Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back

"A little less that Crash 1, but it's still one of the best!"

Crash Bandicoot is an adventure game. It is a lot more complex than Crash Bandicoot 1, but it is still not hard to learn. Let me break it down for you.

Game play: The game play did decline at all. First your Crash, a bandicoot that can stand up. This may seem like a goofie game at first (well it never gets too serious...). Any ways, Crash can jump and spin. They even added a bunch of staple moves. You can now slide and high jump! Now back to the game play. There is about 27 levels to explore, you go around in 3D jumping over pits, dodging tons of traps and ''spinning'' or jumping on enemies. In every level you break crates for goodies (not the TNT ones...) and collect fruit for extra lives. The bosses in this game are classic, and a great challenge. They are not too hard nor too easy, just perfectly done not to take any from this great game. The only flaw this game has in this area, is its losing grip with pure basics, it is pushing it with jet boards and jet packs (Riding cute little animals is still cool). Outstanding

Challenge: This Crash still has the same type of increasing difficulty has the first one. This is exactly what Crash Bandicoot pulls off. First they have 2 to 3 versions of each level, each harder than the last and spread out. Like for instance there is a series of snow levels where there is snow and pitfalls. Then the second one will have snow, ice, and falling icicles. The third will have just all ice, icicles and porcupines. This goes on in many ways, and is what makes it so great. You will find yourself saving ''Oh damn, I got to jump 3 of these things before they fall down now?'' then you will feel so relived. The bosses aren't that hard to complete, you shouldn't die more than 5 times on any one. But here is the part the really gets my. Getting the ''box'' gems is now so easy now as checkpoints save boxes broken. There still is a new type a gem, one that has to be found but it is still way to easy compared to the trial and error of the first one. Good

Control: The control is perfect, you still, in fact, only need 3 buttons... a way to jump, a way to spin and a way to duck(Which is how you slide and high jump). The fixed the some times bad choppy jumping in the the first. All and all there is nothing wrong with the control. This Crash game out performs all the others. Outstanding

Story: Hmm the story of Crash. Well first this is almost a pure adventure game, so you don't even need the story in the first place, but this game still has one. It starts of as the evil Neo Cortex is all mad and wants to destroy the world, with the evil cortex vortex. He needs a lot of energy to run this, so he tricks you into finding 25 crystals for himself. Your sister Coco Bandicoot is also involved. Basic story for this game. No plot holes, no plot twisted and no cheese. Outstanding

Visuals: This game is great looking too. Every thing is good in this game, Crash, for being one of the Play Stations first 3D characters, looks almost perfect and almost un changed from the last game. Every thing is how it should be, extremely detailed and all. The first level along shows of its greatness with all the trees and mushrooms in the back round. Even the water in this game looks better than most boat games! Outstanding

Audio: From wacky jungle music to lab music this game also rocks in this area. Actually this game has better music than most Play Station 2 games. The Dark Jungle level especially is magnificent. Now that I thing about there is not a single bad theme to this whole entire game. The noise are also top notch, from flung enemies and a dying witch doctor. Outstanding

Re playability: This game is just the best thing to place over again after any game. Finding every gem and getting 100 percent will also take some long hard work. An alternative ending will speak for itself. This is just as good as the original. Outstanding

Pros:
Fun addicting game
Tons of fun levels
Gems to be collected
Every more things to collect than before.
Save wall is great

Cons:
The gimmicks of extra modes (jet pack, jet board...) is started to ruin a little bit of the original games play, but it's not that bad.

This game is definitely worth your time and effort. I would go out buy this master piece even if you never tried it. Since this game is also about $4-9 bucks in stores so you will not even be paying a lot for some thing this great.

This game is getting a nine out of ten because it is losing its touch with the original slowly but surely.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/10/03, Updated 07/10/03