Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure

"Crash Banicoot on GBA = EXCELLENT!"

Who doesn't like Crash Bandicoot? I loved each and every one of his PSX games, and when I heard about this game I was really excited. I found this game pretty easy, while most other people where having some difficulties.

Graphics: 7/10

Pretty good for a GBA game. I could swear I was playing on a handheld Playstation system as I stumbled through the twenty levels of goodness. Just look at the crates for example: each one is a rounded, 3D box of happiness! It might even be a perfect 3D box of doom! Either way, I could just sit there and stare at the beautiful 3D which has been fit onto the Game Boy Advance.

Sound: 6/10

This would have gotten MUCH higher if the developers of this game didn't copy off of Crash Bandicoot for Playstation. I still love the sound, though.

Controls: 9/10

These controls are very easy to master. A Button is jump, B is spin attack. Control Pad is move left and right. Select button brings up a screen showing how many peach fruits that you have, how many crates you've broken, etc, and Start Button pauses (Naturally). L Button makes you run (If you got the running shoes from one of the bosses). If the R Button is pressed, you duck. If you are walking/running while pressing R, you slide. If you duck/slide then move while holding R, you crawl. Simple controls easy to master.

Story: 8/10

Uka Uka, an evil mask, calls Dr. Neo Cortex to his ''office''. It seems Uka Uka is very mad at Cortex because of his obsession with killing Crash Bandicoot and his failed attempts to take over the world. Cortex begs for another chance, and Uka Uka agrees. Cortex, it seems, has built a machine that can make anything shrink down to the size of a grapefruit. Looking for a target, he tests it on Earth. Aku Aku, Uka Uka's nice brother, tells Crash and his sister Coco what Cortex has done. Coco says that she can reverse the process with the aid of the 20 crystals which are scattered throughout the world. Can Crash get the crystals and stop Cortex?

Gameplay: 10/10

So much to do in each level! In most levels, you run around and kill enemies in various ways, like spin into them or jump on their heads. Some tactics don't work on certain enemies. For example, you have to slide into a frilly-neck lizard to kill it. In other levels, you could be riding a jetpack or in a scuba suit.

After you get the crystal from a level, a time trial appears. Beat it, and you get a Sapphire Relic. Beat the new one that appears, and you get a Gold Relic. Beat the semi-impossible one that appears next and you get a platinum! Another thing to do in a level is to break every single box, including the ones in the bonus stage. If you do this, you get a clear gem. In some levels, there are 2 gems, with one being hidden somewhere in the level. I myself have gotten every crystal, gem, and platinum relic, and I enjoyed every second of finding everything.

Something else to do that sounds really cool is to link up with a friend. If you have a friend that can't find something, he/she can transfer his/her game data over to your game, and vice versa. You can then do stuff on their game and transfer it back to them. This is also helpful for someone who wants to play one of the later levels in the game when they can't beat one of the earlier levels.

Replay Value: 10/10

You can do so much in each level before you can say: ''Oh, I beat that level days ago''. Even though the adventure doesn't change, it's still VERY fun to start the quest over after you beat it using one of the four save files. Yes, no passwords like Crash Bandicoot 1, no memory card like 2 and 3. SAVE FILES!!!!

Buy or Rent?

I'd have to tell you to buy this game. With so much gameplay and replay value in addition to a good story, moderately good sound, and great graphics and controls, why not buy this excellent game?

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/09/02, Updated 03/09/02