list of the best power-ups in video games, describing him as an "all-around swell guy".[10]
Coco Bandicoot is Crash's spirited and highly intelligent younger sister.[11] By nature, she is a tinkerer and problem solver, possessing an innate inquisitiveness and fanciful imagination.[12] She is frequently equipped with alaptop ortablet computer, which is filled withschematics, works in progress, and personal notes.[12][13] Unlike Crash, she possesses a healthy skepticism of others and their motivations.[12] She seeks to get Crash's relaxed lifestyle more organized,[11] and while she is content to allow Crash to make his own mistakes and derive amusement from the results, she is prepared to intervene when Crash finds himself in legitimate danger.[12]
Coco first appeared inCrash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, in which she uses her hacking skills to sporadically appear via hologram and warn Crash of Cortex's intentions. She appears as a playable character in select levels ofCrash Bandicoot: Warped andCrash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex. She is twice incapacitated in her minor appearance inCrash Twinsanity, and is kidnapped and brainwashed into aiding Nina Cortex's plot inCrash of the Titans; in the Nintendo DS version of the latter game, she appears as a vendor selling upgrades for Crash's abilities. In the Wii and Xbox 360 versions ofCrash: Mind over Mutant, Coco becomes a playable character in the two-player mode after being freed from the influence of the NV device. She is a selectable player character for the entirety ofCrash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, and is the subject of a number of unlockable "Flashback Tape" levels, which take place during the course of the first game. The tapes reveal that Coco was created by Cortex a month after Crash's escape from his castle,[14] and was Cortex's last bandicoot before he would consider replacement animals.[15] Coco's signatureoveralls were ahand me down originally crafted by Doctor N. Brio's mother and donated by Cortex without Brio's consent.[16] During her training, Coco displayed a fascination with technology (as well as a video game addiction), which Doctor N. Gin took as an opportunity to mentor her inmechanics andcomputing.[17] Coco ultimately escaped Cortex's castle under the guise of undertaking another trial.[18]
Coco is a playable character in the racing gamesCrash Team Racing,Crash Nitro Kart, andCrash Tag Team Racing, as well as the party titlesCrash Bash andCrash Boom Bang!. Following a minor appearance inCrash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure, she appears as a brainwashed boss character inCrash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced, in which she is subsequently a playable character in select levels. InCrash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage, she teams up with the Professor of theSpyro series to track down Cortex andRipto. After being freed from Nina Cortex's capture, the pair are able to trace the villains to their hideout with Crash's and Spyro's assistance.
Coco was designed byCharles Zembillas and Naughty Dog as a counterbalance to Tawna (Crash's girlfriend in the first game) that would appease Sony Computer Entertainment Japan, who were not comfortable with a "super sexy" character being alongside Crash.[19] Charles Zembillas' first sketches of Coco were drawn on March 18, 1997.[20] She is voiced by Vicki Winters inCortex Strikes Back,[21]Hynden Walch inCrash Team Racing,Debi Derryberry fromCrash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex toCrash Bandicoot: On the Run!,[4][5][22]Tara Strong in the third season ofSkylanders Academy, and byEden Riegel inCrash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time.[23]
Coco's inclusion as a playable character inCrash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex was met with a generally lukewarm response among critics. Hilary Goldstein ofIGN felt that Coco was a "less powerful" and "less enjoyable" character than Crash and that "she was just not fun the way Crash is". On the subject, Goldstein added that "Crash is a silly creature to look at. He's almost absurd, which works great with his various animations. Coco isn't really silly at all. The game isn't calledCrash and Coco so why must I be forced to play her? Rather than add variety, Coco detracts from the only real selling point of the game -- Crash Bandicoot."[24] Mike Sabine atGameSpy was more indifferent to her inclusion inWrath of Cortex, deeming it "mostly unnecessary," but also stated that it offered "a good chance of pace."[25]
On the other hand, Coco's inclusion as a playable character in theN. Sane Trilogy andCrash 4 was met with positive reception. Patrick Arellano atComic Book Resources included her in a list of "5 Game Remakes That Added A New Character For The Better."[26] Cubed3 writer Luke Hemming stated "...the ability to replay all levels as Coco Bandicoot, also add a welcome level of replayability in the linear first outing."[27] Reviewing theN. Sane Trilogy, Aiman Maulana fromNew Straits Times observed that she has the same moveset as Crash, to which he stated "What's the purpose of this? Well, this game is catered to casual gamers so the developers want to cater to a general audience. Having Coco Bandicoot as a playable character will encourage more female gamers to play."[28] AtPlayStation Universe, Kevin R. considered the ability to play as Coco a "neat extra touch," but wished to see her with her own moveset.[29] Denny Connolly at Game Rant stated "...swapping between characters should be a fun addition for fans of the original trilogy," due to the fact she has her own personality and animations in the game.[30] Stacey Henley fromThe Guardian declared that Coco "adds a fresh dimension to the game," along with Cortex, Tawna and Dingodile inCrash 4.[31]
Crunch Bandicoot is a large and muscular genetically altered bandicoot with bionic enhancements that was created by Doctor Neo Cortex to destroy Crash Bandicoot. He first appears inCrash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex as the final boss of each area, teaming up the with the Elementals. After his defeat, Crunch has a change of heart and joins Crash's family. He is voiced byKevin Michael Richardson inCrash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex andCrash Nitro Kart,[4]Chris Williams in the Radical Entertainment games,[5] andIke Amadi inCrash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled.
Tawna is the love interest of Crash who first appeared inCrash Bandicoot. By the time of Crash's creation, she is the only other creature to not have been subjected to the Cortex Vortex. After Crash is ejected from Cortex's castle, Tawna spends her captivity matching wits with Cortex, attempting to reason with Brio, and fomenting rebellion amongst Cortex's henchmen.[32] After Crash defeats Cortex and rescues Tawna, they live idyllically together until Tawna leaves Crash for Pinstripe preceding the events ofCrash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back.[33] She and Pinstripe later appear as playable characters in the party gameCrash Boom Bang!.[34] An alternate version of Tawna is a playable character inCrash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time. She is originally from a dimension known as the "Tawnaverse", where she is the protagonist of her home universe instead of Crash.[35]
During production ofCrash Bandicoot, Tawna was originally named Karmen,[36] and was based on actressPamela Anderson, but her design was scaled back to be less provocative.[37] Naughty Dog omitted Tawna from further entries in the series based both on objections from Universal Interactive's marketing director for her perceived sexist nature, and to appease the desire of Sony's Japanese marketing team for a more girlish female supporting character.[19][38] Tawna is voiced byDebi Derryberry in theN. Sane Trilogy,[39]Misty Lee inCrash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled[39] and by Ursula Taherian inCrash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time.[40]
Doctor Neo Cortex is the main antagonist of theCrash Bandicoot series and the archenemy of the titular character, Crash Bandicoot. Cortex is a mad scientist who seeks to achieve world domination as an act of vengeance for the ridicule he has suffered in the past. To achieve this goal, Cortex mutated a collection of animals into his soldiers. He eventually created Crash Bandicoot, but Crash failed to be mind controlled by his Cortex Vortex and was removed from Cortex's castle. As Cortex's actions endanger the sanctity of the islands the games are set in, Cortex's plans for world domination are often hampered by Crash along with other characters. Crash's constant interference has made eliminating Crash one of Cortex's top priorities along with world domination.
Uka Uka is the evil younger twin brother of Aku Aku and the supervisor of Cortex's plots for world domination. He was sealed in an underground prison by Aku Aku many years ago, but was freed inCrash Bandicoot: Warped when the ruins of Cortex's space station plummeted to Earth and destroyed his prison. He was voiced byClancy Brown from 1998 to 2003,[3][41][4] byCornell John inCrash Bash, byAlex Fernandez inCrash Twinsanity, and byJohn DiMaggio fromCrash of the Titans onward.[5]
Dingodile is a former subordinate of Doctor Neo Cortex who is a mutated hybrid of adingo andcrocodile. He has often appeared as a boss or playable character in the series. InCrash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, Dingodile has retired from Cortex's service in favor of operating a diner. Dingodile is voiced byWilliam Hootkins inCrash Bandicoot: Warped,[3] byDavid Anthony Pizzuto inCrash Team Racing, byDwight Schultz inCrash Nitro Kart andCrash Twinsanity, byNolan North in the Nintendo DS version ofCrash of the Titans,[5] and byFred Tatasciore fromCrash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy onwards.[40]
Dingodile was conceptualized by Naughty Dog employee Joe Labbe, who requested a character that was a cross between a dingo and a crocodile.[42] Charles Zembillas drew the first sketches of Dingodile on February 4, 1998.[43] At certain points, the character alternatively wore an Australian-style hat, had a "mop of scruffy hair" andwalked on all fours.[44] Naughty Dog initially wanted Dingodile to be a fire-breathing character before Zembillas suggested giving him a flamethrower to make him "much more interesting". The final sketches of Dingodile were drawn on February 12, 1998. Zembillas has expressed happiness at Dingodile's enthusiastic following amongst fans.[45]
Doctor Nefarious Tropy is a pompous scientist who specializes in time travel and fights using a giant tuning fork. Tropy is voiced byMichael Ensign in the Naughty Dog games,Crash Nitro Kart andCrash Twinsanity,[3]Corey Burton inCrash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex,Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy andCrash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled,[4] andJ. P. Karliak inCrash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time,[46] with his female counterpart voiced by Sarah Tancer inIt's About Time. Tropy was created by Naughty Dog as a time-traveling boss that would fit in a time-traveling plot.[42] Charles Zembillas drew the first sketches of Tropy (and the doodle he created as Naughty Dog was describing the character to him) on January 22, 1998.[47] Tropy's wearable time-traveling device was conceptualized early on in the character's design evolution and initially appeared as a belt-like contraption that featured adigital read out displaying the year Tropy intended to travel to.[48] At one point in its aesthetic development, Tropy's time machine was covered in clock gears and mechanisms, including acuckoo clock on the machine's lower-right area;[49] Zembillas assumed that the details could be created as a texture inAdobe Photoshop and placed over the modeled character's polygon structure.[50] Furthermore, the pistons on the back of the machine were connected to each other through joint-like bearings.[49] These details were ultimately omitted for being too complex for the original PlayStation console to handle.[50] The exhaust pipes and pistons were retained due to their reflection of Tropy's unhealthy obsession with time.[42]
Nina Cortex is thegothic niece of Doctor Neo Cortex who sometimes aids him in his quest for world domination. She is voiced bySusan Silo inCrash Twinsanity, Amy Gross in the Radical Entertainment games,[5] andDebi Derryberry inCrash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled and the DS version ofCrash of the Titans.[5] Nina Cortex was originally created and designed by Duke Mighten for Traveller's Tales as a playable character inCrash Nitro Kart before development duties of the game were transferred to Vicarious Visions.[51] During her conception it was undecided whether she would be Neo Cortex's daughter or niece, hence the deliberate discrepancies regarding her relationship with Cortex inCrash Twinsanity. As everyone kept referring to her as Neo's niece, the label stuck and became official. Her appearance was based on one of the designers working at Traveller's Tales.[52]
Originally debuting inCrash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage (also developed by Vicarious Visions), Nina's appearance inCrash Twinsanity was met with a positive response among critics. James B. Pringle ofIGN said that Nina "almost steals the show with her sassy skip and herBionic Commando-like extension arm" and admitted that he "actually wouldn't mind seeing more of Nina in the future."[53] Nick Valentino of GameZone praised her as "an inventive character", a "very welcome addition to the series" and "one of the many highlights this game has to offer". He also compared her bionic arms toBionic Commando.[54]
Nitros Oxide is the main antagonist ofCrash Team Racing. He is an extraterrestrial from the planet Gasmoxia who claims to be the fastest driver in the galaxy, and challenges Crash and his friends to race him under the threat of the Earth being turned into a concrete parking lot and its inhabitants enslaved. He also appears as a boss character inCrash Bash and as a playable character inCrash Nitro Kart. He is voiced byDavid Anthony Pizzuto inCrash Team Racing,[55] byQuinton Flynn inCrash Nitro Kart,[55] and byCorey Burton fromCrash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled onwards.[55]
The Evil Twins, Victor and Moritz, are the main antagonists ofCrash Twinsanity. Originally Cortex's pet parrots, they were transported to the Tenth Dimension during Cortex's first experiment with the Evolvo-Ray and mutated by the environment's "reverso-radiation". Years later, they attempt to exact revenge on Cortex and destroy the Wumpa Islands, but are defeated by Crash, Cortex and Nina, and they are eaten by an evil version of Crash. Both twins are voiced byQuinton Flynn.[56][57]
Polar is apolar bear cub that Crash uses as a mount in certain levels ofCrash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back and the "Bears Repeating" level ofCrash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time. He appears as a playable character inCrash Team Racing andCrash Nitro Kart. Polar is voiced byDebi Derryberry inCrash Nitro Kart andMisty Lee inCrash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled.[58]
Pura is aSouth China tiger cub that Coco uses as a mount in the China-themed levels ofCrash Bandicoot: Warped. He appears as a playable character inCrash Team Racing,Crash Nitro Kart andCrash Boom Bang!. Pura is voiced by Paul Greenberg inCrash Nitro Kart and byMisty Lee inCrash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled.[59]
Baby T is a youngTyrannosaurus that Crash uses as a mount in some prehistoric-themed levels ofCrash Bandicoot: Warped. He appears as a playable character inCrash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, in which he is voiced byIke Amadi.[citation needed]
The Quantum Masks − consisting of Lani-Loli, Akano, Kupuna-Wa and Ika-Ika − are a group of extra-dimensional masks who appear inCrash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time and can give Crash and Coco a unique power. Lani-Loli is a worrisome, panic-prone mask who can phase objects in and out of existence. Akano is a stoic and terse mask who can grant Crash and Coco a powerful "Dark Matter Spin" that allows them to glide. Kupuna-Wa is an omniscient mask with an elderly woman's personality who can temporarily slow the flow of time. Ika-Ika is a two-faced mask with separate personalities − one a mild-mannered old man and the other a self-deprecating and negative young man − who can reverse gravity. Lani-Loli is voiced byRichard Steven Horvitz; Kupuna-Wa is voiced by Cherise Boothe; Akano is voiced byFred Tatasciore and Ika-Ika's old and young halves are respectively voiced by Tatasciore andZeno Robinson.[60]
Doctor N. Gin is the ill-tempered right-hand man of Doctor Neo Cortex, replacing Doctor Nitrus Brio afterCrash Bandicoot.[61] A former defense industry physicist, a nuclear missile lodged itself into his head during a failed experiment. N. Gin was able to retool the missile into a life support system, though the missile tends to go off during fits of anger. N. Gin often appears as a boss character, usually battling Crash and his friends with large mechas.
N. Gin is voiced byBrendan O'Brien in the Naughty Dog games,[21][3][41] byCorey Burton inCrash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex,Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy,Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled andCrash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time,[4][40] byQuinton Flynn inCrash Nitro Kart andCrash Twinsanity, and byNolan North in the Radical Entertainment games.[5] Matthew Hahn, in his bookThe Animated Peter Lorre, identified N. Gin as one of several animated caricatures of actorPeter Lorre.[62]
Tiny Tiger is a hulking and brutishthylacine subordinate of Doctor Neo Cortex who often appears as a boss in the mainline games and as a playable character in spin-offs. He is voiced byBrendan O'Brien inCrash Bandicoot: Warped andCrash Team Racing,[3][41] byJohn DiMaggio inCrash Nitro Kart,Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy andCrash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, byChris Williams in the Radical Entertainment games, and byNolan North in theNintendo DS version ofCrash of the Titans.[5]
Doctor Nitrus Brio is a treacherous subordinate of Doctor Neo Cortex who created the Evolvo-Ray. He often appears as a boss character who uses chemical concoctions as a weapon and to increase his own power. Brio is voiced byBrendan O'Brien inCrash Bandicoot andCrash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back;[21]Maurice LaMarche inCrash: Mind over Mutant andCrash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy;Tom Kenny inCrash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled; andRoger Craig Smith inCrash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time.[63] Brio was created by Naughty Dog as a foil for Doctor Cortex: "meek to Cortex's strength, logical to Cortex's emotional, successful (his inventions work) to Cortex's failure".[37]
Ripper Roo is a crazedkangaroo who was one of Cortex's first experiments with the Evolvo-Ray and Cortex Vortex. Following his initial transformation, Cortex impatiently subjected the dazed and unresponsive Ripper Roo to the Cortex Vortex and switched it to overload for 24 hours, resulting in Ripper Roo's chaotic mental state. Ripper Roo is perpetually bound in a straitjacket and is armed with razor sharp toenails. He is in a constant state of agitated motion, is unpredictable in his behavior and is prone to fits of maniacal chortling.[64] Ripper Roo appears as a boss character inCrash Bandicoot,Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back andCrash Team Racing,[65][66][67] and as an obstacle in the "El Pogo Loco" level ofCrash Bash.[68] Ripper Roo's laughter in the original PlayStation titles is a sample of a hyena (voiced byDallas McKennon) from the 1955 filmLady and the Tramp.[6] He is voiced byJess Harnell in theCrash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and by Andrew Morgado inCrash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled.[69][70]
Papu Papu is the obese and short-tempered chief of N. Sanity Island's native tribe ofLemurian descendants. Although formerly a great warrior, he has become lazy and content to let Cortex's activities go unnoticed by his tribe, attributing the increasing pollution and shortage of fish to divine retribution.[71] He appears as a boss character inCrash Bandicoot,Crash Team Racing andCrash Bash.[72][73][74] InCrash Twinsanity, he captures Cortex after he stumbles into his village, and orders Crash's capture after Crash rescues Cortex. Papu Papu is voiced by producer David Siller inCrash Bandicoot,[75] byDavid Anthony Pizzuto inCrash Team Racing[75] and byDwight Schultz fromCrash Twinsanity onwards.[75]
The Komodo Brothers, Joe and Moe, are a pair of mutatedscimitar-wieldingKomodo dragons who appear as boss characters inCrash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back andCrash Bash; Joe appears alone as a boss character inCrash Team Racing. Joe is lean and smart while Moe is large and strong. Joe is voiced byDavid Anthony Pizzuto inCrash Team Racing.[76] Moe is voiced by Brendan O'Brien inCrash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back andCrash Bash.[76] Both brothers are voiced byFred Tatasciore in theCrash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy andCrash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled.[76]
Pinstripe Potoroo is apotoroo with a mafioso motif, clad in a redpinstripe suit, often armed with atommy gun, and is the CEO of Cortex's power plant. He appears as a boss character inCrash Bandicoot andCrash Team Racing and as a playable character inCrash Boom Bang!. Pinstripe is voiced byBrendan O'Brien inCrash Team Racing,[41] byJess Harnell in theCrash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, and byRobbie Daymond inCrash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled.
Koala Kong is a mutantkoala who was Cortex's second experiment with the Evolvo-Ray, which granted him super-strength. As Cortex was reluctant to subject Kong to the Cortex Vortex following his failure with Ripper Roo, he allowed Kong's brain to develop at its own pace. Kong then acquired a fixation with theRocky film series and adoptedRocky Balboa's persona, adopting aNew York accent, addressing everyone he speaks to as "Adrianna", and a determination that makes him a durable foe.[77] Koala Kong appears as a boss character inCrash Bandicoot and as a playable character inCrash Bash andCrash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled.[78][79] He is voiced byFred Tatasciore in theCrash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy andNitro-Fueled.[69]
The Elementals − consisting of Rok-Ko, Wa-Wa, Py-Ro and Lo-Lo − are a group of evil masks revived by Uka Uka inCrash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex to act as a power source for Crunch Bandicoot. They are sealed away once more by Crash's efforts. Rok-Ko, Wa-Wa, Py-Ro and Lo-Lo are respectively voiced byThomas F. Wilson,R. Lee Ermey,Mark Hamill andJess Harnell.[4] They reappeared inCrash Bandicoot: On the Run! as mini-bosses, working alongside Uka Uka.[80]
The best part about the game's audio is that sexy talking mask that gives you advice between races, but even he gets rather annoying.
By the fourth level, Crash can slap Aku Aku's face into the ground and ride it like a surfboard. It seemed harshly inconsiderate, but I considered it payback for his gratingly poor impersonations of that other floating head of wisdom – Frylock.
Coco was created as a counter balance to Tawna who was Bandicoot's girlfriend. She came along because ND was sensitive to Sony of Japan and wanted to please them. Sony of Japan did not feel comfortable with a super sexy character with Crash so ND went with a sister character instead to appease them. So here she is on the day of her birth. These are the first few sketches. This is where she started from. There's more and I'll be posting those in a later entry. I wrote down the date on these pages when I drew them. March 18, 1997. I was developing Crash 2 at the time.
Crash isn't alone in fighting the forces of evil. He's assisted by Coco, a less powerful and less enjoyable playable character. Coco pops into specific levels and must be used to pass that area. She's just not fun the way crash is. Crash is a silly creature to look at. He's almost absurd, which works great with his various animations. Coco isn't really silly at all. The game isn't calledCrash and Coco so why must I be forced to play her? Rather than add variety, Coco detracts from the only real selling point of the game -- Crash Bandicoot.
These are the very first development drawings of Dingodile who made his appearance inCrash Bandicoot 3. They are dated February 4, 1998.
At one point Dingodile wore a hat reminiscent of what you'd see in Australia... [...] I dropped the hat and tried a mop of scruffy hair instead... There was a moment when Dingodile walked on all fours...
These are the last entries in the creation of Dingodile fromCrash 3. They're dated February 12, 1998. [...] The flamethrower was added after ND wanted him to be a fire breathing character. I suggested giving him a device to do this as it would make him much more interesting. This is as far as I went with the character. I'm happy he turned out well and that Dingodile has an enthusiastic following among Crash fans.
They're dated January 22, 1998. Right before the creation of Dingodile. These are the very first concept sketches for the time manipulating N Tropy. The first sketch is original art. The doodle that I created as Naughty Dog described what they were looking for. The ones after that are photo copies.
Early on I gave him a device that would allow him to travel in time. Something that he would wear. My first idea was to give him a belt like contraption with a readout as to the year he intended to travel to.
Crystal Challenge: Avoid Ripper Roo's Nitro attacks!