When it comes to Crash Bandicoot in his earlier days... I saw him as Playstation's Mario or Sonic (after all, the franchise was a PlayStation exclusive). I know there were characters like Spyro, but... that's just how I viewed Crash at the time. Believe it or not, he was bounced around from developer to developer after his early days at Naughty Dog (which doesn't count the 5-year hiatus). By the time of this post, Crash has spun his way through 4 publishers + 9 developers. I think this exposes the risks of the IP while at the same time it reveals that Crash isn't going down without a fight.
This dude has been on Playstation, Playstation 2, Playstation 4, Playstation Portable, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Wii, PC, iOS, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Android, and even a platform called... Zeebo.
Anyway, to get a bit more specific about this wacky protagonist, he's actually a type of marsupial.
Crash, is a genetically enhanced bandicoot from a fictional place south of Australia... called the Wumpa Islands. That would make him a native of the land under the land down under. Right? In the fictitious Wumpa Islands, humans and mutant animals co-exist.
Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy
I had no idea what a bandicoot was, and so I did some digging and... found out that they're a small animal resembling a rat mixed with a rabbit mixed with a kangaroo. All don't look this way as there are various species of bandicoot, but I would probably be on a table if I saw one running through the office. The bandicoot is actually more related to a rabbit than a rat... just in case you were wondering.
Crash's story initially revolved around him trying to save the world by foiling the plans of the protagonists' Brio & Cortex + save his girlfriend. Not to take the focus off of Crash, but his girlfriend (Tawna) is also a female bandicoot genetically enhanced by Brio & Cortex. The dastardly duo wanted to destroy Crash because he was deemed a failed experiment.
Crash was able to fight back against Brio & Cortex with the assistance of Aku Aku, which is actually a human spirit reincarnated as a mask. Crash freed Aku Aku after escaping Cortex, and in exchange, he was able to use its magical abilities. Although Aku Aku isn't really brought up as often when the conversation of Crash emerges... I think it plays a crucial role in the Crash Bandicoot franchise.
I know that the wacky protagonist may be seen as a risky investment as far as new installments go, but... I can see Crash coming back via a reboot of the franchise. I know some of you are like "Here he goes against with these freaking reboots" but... (but but but) there is enough story to build upon and improve on. It doesn't have to feel exactly the same, but Aku Aku and the world can be remade into a truly open-world adventure... just like Super Mario. He has game after game with multiple themes on deck, and it would be sweet to see some beautiful reboot of Crash.
That said, I hope you enjoyed this installment of Who's that Protagonist, show some love at the links below, and... game on!
