Crash Bandicoot is a video game series made by Naughty Dog for Sony's PlayStation console. The series started in 1994, inspired by new technology in 3D games and titles like Donkey Kong Country (1994). The main character, originally named "Willy the Wombat," became Crash Bandicoot, a silly, genetically changed eastern barred bandicoot who escapes the evil scientist Doctor Neo Cortex. The first three games—Cortex Strikes Back (1997) and Warped (1998)—along with the racing game Crash Team Racing (1999), were praised for their bright graphics and smooth gameplay. After Naughty Dog left the franchise following Crash Team Racing due to creative challenges and ownership problems, the series moved from being exclusive to Sony to being available on multiple platforms, developed by companies like Universal Interactive, Vivendi Games, and Activision.
Gameplay involves 3D platforming with levels that progress in a straight path or connect to a central area. Players control Crash through levels filled with obstacles, mostly viewed from a third-person angle, with some side-scrolling views and levels where Crash runs away from dangers on screen. Key actions include jumping, spinning to defeat enemies, collecting Wumpa fruit for extra lives, breaking crates for rewards, and gathering crystals, gems, and relics to unlock content. Later games added abilities earned by defeating bosses. The series takes place in a fictional island with different environments and includes time-travel and multiversal themes in later titles. Characters include Crash, his sister Coco, allies like the protective spirit Aku Aku, and villains such as Cortex, Uka Uka, and mutant henchmen.
After some games in the 2000s received less praise and a pause in the early 2010s, the series returned successfully with the remastered original trilogy (Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, 2017), the remastered racing game Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled (2019), and the new game Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time (2020). Crash Bandicoot helped Naughty Dog become a major game developer and made the character an unofficial symbol of the PlayStation console. The series sold 40 million copies by 2007 and influenced merchandise, media, and scientific names.
History
Naughty Dog was started in 1984 as JAM Software by childhood friends Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin. Their first project was the educational game Math Jam (1985). Later games included Ski Crazed (1987), Dream Zone (1988), Keef the Thief (1989), and Rings of Power (1992). After finishing Way of the Warrior (1994), Gavin and Rubin moved from Boston to Los Angeles to work with publisher Universal Interactive. During the move, they decided to create a 3D platformer to take advantage of new console technology, inspired by the computer-generated visuals of Donkey Kong Country (1994). They chose to develop the game for Sony’s PlayStation because Sony did not yet have a mascot character for its games.
Production of the new project began in October 1994. To design the characters and setting, Naughty Dog hired cartoonists Charles Zembillas and Joe Pearson. The main character was first called "Willy the Wombat" and was imagined as a silly, Zorro-like Tasmanian marsupial. The character was later changed to a bandicoot because the species was less well-known and more appealing. During development, Naughty Dog showed the game to Sony Computer Entertainment to get a publishing deal.
Crash Bandicoot was introduced at E3 1996, where it quickly gained attention for its bright, colorful graphics. The game was released on September 9, 1996, and sold over 1 million copies worldwide by the end of the year. Its sequel, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back (1997), sold 1 million units in the United States by February 1998. The third game, Crash Bandicoot: Warped (1998), sold over 5.7 million copies worldwide by 2002. Crash Team Racing, a kart racing game, was released on October 19, 1999, and sold 1.9 million units in the United States.
Crash Team Racing was the last Crash Bandicoot game made by Naughty Dog. The developers felt tired and frustrated with not having control over the Crash Bandicoot brand, so they started working on Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (2001). During this time, Sony bought Naughty Dog, and Universal kept the Crash Bandicoot rights. Crash Bash, a party game made by Eurocom, was the first Crash Bandicoot game not developed by Naughty Dog. It was released on November 8, 2000, and was the last Crash Bandicoot game made only for Sony consoles.
After Sony and Universal ended their partnership, Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex was made by Traveller’s Tales and released on October 30, 2001. Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure, made by Vicarious Visions, was released for the Game Boy Advance on March 13, 2002, and was the first Crash Bandicoot game for a handheld console. It was followed by Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced (2003). Vicarious Visions also released Crash Nitro Kart for home consoles on November 11, 2003, with a handheld version released at the same time. Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto’s Rampage, a crossover with Spyro, was released on June 1, 2004. Traveller’s Tales made Crash Twinsanity, released on September 28, 2004.
On March 23, 2005, Universal Interactive (now Vivendi Universal Games) bought Radical Entertainment, who released Crash Tag Team Racing on October 21, 2007. Japanese developer Dimps released Crash Boom Bang! (called Crash Bandicoot Festival in Japan) for the Nintendo DS in Japan on July 20, 2006, with a North American release on October 10.
Radical Entertainment’s next game, Crash of the Titans (2007), focused more on combat and introduced a "jacking" mechanic where Crash defeats and controls large mutants called Titans. The characters were redesigned with a "punk" style to make them more modern and distinct. Handheld versions of the game for the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance were made by Amaze Entertainment and released on October 2, 2007.
In December 2007, Activision bought Vivendi Games, including the Crash Bandicoot brand, and the merger was completed on July 10, 2008. The mobile kart racing game Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D was released by Polarbit on April 29, 2008, and Crash: Mind over Mutant was released by Radical Entertainment on October 7, with a Nintendo DS version made by Tose and released on the same date. The mobile game Crash Bandicoot: Mutant Island was released by Vivendi Games Mobile in July 2009. In February 2010, Activision laid off about 90 employees at Radical Entertainment, roughly half the studio’s staff, due to cost-cutting and project changes. After Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2 was released on May 27, 2010, the series was put on hold.
The Crash Bandicoot series returned with the announcement of the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy at Sony’s E3 2016 press conference. The trilogy, developed by Vicarious Visions, was a remastered version of the first three PlayStation games with updated graphics, controls, and new content. It was released exclusively on PlayStation 4 on June 30, 2017, and later expanded to Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Windows in 2018. By June 2024, the trilogy had sold over 20 million copies worldwide. *Cr
Gameplay
The Crash Bandicoot series focuses on 3D platforming gameplay, where players control Crash in levels filled with obstacles, enemies, and dangers. Crash can move in all directions, and the controls stay the same no matter where he is. Most games show Crash from a third-person angle, moving toward the screen. Some levels use a side-scrolling view, while others require Crash to move away from the screen, such as when escaping a rolling boulder, angry polar bear, or dinosaur. Certain levels let Crash ride animals that move quickly, requiring him to avoid obstacles and enemies. Throughout the series, Crash uses vehicles like a rocket surfboard, jet pack, motorcycle, and biplane.
Crash’s main moves are jumping and sliding. His special move is the spin attack, which acts like a whirlwind and can defeat enemies by launching them off-screen. Enemies knocked off-screen can hit others in their path. Starting with Crash Bandicoot: Warped, Crash can earn new abilities by beating bosses. Crash of the Titans and Crash: Mind over Mutant include combat and a "jacking" feature, where Crash can control large mutant enemies called Titans.
Bonus areas are reached by finding platforms with question marks. In these areas, players collect items while navigating paths. Dying in a bonus area does not cost a life and sends Crash back to the bonus platform. In the original game, bonus levels are unlocked by collecting tokens shaped like Crash’s girlfriend Tawna, the villain Cortex, or Cortex’s assistant Doctor Nitrus Brio. Tawna’s bonus rounds are easy and let players save their game. Brio’s rounds are harder, with more TNT crates and precise jumps needed. Cortex’s two bonus rounds are the most difficult and give Crash a key to unlock a secret level.
Levels in the original game follow a straight path on a map. Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back introduces five hub areas, each with five levels that can be played in any order. Crash must collect a crystal and defeat a boss to progress. This system returns in Crash Bandicoot: Warped, The Wrath of Cortex, and The Huge Adventure. Later games use branching maps, like in N-Tranced and It’s About Time, or open-world exploration, as in Twinsanity and Mind over Mutant.
Wumpa fruit is the main collectible item. Collecting 100 fruits gives an extra life. In Crash of the Titans and Mind over Mutant, Wumpa fruit restores health, with golden versions giving extra lives or permanent health upgrades in the latter game. These games also include Mojo orbs, earned by defeating enemies or breaking objects, which unlock abilities like extended spins or combo attacks. Aku Aku masks protect Crash from enemies and hazards: one mask gives a single-hit shield, two offer double protection, and three make him temporarily invincible. It’s About Time adds Quantum Masks, which grant powers like time control or gravity reversal.
Gems are rewarded for completing levels after breaking all crates or finding them in secret areas. Most gems are clear, but some colored gems appear in special levels and lead to hidden areas. Twinsanity includes colored gems that unlock bonus content. It’s About Time adds more ways to earn gems, such as collecting Wumpa fruit or clearing levels with limited lives lost. Crystals, introduced in Cortex Strikes Back, are essential to complete games, with one needed per level. Warped adds Relics, earned by finishing time trials quickly. Relics are ranked as sapphire, gold, or platinum based on performance. It’s About Time features N. Sanely Perfect Relics, earned by collecting all gems in a level without losing a life.
Crates have been a key part of the series since the first game. Basic wooden crates break with one spin attack and often contain Wumpa fruit. Arrow crates help Crash jump higher when bounced on. Crates with Aku Aku or Crash printed on them give masks or extra lives. Metallic crates marked with an exclamation point change the environment when hit. Checkpoint crates let Crash return to that spot if he loses a life. TNT crates explode when spun into but can be safely destroyed by bouncing on them, starting a three-second countdown. Nitro crates explode instantly upon contact and need a special crate to detonate all at once. Warped introduces "slot crates" that switch between types rapidly and must be broken before becoming unbreakable steel. Time trials include "time crates" that freeze the timer for seconds shown on them. Some crates are reinforced and require stronger moves, like body slamming, to break.
Setting and characters
The Crash Bandicoot series takes place on a remote group of islands located 300 miles (480 km) west of Tasmania. These islands have many different environments, such as sandy beaches and snowy areas, and are filled with remains from the lost continent of Lemuria. The largest island is where Doctor Neo Cortex, the main villain, lives. In Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, it is revealed that the islands' ancient people built "Warp Rooms," which allow instant travel to places around the world. Crash Bandicoot: Warped introduces time travel, showing settings from ancient times, the Middle Ages, and the future. Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time explores the multiverse, including alternate worlds and different timelines.
Crash Bandicoot is the main character in the series. He is a genetically engineered eastern barred bandicoot created by Doctor Neo Cortex to lead his army to world domination, but he escaped from his lab. Crash is described as a non-verbal, clumsy hero who often finds himself in dangerous situations but manages to save the day. His younger sister, Coco Bandicoot, is a tech-savvy ally who first appears in Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. She later becomes a playable character in later games. Aku Aku, a floating wooden mask, protects and guides Crash. Tawna, Crash’s girlfriend and a lab subject, is the damsel in distress in the original game. Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time features an alternate version of Tawna who can be played. Crunch Bandicoot, introduced in Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, is a genetically modified bandicoot created to fight Crash. After being defeated, he joins the heroes. The Quantum Masks—Lani-Loli, Akano, Kupuna-Wa, and Ika-Ika—are extra-dimensional masks that appear in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time and give Crash and Coco special abilities.
Doctor Neo Cortex is the main villain, a mad scientist who wants to take over the world using genetically altered soldiers. He first works with Doctor Nitrus Brio, the inventor of the Evolvo-Ray, but their partnership ends. They later reunite in Crash: Mind over Mutant and Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time. Uka Uka, the evil twin of Aku Aku, helps Cortex with his plans. He was locked underground by Aku Aku but was freed when Cortex’s space station crashed. Cortex’s henchman is Doctor N. Gin, a cyborg with a missile stuck in his head. Other villains include Tiny Tiger, a large, fierce thylacine, and Dingodile, a dingo-crocodile hybrid who uses a flamethrower. Dingodile can be played in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time. Doctor Nefarious Tropy, a scientist who controls time, helps Cortex and Uka Uka in Crash Bandicoot: Warped by creating the Time Twister. He returns in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time to work with Cortex. Crash Twinsanity introduces Nina, Cortex’s niece, who has bionic hands and later becomes a main villain in Crash of the Titans.
Other media
A short comic promoting Crash Team Racing was published in the Winter 2000 issue of Disney Adventures. The comic was written by Glenn Herdling and drawn by Neal Sternecky. Strategy guides, which help players learn how to play the game, were published by Dimension Publishing, Prima Games, and BradyGames. Some of these guides included interviews with developers and additional stories about the game. In 2018, Dark Horse Books released a hardcover book titled The Crash Bandicoot Files: How Willy the Wombat Sparked Marsupial Mania, which was the original developer’s bible for Crash Bandicoot. An official art book for Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, titled The Art of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, was published on October 26, 2020.
During the development of Crash Bandicoot, Universal Animation Studios created two traditionally animated cutscenes for the game’s intro and outro. These scenes were also meant to be used as material for a possible animated series if the game was successful. However, Sony Computer Entertainment acquired the game and decided to focus on the PlayStation’s 3D graphics instead. The cutscenes were later uploaded to YouTube by producer David Siller in 2015. Sega’s senior vice president, Shuji Utsumi, suggested the idea of a Crash Bandicoot film to several studios, but it was not accepted. Crash Bandicoot appears as a character in the animated series Skylanders Academy (2016–2018), where he is transported to the world of Skylands. In this series, Crash speaks fluent English with an Australian accent, provided by Eric Rogers in the first season and Rhys Darby in the third season. In January 2021, test footage from a canceled Crash Bandicoot animated series produced with Amazon Studios was leaked online. On October 27, 2025, it was reported that Netflix is developing an animated series based on the franchise. Earlier reports suggested WildBrain was involved, but this was later proven false.
Merchandise from the Crash Bandicoot franchise includes a line of action figures made by Resaurus, which are tied to Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back and Crash Bandicoot: Warped. The N. Sane Trilogy was promoted with official merchandise such as shirts, keychains, and other items licensed by Activision through Numskull Product Design. Funko also released a series of vinyl figures related to the N. Sane Trilogy, including special versions for specific retailers. In June 2023, a Crash Bandicoot-themed cosmetics bundle was added to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Warzone to promote the release of Crash Team Rumble.
Reception and impact
The original Crash Bandicoot trilogy, created by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation, was well received by critics. Review scores for the games ranged from the 80s to the 90s, and the games are now considered some of the best on the PlayStation. The first game was praised for its graphics, which were considered the best of their generation, and its challenging gameplay. The gameplay was seen as standard but enjoyable and well-made. Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back was praised for better gameplay and bright, colorful graphics that were among the best on the console. Crash Bandicoot: Warped was celebrated for its variety of gameplay and presentation, and it is now considered one of the best video games of all time. Crash Team Racing, the last game in the series by Naughty Dog, was noted for its polished design and was said to be better than some of its inspirations, like Mario Kart and Diddy Kong Racing, in certain areas.
After Naughty Dog, other developers took over the series, and the games received lower scores, usually in the 60s. Eurocom’s Crash Bash, a party game, was criticized for not being original but was fun for multiplayer. Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, the first main game after Naughty Dog, was seen as a repeat of the original trilogy’s style and was criticized for its fixed camera angles and long loading times. Vicarious Visions’ Game Boy Advance games were praised for their graphics but were said to lack new ideas. Their racing game, Crash Nitro Kart, was commended for its visuals but was criticized for not improving much on Crash Team Racing’s design. Crash Bandicoot Purple, a crossover game, was praised for its variety of mini-games but criticized for weak platforming, short length, and a weak trading card feature. Crash Twinsanity, made by Traveller’s Tales, was praised for its humor and variety of gameplay but criticized for its uncooperative camera and repetitive platforming sections.
Radical Entertainment’s first game, Crash Tag Team Racing, was praised for its unique mechanics, mix of game styles, and humor but criticized for lacking depth, being too easy, and having poorly executed platforming. Crash Boom Bang!, a party game by Dimps, was criticized for boring mini-games and repetitive board designs. Crash of the Titans and Crash: Mind over Mutant, both by Radical Entertainment, had mixed reviews. Critics liked their visuals, humor, and jacking mechanic but disliked the fixed camera, repetitive combat, and backtracking. Two mobile racing games by Polarbit were positively received. Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D was praised for its gameplay and controls but criticized for missing multiplayer and having simple visuals. Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2 was praised for its visuals and track design but criticized for being too hard and not innovative.
The series saw a return to popularity with new games. The Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, a remastered version of the first three games, was praised for its improved visuals while keeping the original design. Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, a remastered version of Crash Team Racing, was also praised for its presentation and content. Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, a new platforming game, was praised for keeping the series’ classic style, adding new mechanics, and having vibrant visuals and sound. The mobile game Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! had mixed reviews, with praise for its visuals and ease of play but criticism for repetitive gameplay and microtransactions. Crash Team Rumble, an online multiplayer game, had mixed reviews, with praise for its gameplay and maps but criticism for limited content and pricing.
The Crash Bandicoot series was commercially successful. Naughty Dog’s four games sold over 20 million copies worldwide by July 2000, and the series continued to sell over 40 million copies by 2007, earning over $1 billion. By 2025, the N. Sane Trilogy and Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled added 20 million and 10 million sales, respectively. The mobile game Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! had over 60 million downloads between 2021 and its closure in 2022 but earned only about $4 million from in-app purchases.
Crash Bandicoot was the first non-Japanese game to sell over 500,000 copies in Japan. Cortex Strikes Back and Warped sold 1.3 million and 1.4 million copies in Japan, respectively. The PlayStation 2 version of Wrath of Cortex sold 212,000 copies there.
The original Crash Bandicoot was a key game for the PlayStation, and the character became the console’s unofficial mascot. The series helped Naughty Dog gain fame in the video game industry, leading to success with other games like Jak and Daxter, Uncharted, and The Last of Us. Crash Team Racing inspired many kart racing games in the early 2000s. The series influenced other games, including Rayman 2: The Great Escape, Knack, PsiloSybil, and Antonblast. Games compared to Crash Bandicoot include Jersey Devil, Super Magnetic Neo, Walt Disney World Quest: Magical Racing Tour, Donald Duck: Goin’ Quackers, Woody Woodpecker Racing, Kao the Kangaroo, and Ty the Tasmanian Tiger.
A parody of Crash Bandicoot is a central part of the storyline in the Simpsons episode “Lisa Gets an ‘A’.” A 1999 episode of the WB TV series Felicity features a storyline where characters become obsessed with completing Crash Bandicoot: Warped. In 2017, a bandicoot species discovered in Australia was named Crash bandicoot in honor of the game’s character. In 2017, the character’s famous “whoa!” exclamation inspired internet memes that combined his yell with songs and game music.