Wikipedia

Crash Bandicoot (character)

(Redirected from Wily the Wombat)

Crash Bandicoot is the title character and main protagonist of the Crash Bandicoot series. Introduced in the 1996 video game Crash Bandicoot, Crash is a mutant eastern barred bandicoot who was genetically enhanced by the series' main antagonist Doctor Neo Cortex and soon escaped from Cortex's castle after a failed experiment in the "Cortex Vortex". Throughout the series, Crash acts as the opposition against Cortex and his schemes for world domination. While Crash has a number of offensive maneuvers at his disposal, his most distinctive technique is one in which he spins like a tornado at high speeds and knocks away almost anything that he strikes.

Crash Bandicoot
Crash Bandicoot character
Crash from Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
First appearanceCrash Bandicoot (1996)
Created by
Designed byCharles Zembillas
Joe Pearson
Voiced by
In-universe information
SpeciesEastern barred bandicoot
NationalityAustralian

Crash was created by Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin, and was originally designed by Charles Zembillas. Crash was intended to be a mascot character for Sony to use to compete against Nintendo's Mario and Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog. Before Crash was given his name (which stems from the visceral reaction to the character's destruction of boxes), he was referred to as "Willie the Wombat" for much of the duration of the first game's production. Crash has drawn comparisons to mascots such as Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog by reviewers. His animations have been praised, while his voice has faced criticism. He has been redesigned several times throughout many games, which have drawn mixed reactions.

Concept and creation

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Andy Gavin (left) and Jason Rubin (right) created the character

One of the main reasons Naughty Dog chose to develop Crash Bandicoot (at the time jokingly codenamed "Sonic's Ass Game"[1][2]) for the Sony PlayStation was Sony's lack of an existing mascot character that could compete with Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog and Nintendo's Mario.[3] By this time video game mascots were seen as increasingly unimportant, since they were overshadowed by cross-licensing and the aging games market meant most gamers were too old to find mascots appealing, but Sony were nonetheless interested in covering all bases.[4] In Japan, Sony had used Captain Rock from Motor Toon Grand Prix as a de facto mascot during PlayStation's launch, although SCEA chose not to[5] and instead introduced the purpose-made Polygon Man. Following a negative reception, SCEA picked Sofia from Battle Arena Toshinden as a mascot.[6][7] Later in Japan, MuuMuu from Jumping Flash! was a de facto mascot.[8] Sony brought out their in-house Mario/Sonic-like platformer, Hermie Hopperhead: Scrap Panic, in 1995, but this was not released outside Japan due to SCEA's strict policy at the time against releasing 2D games for the American market.[9]

For the game's lead character, Naughty Dog wanted to do what Sega and Warner Bros. did while designing their respective characters – Sonic the Hedgehog and the Tasmanian Devil – and incorporate an existing animal that was appealing and obscure. The team purchased a field guide on Tasmanian mammals and selected the wombat, potoroo, and bandicoot as options. Gavin and Rubin went with "Willy the Wombat" as a temporary name for the starring character of the game. They never intended the name to be final due both to the name sounding "too dorky" and to the existence of a non-video game property of the same name; the name was also used by Hudson Soft for its Japan-exclusive Sega Saturn role-playing game Willy Wombat.[3][10] The character was effectively a bandicoot by October 1994, but was still referred to as "Willie the Wombat" because a final name had not been formulated yet.[3] Wanting their mascot game to be multi-dimensional in character depth as well as gameplay, Gavin and Rubin chose not to base Crash around one attribute such as "fast" or "cute".[11][12]

 
Concept art of Willie the Wombat or Wuzzy Wombat, who would later become Crash Bandicoot. The tail was later removed due to the graphical limitations of the PlayStation.

Epoch Ink artist Joe Pearson and American Exitus artist Charles Zembillas were hired and met with Naughty Dog weekly to design and develop Crash and the other characters of the game.[1][13] Zembillas' initial sketches of Crash depicted him as a "squat, hunkered-down" character. After Pearson drew a version of Crash that was leaner, had a larger nose and wore a Zorro-like mask, Zembillas began drawing Crash as "a little more manic and insane".[14] Naughty Dog decided early on that there would be no connection between a real animal and Crash's final design, which would instead be determined "51% by technical and visual necessity and 49% by inspiration". Gavin determined Crash's fur color by creating a list of popular characters and their colors, and then making a list of earthly background possibilities (such as forests, deserts, beaches, etc.). Colors that would not look good on the screen were strictly outlawed, such as red, which would bleed on older televisions. Orange was selected by process of elimination.[3] Crash's head was made large and neckless to counter the low resolution of the screen and allow his facial expressions to be discernible.[3][12] Jason Rubin noted the increased difficulty in turning Crash's head with this type of design.[3] Small details such as the gloves, the spots on Crash's back and a light-colored chest were added to help the player determine what side of Crash was visible based on color.[3][12] Crash was not given a tail or any flappy straps of clothing due to the PlayStation's inability to properly display such pixels without flickering. The length of Crash's pants was shortened to keep his ankles from flickering as they would with longer pants. Andy Gavin owns the original ink sketches of Crash by Charles Zembillas.[3] Crash was originally written by Pearson as a speaking character who, as a result of his subjection to the Cortex Vortex, communicated in a series of bizarre non sequiturs derived from classic literature and pop culture.[15][16] The team ultimately decided that Crash would be mute because they considered past voices for video game characters to be "lame, negative, and distract[ing] from identification with them".[3]

Crash's final game model was made from 512 polygons with the only textures being for the spots on his back and his shoelaces. It took Andy Gavin a month to settle on that number of polygons. Because of the game's use of vertex animation, Crash was capable of more facial expressions than other video game characters at or before the time.[17] Crash's jumping, spinning and bonking mechanisms were refined as the Naughty Dog team developed the levels "Heavy Machinery" and "Generator Room".[18] While preparing for the game's demonstration at E3 1996, the team decided to finally rename the title character "Crash Bandicoot", a name credited to Kurosaki and Dave Baggett. The character's name was based on his species and the visceral reaction to his destruction of boxes. The names "Dash", "Smash", and "Bash" were also considered.[13][19] The marketing director of Universal Interactive Studios insisted that the game and character be named "Wez/Wezzy/Wuzzle the Wombat" or "Ozzie the Otzel".[12][19] The name Crash Bandicoot prevailed after Naughty Dog threatened to leave the production.[19]

After Naughty Dog presented Crash Bandicoot to Sony's Japanese division, the executives of Sony Computer Entertainment Japan stated their dislike of the character and were unimpressed by the renderings of the character made specifically for the meeting. During a break following the initial meeting, Andy Gavin approached Charlotte Francis, the artist responsible for the renderings, and gave her fifteen minutes to close Crash's huge, smiling mouth to make him seem less aggressive, change his eyes from green to "two small black "Pac-Man" shapes" and make his spike of hair smaller. Sony Japan bought Crash Bandicoot for Japanese distribution after being shown the modified printout.[20] The Japanese television advertising campaign for Crash Bandicoot included a dance performed by a costumed Crash Bandicoot mascot; the dance was created by Sony Japan's marketing manager Megumi Hosoya. The success of the campaign influenced Naughty Dog to incorporate the dance into the games.[21][22][23] In 1997, Sony Computer Entertainment America signed a deal making Crash a licensed character with the expectation of making it their third and new mascot.[7]

Post-Naughty Dog designs

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Crash's redesign for Crash of the Titans drew mixed reactions from professional video game critics.

Crash served as a mascot for Sony Computer Entertainment from his creation until September 2000 when Universal Interactive Studios and Konami entered an agreement that would enable Konami to publish a Crash Bandicoot game (which would later become Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex) for next-generation game systems, with Universal Interactive handling the production of the games; the agreement served to break the Crash Bandicoot franchise's exclusivity to Sony-produced consoles and effectively made Crash Bandicoot a mascot character for Universal rather than Sony.[24] Crash's game model in Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex was composed of approximately 1,800 polygons, which allowed an increase in detail compared to past models, including a more complex and realistic tuft of hair, a visible uvula, stitching on his jeans and shoes and a designer label on his pants.[25]

Upon beginning development of Crash Nitro Kart, Vicarious Visions chief executive officer and chief creative officer Karthik Bala noted that Crash's physical appearance had been inconsistent since his debut in 1996 and decided to "explore the original vision of the character" in an attempt to bring him back to his roots. Charles Zembillas and Joe Pearson were tracked down and enlisted for guidance during development of the game and were faced with the challenge of evolving the character and the franchise visually while retaining their "cartoon-like charm". To redesign Crash and the other mainstay characters of the series for Crash Nitro Kart, the Vicarious Visions team reviewed a number of original development sketches from Zembillas's archives and then redesigned the main characters by incorporating details from the concept art and adding girth to the characters; Crash's appearance in the game, compared to the previous two games, sports a slightly larger nose, fuller eyebrows, and a far more textured body. Zembillas noted that "Crash is slimmer and more appealing now. There's also more emphasis on his eyes, and you can see the craftiness in his personality. That's Crash to me, and he's alive again in Nitro Kart".[26] Crash and the rest of the series' cast were redesigned for Crash of the Titans to realign the characters into a unified style as well as make them more modern and distinct from other cartoon characters; the new designs were described by producer Kirsten Forbes as having a "punk" edge to them.[27]

For Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, the development team set updating Crash's design for the game as their earliest task, which prompted conversation within the art team attempting to determine Crash's personality. They eventually honed in on what art director Josh Nadelberg described as "this dude who's always in the wrong place at the wrong time" who "just manages to get himself out of all these crazy situations in a heroic way, but he's not your classic hero". The team's concept artists created various designs for Crash, with Kole being tasked with combining the most suitable elements from each iteration. Artist Nicholas Kole did not find photographic references to real bandicoots helpful in the design process, as his attempts to incorporate them resulted in a deviation from the character's spirit; Kole likened Crash's general design to an artist's attempt at drawing a bandicoot from memory a couple years after having seen one.[28] Artist Ryan Jones took the liberty of omitting Crash's flesh-colored lips in favor of a simpler two-toned fur treatment, which was incorporated into his final design.[29] Crash's lack of a neck was the most difficult aspect of his design for the development team's modelers to translate; as Kole observed: "He's just shoulders and then a head. It was actually kind of a big technical challenge to pull that off just right."[12][28]

Voice portrayal

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Crash Bandicoot was originally voiced by Brendan O'Brien from 1996 to 2004;[30] O'Brien called Jason Rubin, who was at the time looking for a voice artist, after Joe Pearson suggested he do so.[31] O'Brien's original work was recorded at a recording studio below the Alfred Hitchcock attraction.[31] The character was later voiced by Chip Chinery in Crash Team Racing and Steve Blum in Crash Nitro Kart.[32][33] Jess Harnell voiced the character for fifteen years from 2005 to 2020, beginning with Crash Tag Team Racing to Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!.[34][35][36] In 2020, Scott Whyte voiced the character in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time.[37] Carlos Alazraqui provided his voice in promotional trailers for Cortex Strikes Back,[38][39] also switching out live performances as him with Tom Kenny at E3 1997.[40]

In the Japanese versions of the games, he was voiced by Kappei Yamaguchi up until the release of Nitro Kart and the Pachislot game CR Crash Bandicoot;[41][42] and by Makoto Ishii in Crash Boom Bang!.[43] In Skylanders Academy, he is voiced by Eric Rogers and later by Rhys Darby.[44][45]

Characteristics

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Crash was genetically engineered through the use of Cortex and Doctor Nitrus Brio's Evolvo-Ray. Before escaping from Doctor Neo Cortex's island fortress, Crash became romantically attached to a female bandicoot named Tawna, who was another one of Cortex's experiments. Crash's separation from Tawna at the hands of Cortex serves as the primary root of Crash's antagonism of Cortex.[46] Crash is a very emotional character who is quick to laugh and quick to cry.[47] While he has a danger-loving, fearless nature and loves a good fight,[47][48] he prefers relaxing in the sun and rarely seeks out trouble deliberately.[47] To the ire of his friend Crunch, but the amusement of his sister Coco, Crash is prone to impolite personal habits such as belching[49] or scratching his posterior.[11]

Crash is generally depicted as a mute character, with the frequent exception of exclaiming "Whoa!" upon losing a life.[50] In the Radical Entertainment games, Crash speaks in unintelligible gibberish,[51] but gives a verbal exclamation of excitement in the ending sequence of Crash of the Titans.[52][53] In the Skylanders Academy web series, he speaks in full sentences with an Australian accent and frequently uses slang.[44][45] Crash narrates the epilogue of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time in a fully articulate voice that Dalton Cooper of Game Rant described as "Morgan Freeman-esque".[54]

In the beginning of the series, Crash's sole offensive maneuvers were jumping onto his enemies and a distinctive technique in which he spins around like a tornado, kicking away anyone or anything that he strikes.[55] In later games Crash can expand his range of abilities by defeating boss characters.[56][57][58][59] The expanded abilities include a powerful splash, the ability to jump while in the air, the "Death Tornado Spin" (a variation of his spinning technique that allows him to hover through the air for a limited time), a bazooka that fires Wumpa Fruit, increased running speed, the ability to safely tip-toe on top of explosive crates, and the ability to jump at incredibly high heights.[56][57][58][60] The games Crash of the Titans and Crash: Mind over Mutant allow Crash to further expand his offensive abilities with new fighting moves learned from collecting a magical substance known as "Mojo".[61][62] In Skylanders: Imaginators, Crash has the ability to throw TNT crates, and can use his Yo-yo to bring in enemies to spin attack.[63]

Appearances

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Main series

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As seen in Crash Bandicoot, Crash was once an ordinary eastern barred bandicoot[64] before he was snatched from the wild by Doctor Neo Cortex and subjected to the Evolvo-Ray as part of Cortex's plan to make Crash the "general" of his "Cortex Commandos", which would be used to dominate the world.[65] However, he is later deemed unworthy of being in Cortex's army and escapes from Cortex's castle.[46] As an act of revenge and to rescue a female bandicoot named Tawna, Crash travels through the Wumpa Islands, defeating Cortex's henchmen along the way. He eventually defeats Cortex, steals his airship, and escapes alongside Tawna. A year later in Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, Crash is sent off to get a new laptop battery for his sister Coco, but is soon abducted by Cortex, who claims to have changed his ways. Crash is then ordered to gather Crystals for Cortex while fighting off opposition from Doctor Nitrus Brio. Once Cortex reveals his hidden intentions, Crash sends him flying off into space and aids Nitrus Brio in destroying the Cortex Vortex.[citation needed] In Crash Bandicoot: Warped, when the remains of the space station crash into Earth and set the demonic Uka Uka free, Crash is recruited by Aku Aku to use Doctor Nefarious Tropy's Time-Twisting Machine to gather the powerful Crystals in their original places before Cortex does. Crash eventually gathers all 25 Crystals and defeats Nefarious Tropy, causing the Time-Twisting Machine to implode on itself.[citation needed] In Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, Crash is recruited to gather Crystals and return a group of destructive masks named the Elementals to a hibernation state and stop Cortex's new superweapon Crunch Bandicoot. In Crash Twinsanity, after foiling another plot by Doctor Cortex to eliminate him, Crash teams up with Cortex in order to defeat the Evil Twins and restore the natural order of the universe.[citation needed]

In Crash of the Titans, Crash aids Coco in the development of a butter-recycling device.[49] This is interrupted when Neo Cortex arrives and kidnaps Aku Aku and Coco. Crash throws Coco's machine at Cortex's airship, severing the chain holding Aku Aku's cage, which causes the cage to fall into the nearby forest. After Crash rescues Aku Aku, they discover that Cortex and Uka Uka are stealing Mojo from a nearby temple and decide to stop them.[66] Crash is unable to rescue his sister but manages to defeat Cortex, and he begins his search for Coco, interrogating Dingodile, Tiny Tiger, N. Gin, and Uka Uka on her whereabouts. Crash finally confronts and defeats Nina Cortex inside of the Doominator robot, liberates his sister, and averts the destruction of Wumpa Island. Feeling happy for themselves, Crash and his family decide to celebrate their victory with pancakes, which he blurts out (speaking for the first time) in joy.[52] Soon after, in Crash: Mind over Mutant, the NV, a personal digital assistant that everyone must possess, is released to the public. However, this turns out to be a plot by Doctor Cortex and his old partner Doctor Nitrus Brio, who use the NV's Mojo-transmitting powers to control everyone who uses the device. Because Crash is unaffected by the NV, he is able to free his friends from the control of the NV and stop Cortex's and Brio's plot.[67]

Other games

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Crash appears as a playable character in the racing titles Crash Team Racing, Crash Nitro Kart and Crash Tag Team Racing,[68][69][70] as well as the party titles Crash Bash and Crash Boom Bang!.[71][72] In The Huge Adventure, Crash is recruited to gather Crystals to power a device built by Coco that will reverse the effects of Cortex's Planetary Minimizer, which has shrunken the Earth to the size of a grapefruit.[citation needed] In N-Tranced, Crash is awoken from his nap by the kidnapping of Coco and Crunch by Nefarious Tropy and N. Trance. Crash is almost kidnapped himself before being rescued by Aku Aku. He is then sent off to rescue Crunch and Coco, recruit Fake Crash, and defeat N. Trance and Nefarious Tropy.[citation needed] In Ripto's Rampage, Crash is tricked into thinking that Spyro the Dragon is attacking the Wumpa Islands, but he discovers the truth after a fight on a bridge, and teams up with Spyro to defeat the combined forces of Doctor Neo Cortex and Ripto.[citation needed]

Appearances outside of the series

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Crash makes a special guest appearance in Uncharted 4: A Thief's End in a playable recreation of the 'Boulder Dash' level from Crash Bandicoot. Additionally, Crash appears in Skylanders: Imaginators alongside Doctor Neo Cortex as a playable Skylander.[73] Here he is accompanied by Aku Aku, who serves as his translator. Crash also makes recurring appearances in Skylanders Academy, being transported from his own world into the world of Skylands. Unlike his appearance in Skylanders: Imaginators, Aku Aku does not accompany him. Also unlike any of his other appearances, he speaks fluent English with an Australian accent, provided by showrunner Eric Rogers in the first season and by Rhys Darby in the third season.[44][45] Crash, Coco, Aku Aku, Cortex, and Kapuna-Wa appear in the PlayStation 4 "It's time to play" commercial alongside other gaming characters.[74] Crash and Aku Aku make a cameo appearance in Astro's Playroom.[75] Crash will again appear in that game's sequel, Astro Bot.[76]

Cultural impact

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Merchandise

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Crash has been featured in two series of Crash Bandicoot action figures produced by the now-defunct Resaurus. For Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, Resaurus produced a "Jetboard Crash" (a Crash Bandicoot figure bundled with the jetboard seen in the game) and a "Jet Pack Crash" (a goggle-wearing Crash Bandicoot figure bundled with the jet pack seen in the game). The Crash Bandicoot: Warped series featured three different figures of Crash, including one bundled with Aku Aku and Coco Bandicoot figures.[77] A Crash figurine was released as part of the Skylanders: Imaginators starter pack for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 in October 2016; he was made to be playable across all platforms.[35] To promote the series comeback, various shirts, keychains, and other types of merchandise was officially licensed from Activision with Numskull Product Design.[78]

Paleontology

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Paleontologists have named an extinct bandicoot from the Miocene of Australia after the character, Crash bandicoot. Although somewhat unusual for the scientific community, the name was used in an entirely unaltered form, without attempting to return to Latin or Greek roots.[79][80]

Reception

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As a mascot character, Crash has drawn numerous comparisons to competing mascots such as Mario and Sonic by reviewers.[81][82][83] Dave Halverson of GameFan praised Crash's animations, appearance and mannerisms as "100% perfection".[84] A reviewer for GameRevolution praised Crash's "quirky mannerisms" as "always refreshing",[85] and John Broady of GameSpot described Crash as "disarmingly cute and fuzzy".[86] Doug Perry of IGN was critical of the character, seeing him as "insanely capitalistic", negatively comparing his voice to Luigi of the Mario series[87] and accusing him of being "the most see-through, copycat mascot that ever existed."[82] Louis Bedigian of GameZone also disliked Crash's voice, remarking "it is really annoying to hear a child say, 'Whoa!' every time you fall in the water, especially when you realize that the child's voice is supposed to be Crash".[50] Crash's animations, particularly in Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, have been praised as humorous by reviewers.[88][89] Ryan Davis of GameSpot analyzed Crash's "overextended running style and self-punishing attacks" as establishing him as an "empty-headed but enthusiastic character", and compared his facial contortions to those of comedian Red Skelton.[90]

Crash's aesthetic design in the games developed by Radical Entertainment has received mixed reactions from reviewers. Ravi Sinha of GamingBolt considered the design among the worst in video games, noting that the developers should not have tried "to make Crash look 'cool'".[91] Brian Rowe of GameRevolution noted that Crash's fingerless gloves have been replaced with "equally outdated" tribal tattoos and that Crash's personality had been altered from his "obnoxiously extreme attitude" to that of a "bluthering, googly-eyed idiot". Although Rowe wondered when and why the change happened, he concluded that "it's better than the popular goatee-of-rage that so many other platform giants are sporting these days".[92] Arnold Katayev of PSX Extreme, while admitting that the character detail on Crash was "pretty nice", expressed unhappiness with the artistic choices made for the character; he described Crash's tribal tattoos as "a little pretentious" and noted that the increased definition on his mohawk patch made Crash come off as "trying too hard to be cool". He added that Crash's new fighting style begot a stance that consists of Crash "putting up his dukes like a boxer", which he deemed "out of character" for Crash. Finally, while critiquing the voice acting in Crash of the Titans, he remarked that Crash "especially sounds awful, largely because he doesn't actually speak - he just blabs annoying gibberish, which makes him sound like he's an infant".[51] Matt Keller of PALGN also criticized Crash's voice, which he said made Crash sound "like a confused baby".[93] Louis Bedigian of GameZone stated that "Crash's character design has gone from cool to goofy and now to the dreaded place of being dorky" and said that the minute and gradual changes made to Crash's design throughout the series "have really hurt Crash's appearance as a leading game character".[94] GamePro named Crash's new design as the second worst video game character makeover ever.[95] Craig Harris of IGN was more positive on Crash's new appearance and noted that Crash "looks a little floofier and a lot edgier, gaining a spikier Mohawk and trading in his fingerless gloves for tribal ink all up and down his arms" while comparing his incoherent squawking vocalizations to Kazooie of the Banjo-Kazooie series. He concluded that "ultimately he's been changed for the better. He looks a little cooler and more appealing than his more 'Japanese-inspired' edits over the years".[96]

Crash has been identified by gaming publications as one of the best and most iconic video game characters.[97][98][99][100] In 2024, a poll conducted by BAFTA with around 4,000 respondents named Crash Bandicoot as the fifteenth most iconic video-game character of all time.[101] However, he was also included on IGN's 2009 list of top video game characters who should be retired; IGN editor Colin Moriarty, describing such an event to be a "mercy killing", stated that his games add little to innovate the series over the years, rendering the character useless.[102]

References

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  2. ^ Gavin, Andy (February 2, 2011). "Making Crash Bandicoot - part 1". All Things Andy Gavin. Archived from the original on February 4, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
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  33. ^ "Crash Nitro Kart for PlayStation 2 - Technical Information, Game Information, Technical Support". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on December 10, 2008. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  34. ^ Barratt, Charlie (January 16, 2009). "Characters you never knew had the same voice actor". GamesRadar. Future plc. Archived from the original on April 2, 2022. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  35. ^ a b Robertson, Andy (June 16, 2016). "E3 2016: Skylanders plays the Crash card". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  36. ^ Massie, Kara (February 16, 2017). "Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy releases 30th June". PlayStation Blog. Sony Interactive Entertainment. Archived from the original on October 18, 2017. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  37. ^ Shirey, J. Brodie (October 2, 2020). "Crash Bandicoot Voice Actor Teases Work On 'Fun New Project'". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on June 16, 2022. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  38. ^ "Crash Bandicoot". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on 2021-05-24. Retrieved 2021-05-24.
  39. ^ Alazraqui, Carlos [@carlosalazraqui] (August 24, 2017). "#TBT to the Crash Bandicoot and Taco Bell days... #90spic.twitter.com/XCh2iZ7hOR" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 24, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021 – via Twitter.
  40. ^ Alazraqui, Carlos [@carlosalazraqui] (December 10, 2023). "We both interchanged during those years at the conference. Not sure about 97" (Tweet). Retrieved February 16, 2024 – via Twitter.
  41. ^ Sources that refer to Kappei Yamaguchi voicing Crash in the Japanese versions of the games include:
    • Naughty Dog. Crash Bandicoot (PlayStation) (in Japanese). Universal Interactive Studios. Level/area: Credits.
    • Naughty Dog. Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back (PlayStation) (in Japanese). Universal Interactive Studios. Level/area: Credits.
    • Naughty Dog. Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped (PlayStation) (in Japanese). Universal Interactive Studios. Level/area: Credits.
    • Naughty Dog. Crash Team Racing (PlayStation) (in Japanese). Sony Computer Entertainment. Level/area: Credits.
    • Eurocom. Crash Bash (PlayStation) (in Japanese). Universal Interactive Studios. Level/area: Credits.
    • Traveller's Tales. Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex (PlayStation 2) (in Japanese). Universal Interactive Studios. Level/area: Credits.
    • Vicarious Visions. Crash Nitro Kart (Multiplatform) (in Japanese). Universal Interactive Studios. Level/area: Credits.
  42. ^ "CR Crash Index". www.sammy.co.jp. Archived from the original on 2021-01-28. Retrieved 2019-08-10.
  43. ^ Dimps (October 10, 2006). Crash Boom Bang! (Nintendo DS). Sierra Entertainment. Level/area: Credits.
  44. ^ a b c Makuch, Eddie (December 2, 2016). "Skylanders Academy Showrunner Responds to Crash Getting a Voice, Talks Season 2, and More". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on October 25, 2017. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  45. ^ a b c Trumbore, Dave (August 22, 2018). "New Skylanders Academy Showrunners Tease the Adventures Ahead in Season 3". Collider. Archived from the original on August 30, 2018. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  46. ^ a b Crash Bandicoot Instruction Booklet. Sony Computer Entertainment. 1996. p. 4.
  47. ^ a b c "Welcome to Crash Village". Sierra Entertainment. Archived from the original on January 30, 2009. Retrieved February 2, 2009. Crash was an ordinary south pacific bandicoot until the evil Dr. Cortex used his evolvo-ray in an attempt to create a mutant henchman. Crash refused to work with Cortex and instead smashed Cortex's lab and defeated the mad doctor's evil schemes. Crash would be happy to spend his days basking in the sun but his danger-loving, fearless nature and a love of a good fight with a bad guy keep him busy. Crash is very emotional, quick to laugh and quick to cry. Crash rarely seeks out trouble but trouble always seems to come Crash's way.
  48. ^ Crash Bandicoot Instruction Booklet. Sony Computer Entertainment. 1996. p. 19.
  49. ^ a b Radical Entertainment (2007-10-04). Crash of the Titans (Multiplatform). Sierra Entertainment. Level/area: Episode 1: A New Hop. Coco Bandicoot: Crash! Help me get this gizmo working! At long last, the world will have a way to recycle butter! / Crash Bandicoot: (belches) / Crunch Bandicoot: (in the background) Hey! Stop that! / Coco Bandicoot: Hey, that was a good one. / Crash: (chuckles)
  50. ^ a b Bedigian, Louis (December 3, 2001). "Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex Review - PlayStation 2". GameZone. Archived from the original on June 10, 2009. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
  51. ^ a b Katayev, Arnold (October 28, 2007). "PS2 Game Reviews: Crash of the Titans". PSX Extreme. Archived from the original on October 24, 2008. Retrieved February 3, 2009. Character detail on Crash is very nice, but I'm not super happy with some of the artistic choices they've made for him. The tribal tattoos aim at the 'edgy' approach and try to snaz up Crash's appearance, but to me it just seems a little pretentious - Crash is better off without them. The mohawk patch he's sporting is far more defined than it ever has been, again, making Crash seem as if he's trying too hard to be cool. Furthermore, because Crash is now a puncher, his still-stance has him putting his dukes up like a boxer - it's just so out of character for the marsupial. So my word of advice to Sierra is to tone it down. Crash Bandicoot is a highly recognizable character who doesn't need a makeover of any kind - just look at Mario, Link and Sonic. [...] Crash especially sounds awful, largely because he doesn't actually speak - he just blabs annoying gibberish, which makes him sound like he's an infant.
  52. ^ a b Radical Entertainment (October 14, 2007). Crash of the Titans (Multiplatform). Sierra Entertainment. Level/area: Episode 20: Revengeance 2: The Revengicide. Coco Bandicoot: Now let's go home and eat pancakes! / Crash Bandicoot: Pancakes!!
  53. ^ Amaze Entertainment (October 14, 2007). Crash of the Titans (Game Boy Advance). Sierra Entertainment. Level/area: Ending cutscene. Aku Aku: I think it's time for a celebration. Saving Wumpa Island has given me a super size appetite. Pancakes anyone? / Crash Bandicoot: PANCAKES?!? I thought you'd never ask!!!
  54. ^ Cooper, Dalton (October 6, 2020). "Crash Bandicoot 4 Ending Explained". Game Rant. Archived from the original on June 18, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  55. ^ Crash Bandicoot Instruction Booklet. Sony Computer Entertainment. 1996. p. 8.
  56. ^ a b Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped Instruction Booklet. Sony Computer Entertainment. 1996. p. 10.
  57. ^ a b Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex Instruction Booklet. Sony Computer Entertainment. 2001. p. 14.
  58. ^ a b Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure Instruction Booklet. Sony Computer Entertainment. 2002. p. 11.
  59. ^ Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced Instruction Booklet. Sony Computer Entertainment. 2003. p. 13.
  60. ^ Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced Instruction Booklet. Sony Computer Entertainment. 2003. p. 14.
  61. ^ Crash of the Titans Instruction Booklet. Sierra Entertainment. 2007. p. 6.
  62. ^ Crash: Mind over Mutant Instruction Booklet. Sierra Entertainment. 2008. p. 6.
  63. ^ Rodriguez, David (June 13, 2016). "Skylanders Imaginators: Crashing Into Skylands". PlayStation Blog. Sony Interactive Entertainment. Archived from the original on June 16, 2016. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  64. ^ "Crash Bandicoot - Twenty Questions". Naughty Dog. Archived from the original on 2008-08-22. Retrieved February 2, 2009. Crash is a Perameles gunnii, of the order POLYPROTODONTA, family Peramelidae, commonly known as the Eastern Barred Bandicoot.
  65. ^ Naughty Dog. Crash Bandicoot (PlayStation). Sony Computer Entertainment America. Level/area: Opening sequence. Doctor Nitrus Brio: But Doctor Cortex! We have not determined the cause of past failures! / Doctor Neo Cortex: Moron! This bandicoot will be my general! And he will lead my Cortex Commandos to world domination! This time I shall reign triumphant!
  66. ^ Radical Entertainment (2007-10-04). Crash of the Titans (Multiplatform). Sierra Entertainment. Level/area: Episode 3: A Zero's Journey. Aku Aku: Crash, it's as I feared. Cortex and Uka Uka are stealing all the Mojo from the temple. This is somehow related to the strange mutants we've been fighting.
  67. ^ De Marco, Flynn (2008-04-28). "Crash Bandicoot: Mind Over Mutant Impressions". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 2012-10-07. Retrieved 2008-08-11. The only one who seems to not be affected by the device is Crash who must use his powers to save the day.
  68. ^ Crash Team Racing Instruction Booklet. Sony Computer Entertainment. 1999. pp. 24−25.
  69. ^ Crash Nitro Kart Instruction Booklet. Fresno, California, United States of America: Universal Interactive. 2003. pp. 20−21.
  70. ^ Crash Tag Team Racing Instruction Booklet. Vivendi Universal Games. 2005. p. 10.
  71. ^ Crash Bash (PlayStation) instruction booklet, pp. 16–17
  72. ^ Crash Boom Bang! (Nintendo DS) instruction booklet, p. 4
  73. ^ Paget, Mat (August 10, 2010). "Another Crash Bandicoot Character Is Playable in Skylanders Imaginators". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
  74. ^ Chris Moyse (5 November 2019). "PlayStation stars invade reality in fun 'It's Time to Play' commercial". Destructoid. Retrieved 2019-12-11.
  75. ^ John Hansen. "Every cameraman reference in Astro's Playroom". Gamepur. Archived from the original on 2021-02-09. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  76. ^ "Crash Bandicoot will cameo in Astro Bot despite Microsoft's Activision acquisition" on VGC
  77. ^ "Crash Bandicoot - Toys". Naughty Dog. Archived from the original on August 22, 2008. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
  78. ^ "Officially Licensed Crash Bandicoot Merchandise & Clothing - Numskull". Numskull. 16 May 2018. Archived from the original on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  79. ^ Travouillon, K. J.; et al. (March 2014). "Earliest Modern Bandicoot and Bilby (Marsupialia, Peramelidae, and Thylacomyidae) from the Miocene of the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, Northwestern Queensland, Australia". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 34 (2). The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology: 375–382. Bibcode:2014JVPal..34..375T. doi:10.1080/02724634.2013.799071. S2CID 85622058. Archived from the original on 2021-04-12. Retrieved 2014-08-24.
  80. ^ "Palaeontologists unearth rare 15-million-year-old bilby". The University Of Queensland (Australia) UQ News. 2014-03-17. Archived from the original on 2014-07-17. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
  81. ^ MacDonald, Ryan (1998-11-05). "Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped for PlayStation Review - PlayStation Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2014-01-01. Retrieved 2009-02-03. Crash Bandicoot started life as Sony's attempt at a mascot. He did reasonably well but never quite caught on like Mario or Sonic. But regardless of his status as a mascot, Crash has always managed to make a good game.
  82. ^ a b Perry, Doug (2000-11-08). "IGN: Crash Bash Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 2020-11-29. Retrieved 2020-12-09. Sorry to say this without much of a softening up speech, but Crash Bandicoot is the most see-through, copycat mascot that ever existed, and he's once again ripped off a game concept from another mascot. He stole Sonic's hip, brash personality and Mario's ideas, and now, I'm coincidentally sad to say he doesn't even belong exclusively to the PlayStation or PS2.
  83. ^ Pereira, Michael (2007-10-16). "IGN: Crash of the Titans Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 2007-10-17. Retrieved 2009-02-03. Oh Crash Bandicoot, you were never popular enough to hang around with the cool kids like Mario and Sonic, and yet you've still avoided that depressing mascot retirement home where the likes of Aero the Acrobat and Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel reside (look them up if you have no idea who I'm talking about).
  84. ^ Halverson, Dave. "PlayStation Reviews: Crash Bandicoot". GameFan. Archived from the original on July 23, 1997. Retrieved April 3, 2011. As for Crash himself, well, it took expert cartoonists, and designers from ND and Universal months just to perfect him. His animations, his weight, his control in the air, his mannerisms, his look, and his idles are all 100% perfection.
  85. ^ Nebojsa Radakovic (2004-06-04). "Crash Bandicoot video game review for the PS". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on 2017-08-19. Retrieved 2009-02-03. The polygon movements were very smooth and fluid, and Crash's quirky mannerisms are always refreshing.
  86. ^ Broady, John. "Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back for PlayStation Review - PlayStation Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2009-02-03. Retrieved 2009-02-03. Let me go on record and say that I was never a fan of the original Crash Bandicoot. Even though Crash was disarmingly cute and fuzzy, and even though the game's graphics were just about as good as they got in those days, the frustrating design of the game made playing it such a painful experience that I still have flashbacks when I see small marsupials on the Discovery Channel.
  87. ^ Perry, Doug (1999-10-30). "IGN: Crash Team Racing Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 2009-01-13. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
  88. ^ Goldstein, Hilary (2002-04-26). "IGN: Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex Review". IGN. Archived from the original on June 1, 2002. Retrieved 2009-02-03. Crash offers plenty of humorous animations to enjoy, though the enemies are pretty bland and boring for the most part.
  89. ^ Casamassina, Matt (2002-09-17). "IGN: Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 2020-07-19. Retrieved 2020-12-09. The design of Crash is, as always, in top form, as the character retains his humorous edge complete with wacky, over-the-top animations, which are still welcomed.
  90. ^ Davis, Ryan (2004-10-05). "Crash Twinsanity for PlayStation 2 Review - PlayStation 2 Crash TwinSanity Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2011-08-08. Retrieved 2009-02-03.
  91. ^ Sinha, Ravi (July 25, 2018). "Worst Video Game Character Designs That Were Totally Disliked By Gamers". GamingBolt. p. 3. Archived from the original on September 20, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  92. ^ Rowe, Brian (January 21, 2008). "Crash of the Titans video game review for the XBOX360". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on May 16, 2008. Retrieved February 3, 2009. Crash is back again, as expected, but this time he's fresh out of rehab. While the outdated, fingerless gloves have been replaced by equally outdated tribal tattoos, the obnoxiously extreme attitude is gone. Now he's a bluthering, googly-eyed idiot. I don't know when or why the change happened, but it's better than the popular goatee-of-rage that so many other platform giants are sporting these days.
  93. ^ Keller, Matt (October 31, 2007). "Crash of the Titans Review - PlayStation 2 Review". PALGN. Archived from the original on March 13, 2008. Retrieved February 3, 2009. Crash, who is supposed to be a deranged bandicoot, sounds more like a confused baby.
  94. ^ Bedigian, Louis (2008-10-07). "Crash: Mind over Mutant Review - Wii". GameZone. Archived from the original on 2009-02-02. Retrieved 2009-02-03. But Crash's character design has gone from cool to goofy and now to the dreaded place of being dorky. Only minute changes have been made over the years – his eyes seem to bulge a little differently, his nose might be larger, and his hair looks like he got the Mohawk Special from Fantastic Sam's. These changes, no matter how subtle, have really hurt Crash's appearance as a leading game character. We live in a world where a plumber and a hedgehog are considered cool. There is no reason why a bandicoot shouldn't be given artwork that is worthy of the same praise and respect.
  95. ^ Shaw, Patrick (July 22, 2008). "The 8 Worst Game Character Makeovers Ever - Page 2 of 2". GamePro. GamePro Media. Archived from the original on September 26, 2010.
  96. ^ Harris, Craig (October 10, 2007). "IGN: Crash of the Titans Review". IGN. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved February 3, 2009. Crash looks a little floofier and a lot edgier, gaining a spikier Mohawk and trading in his fingerless gloves for tribal ink all up and down his arms. He also now squawks incoherently, almost like the bird from Banjo Kazooie. With all the alterations, though, ultimately he's been changed for the better. He looks a little cooler and more appealing than his more "Japanese-inspired" edits over the years.
  97. ^ "Top 50 video game characters of all time announced in Guinness World Records 2011 Gamer's Edition". Gamasutra. February 16, 2011. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  98. ^ Martin, Liam (January 16, 2015). "Crash Bandicoot voted most iconic PlayStation character". Digital Spy. Hearst Communications. Archived from the original on August 8, 2022. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  99. ^ Sonia Herranz (March 2021). "Los 30 mejores héroes de los últimos 30 años". Archived from the original on 2022-09-26. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
  100. ^ Weber, Rachel (November 8, 2021). "50 iconic video game characters". gamesradar. Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  101. ^ Reynolds, Ollie (April 3, 2024). "Random: BAFTA's 'Iconic Game Characters' Poll Has Us Scratching Our Heads". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on April 4, 2024. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  102. ^ Moriarty, Colin (2009-02-18). "Wednesday 10: Video Game Characters That Should Die". IGN. Archived from the original on February 21, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-07. Killing Crash is actually a mercy killing, since the Bandicoot has fallen on extremely hard times. The unofficial mascot of Sony during its PSOne days, Crash tried to take platforming to a new level. Unfortunately, game after game that he starred in felt exactly the same with little innovation, forcing the character to pimp himself out to racing titles and even teaming up with his enemy, Neo Cortex. With no prospects on the horizon, and the time of mascot gaming far behind him, Crash has no reason to still be around. Put the poor bandicoot out of his misery, before he releases another party game.
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