Crash Bandicoot 2 is one of those games that has one playing for hours. The bosses are fun, and Crash gets to ride bears on some levels. The only annoyances are the levels are the same and some parts are extremely hard to beat. Overall this game is very good.
12 Reviews
The best Crash Bandicoot sequel is a big improvement over the first one.
crosswalkx18 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I have played the first Crash Bandicoot game and I didn't have fun with it as it was very hard to play and beat. But this game it's the best one ever. I enjoyed this game. I liked that there's now more story and cutscenes in this game than in the first one. Let me tell you how this game is a big improvement over the first game.
The good stuff about this game.
First of all the levels had been replaced, gone is running from place to place like Donkey Kong Country. Instead You get to have Crash warp from level to level more quickly than ever before making it easier to backtrack levels. There are 6 warp rooms and 27 levels. There's a secret warp room and 2 secret levels that's hard to find.
The controls for Crash is much improved upon, he's no longer slippery like in the first game and doesn't fall down as easily. He now has a sliding jump ability which is great since the first game only had Crash simply jump which made the game very hard.
You can go into the level and collect all 25 crystals and gems like in the first game. But the part I like is the crates you break in the game can remain destroyed if you hit the checkpoint crate and if you die, you can start from the checkpoint and save your progress which is an improvement over the first game where hitting the checkpoint box and dying would give the players penalty of starting the level all the way over.
I can now know how many boxes I need to break to get the gem, where as the first game would taunt you for missing boxes. I just wished I could see the total of boxes I need to destroy. Though this gets improved upon in the third game.
The music is great just like the first game which I enjoyed very much. I also liked the cutscenes where Dr. Cortex, his assistant Doctor Nitrus Brio, and Crashes sister Coco talk to him with a hologram projector.
I enjoyed many of the levels including going water surfing on a Jet Board though it can be hard to control. I also liked riding the little polar bear through dangerous obstacles. Crash gets to fly in a jetpack though it's hard to steer it safely through fire obstacles.
I also like it that Aku Aku mask shows up should the player die too many times and the invincibility Crash gets with the mask. The boss fights are very easy even against Roo the Ripper. And Cortex is a complete final boss joke when you chase him through outer space.
I also liked the alternative ending if you gather 25 crystals 42 gems which is worth playing to perfection for.
The bad stuff I don't like about this game.
While this game is improved upon in a number of ways. I wish that the Aku Aku mask would remain with you after exiting the level. Some of the levels involving the killer polar bear chasing you can be frustrating to beat. Some of the ice cave levels can be a pain to win especially when you're trying to dodge nitro boxes and TNT boxes which can blow up on you. Some of the levels involving the ruins of a temple can be hard since you can easily still fall to your death. Also the level Totally Bear is hard to beat. Also some of the enemies have spikes and can be tricky to jump on or spin attack them.
Other than that, I liked this game alot. This game can be challenging at times. Not as hard as the first Crash Bandicoot but very fun to play through. You can get this game on the Playstation Network download or the original disc. Get this 3D platform game because it's worth your time and money. It's a shame that Sony Playstation didn't include this game on the Playstation Mini Console as this is the bestselling PS1 game of all time.
The good stuff about this game.
First of all the levels had been replaced, gone is running from place to place like Donkey Kong Country. Instead You get to have Crash warp from level to level more quickly than ever before making it easier to backtrack levels. There are 6 warp rooms and 27 levels. There's a secret warp room and 2 secret levels that's hard to find.
The controls for Crash is much improved upon, he's no longer slippery like in the first game and doesn't fall down as easily. He now has a sliding jump ability which is great since the first game only had Crash simply jump which made the game very hard.
You can go into the level and collect all 25 crystals and gems like in the first game. But the part I like is the crates you break in the game can remain destroyed if you hit the checkpoint crate and if you die, you can start from the checkpoint and save your progress which is an improvement over the first game where hitting the checkpoint box and dying would give the players penalty of starting the level all the way over.
I can now know how many boxes I need to break to get the gem, where as the first game would taunt you for missing boxes. I just wished I could see the total of boxes I need to destroy. Though this gets improved upon in the third game.
The music is great just like the first game which I enjoyed very much. I also liked the cutscenes where Dr. Cortex, his assistant Doctor Nitrus Brio, and Crashes sister Coco talk to him with a hologram projector.
I enjoyed many of the levels including going water surfing on a Jet Board though it can be hard to control. I also liked riding the little polar bear through dangerous obstacles. Crash gets to fly in a jetpack though it's hard to steer it safely through fire obstacles.
I also like it that Aku Aku mask shows up should the player die too many times and the invincibility Crash gets with the mask. The boss fights are very easy even against Roo the Ripper. And Cortex is a complete final boss joke when you chase him through outer space.
I also liked the alternative ending if you gather 25 crystals 42 gems which is worth playing to perfection for.
The bad stuff I don't like about this game.
While this game is improved upon in a number of ways. I wish that the Aku Aku mask would remain with you after exiting the level. Some of the levels involving the killer polar bear chasing you can be frustrating to beat. Some of the ice cave levels can be a pain to win especially when you're trying to dodge nitro boxes and TNT boxes which can blow up on you. Some of the levels involving the ruins of a temple can be hard since you can easily still fall to your death. Also the level Totally Bear is hard to beat. Also some of the enemies have spikes and can be tricky to jump on or spin attack them.
Other than that, I liked this game alot. This game can be challenging at times. Not as hard as the first Crash Bandicoot but very fun to play through. You can get this game on the Playstation Network download or the original disc. Get this 3D platform game because it's worth your time and money. It's a shame that Sony Playstation didn't include this game on the Playstation Mini Console as this is the bestselling PS1 game of all time.
A proper sequel
davewithstevens4 April 2021
Crash 2 basically takes everything good from the first game and expands upon it with new characters, levels, bosses, everything was improved and polished to a sheen. Gameplay wise it retains the simple and effective linear stages but this time gives a hub world and lets you choose the order in which you progress. Each level has a crystal needed for progression and has a certain number of boxes you can break for an optional gem. Each level has its own boss that offers a different challenge from the last.
The graphics and animation: Dated by modern standards but its important to note how much personality crash has in his design and animations because it speaks to the core of how to properly create a video game character. The little hump dances he does when he wins help illustrate his goofy personality, crash has the demeanor of a goofball but with all the subtlety of a tom and jerry cartoon. The fun nature of crash helps balance out the hilariously violent death animations which see crash being disintegrated, flattened, electrocuted, eaten, you name it but it never gets old or stops being funny.
The controls: crash 2 introduces the slide which can be chained into a jump in order to gain momentum, it can also be used to hit enemies which makes movement a very smooth experience. Its very easy to get a grip on because of how simple it is but it also helps that the controls by themselves are very responsive and tight, you can tell a lot of time was put into how they feel. The new addition of analog functionality was also a welcomed addition that really took advantage of the ps1 hardware.
The music: Fantastic. All you need to know about the music for crash 2 is that it perfectly fits the tone and describes what the game is going for, a unique absurdity that only the lovers of cartoon level goofiness' can understand. Just listen to the title theme, its impossible not to smile while hearing it.
The characters and voice acting: Clancy Brown is(once again) phenomenal as Cortex, he gives off a lex luthor vibe without taking himself too seriously, he makes a great villain. The other characters are mostly completely new designs, the most notable being N gin and Polar with returning ones like nitrous brio and crash's sister. All these characters are great performances for what they are and most importantly fit the world they are put in.
Crash 2 reaches dizzying heights yet Naughty Dog makes it all seem so effortless and that's what true style is. I have a ton of respect for all of the developers who made this game possible. All killer no filler.
The graphics and animation: Dated by modern standards but its important to note how much personality crash has in his design and animations because it speaks to the core of how to properly create a video game character. The little hump dances he does when he wins help illustrate his goofy personality, crash has the demeanor of a goofball but with all the subtlety of a tom and jerry cartoon. The fun nature of crash helps balance out the hilariously violent death animations which see crash being disintegrated, flattened, electrocuted, eaten, you name it but it never gets old or stops being funny.
The controls: crash 2 introduces the slide which can be chained into a jump in order to gain momentum, it can also be used to hit enemies which makes movement a very smooth experience. Its very easy to get a grip on because of how simple it is but it also helps that the controls by themselves are very responsive and tight, you can tell a lot of time was put into how they feel. The new addition of analog functionality was also a welcomed addition that really took advantage of the ps1 hardware.
The music: Fantastic. All you need to know about the music for crash 2 is that it perfectly fits the tone and describes what the game is going for, a unique absurdity that only the lovers of cartoon level goofiness' can understand. Just listen to the title theme, its impossible not to smile while hearing it.
The characters and voice acting: Clancy Brown is(once again) phenomenal as Cortex, he gives off a lex luthor vibe without taking himself too seriously, he makes a great villain. The other characters are mostly completely new designs, the most notable being N gin and Polar with returning ones like nitrous brio and crash's sister. All these characters are great performances for what they are and most importantly fit the world they are put in.
Crash 2 reaches dizzying heights yet Naughty Dog makes it all seem so effortless and that's what true style is. I have a ton of respect for all of the developers who made this game possible. All killer no filler.
One of the coolest games I've ever played!!!!!!
Mike-72015 July 1999
I played this game during my trip to Texas. My cousin brought his Play Station to our hotel (We're almost 11! Except he's 1 month older). We played this a lot!!!! I stunk at this game for a while. Then I got the hang of it.
I've play the Crash Bandicoot games. They're fun.But CB2 is more fun!!!!
If you like video games with fun boss levels, wierd looking characters and 3D stuff, you'll LOVE this!
I've play the Crash Bandicoot games. They're fun.But CB2 is more fun!!!!
If you like video games with fun boss levels, wierd looking characters and 3D stuff, you'll LOVE this!
Best Crash Game in the Entire Series!
tequila10124 June 2011
I know some people will say the original is beast and warped is the best but I believe the 2nd installment in the Crash series beats all. Even the if the new crash games are average, they still don't have the hype and enjoyment like this one.
Gameplay: 10/10 - The gameplay is by far excellent and there is nothing wrong with the controls. Everything is very stable and you can move crash or an animal around freely.
Landscape and Graphics: 9.5/10 - All the environments and textures and colours truly bring this game to life and when you instantly pop this into your play station, you will already have the feeling that you will love this game and that you will want to stay on it.
Music Score: 10/10 - The music in this game is very true to the gameplay, the Crash character and even to the game itself. Even other crash music came along in the other games, but this track will never be beaten. Being honest, playing and owning every crash game, i find that you will get the best music in this one! Overall and concluding, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back! is a very powerful and very playable game which will have you scoring to grab the crystals, restore the gems and kick Cortex's ass. Nuff said people.... 10/10!
Gameplay: 10/10 - The gameplay is by far excellent and there is nothing wrong with the controls. Everything is very stable and you can move crash or an animal around freely.
Landscape and Graphics: 9.5/10 - All the environments and textures and colours truly bring this game to life and when you instantly pop this into your play station, you will already have the feeling that you will love this game and that you will want to stay on it.
Music Score: 10/10 - The music in this game is very true to the gameplay, the Crash character and even to the game itself. Even other crash music came along in the other games, but this track will never be beaten. Being honest, playing and owning every crash game, i find that you will get the best music in this one! Overall and concluding, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back! is a very powerful and very playable game which will have you scoring to grab the crystals, restore the gems and kick Cortex's ass. Nuff said people.... 10/10!
A truly great sequel, and my all time favorite Crash game!
MovieLad2612 September 2008
Let me start off by saying, that I am a HUGE fan of Naughty Dog's Crash Bandicoot games. 1, 2, warped, CTR, and CB are all pretty sweet games. But overall, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back is my favorite of them all. Let me tell you why.
1) The Levels: Overall, this game has twenty-five levels of non stop fun. Though elements from the first game were used, there were new level types such as taking a jetpack and travelling through a space ship, and old elements were reinvented as well. For example, you run from a boulder in the first one. In the second one, you run from a huge polar bear. Pretty sweet and fun levels.
2) The challenges: Now believe me when I say that this game is freakin hard at times. At least, if you wish to get a 100% finish. Multiple traps, tricks, secret passage ways, if you want it all, be prepared to look around quite a bit. Well, not a bit. A lot!!! For example, you know those nitro boxes that you can't touch? Well in a level, there is a pile of them, set up to look like stairs. You can actually hop on those ones and not blow up. Get to the top of the pile and you end up in a secret warp room. I'm sure you wouldn't think about diving in a hole and uncovering a bonus room. Yup, very challenging.
3) The Characters: We are introduced to some of the Major characters in the series. Coco Bandicoot, Crash's lil sis, N. Gin, and Tiny Tiger. We also get to see Ripper Roo again. One of the particular bosses didn't last. The komodo bros. I think they were in CTR, but that's it.
Overall (Yeah, I use that word a lot) This game is freaking awesome! 10 out of 10, baby! Favorite and best Crash Bandicoot game ever!!!
1) The Levels: Overall, this game has twenty-five levels of non stop fun. Though elements from the first game were used, there were new level types such as taking a jetpack and travelling through a space ship, and old elements were reinvented as well. For example, you run from a boulder in the first one. In the second one, you run from a huge polar bear. Pretty sweet and fun levels.
2) The challenges: Now believe me when I say that this game is freakin hard at times. At least, if you wish to get a 100% finish. Multiple traps, tricks, secret passage ways, if you want it all, be prepared to look around quite a bit. Well, not a bit. A lot!!! For example, you know those nitro boxes that you can't touch? Well in a level, there is a pile of them, set up to look like stairs. You can actually hop on those ones and not blow up. Get to the top of the pile and you end up in a secret warp room. I'm sure you wouldn't think about diving in a hole and uncovering a bonus room. Yup, very challenging.
3) The Characters: We are introduced to some of the Major characters in the series. Coco Bandicoot, Crash's lil sis, N. Gin, and Tiny Tiger. We also get to see Ripper Roo again. One of the particular bosses didn't last. The komodo bros. I think they were in CTR, but that's it.
Overall (Yeah, I use that word a lot) This game is freaking awesome! 10 out of 10, baby! Favorite and best Crash Bandicoot game ever!!!
My Favorite Out of All The Rest
dractualfactual15 October 2007
All right! It id official! After ten years of playing this game I finally started a new game and in four days I beat the game for the first time ever. Only three levels and one boss level challenged me really, really much. The game-play was excellent. Only problem is I am used to using the L3 pad as my directional pad it got just a little out of hand with Crash just walking occasionally and nearly running into an enemy or falling down a pit.
Crash 3 was a great sequel but a little too hard for me to beat. Although I am currently trying to beat it. But this game remains my favorite compared to others because I beat it for the first time ever and it is the only Crash game I ever beat.
I will never forget this game, ever! 10/10
Crash 3 was a great sequel but a little too hard for me to beat. Although I am currently trying to beat it. But this game remains my favorite compared to others because I beat it for the first time ever and it is the only Crash game I ever beat.
I will never forget this game, ever! 10/10
Amazing Game
lion-8914818 January 2019
one of the best childhood games ever
siverns1993200916 October 2013
Warning: Spoilers
whoever made this game is a genius the controls are awesome you can sidespin clicking O and square really fast instead of running to make crash 1.8 times faster then levels in this game there are awesome best levels are the secret warp room levels and levels with bonus levels with a lot of boxes you can do a box glitch and get extra boxes by killing yourself after the end of the bonus level before boxes hit 0 but avoid the checkpoints then you get extra boxes seriously if you have never played this game get yourself a ps3 got to the psn store and buy it seriously you're going to have some fun when i was little i played this game for hours because it was that addictive if you die in this game it's you're fault 10/10
My favourite Crash Bandicoot game
Josephpr199017 May 2023
I got this game along with Sony PlayStation 1 for Christmas in 1997 when I was seven years old. I always loved that PS1 game. It is one of my favourite PS1 games of all time and it is my favourite Crash Bandicoot game in the series of all time as well. It has nice graphics, great gameplay and catchy music. I kinda missed playing it. I'd really love to play it again someday.
I have it on PS4 as its remastered version in Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy. Its remastered version looks incredible. I like its both original and remastered versions. I cannot prefer so who cares which one is better anyway?!
It's probably one of the best PS1 games of all time.
I have it on PS4 as its remastered version in Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy. Its remastered version looks incredible. I like its both original and remastered versions. I cannot prefer so who cares which one is better anyway?!
It's probably one of the best PS1 games of all time.
I wish I could like it
TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews12 July 2011
Following the events of the first one(that I have no idea what are, I haven't played it and it's not like these are that much about plot, anyway... I avoid it as I hear it's even harder than this, and life's too short for that much frustration), Dr. Neo Cortex comes upon very powerful crystals and then contacts Crash and tells him he needs his help, to collect all 25 of them. He insists that he's good this time, and we believe him right up until we read the title. I've tried this and the third game, and comparisons are unavoidable. They all come out in favor of the latter, I'm afraid. The one thing I can see as something some could call positive is that this is tougher(I'd say too much so, it ends up not being fun at least half of the time), and there are those who want the challenge(and hey, good on you). Other than that... there are bugs and glitches, and many places are rather awkward and just barely work right. Did they not have time to complete this properly? The difficulty goes back and forth, and several of the very last levels are by far the easiest, so some may give up near the middle of this, expecting it to get worse. Couldn't they just have rearranged the order? The graphics leave a bit to be desired, and better-looking stuff came out during and before this. And worse still, there is a distinct lack of color(it's straining to the eyes with all these gloomy, drab sights... and it's inconsistent with the tone, which is light and child-friendly) and creativity to this, the greatest aspect of "Warped". It feels remarkably uninspired, and I see no excuse for this. This isn't licensed, I don't see why it would have been rushed, and I personally would not have wanted my name attached to this as it was released. There are few cartoony, children-friendly(frankly, a couple of them are truly disturbing) deaths, the stages are the same handful of bland areas(including the sewer, the one that, as The Spoony One reminds us, always sucks) that are not memorable(and tend to be difficult to even define as where exactly they are, what they're meant to evoke), and all appear to be in the same time period(and I have no idea when that is, but I suppose it's a while from now, due to the futuristic stuff). For most of the enemies, I have no clue what they are supposed to be. They just look weird, and not even in an interesting manner. The ones that I know what are, are merely straightforward, appearing and/or moving in a dull way. You don't get any new moves as you play this, so what happens early on is the same as what happens later. Well, there are exceptions. Near the end you get a jetpack for a few segments, that has truly terrible controls(I honestly did not know you could screw something that inherently awesome up, particularly this badly), and before that, you run towards the player, away from something large chasing you, and you get to ride a polar bear cub, and that goes fast and is enjoyable, as are a few other portions of this. This doesn't mix the "concept" ones in with the rest enough, and there aren't very many of them. Thus, it gets to be tiresome and predictable almost immediately. For anyone who doesn't know these, this is the essential gameplay. You run, maneuver, jump and slide your way through about two dozen 3D missions, and fight 5 boss foes(those can be pretty cool). Collect 100 apples and you get an extra life, and there are 42 gems to get(either by breaking all of the boxes, or doing something else that you may have no idea how to do, so you just have to try everything... what a lazy and obnoxious way of prolonging the experience of going through this). There aren't Time Trials in this, and again, nothing to go back to earlier spots to use. It's annoying the initial time you go through this(don't get me started on all the stuff they just made to be a pain, not because of any semblance of logic... and what's with the things that don't even kill you even though they really seem like they should?), and I don't see much reason to go back for something that's just even worse. But hey, I'm not a gamer, (and) I want to be entertained by what I play in addition to something that requires skill to get through. The sound is nice, and relatively varied. Music is somewhat catchy. This takes you through a marsh, one of the Poles, an Aztek... village(?) and a technologically advanced factory(with pistons! Lots of them!). Other than you(who will spend most of this looking like he barely knows where he is, much less what he's doing) and your nemesis, this has your sister Coco(who takes forever getting to what she needs to say, even though she has almost no time to do it) also butting in and blathering on every so often as you progress through this, albeit she does little else than repeat herself each time... and she isn't the only one. When you have next to no story, just don't spend a lot of time expositing it, you just bring extra, unneeded attention to something negative about your product. I mean, did they think we had that short attention spans? Or is it that they think we'd spend weeks even completing a little of this? That, I get, but let's be realistic, either you get through this fast and without too many breaks, or you give up early on. There is no offensive material in this, other than the potentially upsetting things that can happen when you perish in this(this *is* for kids, right?). I recommend this to big fans of platform adventure action releases, especially the ones that are infuriating. 5/10
Possibly the best Crash game.
StormSworder19 December 2005
Warning: Spoilers
After the 2D Sonic games of the early and mid-nineties (which I was addicted to on the verge of obsession back then), Crash Bandicoot was the next step up. The levels are 3D, but are on a 2D pathway. The result is non-stop action. The plot of this game involves Dr Neo Cortex, a power-mad scientist, who fools Crash into collecting crystals for him (there is one in each section of each level) to power his latest weapon. To collect the crystals and ultimately face Cortex, Crash must make his way through varied levels which are filled with dangers such as slippery arctic environments, ruined temples, laboratories, deep pits full of giant rodents and many more. You even have the chance to ride polar bears and fly through danger with the help of a jet-pack. The game benefits from imaginative design of both levels and characters. Crash himself is the bandicoot answer to Stan Laurel. He is forever grinning, which is amazing considering his Hardy is his younger but tyrannical sister. There are also varied bosses, and humour abounds throughout the game.
See also
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