Remakes and remasters keep coming and they don't stop coming. While it's great they make older games more accessible for modern audiences who may have missed them at release, it's hard to recapture the exact same feel and essence. However, Naughty Dog co-founder Andrew Gavin thinks the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy got almost everything right. Everything "except the most important 30 milliseconds."

"When they remade Crash, they nailed the visuals. Looked great, faithful to the original, kept the spirit. Then they completely botched how jumping works," Gavin writes on LinkedIn (spotted by a ResetEra user). He then details just how the jumping was made on the PS1 original game.

"On the original PlayStation, we only had digital buttons – pressed or not pressed. No analog sticks," he writes. "Players needed different height jumps, but we only had binary input. Most games used the amateur solution: detect button press, trigger fixed-height jump. Terrible for platforming."

It may be hard to believe now, but that's how it was back in the day. "We built something borderline insane," Gavin continues. "The game would detect when you pressed jump, start the animation, then continuously measure how long you held the button. As Crash rose through the air, we'd subtly adjust gravity, duration, and force based on your input."

It's a creative solution for a common problem of the time, and not the only way Crash Bandicoot, or Naughty Dog in general, pushed forward the medium of video games. Jak & Daxter was the first game to have a seamless open world.

"Let go early = smaller hop. Hold it down = maximum height," Gavin explains. "But it wasn't binary – I interpreted your intent across those 30-60 milliseconds and translated it into analog control using digital inputs."

If you've ever played the original Crash Bandicoot, you'll have noticed just how much control you have over the orange critter. Sure, the game is tough as nails, but you really do have a lot of control over how he moves. It means it still feels great to play today, even if it looks old.

"The remake developers either didn't notice this system or thought it wasn't important," Gavin claims. "They reverted to simple fixed jumps. Then realized Crash couldn't make half the jumps in the game. Their solution was to make all jumps maximum height. Now every jump on the remake is huge and floaty. Those precise little hops between platforms are awkward. The game's fundamental jumping mechanic feels worse than the 1996 original despite running on hardware that's 1000x more powerful."

Naughty Dog was my favorite studio growing up – I even have a Krimzon Guard tattoo now – so I knew something felt off when I played the remakes, I just couldn't figure out exactly what it was about the jumping that was wrong. So, it's nice to have Gavin's full explanation of how it used to work.

"The minutiae of timing and feel matter a lot more than people realize," he concludes, and I couldn't agree more. Our Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy review even notes that "it's frustrating to come to terms with the fact that you know how to make that jump perfectly, it's just not nearly as easy to do it here [in the remake]."

If you want more jumping fun, check out our list of the best platforming games.

Sega veteran and the company's current COO and president, Shuji Utsumi, once pitched an idea for a Crash Bandicoot movie but was met with the thankfully now antiquated perception of video games being no more than silly li'l toys.

"When I started to get involved in the video game business, I picked up Crash Bandicoot and started asking some of the movie studios if they were interested in turning that property into a movie," Utsumi told The Game Business. "But I was treated like… 'hey, video games is like a toy business'. They didn't really take it seriously."

Having joined Sony back in 1994 as vice president and then Sega in 1996 as senior vice president overseeing the launch of the Dreamcast, I suppose I can understand the skepticism around video game movies at the time.

Assuming Utsumi was pitching a Crash movie around the beginning of his time with PlayStation, movie studios were probably looking at video game adaptations like the 1994 Street Fighter movie, which performed OK at the box office but flopped critically, and the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie, which was a disaster by all measurable metrics.

Still, I feel robbed. A Crash Bandicoot movie from the 1990s would've been so much fun, Rotten Tomatoes be damned.

"Video games are finally getting to be the culture, and that's moving into the movie business," Utsumi added. "That's a big shift for the industry that I am really happy about."

It's demonstrably true that video game movies have come a long, long way since the '80s and '90s. Gone are the days of feature-length Nintendo ads being billed as movies like The Wizard, and laughably bad adapts like the Double Dragon movie; these days it seems Hollywood is finally treating video games as the untapped well of potential we've all known about for decades.

As if my point isn't being driven home as we speak by the Minecraft movie crushing it at the box office, the 2023 Super Mario Bros. movie grossed $1.3 billion and became the highest grossing animated film and second highest grossing movie overall that year.

Recent years have also brought about the release of commercially successful screen adaptations of games like Sonic the Hedgehog, Pokemon, Mortal Kombat, Uncharted, and Warcraft, not to mention HBO's massively successful Last of Us TV show. These movies and shows are often big budget productions starring some of the biggest names in Hollywood.

Looking ahead on the calendar, the list of upcoming video game movies makes it seem like there isn't a single major IP Hollywood isn't interested in adapting for screen.

Anyway, my whole point is, if only Utsumi had pitched a Crash Bandicoot movie in 2025, we might be watching an incredibly uncanny CGI bandicoot on the big screen, nodding our heads in agreement with the movie's 38% Rotten Tomatoes score and being no less surprised that it's the biggest movie of the weekend. Maybe one day.

Weed out the 1993 Mario movies with our guide to the best video game movies ever.

A new report claims that Activision greenlit and canceled a single-player Crash Bandicoot 5 while it continued to chase more live-service games.

YouTuber and gaming historian Liam Robertson (Did You Know Gaming?) just released a new video report investigating what happened behind-the-scenes at developer Toys For Bob, where he alleges that a Crash Bandicoot 5 was in the early stages of development, but was soon scrapped based on what Activision considered to be underwhelming sales for Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time - which sold over five million copies, according to its design director Toby Schadt.

Crash Bandicoot 5 was apparently set to be a direct sequel to Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, while alleged concept art and story concepts reveal that the sequel planned to reintroduce classic villains, possibly feature levels set within character's psyches, bring back elements from 2004's Crash Twinsanity, and even crossover with fellow platforming icon Spyro The Dragon. 

"Crash and Spyro were intended to be the two playable characters," the report claims, though it doesn't seem like Spyro would just be backpacking into Crash's solo adventure. It sounds like the two would essentially share the game, as both their worlds come under a multiversal threat. 

That version of Crash Bandicoot 5 was sadly canned around the same time as Activision's alleged cancelation of a single-player Tony Hawk Pro Skater game, while  Toys For Bob were then put to work on short-lived multiplayer spin-off Crash Team Rumble.

Toys For Bob have since become an independent studio following Microsoft's Activision Blizzard buyout and a round of brutal layoffs for the company, but it did recently announce it had signed a deal with its former owners at Xbox to develop a brand new game. A differently shaped follow-up to Crash or Spyro is definitely not impossible, then.

While we wait for new son that project, check out the best platformers available now.

It looks like we could be getting some Crash Bandicoot-related news at The Game Awards tonight. 

On December 8, "Crash" (A.K.A. Activison) tweeted: "So... what's everyone doing tomorrow?" knowing full well that we'll all be watching The Game Awards 2022. To make things even more interesting, host Geoff Keighley replied to the tweet with: "Hosting #TheGameAwards HBU?" which is basically confirmation at this point. 

So what can we expect from everyone's favourite marsupial? Well, we previously got to play as Crash in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, which was developed by Toys For Bob in 2020. It's probably a little too soon to expect Crash Bandicoot 5, but with so little to go off who knows what Activision has planned. 

We do know that Toys For Bob is working on something though. Back in August of this year, the studio teased that their 18th game is currently in development but said that it's still a mystery to the public. Considering Toys For Bob is only responsible for Crash Bandicoot 4, there's no guarantee that it's working on another Crash game right now. 

Another plausible guess is the rumoured multiplayer Crash Bandicoot game that was leaked in June of this year. According to journalist Jez Cordon, "it's like a four-player brawler almost, but Crash-oriented" and was initially expected to appear during Summer Games Fest 2022. Crash fans also think we could be getting that rumoured Wumpa League game soon after influencers began receiving Crash Bandicoot-themed pizza boxes.

While we wait to see what Activision has planned, find out what games are confirmed to be on the way with our new games 2023 list. 

The developer behind Crash Bandicoot 4, Toys For Bob, has recently teased its next project, and fans think it could be related to Spyro or another Crash game. 

Earlier this week, the official Toys For Bob Twitter account challenged its followers to name every game the studio has worked on in chronological order. It didn't take long for fans to figure out games such as Spyro Reignited Trilogy, Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, and my personal childhood favorite, 102 Dalmatians: Puppies to the Rescue. 

What has us all wondering about the future of Toys For Bob, though, is the mysterious 18th project featured in the post. In the tweet, right after Crash Bandicoot 4, released in 2020, another project is just labeled as "???". There are many guesses as to what this space could eventually be, with the suggestion of a Crash Bandicoot 4 sequel already being thrown around in the replies to the tweet. 

There have been plenty of other suggestions about what this game might be in the replies too. The next obvious guess would be some kind of Spyro follow-up, with several fans pleading with the developer to release Spyro 4 in particular. In fact, this wouldn't be too far of a stretch considering shortly after Crash 4's release, a fan spotted a potential hint towards Spyro 4 in the Crash Bandicoot 4 artbook.

If you've been keeping up with the current Crash and Spyro developer, you'll already know that last year Toys For Bob was assigned Call of Duty: Warzone dev duty by parent company Activision. Later that same year, though, the studio was spotted hiring for a new project that didn't look like a Call of Duty game, meaning Warzone probably isn't the only thing Toys For Bob is working on now. 

In terms of rumors, as pointed out by Eurogamer, a couple of months ago Jez Corden of Windows Central said in an episode of the Xbox Chaturdays podcast series noted that there is a new Crash Bandicoot game in the works - although they didn't say who with. According to Corden, the new game will be a "multiplayer Crash" game, which they've described as a "four-player brawler."

Unfortunately, until Activision or Toys For Bob make an official announcement, there's no way to know for sure what the team's next game could be. I just personally hope it's another Crash or Spyro game - or better yet, a sequel to 102 Dalmatians: Puppies to the Rescue that's been in the making for the last 22 years.

Want to know what games we can definitely look forward to in the near future? Take a look at our new games 2022 list. 

The Crash 4 N. Verted mode is unlocked around halfway through the story, after beating the Trouble Brewing boss fight level in Tranquility Falls. This setting allows you to revisit all of the core levels in the game while dealing with quirky effects to add an extra layer of difficulty, on top of the fact that the stage has also been mirrored. Although you don't have to beat N. Verted levels to progress through the story, they do feature plenty of collectible items as well as exciting twists, so you shouldn't overlook these experiences. If you want to know how to access N. Verted mode in Crash 4 and what it changes, we've got you covered.

Crash 4 N. Verted mode explained

Crash 4 N. Verted mode essentially takes the familiar levels you've played before, and mirrors them. Not reverse, but instead everything is literally flipped horizontally. This means that nothing should come as a surprise when you're exploring the levels that you've previously beaten, but it will take some getting used to.

But that's not all; N. Verted levels in Crash 4 also completely change the art style. Some make it much harder to play – both N. Verted levels on N. Sanity Island have a pulsing vision so you can't see very far ahead of you, for example – while others just alter the effects, like applying a cel-shaded filter to what you can see.

N. Verted levels also replace all Wumpa Fruit with Bumpa Berries, replacing the apple-esque red collectibles with what are essentially purple grapes. For all intents and purposes they're the same thing, but there are certain trophies and secrets linked to Bumpa Berries.

Finally, while crates and enemies are in the same places in N. Verted levels, Crash 4 hidden gems are not! This means you'll need to hunt all the way through each level again if you want to find all of the Crash 4 N. Verted hidden gems, because they've moved into even more difficult to find locations. Good luck, Bandicoot!

Crash 4 tips | Crash 4 bosses | Crash 4 masks | Crash 4 colored gems | Crash 4 Flashback Tapes

The Crash 4 Flashback Tapes give you the opportunity to unlock even more levels in the game, which present you with a significant challenge if you want to beat them and claim all of the rewards on offer. Even the way you collect these tapes is hard, as you'll need to reach the collectible within its featured level without dying even once, otherwise it'll be locked out for that run and you'll need to restart the stage for another attempt. If you want to know which levels they're included in and what you'll unlock by finding them on your first life, then we've got that information covered in our Crash 4 Flashback Tapes locations guide.

How to get Flashback Tapes in Crash 4

Not every level in Crash 4 has a Flashback Tape. There are over 30 story levels and only 21 Flashback Tapes to collect, so don't worry about scouring every level for them. We've got the full list of levels with Crash 4 Flashback Tapes here:

1. Crash Compactor - The Hazardous Wastes
2. Hit The Road - The Hazardous Wastes
3. Booty Calls - Salty Wharf
4. Jetboard Jetty - Salty Wharf
5. Give It A Spin - Tranquility Falls
6. Draggin' On - Tranquility Falls
7. Off-Balance - Tranquility Falls
8. Off Beat - Mosquito Marsh
9. Run It Bayou - Mosquito Marsh
10. Snow Way Out - The 11th Dimension
11. Stay Frosty - The 11th Dimension
12. Bears Repeating - The 11th Dimension
13. Blast To The Past - Eggipus Dimension
14. Dino Dash - Eggipus Dimension
15. Out For Launch - Bermugula's Orbit
16. Stowing Away - Bermugula's Orbit
17. Crash Landed - Bermugula's Orbit
18. Food Run - The Sn@xx Dimension
19. Nitro Processing - Cortex Island
20. Toxic Tunnels - Cortex Island
21. Cortex Castle - Cortex Island

To collect the Crash 4 Flashback Tapes on each of the above levels, you simply have to reach them without dying. It's usually on the main path so it's pretty hard to miss, and if you do die before reaching it, you'll be able to see the Flashback Tape silhouette, taunting you. Some of the Flashback Tapes in the later levels are quite far in, meaning they're seriously hard to get.

What are Flashback Tapes in Crash 4?

When you collect a Flashback Tape, you unlock a secret level. These are quite literally flashbacks to when Dr. Neo Cortex was doing tests on Crash Bandicoot. There are no gems to collect or hidden secrets to find; all you have to do is reach the end of the level. 

There are three tiers of medal to unlock, as with the Time Trials, awarded for simply completing the level, getting 90% of crates, and getting all of the crates. These levels become incredibly difficult but there is no penalty for dying, so try as many times as you like! They're accessible via the green television squares on the dimension map. Good luck!

Crash 4 tips | Crash 4 bosses | Crash 4 masks | Crash 4 colored gems | Crash 4 hidden gems | Crash 4 N. Verted hidden gems | Crash 4 N. Verted mode

The Crash 4 colored gems are one of the most hidden collectibles in the game, because each one of them can only be found at the end of a tough secret stage. What's more, after seeking out all four of them and reaching one of the final main story levels, your reward for opening a massive sealed door with these jewels is... another, even tougher secret stage! If you're after a real challenge, or you want to earn the bragging rights for discovering these hidden items, then we've got all of the details for where to find the Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow gems right here in our Crash 4 colored gems locations guide.

1. Crash 4 red gem location

First up is the red gem, which unlocks the Ruby Red trophy or achievement. This can be found on the second level in the game: N. Sanity Peak in the N. Sanity Island dimension.

Progress through the level until you reach the second door, opened by the ghostly rat on the wheel. If you pay attention to the wall, you can see a diagram carved into the stone. This shows the 3x3 grid of platforms ahead of you, where each one phase shifts in and out of reality.

You need to follow the path on the diagram; start in the bottom left corner, then proceed round the edge anti-clockwise. You'll know if you're doing it right because a note will play on each platform, gradually ascending in pitch. When you get all the way round to the platform at 9 o'clock,  jump into the centre. The red gem should appear on the other side of the cavern, in front of Lani-Loli. All you need to do is complete the level and voila! Red gem attained.

2. Crash 4 green gem location

You'll find the next gem, which is green, in the Hit The Road level in The Hazardous Wastes dimension. Finding this will unlock the Emerald Gemerald trophy/achievement.

You need to proceed through the level until you're almost at the very end, when you're being chased by the enormous monster truck. When you reach one of the checkpoints in this section, there'll be some trash cans to the side. Spin them and a remote control will fly out onto the floor.

Spin the remote and a toy monster truck will appear. Keep spinning it to move the toy monster truck and eventually, it'll crash into the Nitro crate and the green gem will appear. Woah!

3. Crash 4 blue gem location

The blue gem can be found hidden in the Draggin' On level while playing through Tranquility Falls, and is definitely the hardest of the colored gems to get in Crash 4, with the Sapphire-er Acquirer trophy/achievement as your reward.

The concept for this one is simple, but the execution is far from it: You have to reach the end of the level without destroying a single crate. This includes checkpoint crates, Nitro, TNT, and everything else. This is especially tough because you need to use the Dark Matter mask for a lot of the level, which automatically breaks crates when you're near them. This will take a lot of trial and error, but remember you can die as many times as you need to.  When you reach the bonus level, make sure you travel to it then jump off the side straight away, because this lets you use it as a pseudo-checkpoint and you'll respawn there if you die. The blue gem will be waiting for you at the end of the level!

4. Crash 4 yellow gem location

The yellow gem is found in the Run It Bayou level while playing the Mosquito Marsh region and will unlock the Topaz Pizzazz trophy/achievement upon finding it.

This colored gem is actually right at the start of the level. Before you hop on the jet ski and embark through the marsh, slide jump over to the platform on the right, then bounce across the crates to the next one. Slide jump onto the moving platform, then go onto the larger platform on the left side with the four crates in a 2x2. Double jump off the top of the four crates and you'll grab the yellow gem from behind the sign.

Crash 4 colored gem bonus level reward

As mentioned before, each colored gem is tied to a hidden level. These can be found in four separate main story levels and work like the standard bonus levels in that you need to complete them to smash all the crates for that particular level.

However! For the main reward for finding all four gems, you do not need to worry about the bonus levels. Instead, you need to head to Toxic Tunnels on Cortex Island, one of the last levels in the game.

Play through Toxic Tunnels until you reach an enormous door in front of you, with the four gems in the corners. If you've got all four, it will open with some bright beams of light. Get ready for some of the most brutal platforming yet.

Head inside and you're presented with a clear goal; reach the green platform at the far side of the room. This section isn't too difficult, but you then have a series of progressively more difficult areas to beat, all without dying because there are no checkpoints. All we'll say is good luck because you're probably going to need it!

Crash 4 tips | Crash 4 bosses | Crash 4 masks | Crash 4 hidden gems | Crash 4 N. Verted hidden gems | Crash 4 Flashback Tapes | Crash 4 N. Verted mode

Crash 4 masks are a new addition to the series, and these four Quantum Masks are much more powerful than the Aku-Aku and Uka-Uka you will have seen previously. These fresh face coverings bestow special abilities on our favorite bounding bandicoot when you find them in It's About Time, ranging from phasing in and out of reality to controlling time or gravity and bending it to your will. If you're looking for information on how they work then we've got the lowdown on the powers for each of the Crash 4 masks, along with the locations you'll first encounter them.

Lani-Loli Phase Mask

Lani-Loli is the first mask you'll encounter in Crash Bandicoot 4, at the top of N. Sanity Peak. Friendly but somewhat cowardly in behaviour, this ghostly chap gives Crash or Coco the ability to phase things in and out of reality.

What this means is that anything you see with a sparkly blue aura around it, whether it's a crate, platform, or obstacle that would usually end you upon contact, can be made essentially non-existent. Switching between the two phases allows you to grab all the crates and access some otherwise inaccessible areas.

'Akano Dark Matter Mask

When you reach Tranquility Falls and encounter Dr. N. Brio for the first time, you'll be able to use 'Akano. This solemn, seemingly grumpy mask actually possesses one of the coolest powers; harnessing Dark Matter.

'Akano lets the wearer execute a Dark Matter spin, and unlike a normal Bandicoot spin attack, a Dark Matter spin never ends. It deflects enemy green magic attacks that you find throughout the region, but more importantly, you can soar through the air like an eagle with the increased jumping range. Glorious.

Kupuna Wa Time Mask

Crash Bandicoot 4 is all about travelling through time, so of course there's a mask that has time-related powers. Kupuna-Wa can slow down time for brief periods, while allowing either Crash or Coco to keep moving at normal pace.

What this means is that otherwise treacherous gaps with falling ice blocks can be successfully traversed, and a new type of block for this game - timed blocks - can be broken successfully, because otherwise they disappear far too quick. It also allows the wearer to — wait for it — BOUNCE on Nitro crates! That's right, when in slow-mo, you can bounce on a Nitro crate and survive, allowing for some crazy shenanigans.

Ika Ika Gravity Mask

Finally, we have Ika Ika, the mask of gravity. While you're in pursuit of the N. Tropy duo in Bermugula's Orbit, you'll be able to put Ika Ika to good use.

Rather than providing an anti-gravity effect, Ika Ika flips gravity instead. Running along the ceiling feels super weird at first, but eventually you'll get used to jumping and attacking enemies on the space station. There are some sections where you'll need to flip between gravities repeatedly and while it looks incredibly nauseating, Crash and Coco handle it like a boss.

Crash 4 tips | Crash 4 bosses | Crash 4 colored gems | Crash 4 hidden gems | Crash 4 N. Verted hidden gems | Crash 4 Flashback Tapes | Crash 4 N. Verted mode

The Crash 4 N. Verted hidden gems can only be collected once you've beaten a certain boss during the main story in It's About Time, after which you'll unlock the Crash 4 N. Verted mode. Replaying all of the levels again in that new mode introduces even more of a challenge, with stages being mirrored and different visual filters applied to mix up the art style. If you reckon you know where to find these collectibles after previously picking up the Crash 4 hidden gems then think again, as these secret items have moved to fresh locations that are even harder to reach than before. Fear not though, as we've documented every one of the Crash 4 N. Verted hidden gems locations to guide you on your way.

Crash 4 N. Verted hidden gems - N. Sanity Island

Rude Awakening

Right at the beginning of the level, turn around and walk to the right side of the beach to find the gem.

N. Sanity Peak

At the end of the level you will be in a chase sequence. When you jump on the role, climb up to find the gem at the top.

Crash 4 N. Verted hidden gems - The Hazardous Wastes

A Real Grind

About a third of the way through the level, you will come across six floating crates, one of which needs to be phased in. Jump on the metal box and look to the right side of the screen to see a box in the air. Slide jump to it and then double jump off the box to get the gem off screen.

Crash Compactor

At the end of the level when dropping down between phasing platforms, climb back up the other side and scale the wall to the right to find the gem at the top.

Hit The Road

After the first checkpoint, continue forward over the ramp, turn around and then slide under the metal grating to find the gem.

Truck Stopped

After swinging across the second rope, jump off the TNT crate onto the platform above. Slowly walk away from the screen off the edge to grab the gem hanging off the edge

Crash 4 N. Verted hidden gems - Salty Wharf

Booty Calls

After the wall is blown up in front of you, run down the stairs and jump on the moving platform in the water. Whilst it’s moving, jump onto the dock on the right and find the gem hidden behind the boxes.

Thar He Blows

Once you reach the section as Crash, immediately walk behind the left pillar to find the gem.

Hook, Line, And Sinker

About two thirds of the way through, you will be avoiding spikes and cannons. An enemy will be patrolling in front. Jump on its head to grab the gem in the air.

Jetboard Jetty

Once you reach the final jetboard section, don’t get on it. Instead, turn around and walk behind the left side of the stairs to find gem.

Crash 4 N. Verted hidden gems - Tranquility Falls

Give It A Spin

After scaling a wall to a door with a dog enemy behind it, ignore it and instead use the dark power ability to spin to the right of the door and find the gem in the air.

Potion Commotion

Once you reach Crash’s section, run to the right, and fall off the edge to find the gem on a platform.

Draggin’ On

Once you reach the first wall you scale, proceed upwards to the top. Once you have scaled it, use the dark power ability to jump behind the Chinese lanterns to find the gem hidden behind.

Off-Balance

Once you reach a bridge with two dragons spinning around it, run across and allow some of the platforms to fall. You will see a gem hidden underneath them.

Crash 4 N. Verted hidden gems - Mosquito Marsh

Off Beat

Reach the checkpoint box with a massive bin to the left. The gem is hidden behind it.

Home Cookin’

About halfway through you will be destroying mixing machines with TNT boxes. After the first one you will be on a conveyor. Jump onto the bridge in the background, walk to the left and find the gem.

Run It Bayou

At the beginning of the level, ignore the jetboard. Instead, slide jump across the water onto the platform on the left. Double jump onto the cover above and double jump again to find a gem.

No Dillo Dallying

After Crash’s first jetboard section, turn around. Slide jump towards the screen to jump on a platform and find a gem.

Crash 4 N. Verted hidden gems - The 11th Dimension

Snow Way Out

When you reach the river with all the ice platforms, platform your way to the waterfall at the end. On the right, you can jump into the waterfall and grab the gem.

Ship Happens

Once you reach the river in this level, you will notice a stack of crates on a platform on the right side. Jump onto the platform and onto a crate to reach the top of the stack, then double jump off that to find the gem off screen.

Stay Frosty

On the grind rail section. After jumping through the spiky hoop, immediately hang off the rail to find the gem.

Bears Repeating

When you reach the side scrolling section and are on the platforms that move with your weight, bring the right platform down, immediately jump to the left and find the gem in the air.

Building Bridges

At the polar bear riding section, you will come to a point where Cortex is causing trees to fall. Jump on the left side of the first tree to find the gem.

Crash 4 N. Verted hidden gems - Eggipus Dimension

Blast To The Past

Half-way through you reach a couple of boxes - one bouncy, two harder ones. Angle the jump off the bouncy platform to the left-hand side of the screen to find the gem hidden.

Fossil Fuelled

Early on you will find a bouncy crate and a TNT box. Make the enemy in front of you turn into a bouncy platform, bounce off onto the TNT crate and jump above to find the gem.

Dino Dash

Just before the first dinosaur chase sequence, you will walk into a tree trunk. Inside, jump to the left to find the gem.

Rock Blocked

Towards the end of Dingodile’s section when scaling the wall you will find a TNT box with crates on top. Jump off the top crate and then hover to propel yourself even higher and find the gem.

Crash 4 N. Verted hidden gems - Bermugula’s Orbit

Out For Launch

At the beginning, walk into the first room and immediately high jump to find the hidden gem above you.

Shipping Error

Before getting on a lift towards the end, high jump to find the gem hidden.

Stowing Away

After coming down a lift, walk towards the screen to find the gem.

Crash Landed

Take the blue gem path. Once you have completed the side-scrolling section walking left, jump towards the screen to find a platform. Jump towards the screen again to find another and the gem.

Crash 4 N. Verted hidden gems - The Sn@xx Dimension

Food Run

At the end of the level when phasing between boxes and walls, you will find a gem hidden in one of the phased boxes you are jumping between.

Rush Hour

Right at the beginning you will jump across platforms that fall. On the final platform, let it fall to find the gem. Quickly hover again to survive.

The Crate Escape

When scaling the wall at the beginning, turn the first enemy into a bounce pad. Jump off it onto a crate on the right, then immediately dash to the left. You will find the gem on a small ledge.

Crash 4 N. Verted hidden gems - Cortex Island

Nitro Processing

Once you reach the checkpoint after navigating the gravity section with the gears, look to the left side of the screen to find a gem tucked behind the wall.

Toxic Tunnels

At the end when jumping on the spinning platforms, instead of continuing to the left, use them to reach the right side of the screen. You will find a gem in the air to slide jump to.

Cortex Castle

After exiting the castle and retrieving the dark power mask, jump to the TNT crates on the left. Immediately jump off the right as high as you can to grab the hidden gem.

Seeing Double

At the end when you are on the gauntlet with all the masks, you will get the ability to slow time. Do so and jump between the saw blade to get to jump up to the crate at the end. Double jump off to find a hidden gem.

Crash 4 tips | Crash 4 bosses | Crash 4 masks | Crash 4 colored gems | Crash 4 Flashback Tapes

Crash 4 hidden gems are lurking in each level, and for most of them you'll need to explore off the main path in order to track them down. If you're a completionist then you'll want to hit that 100% completion stat on every stage by filling in all six gems, and while the first five are unlocked by gathering Wumpa fruit, smashing crates, or maintaining a low death count, you have to actually find and collect the last one in a secret location.

Searching for Crash 4 hidden gems can be a stressful activity, especially on tougher levels where it's hard enough just to stay alive, which is why we're here to make things easier for you. Follow our guide for each level, and the secret gems required for 100% will soon be yours. Bear in mind that when you unlock Crash 4 N. Verted mode, these gems will change position in the flipped levels, so we have a separate Crash 4 N. Verted hidden gems guide to cover them. 

Crash 4 hidden gems - N. Sanity Island

Rude Awakening

After the grind rail segment you’ll come to a section where you’re required to slide under a hut. Crouch under and jump up inside the hut to obtain the gem.

N. Sanity Peak

At the end of the level you’ll be in a chase sequence. About one third of the way in, the gem is on the right behind an obstacle.

Crash 4 hidden gems - The Hazardous Wastes

A Real Grind

Right at the end of the level you’ll phase some platforms to reach higher. On the top platform, slide jump to the left and then double jump off the two crates to reach the gem.

Crash Compactor

After the grind rail section, turn around and carefully jump down to reach a platform below. Hit the metal box and jump back up. Continue and you’ll see the gem in plain sight.

Hit The Road

About halfway through Tawna’s section you'll wall jump to the top of cliff. Look to the right and you’ll see the gem hidden on a side platform.

Truck Stopped

After the second lift you’ll reach the top and notice a nitro crate and crate to the left. Slide jump under and up onto the box and reach the platform above to find the hidden gem.

Crash 4 hidden gems - Salty Wharf

Booty Calls

Towards the end of the level you’ll re-enter a cave. On the right you’ll notice a treasure chest. Head down and to the right, jump on the moving platform, then spin into the chest to receive the hidden gem.

Thar He Blows

Towards the beginning of Dingodile's section you will see a TNT barrel. Hidden to the right is a small platform. Jump on it and grab the gem.

Hook, Line, And Sinker

About halfway through the level, you will find the gem on a platform above in plain sight. Jump up and grab it.

Jetboard Jetty

After the floating platform section before the jetboard section, you will see a stack of metal crates to the left. Jump up on top to find a hidden gem.

Crash 4 hidden gems - Tranquility Falls

Give It A Spin

Near the beginning of the level when you’re expected to move away from the camera, jump to the right instead and find the gem on a stack of crates.

Potion Commotion

After the first section, when you reach dry land, wall jump to the top of the cliff and find the gem hidden around a corner on the right.

Draggin’ On

After the bonus stage, start scaling the wall to the right and you’ll see an entryway. Walk in and to the left and you can walk behind the wall and use the dark power ability to jump around and find a hidden gem. 

Off-Balance

Halfway through the level, you will jump up a wind tunnel to another ledge. On the right you will notice some nitro crates. Jump between the wind tunnel and the crates to find a hidden path. Scale the challenging path and at the end you will find the gem.

Crash 4 hidden gems - Mosquito Marsh

Off Beat

You will reach a section when you receive one of the masks. Soon after you will find two enemies who you can phase in and out of dimension. Kill them both and jump to the right platform they were on to grab the gem.

Home Cookin’

Reach the restaurant and once inside, take a U-turn and leave the right exit. Follow the path and at the end hover across the water to find a hidden platform with a gem.

Run It Bayou

Once you reach the first jetboard section, look at the barrel to your right. Walk behind it and spin to hit a hidden box. Walk back the way you came, and you will find some metal boxes have spawned into existence, jump over and find the gem.

No Dillo Dallying

After the second boat sequence you will come to a checkpoint. To the right are four metal boxes. Hover over and jump up to reach the gem.

Crash 4 hidden gems - The 11th Dimension

Snow Way Out

Once you reach the river with moving ice platforms, jump to the far right side to find a brown platform. Here will be some crates with a gem on top.

Ship Happens

Near the beginning when you start scaling platforms, once you’re the top, head all the way to the left. You will notice some metal blocks in the distance. Dash across, then dash again to another set to retrieve the gem.

Stay Frosty

Towards the end of the level you will come to a nitro box on some ice. Look left and jump to the higher ledge. Follow the path and make the jumps to grab them hidden gem at the end.

Bears Repeating

Near the beginning of the level inside the cave, you will come across rotating platformers. Before jumping across, slowly drop off the edge of the path and fall onto a ledge with a gem.

Building Bridges

After wall jumping for the first time, turn and face the camera. Head forwards and there is a gem hiding in plain sight.

Crash 4 hidden gems - Eggipus Dimension

Blast To The Past

At the end of the level when you’re grinding on the branches, you will need to quickly jump to the left to avoid hitting a tree. As soon as you do, quickly jump back to the right after passing to find a gem tucked behind.

Fossil Fueled

Very early on you will come across a foggy pit that you must seemingly dash over. Instead, jump into the pit and search around to find a gem.

Dino Dash

After the second dinosaur chase sequence, you will come across a tree you must duck under to continue. Ignore that and walk behind the tree to find a hidden gem waiting.

Rock Blocked

Near the start of the level, you will be side scrolling as Dingodile. On the land with three TNT crates, destroy each one, then move towards the camera. Hover across the water to find the gem on another chuck of land.

Crash 4 hidden gems - Bermugula’s Orbit

Out For Launch

After riding the elevator and hitting the checkpoint box very early on, go behind the massive left pipe to find the hidden gem.

Shipping Error

When you fall down the gap near the beginning of the level as Cortex, turn around and walk away from the camera. You will find a secret drop with a gem hiding away.

Stowing Away

Once in the vents with the gravity mask you will come across a laser you must duck under to continue. Instead, activate the gravity mask and you will go up a hole above you. Walk to the right and spin to hit a switch. Now, walk all the way to the left to find the gem.

Crash Landed

Around halfway through the level after the first creature riding section, you will come into a cave. Proceed forward till you grab the gravity mask. As soon as you do, turn around and walk till you need to jump. Activate the mask and you’ll switch to the ceiling and find the gem in front of you.

Crash 4 hidden gems - The Sn@xx Dimension

Food Run

Right at the start you will need to traverse over some moving vehicles. On the second row of cars, you will notice a gem on the left-hand side. Jump over the cars to reach it.

Rush Hour

Towards the end of Dingodile’s section, after you must jump from car to car over Nitro crates, you will come to an elevator. Ignore the left, and instead keep platforming to the right over the cars. At the end, you will see a ledge to hover to. Do so, follow the path, and grab the gem.

The Crate Escape

After traversing up the side of the first building you will reach a tunnel. Proceed inwards until you reach a bouncy metal box. Jump on it to activate another box and then walk back the way you came. A new bouncy metal box will have spawned near the beginning of the tunnel and the gem is waiting at the top of the jump.

Crash 4 hidden gems - Cortex Island

Nitro Processing

When you reach the section where you must traverse the spinning gears, navigate through until you need to jump you see the ceiling you need to jump onto to escape. Don’t jump and remain on the cog to be taken to the hidden gem.

Toxic Tunnels

An obvious door will be accessible near the beginning of the level if you have all four colored gems. If you do, follow the linear, challenging path to find the gem right at the end.

Cortex Castle

Once you get to the last checkpoint box, don’t hit it. Instead, turn to the left and jump on the narrow metal segment of the lasers. From there use your dark powers mask to spin on top of a floating TNT crate, followed by another jump to a crate with a gem on top.

Seeing Double

Proceed through the level until you reach an interactive metal box and a laser wall. Look below and you will notice a metal bouncy box. Jump on it and quickly dash to the left to reach a higher platform. Follow the platforms to reach a hole in the wall. Jump in, travel all the way to the right and grab a hidden gem.

Crash 4 tips | Crash 4 bosses | Crash 4 masks | Crash 4 colored gems | Crash 4 Flashback Tapes

Crash 4 bosses break up the platforming action by throwing you into battle against various enemies, and you need to be ready for the fight as they all provide you with tough opposition. You'll see a number of familiar names and faces as bosses return from past games for another rumble, though there's also a brand new foe to contend with who is tied into the latest story. There are certain tactics and tricks that can help you through each of these encounters, so follow our Crash 4 bosses guide to emerge victorious from each face off.

Warning: This guide will have spoilers! Do not scroll past the photo of Crash Bandicoot dancing in the street if you want to avoid spoilers.

Crash 4 bosses - Dr. N. Gin

When you get past the opening two levels on N. Sanity Island and make it to The Hazardous Wastes, Dr. N. Gin will be taunting you throughout. This half-man, half-cyborg has been a pain in Crash's backside since the very first game in the series and once again, you need to defeat him, but this time it's as part of a heavy metal gig N. Gin has devised with a huge drumming robot called Rawk-It Head.

The premise is fairly simple; spin the flaming minions N. Gin sends out and they'll start destroying his massive speakers. Dodge the electrical discs at the same time and whenever his speakers get destroyed, Crash or Coco can run toward N. Gin and spin him in his stupid robot face. Remember that the conveyor belt you're on is moving slowly, so you need to keep making your way forward. Also make sure you don't spin the minions too early; it's easy for your spin to end right as they're within touching distance, making you restart!

Crash 4 bosses - Louise

Louise is unfortunately the only new boss in the game, and she comes as a huge surprise. She's a three-tentacled sea monster that you stumble upon right at the end of the Jetboard Jetty level in Salty Wharf, preventing you from reaching the end.

While riding the jet ski into her tentacles – or her big face at the top – will cause your demise, there are also stacks of rats with swords riding barrels, aiming straight for you. In order to take down Louise, you need to guide the rats into the tentacles. As you take them down, her health bar will slowly chip away. You can also lure the tentacle slaps into each other, provided there is more than one trying to strike you down.

Crash 4 bosses - Dr. N. Brio

Next up is another classic Crash villain, Dr. Nitrous Brio. He's the evil force at play in the Tranquility Falls dimension, which comes right after you defeat Louise. In true N. Brio fashion, he's concocted some deadly potions that he's lobbing at you from a platform. 

All you have to do to defeat him is simply dodge the cloud waves that emit every time he throws a potion, then spin the green goo creatures that come out at the end of his lobbing. They'll fly back and hit him in the face, before N. Brio enters his second phase.

Dodge the big, green, evil Hulk version of N. Brio that has leapt onto your platform and wait until he gets himself into a daze. The 'Akano mask will come and greet you, at which point you can do the dark matter spin and knock N. Brio off the platform. Do this a few more times and voila! N. Brio will be conquered, and you'll also unlock Crash 4 N. Verted mode for a fresh take on each level.

Crash 4 bosses - Dr. Neo Cortex

Ah, Cortex. The whole reason for Crash's existence, and the enemy that motivates our favourite bandicoot to keep on spinning. After you catch him at the end of Bears Repeating in The 11th Dimension, the next level will be 4th Time's A Charm; the Dr. Neo Cortex boss fight.

Cortex kicks things off with a barrage of missiles. Evade them by just running away until Punchbot Mark 2 is deployed, then spin the robot when it becomes dazed. Next, dodge all the obstacles, similar to those N. Gin fired out from his drumming robot, until another Punchbot appears. Again, spin it when it gets confused. Now Cortex will combine the two; dodge the missile and the electric obstacles until the third Punchbot, then spin it once more. 

For the final section, parts of the platform you're stood on will slowly be removed. Dodge the missiles until Cortex hits all the buttons at once, then be ready to hop off the tile you're on if it starts shaking. Now you've got a very limied platform to work with, but keep dodging all the incoming missiles and electric discs, and remember that you can use Kapuna-Wa to slow down time if you need it. Eventually, spin the final Punchbot, and Cortex will be yours.

Crash 4 bosses - Dr. N Tropy

After Cortex failed both versions of N. Tropy, and after a wild grind through loads of dimensions, Crash and Coco face off against both N. Tropy versions simultaneously. And it takes place in space, because of course it does.

Kapuna-Wa is absolutely crucial here. Jump forward through the platforms, using the slow-mo ability as often as you need to. The only obstacle is the slow-firing laser but thankfully, it's pretty inaccurate and seems to target random platforms rather than the one you're on.

When you reach the N. Tropies at the end, the pair will start chasing you around the rim of their ship. Use Ika Ika to frequently change gravity, spinning the yellow power sources as you go, all while dodging the blue energy balls. When you reach the end, the male N. Tropy will start chasing you, and you've got to do the same again but with increased difficulty. Then you've got to go back again as the female N. Tropy is on your tail. Spin the final power source and bish bash bosh, the N. Tropies have been sloshed.

Crash 4 bosses - Dr. Neo Cortex (again)

Did you really think Cortex had changed into a good guy? Shame on you. After he goes back in time to stop past Cortex from creating Crash Bandicoot in the first place, it's up to you to progress through Cortex Castle and stop him.

This boss fight is somewhat similar to the first in that Cortex loves a falling platform, but this time it's somewhat trickier. Cortex takes all four masks away from you then uses them himself. In the first section, all you need to do is bounce on each of the Shoot-O-Matics three times to destroy them, while dodging their big yellow ring attacks and the falling platforms. When Cortex's assistant appears, spin him to take off the first health bar.

Now Cortex is using Lani-Loli; jump over the phasing platforms, destroy the Shoot-O-Matics, then spin the assistant again. Cortex will start using his AnnihiLaser, so just jump or duck over all of those beams to stay alive. He use Ika-Ika after this, so dodge the lasers while upside-down, bounce on the Shoot-O-Matics again, then spin the assistant.

In the next section, loads of platforms disappear again, and Kapuna-Wa comes into play. Start sprinting to the right and make sure you stay on the surviving platforms. Cortex will intermittently slow down time, but it's not too much of a nuisance if you pay attention. Bounce on the left-most Shoot-O-Matic when it appears, then jump into the bottom-left corner. Wait here until the cycle comes around then run to the top-right turret and jump on that one. Jump over to the assistant and spin him to end his time-trickery.

Now for 'Akano, the final mask. Start by avoiding the lasers and quickly jumping on all four Shoot-O-Matics; the less turrets there are, the less ground-based waves of energy you have to dodge. When you destroy the final one, you've got four assistants to beat. Keep dodging the lasers and after you get rid of the final assistant, congratulations! You've beaten Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time.

Crash 4 tips | Crash 4 masks | Crash 4 colored gems | Crash 4 hidden gems | Crash 4 N. Verted hidden gems | Crash 4 Flashback Tapes

Taking on board some Crash 4 tips can be helpful for all, whether you're a marsupial veteran or a bandicoot beginner, because a lot has changed in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time. We're not exaggerating when we say it's the toughest Crash game out there, with fresh gameplay mechanics to master and plenty of difficulty spikes to contend with as you progress. That's why we're here to help with this set of pointers, from deciding between Modern or Classic mode to how much Big Wumpa Fruit are worth, so take a read through the Crash 4 tips below to significantly improve your odds of platforming success.

1. It's not a race, so proceed cautiously to earn as many gems as possible

Each level can reward you with a maximum of six gems upon completion; three for the amount of Wumpa Fruit collected, one for dying three times or less, one for finding all the crates, and one for grabbing the hidden gem. Even if you don't find the Crash 4 hidden gems, you can easily grab five of the six gems in each level by proceeding with a lot of caution and planning every jump and spin.

2. Big Wumpa Fruit are worth 25 in total

See those massive, shiny Wumpa Fruit? They're new to Crash 4 and you'll want to grab them, as they're worth 25 Wumpa each. They will go a long way towards earning those three gems mentioned above, so do your best to pick 'em up.

3. Three Aku-Aku masks will make you invincible

This one is a trick that has persisted from the original trilogy of games, but it's important to remember here too; if you collect three Aku-Aku masks without being hit, you'll become invincible. This power lasts for only a short amount of time but it means you can sprint through anything standing in your way at a faster pace. Even when it runs out, you'll keep stage two, so all you need to do is grab another mask to become invincible again.

4. Crash 4 is tough, so play on Modern for your first playthrough

Right when the game starts, you'll be asked if you want to play on Modern or Classic. The Crash veterans reading this will be tempted to go for Classic – game over when you run out of lives, gain more by collecting Wumpa Fruit – but we have to stress that Crash 4 is tougher than previous games in the series. For your first playthrough, you'll be better off playing on Modern, until you've got to grips with the game, because you're not limited to lives and will reset at checkpoints every time.

5. Bonus level deaths don't count towards the main level total, but crates do

Every main level has a bonus level, indicated by a raised platform with a question mark atop about halfway through. Hop on and you'll be whisked away to a bonus level with a smaller number of crates to collect. If you die on this level, don't worry; it doesn't count towards your number of deaths for the level so you can still earn the gem. The crates, however, do count. Make sure you complete each bonus level if you want to smash all the crates on the level as a whole!

6. Slide before double jumping to ascend even higher than normal

This is a classic Crash move, but newbies to the series may not be aware that if you slide then instantly go into a double jump, you'll climb slightly higher than you would with a standard double jump. This will allow you to reach those pesky boxes that otherwise seem out of your reach.

7. Try your hardest not to die at all until you collect the Flashback Tape on most levels

There are 21 Crash 4 Flashback Tapes in total throughout the game, so while not every story level has one, most do. They're unlocked by not racking up a single death until you reach them, which as you'll find later in the game, becomes quite difficult. So while you can die a maximum of three times for the gem at the end, getting the Flashback Tape requires a perfect run until you find it.

8. Time Trial mode can't be turned off, so you'll need to restart the level

There's not much more to this unfortunately. Time Trial mode is unlocked in each level when you complete it for the first time, allowing yoiu to go back through and replace boxes with special yellow ones that take precious seconds off your time. It's easy to accidentally collect the golden clock without meaning to though, so if that happens, you need to pause the game and restart.

9. N. Verted mode flips everything, except for Hidden Gems which are in new locations

When you unlock Crash 4 N. Verted mode, it's going to confuse you at first. Vision is limited, everything is mirrored, and the altered audio is nightmare inducing. Everything is pretty much the same though; enemies are in the same spots, as are crates, it's just mirrored. Except for the Crash 4 N. Verted hidden gems, as you'll need to hunt for them all a second time, because they're not in the original locations. Good luck!

Crash 4 bosses | Crash 4 masks | Crash 4 colored gems

The studio behind Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is hiring for a project and it doesn’t appear to be related to Call of Duty. 

As spotted by VGC, Toys for Bob - the developer behind Crash Bandicoot 4, Crash Bandicoot the N. Sane Trilogy, and the Spyro Reignited Trilogy - is currently hiring for a senior concept artist. What’s interesting about this is that the job doesn’t appear to be related to a Call of Duty project. 

Following the release of Crash Bandicoot 4 earlier this year, Toys for Bob - an Activision studio - was assigned as Warzone support studio as well as being the primary developer of the current Crash Bandicoot series. If you take a look at Toys for Bob’s other job listings such as this one for a lighting artist, you’ll see that the job listing clearly states that the successful applicant will be working on a Call of Duty project - however, the new concept artist listing does not. 

Although it’s not clear what game the new senior concept artist will be working on or whether the absence of Call of Duty from this job role is intentional, we do know that Toys for Bob is still taking good care of the Crash Bandicoot series thanks to a statement from Activision which said: "[Toys for Bob] is excited to continue supporting Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, and more recently provide additional development support to Call of Duty: Warzone."

It’s also coincidentally Crash Bandicoot’s 25th anniversary this year and to celebrate, Activision and Toys for Bob have already released a Crashiversary bundle as well as a teaser that "we'll see more of [Crash] very soon." 

If you’re still attempting to 100% the latest installment of the bandicoot game, take a look at our Crash 4 tips for guidance. 

Activision is celebrating Crash Bandicoot's 25th anniversary with a special bundle of all his latest games, as well as a teaser that more is to come.

The publisher put out a new video to kick off Crash Bandicoot's 25th Anniversary Celebration, presented by the studio heads of Toys for Bob - the current steward of the Crash franchise which is now also working on Call of Duty Warzone.

The video is mostly a celebration of Crash's gaming appearances throughout the years and his recent resurgence in the N. Sane Trilogy, Crash Nitro Racing, and Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, but it ends on a note from co-studio head Avery Lodato that should prick up pointy orange ears around the world: "Happy 25th anniversary, Crash, we'll see more of you very soon."

Activision hasn't announced plans for any further Crash Bandicoot titles, but Lodato may be not-so-subtly hinting that that will change soon. That or maybe they'll just start sending out more people in those big Crash mascot suits, but that hardly seems like the kind of thing you'd tease at the end of an anniversary video.

While we wait to find out where that goes, you can catch up with Crash via the brand new Crashiversary bundle, which packs in the three aforementioned games on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Switch. Weirdly, prices for the bundle vary from $59.99 on PlayStation to $119.99 on Xbox right now, so you may want to wait a bit to see if they even out.

Retro Gamer took a deep dive into Crash's history, starting with how Naughty Dog transformed Willie the Wombat into a PlayStation icon.

A pair of Crash Bandicoot voice actors are working together again on a new project, though it probably isn't a new Crash game - unless it is.

Actor Scott Whyte took over as the voice of eponymous hero in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, in which he appeared alongside Lex Lang as the longtime voice of Dr. Neo Cortex. Whyte used his personal Instagram account to reveal that he and Lang are working on a new project together, teasing that this one "is not another Crash game (or is it?? Haha!)" With a tease like that, there's really no telling what their next collaboration is set to be. Whatever it is, Whyte seems to be pretty excited about it.

It could be a new Crash Bandicoot project that isn't a game - like a movie or TV series - or it could in fact be a Crash game, or it could be something that isn't related to jumping and spinning bandicoots at all. Both Whyte and Lang have extensive credits beyond the Crash franchise, so it isn't all that difficult to imagine the two of them being cast on another project together purely by happenstance.

Crash Bandicoot fans are hungry for news on the future of the franchise, especially since Toys For Bob, the lead developer of Crash Bandicoot 4, recently began providing support for the continued development of Call of Duty: Warzone. 

Crash Bandicoot 4 made its way to new-gen consoles, Switch, and PC in March, though it's only available via Battle.net on the latter platform. 

A Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time mod for PC has swapped the titular marsupial for Nintendo mascot Super Mario. 

The mod, which is almost identical to the original game aside from the obvious character swap, was uploaded to YouTube by UnrealPC, whose channel also features several other Mario mod showcases.

Mario manages to expertly recreate all of Crash’s move sets including his signature spin and body slam as he navigates the Rude Awakening level in Crash Bandicoot 4. Seems like Aku Aku never got the memo though, as his dialogue still refers to Mario as Crash. We’ll cut him some slack though, considering he gives Crash more than a few second chances throughout the game. 

In the comments of the video, fans were sounding off about which iconic video game protagonist was their favourite, as well as one user joking that “Mario straight up abandoned Nintendo after they told him about March 31st” making reference to Nintendo’s decision to pull Super Mario 3D All-Stars from stores after March 31 2021. 

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time made its way to next-gen consoles as well as the Nintendo Switch last month, with the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions all allowing for free PS4/Xbox One upgrades to those who already own the game. As for PC, Crash Bandicoot 4 was confirmed to be making its way to PC on March 26, via Battle.Net. 

The multidimensional marsupial also celebrated a milestone lately after the first Crash Bandicoot game reached its 25th anniversary. To celebrate the occasion, the game’s developer Toys for Bob added two new skins for Crash and Coco into Crash 4.   

You can see exactly what changes were made to the PS5 upgrade in this Crash Bandicoot 4 PS5 comparison.

GamesRadar+, along with our tech and gaming sister sites including PCGamer and TechRadar, has a new weekly video series where Future's experts team up to bring you the latest and greatest in tech and games. You can watch the fourth episode right here. 

This week our very own Alex Avard gives you the lowdown on Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time and T3 checks out the limited-edition AMR-C01 Racing Simulator chair. 

"Crash 4 preserves the series' timeless charms while bringing bold iteration where it's needed,” says Alex.

"This is exactly the sequel I could imagine Naughty Dog wishing it had made 20 years ago, and one that can stand proudly alongside the best of the Bandicoot's back catalog."

The AMR-C01 Racing Simulator chair gets some love too. Created by Aston Martin and British technology company, Curv Racing Simulators, it's a serious piece of kit and customizable too.

"If you want it to match the color of your car in your driveway, they will do that for you as well," says T3.

You can watch the whole episode above and if you want to check out the last week's episode - featuring the DJI Drone, the puzzle game Maquette, and the Samsung QN95A 4K TV, you can do so here. 

New episodes of Totally Rated will roll out every Thursday. 

The Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time PC release date has been revealed, and it's not far off - but it may not be headed to the storefront you expected.

With Crash Bandicoot 4's PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch versions landing today, Activision put out a new trailer to celebrate their launch - and that trailer also confirms the new Crash game is headed to Battle.net on March 26. There's no mention of a release on Steam, Epic Games Store, or any other digital PC platforms in the trailer.

Battle.net was formerly the exclusive home of PC games from Blizzard Entertainment, but in recent years it's also hosted an increasingly broad selection of titles from Blizzard's sister company Activision Publishing. Not all of them, though, with one notable counter example being Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2, which debuted as an Epic Games Store exclusive on PC last year.

The new-gen versions of Crash Bandicoot 4 feature 4K visuals and 60 frames per second, so you can likely expect the same performance (or better) on PC. Pre-orders are open on Battle.net now for $39.99.

While you'll have to wait a little longer to play Crash Bandicoot 4 on PC, the developers are already celebrating the series' 25th anniversary with a commemorative pair of skins. Specifically, they're Crash and Coco in X-ray mode (but still wearing underwear to preserve their skeletal modesty).

See how the new versions stack up with this Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time PS5 comparison video. 

The Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time devs have released two new skins for Crash and Coco to wear in honour of the series’ 25th anniversary.

The Bare Bones skin, which can be obtained by finishing the second level of the game, gives the bandicoots a transparent exterior and expose what they’re hiding under their fur. Which, as it turns out, is a skeleton and some heart print underwear. 

This multidimensional marsupial game now has 30 costumes to collect, from retro-looking ensembles to weather-appropriate attire, all of which can be obtained by completing various tasks whilst navigating the levels. 

Some skins can be acquired easily by simply completing the relevant level, but others require a little more skill to achieve, like those that task players with finding specific items across different levels. The unlockable costumes come as something a relief to many fans who previously assumed that the game would contain microtransactions.

Crash 4: It’s About Time also launched on Xbox Series X, PS5, and the Nintendo Switch today, which saw the game receive a number of changes. According to Digital Foundry, the PS5 version of the game is the best one yet, and although the Switch version sits at the bottom in terms of performance: “we are at a point now with console gaming where you can have the best version of the game and the worst version of the game, and both of them can still look attractive.”

About to take on Dr. Neo Cortex on the PS5, Xbox Series X, or Nintendo Switch? Make sure you check out our Crash 4 tips first

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time has launched on PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch today, and there are a few notable differences from the previous-gen versions. 

The team at Digital Foundry has released an in-depth video comparing the visuals and performances of Crash Bandicoot 4 on the PS5 and the Nintendo Switch.

The PS5 version of the game has “an extra touch of polish” which has been improved with 4K rendering and a locked 60 frames per second which is maintained almost throughout the entire game. The video also notes that in the PS5 version of the game “detail is improved slightly across the board.”

Other improvements introduced in the PS5 version are 3D audio capabilities (with headphones), adaptive triggers support, and faster loading times due to the console’s SSD - which although fast is “perhaps not quite as fast as games built up for the system.”

As expected though, the Nintendo Switch version is a different story. The comparison video notes that Crash 4 in docked mode has a resolution of just above 720p, with it dropping down to even below 540p in handheld mode. The Switch port has also removed some visual elements such as dynamic lights and particle effects to assist in the smooth running of the game at a capped 30 frames per second.  

This doesn’t make the Nintendo Switch version a bad port though, as the video states “we at a point now with console gaming where you can have the best version of the game and the worst version of the game, and both of them can still look attractive.” John also speculates that this may be the case with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 when they also make their way to Nintendo Switch later this year. 

For ways to get the most out of your multidimensional Bandicoot game, take a look at our Crash 4 tips guide 

Crash Bandicoot 4 is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Nintendo Switch on March 12, 2021.

Activision announced the news of the marsupial's trip to all platforms (a PC version will land later on in the year) in a new trailer, which you can watch below. 

In a blog post on the Activision website, it was also confirmed that players who already own Crash Bandicoot 4 on PS4 or Xbox One can also upgrade for free to the PS5 or Xbox Series X/Xbox Series S versions respectively (although if you own the game on disc, you need to have a next-gen console with a disc-drive for the update as well). Great news if you fancy taking on that absolute beast of a level towards the end of the game in 4K.

Speaking of that higher resolution, the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions of Crash Bandicoot 4 will support native 4K at 60FPS, while the Xbox Series S version will support upscaled 4K. PC players can expect the same resolution as well, with uncapped framerates when Crash heads to the Battle.net launcher later in the year. 

While the Nintendo Switch version doesn't have a spec rundown on the Activision blog, it does have the benefit of letting you play the game in bed. If that appeals, pre-orders are now live for it on the Nintendo eShop.

We're big fans of Crash's return, as Alex Avard writes in his Crash Bandicoot 4 review: "Crash 4 earns its title as a worthy sequel to Warped, one that preserves the series' timeless charms while bringing bold iteration where it's needed. Toys for Bob's clear love and understanding of what makes Crash tick manifests in every aspect of It's About Time's design, but to call it a love letter would be to unfairly gloss over the important strides it makes for the franchise itself."

For more on Crash, why not get prepared for his next-gen debut with our Crash Bandicoot 4 tips?

A fan on Twitter has posted what is supposedly test footage from a since axed Crash Bandicoot cartoon.

The clip features a Crash origin story in which Neo Cortex mutates a simple marsupial into the Crash Bandicoot we all know and love today. Take a look at the scene below. 

This footage, which supposedly originated from the Crash Bandicoot subreddit, has since been deleted. However, the post claims the series was commissioned by Amazon and was in production for a whole year before getting cancelled. However, there's been no official confirmation of this. 

The animation does look to be of a high quality, especially considering that this is supposedly test footage. Many fans of the video game series remain unconvinced though, with some believing that this may in fact be fan-made or a scrapped video game cutscene, of which there were apparently plenty during the development of the first Crash Bandicoot game in the 90s. 

Around the same time as the animation appeared online, a second version of the same scene also did the rounds on Twitter. This version has slightly different effects and gives Crash different characteristics, however, remains mostly the same as the first. 

Although the idea of a Crash Bandicoot animated series is exciting, another plausible explanation for this footage may be that it came from an early revision of Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, which was released last year. If we consider that this wouldn't be the first time Crash could have had animated segments (as referenced in the tweet above) and that Crash 4’s developers Toys For Bob have always wanted to maintain the “old school animation vibe that the game gives off", it wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility. 

For now, things remain inconclusive due to the fact that Activision hasn't commented on the rumours, but it’s still fun to imagine what this could be.

If you’re still struggling with collecting all those coloured gems, take a look at our Crash 4 coloured gems guide.  

The Crash Bandicoot 4 ending has a secret logo that could be hinting at a possible sequel.

This discovery comes from a recent Twitter post (via The Gamer), where user @kimmotman, aka Kevin Fagaragan, found a secret logo at the end of the game's first level. The uploaded video shows how a new image appears on the TV after you use spin attack to switch the channels. 

Usually, only the known callbacks to previous Crash Bandicoot titles are there each time you hit the TV, up until the newly released Crash Bandicoot 4. However, this time around a brand new logo can be spotted. 

The logo is only visible for a split second, and it looks to be some sort of symbol, perhaps hinting at a possible new game. You can see the logo again in the sequence each time you hit the TV, so it's not a one off easter egg.

The mysterious logo was found after Fagaragan beat the platforming game and according to them, the secret only works if you 106% the game. 

This isn't the first time players have encountered a teaser in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, players have previously discovered a secret ending which supposedly teases the plot for a fifth installment in the series. We've yet to get confirmation on that and this newly discovered logo, but we'd like to think we'll be seeing more of the lovable Bandicoot in the future. 

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time released last month for PS4 and Xbox One.

For more, check out our Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy review.

A recent discovery may suggest a Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time Switch port could be on the way in the future. 

Evidence of a Switch profile has been spotted by someone taking a closer look at the Crash Bandicoot 4's INI files, which were highlighted in a recent video from YouTuber Canadian Guy Eh. In the video, Canadian Guy Eh points out that since Crash Bandicoot 4 is made on Unreal Engine 4, which is frequently used by many developers, profiles for all consoles are already in the engine itself. But what adds more credence to the idea of an incoming Switch port, Canadian Guy Eh argues, is the additional discovery of files that reference "Copied from Falcon".  

"For those of you who don't know, Falcon was the project name for Spyro Reignited - also done by Toys for Bob who did the Switch port in house," Candian Guy Eh explains. "This phrase simply means that they borrowed some Switch optimization code from Spyro Reignited to get the base done for Crash 4 on Switch." 

If this is Switch code for Crash 4, this may suggest that it will run in a similar way to Spyro Reignited on Nintendo's console. While it's best to take this with a pinch of salt, it is an interesting discovery. After the release of Crash 4 on Xbox One and PS4, thoughts quickly turned to whether we'd see the platformer arrive on Switch and PC in the future - especially since the previous Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy release got ports for both platforms. 

Just recently an ERSB rating for Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time on Xbox Series X surfaced on the official listings board, which may suggest we'll also see a next-gen upgraded version arrive at some stage. 

Getting stuck into the platformer? Be sure to check out our Crash 4 tips. 

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is, quite frankly, about to steal all of your time, with more levels, new features, and challenges than you can shake a Nitro Crate at. In fact, tis sequel is so ambitious that we asked Toys for Bob's Lou Studdert to give us the lowdown on exactly what to expect from Crash's return to video games. 

"The original trilogy had a unique style of gameplay that I don't think any other platformers really ever had," says Studdert. "And so what we wanted to do, and the reason we call it Crash Bandicoot 4 is because we're continuing that gameplay and that play style. But we're also continuing the story as well." 

It's About Time is very much the Crash Bandicoot experience that you know and love, then, featuring the series' now iconic blend of 3D and 2.5D platforming that's just as demanding on your reflexes as you may or may not remember it to be, as Studdert explains.

"We spent a long time looking at that core DNA; that tense, precise, perspective shifting platforming. So we're asking a lot of difficult questions. We're requiring, you know, skill of execution, as far as the gameplay is concerned. But then on top of that, it's also the humour, it's the sense of adventure, these lush worlds, and the fun, old school animation vibe that the game gives off."

Thankfully, Crash 4 has a safety net for those who found the original trilogy's old-school penalty system too much to handle, as Toys for Bob have developed two separate playstyles for the game in the form of modern and retro mode, with the former removing the classic finite life system and game over states of the latter.

"What we found when we were making the game is that there's really two different mentalities of players", explains Studdert. "Some people really want that kind of authentic, original trilogy, old school punishment. And some folks want to be able to play through the game and build up that skill level to be able to get through."

And we don't make the levels any easier. These are the same levels of the game, it's just whether or not you want that old school ecosystem of collecting Wumpa Fruit to get lives to be able to push through the level. And what we figured out is also if we take away needing to collect Wumpa fruit for lives, then what does it do? And so we've actually developed a really cool system where in both modern and retro, Wumpa is a new goal for a level and so depending on the amount of Wumpa you get in the level, you're gonna get gems, similar to you getting a gem for breaking all of the crates in a level."

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is out now on PS4 and Xbox One. You can pick up your copy right here!

Anyone who played the Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy back in 2017 will tell you that the adventures of this beloved bipedal marsupial are no walk in the park, and the same can be said for Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time.

Thankfully, developer Toys for Bob has gone above and beyond to make sure everybody can enjoy this official sequel to the original trilogy at their own level and pace, thanks to the option to choose between two playstyle modes.

The first, Retro Mode, is your classic Crash Bandicoot bread and butter experience, with a finite life system that can result in Game Over states, resetting the entire level you were playing, no matter how close you were to the end. 

Luckily, Modern mode is a new alternative that can ease the burden for those looking to complete Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time and put a stop to Neo Cortex's nefarious meddlings with the multiverse. This setting gives Crash an infinite number of lives, simply restarting the player back at the last activated checkpoint whenever they die, no matter how many times that might be. 

 It's worth mentioning that you can swap and switch between Retro and Modern mode at the main menu whenever you please throughout Crash 4, too, so don't worry about locking yourself into a decision when the game asks which setting you'd prefer upon first booting it up. 

It's just one of several appreciated features that reveal how Toys to Bob is staying true to Crash's roots with It's About Time, while also offering a more customisable experience that caters to all ages and stages. 

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is out now on PS4 and Xbox One. You can pick up your copy right here!

According to a new listing by the ESRB, it looks like Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is heading to next-gen consoles. 

Over on the ESRB's official website, a new rating for Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time surfaced today. If you look under the 'Platforms' section of the ratings page, you can see that Xbox Series X is listed as a platform for Toys For Bob's revival of the orange raccoon.

This is certainly solid proof of the latest Crash game coming to next-gen consoles. As of last week, Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time launched for both the Xbox One and PS4, so it's easy to assume that the game would also be coming to the PS5, were Activision to port it to the Xbox Series X/S. In his glowing review of the game, Alex wrote that it's the "Crash game you've been waiting two decades to play."

Of course, this is hardly the first time a ratings board has outed the existence of an unannounced game port. Just last week, the Taiwanese video game rating board let slip that a host of classic Metal Gear games were being re-released for the PC.

Crash Bandicoot 4 launched just last week, after a long wait for a true to sequel to the original Crash Bandicoot trilogy, it looks like the Bandicoot will be heading to the next-generation in record time. 

If you're still working your way through the latest (and greatest?) Crash adventure with the titular bandicoot and pals, you can head over to our Crash 4 hidden gems guide for a complete list of every hidden gem location in the game.

There's one level in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time that might well be the game version of 2020. Just when you think you've gotten through one crisis, another one comes along to kick you in the ass. Welcome to Cortex Castle, the Crash Bandicoot 4 level where I died 258 times.

Now, don't get me wrong, I can see what the level is trying to do, but the difficulty spike on this – the very last level of the game before the final boss fight – frankly feels like a slap in the face. Cortex Castle asks you to repeatedly chain together the powers the masks provide you with, all the while bouncing on TNT blocks, avoiding lasers and enemies, and you know, not dying. Seemingly, this is the level that shows your mastery of all the skills you've accumulated so far like some kind of ultimate dog agility class, but with far more accidents and fewer treats. 

The level starts off easily enough, although the fact that the carpet in Cortex Castle is adorned with little skulls feels like a prophecy. Initially, it's a little tricky platforming here with the dimension-shifting mask Lani-Loli, some horrible spinning blades to avoid with the help of time mask Kupuna-Wa there, followed up by some Dark Matter mask antics with TNT boxes and some heavy-sworded knights to bounce around. After that, you'll need to wrestle with some laser beam gravity gymnastics, followed by more gravity flipping but this time with spinning spikes and lasers. 

And after that is when things get really interesting. And by interesting, I mean 'come on now' hard. All those areas you just about scraped through get combined into flowing sections where there's very little room to breathe, and mask switching is constant and stressful. It becomes a space where a single missed absolute precision landing means starting the whole sequence all over again. Miss a mask swap point by millimetres and there's basically no room for course correction. Let the death count rise!

There are three of these fast-action mask swapping sections to navigate, with the last being the one I got stuck at for most of an evening. Everything you do has to be perfect: every jump, spin, slide, mask swap, button press. Perfect. And I'll admit that a good handful of those deaths were down to sheer frustration and silly mistakes, but dear god Toys for Bob. Are you okay?

Just, Git Good? 

'Git Good' I hear you cry. Well, dear reader, that's just the problem. I thought I was, but then apparently this level was created purely to prove that's not the case, pulling the rug so firmly out from underneath you that you're left with a concussion. Where previously I was pirouetting through the air in between perilously placed platforms with precision, this level had me some 150 deaths in and feeling such the noob.

Just to put the rotten cherry on the shit cake, just when I think I can't take any more, I spot a spinning silhouette of a replay tape just ahead. You know, the one that you can't grab unless you reach it without dying? Yeah. I glance up at my just shy of 200 death count and find myself telling the TV to fuck off. So loudly, in fact, it wakes the cat who's been slumbering sweetly next to me the entire time, completely oblivious to the expletives foaming from my mouth with every death.

To all of those out there that dream of a Crash 4 Platinum on PS4… I salute you, brave soldiers. Let me know how you get on. I'll still be here, weeping into my buckling gamepad with the memory. Although I did just complete the level again with a mere 56 deaths, so maybe there's hope for me yet. Sigh.

It says a lot about Crash Bandicoot 4 that I'm now riddled with a seemingly incurable case of 90's nostalgia. This canonical sequel to Naughty Dog's original trilogy is nothing if not a romantic throwback to the platformers of that era, yet walks the line between homage and iteration with as much poise and confidence as our Bandicoot's own death-defying acrobatics. In other words, yes, this is the Crash game you've been waiting over two decades to play, but it's so much more than that too.

Speaking of decades, you'd be wise to forget every Crash game to have come out since 1998, since Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time takes place directly after the events of Crash Bandicoot: Warped. There are some nice in-game nods to the character's uneven history of various spinoffs and reboots, but for the most part this story is a return to the age-old conflict between team Cortex and team Bandicoot, after the former breaks the very fabric of space-time itself, and needs to be thwarted once again. 

Watch our video review below:

While there's a tad more dialogue than you might expect from a Crash game, with characters like Coco becoming more involved in her brother's misadventures (you can switch between playing as either of the siblings throughout the campaign), Crash Bandicoot 4's bright and breezy caper is easy to get caught up in. The jokes land, the Saturday Morning cartoon-style cutscenes are a delight, and the multiverse-hopping conceit proves a great platform for developer Toys for Bob to stretch its creative muscles.

Crash course

The advantages of the multiverse also lends Crash 4 with a pleasing sense of visual variety. Transporting our heroes (and villains) throughout time and space, from junkyard dystopias to neofuturist megacities, I was always excited to learn where the 20-odd hour romp would be taking me next. It all looks delightful, too, drenched in colour, and brought to life by expressive animation, not to mention an earworm of a score that offers clever, contextual twists on Crash's classic theme. 

Similarly, Crash's familiar blend of 3D and 2.5D platforming has been refined and diversified, largely thanks to the four new Quantum Masks awoken by Cortex's multiverse machinations. There's Lani Loli, for example, who can phase objects in and out of existence, or my personal favourite, Akano, who upgrades Crash's iconic spin ability into a dark matter-charged whirlwind capable of pirouetting you high into the air. 

It's About Time's level design puts these new abilities to fantastic use, presenting precarious parkour gauntlets that demand expert fluency of Crash's new moveset, which now includes double jumping, rope swinging, and even wall running. Boss fights, chase sequences, and vehicle levels are also a great highlight, not least because of their production spectacle, and the fact it's always fun to see what Crash will be riding, fighting, or running from next. 

In addition to Crash and Coco, players can jump into special Timeline Event levels as Cortex, Dingodile, or Tawna, revealing how each of the characters help or hinder our heroes on their journey through the multiverse. All three come with their own unique moveset, and thus offer both radically different challenges and play styles from Crash's own, be it using Cortex's iconic ray gun or Tawna's gravity-defying grapple hook. 

That said, the Timeline Events often feel like they're over before they've properly begun, reaching their interaction with the Bandicoot's own adventures before forcing you to replay the second half of the level as Crash or Coco again. That structure is an odd choice, as I'd have much preferred spending the entire mission as one of the new characters, the joys of playing as whom extend well beyond mere visual novelty.

Oh, and for those wondering, Crash 4 absolutely meets the same, deceptively high difficulty threshold as its predecessors (you're going to die, a lot), but Toys for Bob has wisely introduced an equaliser to Crash's often unforgiving sense of challenge in the form of Modern Mode. This alternative playstyle setting removes the finite life system and Game Over states of the series' tradition, and restarts players at the last checkpoint whenever they die, with Extra Life crates now replaced by Golden Wumpa fruit.

The original system is still there in the form of Classic Mode, of course, and you can switch freely between the two at any point from the main menu, but I chose Modern Mode early on during the campaign, and haven't looked back since. 

The safety net it offers worked as a natural encouragement for me to take more risks with hidden areas, focus on collecting every crate to unlock more Gems, and keep practicing any particularly tricky jump without having to worry about restarting the level entirely.

This may sound like heresy to Crash enthusiasts, but even those who will stick solely to the Classic system can at least appreciate the reason for Modern Mode's existence, which allows more people to enjoy everything that It's About Time has to offer at their own pace and proficiency. 

As for me, Classic Mode sounds like a great option for my already planned re-run, especially now that I know the layout of each level, and have refined my mastery of Crash' skillset through the trial and error shenanigans that Modern Mode accommodates for. 

Time well spent 

In fact, the sheer breadth of content goes above and beyond what is expected from a mainline Crash game. On top of everything else, Toys for Bob has thrown in lore expanding Flashback Tape levels, replay modifiers known as N.Verse Modes, a vast wardrobe of costumes for Crash and Coco, pass-the-pad multiplayer modes, and a Time Trial system, in addition to other secrets which I won't spoil here. Taken together, there's over 100 levels of play on offer here, and goodness knows how many hours of replay value for completionists.  

It's honestly quite hard to identify any major shortcomings for Crash 4, so efficient as it is at delivering on all the promises of a Bandicoot sequel. I will say that not everyone is going to be happy with Toys for Bob's decision to stick with the old-school kinaesthetics that also stirred a fair amount of contention in 2017's Crash N.Sane Trilogy, and there will be moments where Crash 4's laws of physics will rub you up the wrong way. Visual aids, such as a handy marker showing where Crash will land when airborne, have offset those frustrations greatly, but there were a few deaths that felt less like my mistake, and more a symptom of the series' infrequently unreliable collision detection.

Nitpicks aside, though, Crash 4 earns its title as a worthy sequel to Warped, one that preserves the series' timeless charms while bringing bold iteration where it's needed. Toys for Bob's clear love and understanding of what makes Crash tick manifests in every aspect of It's About Time's design, but to call it a love letter would be to unfairly gloss over the important strides it makes for the franchise itself. Instead, this is exactly the sequel I could imagine Naughty Dog wishing it had made 20 years ago, and one that can stand proudly alongside the best of the Bandicoot's back catalogue.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is set to feature local co-op and competitive multiplayer modes when it launches later this year. 

As revealed by IGN earlier today, Crash Bandicoot 4 is set to feature several brand new multiplayer modes. This is only local multiplayer however, so not online, but both the co-op and competitive multiplayer modes will offer support for between two and four players.

Bandicoot Battle Mode is the name of Crash Bandicoot 4's competitive multiplayer section. Within this competitive section are two modes: Checkpoint Race and Crate Combo. The former is a series of races to multiple checkpoint crates in a single level, and the latter puts a spin on this by tasking players to not only be the fastest in between checkpoints, but also smash the most crates while running.

Alternatively, Crash Bandicoot 4 offers local co-op for up to four players throughout the game's campaign mode, which is called Pass N. Play. You can take on regular campaign levels, or special N. Verted levels which put a spin on the campaign levels that you're used to playing.

At the current time, there are no plans for online leaderboards for either co-op or competitive online modes in Crash Bandicoot 4. Instead, Crash 4 will wipe records set by players after each match, so you can return to it fresh the next time.

Crash Bandicoot 4 launches on October 2 for the PS4 and Xbox One. There's a demo already out for the game, but it's only available if you've already pre-ordered Crash 4.

The Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time trailer marathon has seemingly come to an end with the release of a new gameplay launch trailer showing the game's many characters in action. 

Well, I say this is likely the final trailer, but I've learned not to underestimate this game's ability to churn out 60-to-90-second montages. And if you're thinking that it's a bit odd to see a so-called launch trailer air today when Crash Bandicoot 4 isn't actually out until October 2, you're right. Nevertheless, we've got another good-looking trailer to pick through. 

The main beats of Crash Bandicoot 4 are pretty well established at this point: Crash and the gang reunite to chase down some magical masks and stop the same-old baddies from pulling off new schemes. It's been pitched as a mix of retro goodness and inventive new mechanics, and that's about what this trailer looks like. The newness is what really shines here, though, because a lot of these levels are new to us as well as Crash. 

This trailer is our best look yet at gameplay featuring alternate characters like Coco, Dingodile, and Tawna, and they've each got some flavorful levels to go with them. Tawna swings through a canyon with big western vibes, Coco dances through some sort of Mardi Gras music festival, and Dingodile brandishes his iconic cannon through a 2D segment. Crash, meanwhile, puts on everything from a triceratops onesie to neon shutter shades as he uses various mask powers to traverse increasingly treacherous hazards, culminating with an air carrier set piece that would fit right in with Uncharted. 

As we saw in our Crash Bandicoot 4 preview, It's About Time plays like a sequel 22 years in the making.

The Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time demo is now available, and there's a short new trailer out showing the three levels it includes. 

The demo is only available if you pre-order the game, which is a bit backwards but far from uncommon. At the very least, the demo will be available until the game launches on October 2, so you've got time to make up your mind. Today's demo trailer lines up with details released earlier this month: you can play as Crash or Neo Cortex, and it looks like there's an ice level, a magma level, and a jungle level. 

The demo also features some of the Quantum Masks that spice up Crash 4's platforming. These give you special abilities once collected, and the two in demo let you control time for brief periods or phase objects in and out of existence to create new routes. There are two more masks in the full game, as well as more playable characters like Tawna and Coco, and secret hidden levels called Flashback Tapes. It's nice that the demo has more than just Crash segments, though. Playing as Cortex is a bit odd conceptually, but his abilities are pretty cool. 

For more on the new abilities in Crash 4, have a gander at this extended gameplay segment from the August State of Play event. For our early impressions of the game, check out our Crash Bandicoot 4 preview.

A new Japanese ad for Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time channels the weirdness and nostalgia of the '90s to incredible effect. 

The newest commercial for Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time revives the wacky Crash suit ads of the '90s, and with the zany flair of Japanese TV to boot.

You can watch the commercial over on the Crash Bandicoot YouTube page, and we've embedded the extended version above. This comes complete with outtakes and bonus scenes, and quite frankly the more of this ad that collides with our eyeballs, the better. 

The ad opens with a Japanese family eating apples and minding their own business, but a giant lad in an orange fursuit soon crashes the party. The family is understandably surprised, but quickly recognizes this smiley intruder as the one and only Crash Bandicoot – or in katakana, Kurashu Bandikuu, as he was described in an old '90s ad that this new one is quite deliberately referencing. 

This ad is a symphony of Japanese TV and Crash-brand weirdness. It's got the same silly dance as the original ads, it uses the same apples-to-wumpas gag, and the father of the Japanese family that winds up tagging along with Crash has those extreme facial expressions down pat. I love that not even he can keep a straight face after some of these reactions, as evidenced by the first batch of outtakes around 1:40. Of course, the new ad looks a whole lot better, which is a pretty perfect parallel for Crash 4 as a whole. Based on what we've seen, it revitalizes the series' old-school platforming with a fresh coat of paint and some modern ideas, which is exciting to see after such a long hiatus on mainline Crash games. 

A demo for Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is coming this week. 

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time has just dropped new gameplay details for playable bandicoot Tawna ahead of its September 16 hands-on demo. Check out the gameplay below. 

If you've pre-ordered the game for PS4, PS5, or Xbox One, you'll be the first to play the demo next Wednesday, September 16. The demo will remain live until the Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time global launch on October 2. In the demo, you'll get a chance to play as Crash or Neo Cortex, and experience brand new Quantum Masks, including Kupuna-Wa that controls time, or Lani-Loli, which lets you phase objects in and out of existence. There are four Quantum Masks in the entire game, and they must be reunited to restore order in the multiverse.

It doesn't look like Tawna will be playable in the demo, but the sneak peek we've gotten has a lot to be excited about. Tawna "looks a little different than you might remember" because she's actually Tawna from an alternate universe (she has very cool hair). She serves as the Crash Bandicoot of that alternate universe - a badass hero and adventurer with an outfit I would genuinely wear. For more details on this iteration of Tawna, head to the PlayStation blog post right here. 

From a gameplay perspective, Tawna will bring a few new things to the table that Crash, Neo Cortex, Dingo Dile, and Coco don't have. First, she's incredibly nimble, with a wall jump that no other character has, and a grappling hook that she can use for traversal or for combat. "If you're on the ground with Tawna, then you're playing her wrong," the video warns.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time feels like a sequel 22 years in the making. 

A new look at Crash Bandicoot’s long-awaited fourth entry shows the delightfully devious challenges that players can expect to face in It’s About Time. During the Future Games Show, producer Lou Studdert revealed that Crash Bandicoot 4 will feature a new collectible called Flashback Tapes. Designed as a throwback to the death routes in the original trilogy, collecting said tapes causes the player to instantly travel back in time to Crash’s training days, tasking him with solving a deviously difficult test chamber.

Described by Studdert as ‘pure precision puzzly mayhem’, these flashbacks have a cool narrative twist - they see Crash training under Cortex. In It’s About Time, players learn that Crash was once the favourite to become a general in Cortex’s army, and so in a bizarre turn of fate, these test chambers see Cortex cheering you on. Just when we thought 2020 couldn’t get any weirder.

As well as these optional challenges, Studdert reveals that developer Toys For Bob has made a few quality of life changes to the classic platforming we all know and love. This time around, players will have the option between playing in either ‘modern’ or ‘retro’ modes. The former let’s you respawn at checkpoints every time you die, doing away with the life system entirely, where the latter sticks to the classic system of 100 wumpa fruits giving you a life, and well, keeps players facing the game over screen. 

Studdert also confirms that Crash now automatically collects those tasty-looking fruit regardless of which mode you choose - saving the aggravating experience of having to jump into every individual wumpa fruit.

For those who missed the initial reveal, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, boasts four playable characters. These are Crash, Coco, the brilliantly named Dingodile and finally, Neo Cortex. Today’s video revealed how these four characters’ stories will converge, with Studdert announcing that in what’s known as Timeline levels, you’ll get to see how the villains’ levels affect the capers of Crash and Coco.

Crash Bandicoot 4: it's about time launches on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on October 2. For our impressions of the game so far, check out Gamesradar’s Crash Bandicoot 4 preview.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time will introduce optional challenge levels called Flashback Tapes which crank the platforming to 11 while fleshing out the history of Crash himself. 

The Flashback Tapes were revealed during today's Gamescom opener, with producer Lou Studdert outlining how they fit into the game. "They are a peek back in time to the '90s when Neo Cortex was actually testing on Crash and Coco before the events of Crash Bandicoot 1," eh says. "They're these devious puzzle rooms that we've made, and they're really hard and really awesome. 

"Players actually have to collect the Flashback Tapes in the levels themselves, and to pick them up, they have to reach them in the level without dying," Studdert explains. "It's kind of our homage to the death routes in the original trilogy. Players have to reach these objects in the level, pick them up, and once they get them they'll get access to these unique levels." 

"We used these as puzzle rooms, nefarious ways for Crash to really express that pure platforming aspect. Narratively, it was really cool to layer in a unique perspective. This is when Cortex is really excited about the prospect of Crash being on his team, since Crash was originally created by Cortex, so it's a weird point in time that's never really been explored in the games before." 

These Flashback Tapes sound a bit like the extra strawberry levels in Celeste – super-hard bonus levels that are also pretty difficult to unlock. The remade Trilogy wasn't light on challenge in the first place, but it's cool to see Crash 4 pushing that old-school element even further. 

Earlier this month, we saw new abilities and an all-new game mode for Crash 4.  

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time may come to Nintendo Switch in addition to PS4 and Xbox One. 

As spotted by GameRant, Twitter user SunwerPrower noticed that the Switch is mentioned in the source code of the game's page on the Crash Bandicoot website. More specifically, the Switch is listed alongside PS4 and Xbox One in the code for the pre-order widget. You can easily view this for yourself by pulling up the page's source code. Here's what that widget looks like on the back end:

Web pages like this can be filled with all sorts of extraneous, unused code, so there's no guarantee that the lines related to Switch are anything more than an unused placeholder. Some users have called attention to the extra line of code in the PS4 and Xbox One blocks (\x26reg;<\/span>), but this seems to be for the trademark symbol in their pre-order buttons rather than some sort of "make it show up on the website" signifier. Similarly, the singular mention of PC alongside PS4 and Xbox One (but in this instance, not Switch) could be nothing or everything. 

That said, Switch does appear elsewhere in the page code, most notably under entries for platform specific content. Again, there's no trace of this on the live version of the page, but it's possible that Switch-related content has simply been disabled for the time being. 

Crash 4 was first announced on June 22, and there's been no mention of a Switch version since. However, it's still possible that a Switch version will be announced sometime between now and the game's October 2 release date. If that's the plan, it will probably be revealed at one of Nintendo's special third-party Direct presentations. Nintendo's Direct schedule has reportedly been shuffled repeatedly due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, so I wouldn't be surprised if some titles got moved around. In another, less awful timeline, Crash 4 for Switch may have already been revealed. 

On top of all that, it would almost be stranger if Crash 4 didn't come to Switch. Both the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and Crash Team Racing were released on Switch, so while the series started on PlayStation, it's unquestionably a multi-platform affair at this point. 

We saw some new abilities and game modes for Crash 4 at the latest PlayStation State of Play show. 

Today's State of Play event kicked off with a brand new look at Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, which launches October 2 on PS4. The new trailer revealed plenty of new gameplay footage, a load of fresh character skins, 

Developer Toys for Bob says their first goal was to bring the same "tense, precise, and perspective-shifting platforming" the series is known for to Crash Bandicoot 4, and you'll see plenty of that in the new gameplay footage. Of course, this isn't a reboot, it's a full-fledged sequel with plenty of new stuff to offer long-time fans and newcomers alike.

Today's trailer shows off the revamped Insanity Beach, which takes visual cues not only from the game series but the cartoons that inspired, with "wide-open new vistas, new characters models, and lots of expressive animations." Gameplay-wise, new abilities include wall-running, rope-swinging, rail-grinding, and ziplining.

Crash 4 is also the first in the series to add custom skins you can earn and swap out at your leisure. Toys for Bob clarifies that the skins are strictly cosmetic, and more importantly, won't be available as microtransactions. Instead, you'll earn skins by completing different challenges and earning gems in levels.

Another neat gameplay feature introduced in Crash 4 are Quantum Masks, which you'll need to use in order to complete levels. There's one that flips your center of gravity, one that slows down the world around you, and one that lets you shift elements in and out of existence.

Coco is taking center stage alongside Crash in the new sequel. Crash's younger sister is fully-playable through every level in Crash 4, and get this, so is former baddie Dingodile, who's retired from his life of villainy to open a diner.

Finally, "Inverted Mode" is Crash 4's take on a mirror mode, shifting the perspective and rendering levels in unique art styles, like one that's neon-soaked, and another that tasks players with spinning paint around to clear the path forward. There's even one that gives levels an old-timey movie aesthetic and adjusts the spead accordingly.

Don't miss our Crash Bandicoot 4 preview to see what we think so far (hint: we like it.)

After completing a level in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, our anthropomorphic marsupial will take a selfie with his swanky new smartphone; two things that hadn't even been invented at the time of the character's debut in 1996. Yet, despite his newfound fondness for modern technology, this Bandicoot is still wearing jorts (that's "jean shorts") like they never went out of fashion. 

It's an apt image for developer Toys for Bob's official sequel to the original Crash trilogy; a game that's got one foot stretched out ambitiously forward, bringing Crash kicking and screaming into the dawn of a new decade, but the other planted proudly in the past, refusing to give up the traditions that first put the gaming icon on the map almost 25 years ago. 

21st century bandicoot 

My time playing through three different sections of Crash Bandicoot 4 could best be described as ticking off an index of the series' trademark design pillars. Deceptively difficult platforming that regularly shifts perspective? Check. Bonus levels promising high risk for untold riches of Wumpa Fruit? Check. Outlandish chase sequences full of precariously placed Nitro Crates? It's all here, including the infamous sense of challenge that permeates the original Crash trilogy, and left everyone reeling after Vicarious Visions' 2017 remaster painfully revealed that these PS1 platformers were a lot harder than we remember them to be.

Thankfully, Toys for Bob is aware of the complaints leveraged against the Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy, and its solution in Crash 4 is Modern Mode; an alternative difficulty setting which removes the series' traditional Game Over states and finite life system, and simply places players back at the start of the last checkpoint whenever they die. The classic system is still there in the form of Retro Mode, of course, but it didn't take long for me to permanently switch back to Modern after one too many deaths at the hands of a particularly tricky jump. 

Speaking of new ideas, you can switch between playing as Crash or his sister Coco seamlessly at any point in It's About Time, and both exhibit the exact same move set, all of which remains relatively unchanged from 1990's titles. What has changed are the tools that the Bandicoots have to work with on their journey to stop Neo Cortex from taking over the multiverse, specifically when it comes to the series' pantheon of ability-granting masks. 

In addition to the returning Aku Aku, who once again provides his trademark life-saving invincibility shield, It's About Time introduces a number of new masks, all inspired by the time-twisting conceit of Crash 4's story, which directly follows on from the ending of 1998's Crash Bandicoot: Warped. 

Kupuna-Wa, for example, allows its wearer to slow down time, perfect for avoiding fast and aggressive enemies, or it can be used as a way to cross, say, collapsing ice shelves without plummeting to your death. Lani-Loli, on the other hand, offers the ability to phase objects in and out of existence, including crates. 

These new gameplay twists have allowed Toys for Bob to build more elaborate levels that build on the classic lane design of the original Crash trilogy, but every novel idea feels like an organic addition that fits seamlessly into Naughty Dog's playful universe. 

A whole Neo world

It's not just the Bandicoot twins who get to enjoy the spotlight in Crash 4, either. For the first time in a mainline Crash game, Neo Cortex will receive his own playable sections, showing us the villain's side of the story via smaller, unique stages set in different sections of the game's expansive collection of worlds.

Cortex's missions are integrated with what Toys for Bob is calling Timeline Events, where players will uncover how Crash's arch-nemesis may have caused a certain event that took place while playing as one of the Bandicoots. 

In the ice-themed level Snow Way Out, for example, Crash will be about to board a boat encased against a frozen glacier, but the entire thing will come collapsing down just before he takes his first step. It turns out that Cortex is the one responsible for this explosion, as his playable section in the moments leading up to it reveals why the detonation perhaps went off a little earlier than planned...

Playing as Cortex offers a radically different experience to Crash or Coco. The megalomaniacal genius can't double jump or spin his way out of a tricky situation, but instead relies on a gap-hopping dash ability and his faithful ray gun to advance through each area. 

That gun can turn enemies into solidified blocks for platforming onto, or even trampoline-like gelatinous blobs which, when paired with Cortex's dash, make for a gravity-defying combo used to ascend otherwise insurmountable obstacles. Even the small section I enjoyed as Cortex offered a distinct, yet equally challenging experience to Crash's core missions, with the focus primarily on laser precise platforming that will likely be the bane of  those looking to achieve 100% runs. 

Regardless of who you're playing as, however, Crash Bandicoot 4 is a genuine beauty. Toys for Bob may have stuck to the tight, lane-based levels of its forebears, but opened up and coloured in the sights around them. Gorgeous vistas and skyboxes are a common backdrop in It's About Time, and the creativity of Toys for Bob's dimension-hopping locations, brought to life via the game's expressionistic animation style, is a joy to the senses.

It's About Time is a sequel over two decades in the making, ignoring the countless spin-offs and reboots that have released since Crash Bandicoot: Warped to instead return to the roots of the character's origins, empowered by the mandate of the N.Sane Trilogy's record-breaking popularity. 

What I've played so far presents more than enough compelling evidence to suggest that Toys for Bob, who so wonderfully captured the spirit of another 90's icon with the Spyro Reignited Trilogy in 2018, has what it takes to bring Crash back into our lives with a bang. This Bandicoot may still be a little old fashioned, but his return to video games can't come soon enough.

For more, check out the biggest new games of 2020 on the way, or watch our 60 second preview of Crash Bandicoot 4 below.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time developer Toys for Bob has confirmed the upcoming sequel in the series will have no microtransactions. 

In a recent tweet, Toys for Bob addressed some confusion caused by recent reports surrounding Crash Bandicoot 4, and confirmed that there will be "no microtransactions" in the game. The confusion appears to have been caused by the Microsoft store page, which lists "in-app purchases".  The developer also added that all digital versions of the game will include free "Totally Tubular" cosmetic skins as a bonus. These skins may be what the in-app purchases listing is referring to. 

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time was officially revealed last month, with a debut announcement trailer confirming that the return of Crash Bandicoot will be coming to PS4 and Xbox One on October 2, 2020. As a new platforming adventure in a similar vein to the classic games in the series, the fourth installment will let you play as Crash and Coco, and you can even gain a new perspective on levels by playing as the original antagonist, Dr. Neo Cortex.  Along with performing a variety of new moves, the game will also include Retro and Modern modes.  

Interestingly, the PlayStation store page lists "offline multiplayer (2-4 players)" among its key features. This seems to suggest that the next Crash Bandicoot adventure will feature some kind of multiplayer element, but we don't yet know what this will look like. Previously, the main games in the series have been single-player only, so it'll be interesting to see just what this will shape up to be when the game launches later this year.  

Staying on top of all of the upcoming releases? Here are all of the upcoming games 2020. 

Whether you finished Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped way back in 1998 or as part of the remastered N. Sane Trilogy, this is a moment you've been waiting a long old while for. Crash's original trilogy is finally getting a sequel. Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is more than just a statement about patiently waiting for this game to exist though, it's also a statement of intent. New developer Toys for Bob wants to create something that captures our love of the past while making sure it doesn't feel like a relic of that era as well. 

Crash landing 

Co-studio head at Toys for Bob and chief creative officer Paul Yan sums up his team's aim with this platforming adventure, telling GamesRadar: "This is a true sequel to the original three games developed by Naughty Dog. We want to go back to the source, where it all began the high point in the whole series both critically and commercially, and stem off of that." 

Crash 4 quite literally goes back to that, picking up with Warped's three main villains, Dr. Neo Cortex, Dr. N. Tropy, and Uka-Uka as they manage to free themselves from the planet they've been stranded on and, in doing so, rip a hole in the space-time continuum. You know, typical bad guy stuff. This means that Crash and Coco will need to fix this mess, and that means reuniting the four Quantum Masks that held space and time together. 

More importantly, it also means that we're going back to Crash's original style of precision platforming. Early footage shows just how good a job Toys for Bob have done in recapturing that style of gameplay from the original trilogy, with Crash and Coco (Yan confirms to us that you can switch between either character at any time during the game) leaping across platforms, spinning through enemies, and taking on dastardly bosses in levels that look like worthy follow-ups to the original trilogy. 

What makes this a step ahead of the recent remaster phase is our marsupial mates have a variety of new tricks to help them get across the wide variety of levels to get through them. For instance, both bandicoots can now wall run, grind rails, and use swinging ropes, which adds extra challenges and variety to the platforming potential. As Yan explains: "I think you know, the first thing is, does the game feel like a classic Crash game? [That] is the constant ask that we are measuring against what we're doing. And then once we meet that bar and we feel comfortable that this feels right, then the next question is how can we make this cooler? How can we make this bigger? How can we make this more exciting?" 

When it comes to that, Yan specifically touches on how the team has focused on making a boss battles a bigger and better experience. While the original trilogy had boss fights that could be described as fairly simple (on paper, maybe not so much in practice), expect Crash 4 to test your skills even more. Yan gives us an example of a boss fight with N. Gin, where "he's gonna be throwing these dangerous musical notes at you and you've got to slide and dodge these hazards, and then spin the enemy over to smash into his speakers before you make your way up to use quantum mask in order to get to bop him on the head. And that there's like a series of four escalating phases that get to a place in which you can defeat this boss."   

Quantum Leap

Adding to the sense that this isn't a retread over former glories, Toys for Bob has introduced several new elements to the mix that look to make Crash 4 a worthy successor to those original gems. One of the major additions is those previously mentioned four Quantum Masks, which grant Crash and Coco certain powers. For instance, Ika Ika is the Gravity Mask, and it'll let its wearer flip gravity, so they can run along the ceiling and otherwise inaccessible platforms. In one level we see, Coco almost looks like a YoYo, constantly floating upwards before nipping back down again as she avoids electrified hazards. 

Meanwhile, Kapuna-wa is the Time Mask, and is capable of slowing things down to a crawl. However, this mask will also finally give you a respite from one of Crash's greatest foes: the Nitro crate. Yan tells us: "classically, Nitro crates are one touch one kill. But with the power of Kapuna-wa, Crash is able to slow things down so he can touch a nitro crate and [that opens] up a small window in which he can get past before the nitro crate explodes on him." Along with Crash and Coco's new moves, the Quantum Masks feel like a natural evolution of the originals, adding in elements that can expand upon the foundations Naughty Dog's original trilogy built. 

New perspective

However, some of the other additions to the game are a lot more radical. In Crash 4, there'll be overlapping timelines that will let you play as different characters, including villains such as Dr. Neo Cortex. Yep, we're finally going to get to control one of the biggest bads in platforming history. Yan tells us what this addition will bring to the game: "I want to make sure that these new characters present an opportunity gameplay-wise to have new mechanics. [These] new mechanics are reflected not only in the characters movement and what they can do, but also the way that the platforming challenges, the worlds are level designers designed specifically for that character."

So instead of Dr. Neo Cortex playing like a reskinned version of Crash, his sections will feel distinct to him, and in turn, give the game a different flavour, where you'll need to solve your way through a level rather than sprint through. Yan elaborates: "[Cortex] relies on his devices, he's got this ray gun that is able to transmogrify hazards along the path into platforms. And he can transform them into a static platform or a bouncing platform. A lot of the levels that are designed specifically for Cortex will be more puzzle, a little bit more strategic, and that will require a little bit more head scratching to get around."

Story time

These changes also mean the way you hop between levels has been tweaked as well. Instead of picking the levels in the world you want to play first, Yan describes how they went back to a style of level selection that is similar to the original Crash Bandicoot to tell a more linear story. "We're introducing what we call the Dimensional Map, and this is like a hub that sits between every one of the levels."

This not only allows the team to tell a chronological set of events, which should help you make sense of all the time hopping, but also create a more rewarding game as well. Yan explains: "in terms of gameplay, we're able to be more precise and focused about the way that we stack our challenges, so that we know reliably that a player has accomplished certain levels and challenges and they're comfortable with that. And then the next level, we can ramp that complexity and the difficulty and the fun of it in a very specific and linear way."

On top of this fine-tuning when it comes to the story, there'll also be two modes to how you can experience it: Retro and Modern. They give you the option of either having permanent lives that can force hard resets if you lose them in Retro Mode or being able to play the game with unlimited lives in Modern Mode. Don't go thinking that this makes the game easier for the sake of it though. As Yan informs us: "Instead of counting how many lives you're using, we're counting how many deaths you've done during the course of the game. If you complete a level with 100 deaths, or you complete it with 40 deaths, that's awesome. You've made it through."

"However, we've also introduced a reward at the end of the level, a new clear gem type of reward. If you can accomplish this level in under [a certain amount] of deaths, you get this new gem. We're still trying to incentivize a certain type of perfection and mastery, but opening it up so that the game is a little bit more approachable for a modern audience." He also confirmed that Retro Mode players will also have the ability to unlock that clear gem as well. 

Art attack 

One of the final things we touch on is Crash's tweaked art style, which captures the spirit of the originals while also giving it a modern twist. It's something that the team we're keen to focus on according to Yan, who tells us: "we've got some amazing artists from all over the world and what we've looked at is trying to make sure that there's a distinct look between this new game and the remasters that came before it, so that it sets a new tone and direction for the future to come." 

Still, after several remasters from yesteryear, one question felt important to ask. Why make a sequel to that trilogy instead of something entirely new. Yan told us : "from a developer's perspective, Crash's franchise is so rich and it's so colourful. This is the type of aesthetic and world full of personality that our team at Toys for Bob is really attracted to. And the second thing is the fan reception to the remasters, and the almost unanimous clamouring for something new is just such a strong pool and motivation for us to dive right back in." 

Yan's enthusiasm to be working on this series is evident from our chat with him, and the direction Toys for Bob are taking Crash 4 in is an exciting one. The features we've seen look to add to the original's experience rather than over-complicate it, while the Modern Mode sounds like a good way of opening the game up to different audiences without sacrificing the ideas that made people fall in love with Naughty Dog's trilogy. Crash 4's title couldn't be more apt. 

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is set to release on October 2 for PS4 and Xbox One.

Crash Bandicoot is getting a mobile spinoff according to Facebook ads that have outed the game ahead of an official announcement. The game’s title is not yet confirmed although a leaked survey referred to it as “Crash Bandicoot Mobile” and the screenshots reveal it’s certainly no remake of the original. 

The Crash mobile game looks to be an endless runner and was first spotted by Twitter users @jumpbuttoncb and @motwera who said they first saw ads pop up for the game on a Brazilian Facebook page associated with the game. It appears players could briefly pre-register to play the game when it arrives, but the page has since been removed. The endless runner comes from King, the company behind Candy Crush.

The game’s now-removed description on Storemaven revealed some gameplay features that go beyond a typical endless runner. It referred to a base-building component where players unlock buildings, build an arsenal of weapons, repair a spaceship, and even grow and harvest crops - all things that could have timers and multiple currencies attached to them. The description also says players can “team up with Coco to save the universe,” though it’s not yet confirmed if that means she’s a playable character. 

We can safely assume this isn’t all Activision has in store for the IP after two great remakes have brought the orange goofball back into our lives. We've reached out to Activision to confirm if the leak is legitimate and will update this story if we hear back from them. 

Learn more about the history of one of the series’ best games, Crash Team Racing, right here.

A PlayStation advertisement may have just teased the existence of a new Crash Bandicoot game.

Rumoured to be called 'Crash Bandicoot Worlds', it would be a sequel in the famed platforming franchise that's reported to be in development at Vicarious Visions and Toys for Bob. 

The most compelling evidence for the game comes in the form of a strange mask seen following Coco in PlayStation's "It's Time to Play" commercial, spotted from the 0:11 mark onwards. While masks have been a mainstay of the Crash Bandicoot series since the 1996 original, this floating head is a completely fresh face that - as far as fans can tell - has never been seen before from the marsupial's esteemed history. 

Nicholas Kole, character artist at Toys for Bob, also coyly acknowledged the mask's unexpected appearance when asked about it on Twitter, while the Spryo Reignited Trilogy studio itself accidentally leaked its own concept art for a new Crash Bandicoot game earlier this year, adding further momentum to the rumour mill. 

In addition, another PlayStation advertisement - this time spotted across a number of buses in the UK - also appears to reveal a new and improved look for Crash, leading many to speculate that this is the character's upgraded model for his incoming follow-up. 

Meanwhile, all of these clues corroborate with a newly reported rumour about a Crash game in the works, leaked by the same source who accurately revealed the existence of the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled. 

According to this source, Crash Bandicoot Worlds will apparently see the marsupial travel around Earth in a Mario 3D world-styled adventure, featuring new enemies, characters, and more. Activision, Crash Bandicoot's publisher, has said nothing, but the internet's rumblings seems to suggest a reveal for Crash Bandicoot Worlds is imminent, and a trailer at this year's Game Awards show in December seems likely, given that Nitro-Fueled debuted at the ceremony last year. 

We'll let you know if and when we hear anything more official from Activision itself but, until then, it's looking highly likely that everyone's favourite jort enthusiast is returning to the world of video games for one last adventure before the launch of PS5 and Xbox Project Scarlett next year. 

For more, check out all the biggest Black Friday game deals to expect later this month, or watch our latest episode of Dialogue Options below. 

As suspected, the Crash Bandicoot will indeed be making his way to consoles other than PlayStation later this year. The first confirmed new home for the wild-eyed marsupial is Nintendo Switch - you'll be able to play Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy both at home and on the go with Nintendo's console starting July 10.

The news was confirmed during the March 8 Nintendo Direct, though it doesn't seem as if there will be any special features for this new version. Sorry, everyone holding out hope for a Crash amiibo.

Still, the game has plenty to offer on its own, with completely remastered visuals and music for Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, and Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped. The level data, however, is the same - which means those jumps and pitfalls are just as you remember them. Well, almost - new physics and collision detection means that some jumps are harder to pull off, and Crash is more likely to fall into a bottomless pit. Then again, these games were never easy.

In any case, look forward to marsupial madness on July 10. 

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is headed to Nintendo Switch and PC this year, according to a manager at a major UK licensing firm. GB eye's Max Arguile is quoted in the spring 2018 Licensing Source Book Europe (via ResetEra), saying the updated trilogy of 3D platformers will 'go broader' this year with ports for both platforms (and marketing to match) as well as another Crash game coming in 2019.

The N. Sane Trilogy came out exclusively on PlayStation 4 last year, a fitting tribute to Crash Bandicoot's roots as an early PlayStation mascot. However, the character and franchise is owned by Activision rather than Sony, and Crash games have appeared on multiple console families ever since The Wrath of Cortex hit Xbox and GameCube in 2002. The N. Sane Trilogy was a big sales success on PS4 so Activision could understandably want to keep the ball rolling on more platforms.

We don't know anything about that other Crash game Arguile mentioned for 2019; though he did say that "Activision has a five-year plan" for the Crash Bandicoot franchise. Maybe the next one will be an expanded and blown-out Crash Team Racing reboot? It's been too long since Mario had some healthy competition on the go-kart track - alternative karting fans can't live on Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed forever.

I should point out that Arguile didn't say anything about a potential Xbox One version of the N. Sane Trilogy, which goes against some rumors that surfaced last year. However, it's possible that Activision's plans have changed since then, or that Arguile simply hadn't heard about the Xbox One version. For now, it seems safe to assume that Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy won't remain a PS4 exclusive for too much longer.

Pity the poor engineers at Sony. They’re labouring to make ever-better gaming technology – PS4 Pro, PS VR – and what do the gaming public do? Wet their collective knickers over retro returns of Sonic The Hedgehog and Crash Bandicoot. Haven’t you seen Jurassic Park? No good will come of resurrecting things better left in museums.

Those classic games were great in their day; their title characters are icons for a reason. But as someone who remembers when games were in black-and-white, I reckon looking backwards is the wrong thing to do. We’d still be playing Pong with that attitude. Games are simply better now, and we should revel in what today’s hardware is capable of.

Games are more believable, more immersive, now. Seeing, the old cliché has it, is believing. We’re about to be hit with the most realistic-looking racers ever (you can almost detect that ‘new car smell’ wafting off GT Sport). Last year, Trico reduced hardened gamers to tears with his realistic recalcitrance, plaintive cries, and pleading eyes, he was so lifelike. You couldn’t do that with 64 bits. We can wander round Los Santos, Tamriel, or the whole galaxy with a freedom noughties gamers could only dream of, and we can play with people on the other side of the world.

I’m not saying we should give up on old characters, but let’s give them the games they always deserved, rather than the ones they got. Crystal Dynamics got that right with Rise Of The Tomb Raider, using current technology to allow us to enter Lara Croft’s world in a way we never could before. Croft Manor is a revelation in PS VR.

Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus looks like continuing BJ Blazkowicz’s transformation in humorous, action-packed style – after seeing just one trailer, only an idiot would say they’d have preferred Bethesda to simply remaster the ’80s bricky Wolfenstein and leave all that ‘plot’ stuff out. Crash got ‘fur-K’ graphics, but what more could he have had if set completely free from his old games? So let’s stop all this remaster nonsense. Bring on the future.

This article originally appeared in Official PlayStation Magazine. For more great PlayStation coverage, you can subscribe here.

Funko Pops. Love 'em or hate 'em, they're definitely "in" right now, and that means anything and everything will be transformed into a small vinyl doll with beady black eyes and a bulbous head. Case in point: Crash Bandicoot, which recently experienced a sort of renaissance thanks to the N. Sane Trilogy, will be turned into a Funko Pop line coming to stores (and, admit it, your desk) this November.

The wacky marsupial has a large selection of colorful characters that are ripe for Funko Pop-ization. There's Tiny, the musclebound tiger; Dr. N. Tropy, a time-traveling super genius with a clock in his chest; Dr. N. Gin, a mad scientist with a rocket sticking out of his head; Dingodile, the half-dingo half-crocodile; I can keep going with this. There's a lot of pun and wordplay-based villains in these games.

Maybe that's why it's surprising and a bit disappointing to me that the Pop series is mostly Crash, and... er, more Crash, with one figure of Dr. Neo Cortex rounding out the lineup. Here's what regular Crash and Dr. Cortex look like:

You'll be able to pick up those figures anywhere Funko is sold. If you're lucky, you can also find a black-and-white variant of Crash that's semi-rare. According to Funko, you've got a 1-in-6 chance of finding him.

You'll need to order Crash Bandicoot wearing a jet pack and an aviation helmet from Toys 'R' Us:

While Crash Bandicoot doing his best "Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 2" impression is only available through Hot Topic:

Best Buy's exclusive version of Crash Bandicoot looks just like the normal one, but this one glows in the dark. Those beady little eyes, watching you while you sleep... 

And lastly, my personal favorite, a flocked version of Crash Bandicoot (which is to say a version covered in tiny fibers to mimic the look and feel of fur) will be found only at GameStop:

Now get to work on those other characters, Funko!

The first three Crash Bandicoot games hold a special place in many original PlayStation owners' hearts - maybe that's why the revamped Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy was the UK's biggest console exclusive when it launched for PS4 at the end of June. But mounting evidence suggests the nostalgic marsupial platformer may soon come to Xbox One as well.

Earlier this week, Vicarious Visions UI artist Kara Zisa uploaded her work on the N. Sane Trilogy to her portfolio. Only the footage she uploaded contained Xbox controller prompts - which is to say colored letters - instead of the usual PlayStation shapes. The original footage has since been taken down, but you can see a video copy below:

Now, lots of games are built on PC and the colored A, B, X, and Y buttons are more common in that space. So this isn't confirmation of the N. Sane Trilogy being ported. However, Hungarian retailer SuperGamer had an Xbox One version listed (now removed), and Press Start reported in February that the official PlayStation Ireland Twitter account changed its tune to refer to the N. Sane Trilogy as "PlayStation 4 first" (as opposed to PlayStation 4 indefinitely).

While this is definitely a rumor, it's one with some jean short-wearing legs.

Some players have criticized the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy for introducing extra difficulty into what were already tough games and now the developers have responded. An official post on the Activision blog lays out Vicarious Visions' plan of action for helping disgruntled players have a better time with the trilogy remake. Step 1: Get better at Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy. That's all the steps.

"Now, we can all agree that some of the Crash levels were, and still are, not easy," the blog post explains. "The challenge of the games is one of the things we all love, and that’s why it feels so, so good when you beat them. Our goal for the Trilogy was to reduce any points of frustration while preserving the challenge of the originals, and we feel we’ve done that."

The revised checkpoint and save systems definitely do a lot to reduce the usual retro-game friction. But players have called out new jump physics that make Crash fall slightly faster, a too-precise collision system that makes it much easier to fall off of narrow ledges, and other new problems that have pushed the N. Sane Trilogy in the opposite direction. Vicarious Visions admits that its modern collision and physics systems mean "certain jumps require more precision than the originals" but adds that it worked hard to make sure the design was both fair and faithful to the originals.

"An increased precision is now required in the first game, which makes the gameplay experience different. Particularly if you are a new player, you may want to start with the second and third games first, and then come back to try Crash Bandicoot after you’ve had more practice. For those of you who played the originals and acquired a fair amount of muscle memory, re-learning the handling in our game may present an additional challenge you weren’t expecting. But we’re sure you up to the task."

I admire a developer that is willing to stick to its guns, but let's be real: "we're sure you're up to the task" is just the nicest possible way to say "git gud". Make sure you read our Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy review for our take on the game.