Crash Bandicoot (character)

Crash Bandicoot, or simply Crash, is a popular video game character of Naughty Dog's Crash Bandicoot series created by Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin. Next to Jak and Daxter, Crash Bandicoot is Naughty Dog's signature franchise, and served as an unofficial mascot of Sony, having sold over 34 million copies worldwide.

In the games, Crash is described as a genetically-advanced Eastern Barred Bandicoot whose quiet life on N. Sanity Island (an island located southeast of Australia) is frequently interrupted by his nemesis Doctor Neo Cortex, and must defeat him to put his life back in order. He is often accompanied by allies such as Aku Aku, Coco Bandicoot, and Crunch Bandicoot.

Conception and creation
Crash (prototype name, Willy the Wombat) was created by Naughty Dog intentionally as a character unique to the current design of the 3-D genre, being able to portray multiple emotions merely by facial expression, (a feature rare then due to basic technology in games). The choice of an obscure, commonly unknown animal was commonplace in the platforming industry at the time. Crash's final design (created by cartoonist and Spyro the Dragon designer Charles Zembillas) seems to be largely based on traditional Western animation (suiting his American origin and target audience) such as Looney Tunes, indeed much early concept work (and even vague elements of his final design) resembles characters such as the Tasmanian Devil and Wile E. Coyote.

Appearances
Crash being the title character of the series, has appeared prominently in every game as the protagonist and a playable character.

1996-1999

 * Crash debuted with the release the 1996 of the video game, Crash Bandicoot, in North America. Described as an ordinary bandicoot who was evolved by Doctor Neo Cortex and subsequently rejected as the general of his Cortex Commandos, Crash assumes the role of the generic hero attempting to rescue the damsel-in-distress Tawna (and N. Sanity Island) from the evil scientist, who aims for world domination.

He's almost completely silent in this game, but does speak a words in clear English. He also blabbers a little. His previously-trademark cry of "Whoa!" whenever he was hurt or killed, began in this game and lasted up to Crash Twinsanity. His only ability is his classic spin attack, though he's able to defeat his enemies by jumping on them, too.


 * In Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, Crash sleeps soundly until his sister awakes him and commands him to deliver a new laptop battery. Halfway through his trip, he is abducted by Doctor Cortex, who tells him that they need 25 Crystals to save the world from the devastation of the upcoming planetary alignment. But, Doctor Nitrus Brio contacts Crash, warning him to collect Gems, not Crystals. Crash must decide rather to collect Crystals or Gems.

Crash is a lot more expressive in this game, and can do so much more. Though Tawna left Crash for Pinstripe (see the Love Interests section for details), he shows no sadness at the loss of her. He's also lazier, apparently.


 * In Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped, immediately after Cortex Strikes Back, Cortex's ruined space station plummets to the Earth and destroys a large monument in the middle of the jungle, releasing an evil entity known as Uka Uka. Many eons ago, Aku Aku, Uka Uka's twin brother, locked him there to keep the world safe from his evil. With his newfound freedom, Uka Uka teams up with Doctor Cortex and Doctor Nefarious Tropy to collect Crystals and Gems from the past. Crash and Coco have to stop them and save the world again.

Crash's personality hasn't changed at all in this game, except that he has a fondness for a yo-yo. He also gains five new moves after he defeats each boss and is shown to be able to drive a motorcycle.

2001-2004

 * Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex takes place years after the events of Warped. Crash decides to take a break at N. Sanity Beach. Little do the Bandicoots know that Doctor Cortex, Uka Uka, and many other villains are holding a bad guy convention and plotting his demise. All is well until a volcano erupts, a thunderstorm brews, and a tsunami ravages the coastline. Crash is informed that the Elementals have been unleashed and that he must use Coco's Portal Chamber to gather Crystals and put the Elementals back to their hibernation state.

Crash has learned to drive a lot more vehicles in this game and appears to be a little less intelligent. He also looks different and can tip-toe on Nitro Crates.


 * In Crash Twinsanity, set three years after the events of Wrath of Cortex, Crash once again lives a peaceful life, digging up stuff at the beach, when Cortex disguised as Coco calls for him and lures him into the bay, introducing him to the 40-feet-tall Mecha Bandicoot. When Crash defeats the robot, Cortex attacks Crash, sending both of them "rollerbrawlling" through a cavern, eventually coming across the Evil Twins, who've come to destroy Crash's island and devastate Earth. Crash and Cortex must team up to save their Dimension.

Crash's ability to show emotion through his face only is taken to the highest level possible, as he is completely silent throughout the whole game, making him a lot dumber. He smiles a lot in this game, too. He has all the moves of Cortex Strikes back and gains no new abilities. He can use Cortex as a weapon, being able to throw him, spin with him, and swing him like a hammer with no effort at all, suggesting that he's gotten stronger.

2007-present

 * In Crash of the Titans, Crash travels with Aku Aku to save his recently-kidnapped sister, Coco from Neo and Nina Cortex.

Crash has changed a lot in this game. He has gotten tattoos, rough fur and has learned some basic combat. He can learn more by collecting the new Mojo. He also can hijack monsters (the Titans mentioned in the name) by stunning them, jumping on their back, and using Aku Aku to take control of their minds and force them to do his bidding. He can also babble as a more efficient and more loveable form of communication and smiles almost as much as in Twinsanity. He's picked up a liking for pancakes. Radical Entertainment also returned for their first time to make two Crash games in a row, with Crash: The invasion of the Bandicoot Snatchers.

Other appearances
-Crash is a playable character in all three of the Crash racing titles.


 * In Crash Team Racing, Crash and his friends prepare to enter a kart-racing tournament being held. However, this attracts the attention of Nitros Oxide, who challenges the fastest driver on Earth to a race. If he loses, he leaves Earth in peace. If he wins, he turns the whole planet into a concrete parking lot.


 * In Crash Nitro Kart, Crash is relaxing when his entire house is abducted. The Bandicoot family exit the house and finds themselves on another planet. Cortex and his cronies have also been abducted. A giant holographic display appears and explains that he is Emperor Velo XXVII, ruler of his planet. He has heard word about their racing skills, and that they must race to entertain his people. If they do not race, he will destroy the Earth. Both Team Bandicoot and Team Cortex accept, and they now must race on a number of tracks and defeat Velo, with the intention of returning to Earth.


 * In Crash Tag Team Racing, Crash and the others agree to recover the Power Gems of Von Clutch's MotorWorld and find whoever stole them. Crash's character is portrayed differently in Crash Tag Team racing. He is able to speak gibberish and, unlike other games, takes a sadistic pleasure in the pain and suffering of chickens and MotorWorld's Park workers.

-Crash is also a playable character in the Crash party games.


 * In Crash Bash, Crash's sleep is interrupted by Aku Aku, who has summoned him to take part in a battle of good and evil against Uka Uka in a series of minigames.


 * In Crash Boom Bang!, Crash is one of the attendees of the World Cannonball Race.

-Crash is the main player character in the Game Boy Advance titles.


 * In Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure, Aku Aku sends Crash on another mission to gather Crystals, which Coco can use to build a device which will reverse the effects of Cortex's Planetary Minimizer, which has shrunk the world to the size of a grapefruit.


 * In Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced Crash awakes to find Crunch and Coco being abducted by a strange vortex. When the vortex begins to take him, he is rescued by Aku Aku and the vortex ends up taking Fake Crash. Aku Aku informs Crash that N. Tropy is behind the abductions, and that N. Tropy has used N. Trance to hypnotise Coco and Crunch into working for him. Crash must rush to save his friends and defeat N. Trance and, ultimately, N. Tropy.


 * In the crossover game Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage, Cortex and Spyro's nemesis, Ripto have decided to team up and attack the heroes' worlds. Crash also appears in the other game of the crossover, Spyro Orange: The Cortex Conspiracy.