Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
| Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Naughty Dog |
| Publisher(s) | Sony Computer Entertainment Universal Interactive Studios |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation, Playstation Network |
| Release | NA October 31, 1997 PALDecember 1997 JPNDecember 18, 1997 |
| Genre(s) | Platform |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back is a platform game and the sequel to Crash Bandicoot. It was developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation video game console and released in the United States on the Halloween of 1997.
Taking place in and around the fictional N. Sanity Island, Crash Bandicoot 2 follows the anthropomorphic bandicoot Crash. Crash is abducted by the series villain Doctor Neo Cortex, who has apparently turned over a new leaf and is now willing to save the world. Crash is then thrust into several parts of N. Sanity Island in order to gather Crystals and allow Cortex to contain the power of the upcoming planetary alignment and keep the planet from being destroyed. He is joined by Coco, who is suspicious of Cortex's true intentions, and partially by Doctor Nitrus Brio, who tries to convince Crash to gather Gems instead of Crystals.
On July 26, 2007, the game became available for download on the PlayStation Network, making it playable for both the PSP and PS3. However, like MediEvil and Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! it was removed a week later due to technical problems. It was re-released on the PlayStation Network on January 10, 2008
Gameplay
Crash Bandicoot 2's gameplay is largely similar to that of its predecessor, though a number of new elements which would go on to become staples of the series were also introduced. Instead of choosing stages from a 3D overview of the environment, as was the case in the original, players must utilise special Warp Rooms. Each of the five Warp Rooms contains five levels (which can be visited in any order), and the goal of each level is to obtain the pink, glowing crystal located within. Collection of all five crystals in a given Warp Room will activate the corresponding boss battle, and once the boss is defeated, Crash can travel to the next Warp Room.
Players make their way through a limited 3D environment and are confronted by numerous hazards (such as pits, spikes, TNT crates and hostile wildlife) intended to impede progress. Breakable crates are dotted around each stage and contain either wumpa fruit, an extra life, a checkpoint or a protective Aku Aku mask. If the player succeeds in collecting 100 wumpa fruit, an extra life is awarded. Breaking every crate in a level earns the player a gem. Special additional gems are sometimes available, usually in hard-to-reach locations, and are obtained simply by guiding Crash into them. If every gem in the game is collected, a secret ending is made available. A bonus level is also located in each stage, and can be attempted if Crash steps onto a platform or trap door marked with the '?' sign. Bonus levels are often more challenging than the environment in which they are situated, but they invariably offer substantial rewards upon completion.
Crash can defeat enemies either by jumping on top of them or by performing a spin attack. Later in the game, enemies are often protected against one of the two methods of dispatch, and in some cases are immune to both. A number of new moves are also available to Crash in the game, including the ability to slide, crouch, crawl, and perform a body slam. A special high jump can be performed by jumping immediately after sliding or crouching. Also new to the game are bright green Nitro crates which explode upon contact.
Plot
Setting
The environments in Crash Bandicoot 2 are varied, ranging from the forest/jungle/beach levels of Crash Bandicoot and the snow-filled Second Island, to the catwalk-filled insides of Cortex's space station, in which a jetpack must be used to navigate through some areas of the station. Much of the game is set on the very islands that Crash navigated through in the last game, while the last fifth of the game takes place in Cortex's space station.[1] The jungle levels were originally to have featured ground fog, but this was abandoned when magazines and the public began to brutalize other developers for using fog to hide polygon count.[2] The snow levels have become one of the more memorable locales among fans due to their plentiful effects, such as falling snow and reflective ice.[2]
Characters
While traveling on his adventure alone, Crash receives messages in the Warp Room from Doctor Cortex, his younger sister Coco, and the deranged scientist Doctor Nitrus Brio, Cortex's former right-hand man. The game also introduces Doctor N. Gin as Cortex's new right-hand man, while also marking the return of the insane kangaroo Ripper Roo and the introduction of three new enemies: the Komodo Brothers Joe and Moe, and the musclebound tiger, Tiny.
Story
The original Crash Bandicoot largely took place in the Wumpa Islands off the coast of southeast Australia. During an experiment, Neo Cortex and his assistant, Nitrus Brio, created Crash Bandicoot in an attempt to create a general for Neo's "Cortex Commandoes", but when Crash was inserted into the unfinished Cortex Vortex, he was deemed a failure, and was chased out of Cortex's castle. Before a female bandicoot could be experimented on, Crash returned to the castle, rescued the female, and attempted to escape on Cortex's airship. When Cortex tries to destroy Crash, he ends up plummeting to his supposed doom, leaving Crash to escape.
At the start of the game, Cortex is seen having survived his fall and landed in a damp cave, where he finds a large Crystal that proves to be useful for his upcoming plans. But to obtain the full power needed for these plans, he will also need 25 additional Crystals scattered throughout the Wumpa Islands. Without any comrades of his own, he captures Crash Bandicoot and convinces him to gather the Crystals for him, with the promise of the use of the Crystals for good. His true intentions are revealed to Crash by his sister Coco once all of the Crystals have been gathered, and Cortex is defeated just in time for the Cortex Vortex not to be used. In the game's epilogue, Doctor Cortex's space station is destroyed by Doctor Nitrus Brio, setting the stage for the next game.
Reception
Crash Bandicoot 2's public reception has been overall positive in terms of critical reviews and acclaim, with an average rating of 89% on Game Rankings.[3] GameSpot stated the game was a major improvement over its predecessor, praising the game's graphics and soundtrack, rating the game 8.6 out of 10[4] in comparison to their rating of the original Crash Bandicoot as 6.8 out of 10.[5] IGN, which rated it 8.5 out of 10, praised its graphics and controls but criticised its repetitive level design.[6] Over three million copies of the game have been sold.[7]
References
- ^ "Crash Bandicoot 2 Gallery". Retrieved 2007-06-23.
- ^ a b "Setting". Retrieved 2007-06-23.
- ^ GameRankings Retrieved 2007-07-9
- ^ GameSpot review Retrieved 2007-07-09
- ^ GameSpot Retrieved 2007-07-09
- ^ IGN review Retrieved 2007-07-9
- ^ Sales Retrieved 2007-07-09
See also
External links
