The Rise and Fall of: Crash Bandicoot

                         Article by Raquay A. Holland

Surely there are some people who remember that orange, crazy, spinning bandicoot who kicked Neo Cortex's hindquarters first with PlayStation One. Some say that Crash is dead, some say that Crash is just going slow, others say that production is maybe just going slow. But for people who just don't know, the information will all be here.

Crash Bandicoot was initially created by Naughty Dog. You may know Naughty Dog for creating games such as the Jak and Daxter original trilogy, Jak X, and the Uncharted series. Notice something here? All of these are exclusives for PlayStation 2 or PlayStation 3. My saying is, “exclusives are usually better,” and Crash Bandicoot was no exception. Naughty Dog had made Crash Bandicoot the first game and series for the original PlayStation. The first game sold over 6.8 million copies! And, with any great game, there's gonna be a sequel sometime released. Crash 2 received almost equal success, which lead on to Crash 3. Then, with making an amazing Crash Bandicoot trilogy, Naughty Dog decided to try a spin-off, with Crash Team Racing.

Yet, two programmers decided to try to make another game, which was, yet, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. It was the first game made by Naughty Dog for the PS2. Ever since it blew up, more Naughty Dog creators wanted to work on the sequel to Jak II, just to make the sequel much better than the original. So, Crash Bandicoot was left in the hands of Traveller's Tales, who made the game Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex. It was the first game in the series not to be released for PSOne, and it was the first game to be on the PS2, Xbox, and Gamecube. You know games that have more than one developer. They try to do their own thing and it completely messes up the game. Yet, Crash 4 actually tries to make this game like the originals, which is a surprise for somebody that took a game's rights. Of course, the game looks different, but that's because the graphics are better in a later generation of gaming. This game got mixed reviews, really the first time that that has ever happened.

Traveller's Tales tried to make something else happen, but this time, with a different take. Traveller's Tales made Crash Twinsanity. This is the first free-roaming 3D game in the series. This is also the first game where you play as Neo Cortex and his niece, Nina. (Well, in the main series.) For this game, it had more success than Wrath of Cortex, but not by much. The game was probably more successful because it was not released for any Nintendo console. Anyway, Naughty Dog is working on Jak 3 by then. After Twinsanity, Radical got a hold of the series and made Crash Tag Team Racing. That pretty much had the same amount of success as Wrath of Cortex.

After that, Crash took a non-fatal injury. Radical tried to make a game that was something like the original, with having specific tracks for you to follow, with something new, such as having huge monsters that you can control. To me, it didn't seem so bad, just a little different from what I'm used to seeing of Crash. It was better received than Tag Team Racing, yet most people just hated it.

Radical made yet another Mutant game, Crash: Mind Over Mutant. This time, it was a little bit more free-roaming, but just nailed a few more nails to Crash's coffin. Fans were disappointed that Crash Bandicoot didn't really come back.

So, to recap, Naughty Dog first made Crash. They made the first three games, which were a huge success. Then, they made Jak and Daxter, which was another success, and the Dog forgot about Crash and stuck with Jak. Crash was under the hands of Traveller's Tales, who made Wrath of Cortex and Twinsanity. Next, it was owned by Radical, who made Tag Team Racing, Titans, and Mind over Mutant. The last two games pretty much sucked eggs, according to the fans, so now, Crash has seen the light of day for the last time. Maybe. With the possibility of a new game called Crash: Unleashed Mutant, it may resurrect the series. Oh, who am I kidding, since it's another Mutant game! Something tells me that Crash is long gone.

The History of Sonic the Hedgehog

Over the years, Sonic has been through many different adventures, on many different consoles. Which games in history were good? Which were bad? Which were just plain ugly? This article will tell you just what the titles say.

In the 80's and 90's, Nintendo created the chubby plumber known as Mario for the NES and arcades. Sega basically wanted to combat Mario with a little idea with their own: Sonic. They started off simple with Sonic the Hedgehog, or Sonic 1, released for the Sega Genesis and arcades. It became a mega hit commercially and critically. Sonic had some similar features to the early Mario games, but with some differences as well. For example, Sonic is all about speed, and you can't just fall on an enemy. Two- dimensional platformers seemed to work for Sega.

How do I know? Well, take Sonic 2, for instance. This game has introduced Miles “Tails” Prower. Gameplay is even faster than in Sonic 1. That game sold 6.3 million copies. Do you think it did well?

Next, with Sonic CD, where it introduced Metal Sonic and Amy Rose. This is the first game not to be released for the Sega Genesis. Instead, it was released for the Sega CD and for Windows. Sonic CD did very well, at least for the Sega CD. It was dubbed the best Sonic game for the CD. However, the Windows version didn't do as well as the CD version, as it didn't have the same smooth gameplay on the CD.

The next release in the Hedgehog series was Sonic 3. This game introduced Knux as a character and an adversary. This game was also released for the Sega Genesis. This game did not sell as much as Sonic 2 did, critical reception was very positive.

Onto the next game, Sonic and Knuckles. This is the first game in the series since Sonic 1 to not feature Tails. Like the title suggests, players can play as Sonic or Knuckles. Again, for the Genesis. But, in this game, you can't save, unlike Sonic 3. This is the “first” game released that featured Knux as a playable character. However, by using the Sega Genesis's lock-on technology, you can play as Knuckles in Sonic 2 and 3. Once again, well-received by critics.

Then, Sega released the Sega Dreamcast, and the Dreamcast's best-selling game is Sonic Adventure. This was the first game to feature free-roaming 3D platforming. The first game for the Dreamcast wasn't so bad, as the better graphics, same gameplay, and speed was praised. This was a game that had a few glitches in it, but nonetheless not that bad. Voice acting was criticized, too.

It seemed good enough for Sega, so they released Sonic Adventure 2. This was the first game that featured Shadow and Rouge as playable characters. Review criticized Knux's and Rouge's levels, as they seemed confusing, as well as the camera issues. People liked the same things, so it wasn't that much different from the first Adventure.

Moving on to Sonic Heroes. This was the first game to be released for the PS2, Xbox, and initially for the GameCube. This is also the first game to not be released for any Sega console. Another first is that you get to play as more than one character at a time, with you being able to switch characters during gameplay. It introduces Team Chaotix, which have members Espio, Vector, and Charmy. This game received mixed to positive reception, with praises toward it being close to the series' 2D roots, sound design, graphics, and framerate. Although, people found the camera being uncooperative and the voice acting not being very good.

Ever since the transition to 3D, things have been going roughly for the hedgehog. Then, heck happened for the hedgehog with..........Sonic 06. Its original title is Sonic the Hedgehog, but to avoid confusion, it will be addressed as Sonic 06. This is the first game available for the Xbox 360 and PS3. It offers many playable characters in the game. This is the first game where it did not receive mostly positive attention. Critics hated the glitches, storyline, gameplay, and the fact that Sonic kisses a girl. (Believe me, you're better off with the spoiler than playing the game.)

Sega tried something different for their next generation hedgehog. So, they released Sonic Unleashed. This time they made Sonic much faster, they even made some sections 2D, in homage to the early games. This was the part that gamers loved. But there was a reason why it was called “Unleashed,” and that reason is that Sonic turns into a werewolf at night. People HATED this concept, as the werehog was much slower, and didn't feel like the real Sonic. Some reviews went like this: “If the entire game was based on the day levels, it would've been a much better game.” Also, a plane mission was widely disapproved.

Sega came up with two Wii only titles, Sonic and the Secret Rings and the Black Knight. Secret Rings did pretty well, as some praised Sonic being the only playable character, while others liked how it was much better than most 360/PS3 games for the franchise. Black Knight didn't do as well, as it received mostly mixed reviews. Probably because it was a hack and slash type of game.

Sega probably had a case of nostalgia, because then, they released the game Sonic 4: Episode 1. They relied on Sonic's 2D roots and made an old-time looking game, but keeping some new elements like the Homing Attack. This somewhat resurrected the series by going back to the basics instead of trying something radically different. It received mostly positive reviews, praising the game's speed, but criticizing some level design and dull bosses.

But, this was the game that wholly resurrected the franchise: Sonic Colors. Released for the Nintendo Wii and DS. The game featured 8 power-ups and 3D and 2D gameplay, plus the breakneck speeds Sonic can run at. People just didn't like the difficulty level later in the game, but nonetheless, the game was a commercial and critical success.

Sega probably had the biggest idea yet: Sonic Generations. I've played the demo and it is awesome. You can play as either Classic Sonic or Modern Sonic, and tons of people will probably go with Classic Sonic. But, either way, this is a surefire way to win the interest for anyone who will be new to the franchise.

So.... to recap,

The Sega Genesis games in the series were big hits. Almost every game that featured two-dimensional gameplay were the best games. The transition to 3D, things started to go downhill. Plus, ever since the transition to 7^th generation consoles, things went way downhill, with Sonic 06 being the worst game ever in the series. It was finally resurrected by Sonic 4 and Colors. Turns out Sega pretty much sucks with new game ideas, except with Colors. Generations will determine if Sonic has still got it.

Raquay Holland, PSN/Gamertag: AquaRock

Call of Duty 2

Call of Duty 2 is a WWII first-person shooter game by Infinity Ward. It is the sequel to the PC exclusive 2003 Game of the Year Call of Duty. This is one of the Xbox 360's first shooters. After just completing the single player campaign, I can see why the second game even got the Game of The Year award.

The single player campaign was one of the best ever campaigns I've ever played so far. Call of Duty 2 campaign is pretty straightforward, you have to advance to an objective until you complete a mission. It's not always like that, though. One mission you could be holding back a horde of enemies, the next you could be sniping mortar teams trying to destroy the silo you are on. Most of the time, though, you will be trying to capture an objective, such as a house or a barn. Even though it may seem repetitive, it's really not. And, of course, you will have a wide arsenal of weapons to choose from. Weapons range from rifles, machine guns, explosives (such as rocket launchers and grenades), and a few pistols. When you are not trying to take down infantry, you will be going against vehicles, such as tanks and planes. You will even have one tank mission to do. For some reason, I didn't like it all that much, but that's just me. They even stepped up the WWII feel with minefields and meleeing with the butt of your gun instead of a knife.

The graphics are good for the age of the game, since it was released in 2005. Nothing really to talk about much here.

The story, really isn't. Mostly what you have as a story is cutscenes telling what really happened during World War II. But the game is so action packed, that you probably won't even care about it.

So, what's the final verdict, you ask? Well, the campaign is something to be treasured about the game. Even when you beat the game, there are 4 difficulty levels to keep you busy. For the multiplayer, this has local and online play, local being up to 4 players, and online being only on 8. It has basic modes such as Team Deathmatch, Free-for-all, and Capture the Flag. So, it is pretty much a great game for anyone without online. The campaign and the multiplayer easily made the Editor's Choice list.

The good: epic single player, great multiplayer, tons of weapons, awesome challenge.

The bad: Really, it's just outdated.

Score:

9.5

Portal

Portal is a first-person puzzle game released in a number of ways. It is one of the games featured in Valve's Orange Box (released for the PS3, 360, PC), released as a stand-alone game for the PC, and released for the Xbox Live Arcade with the name Portal: Still Alive. Portal was developed by Valve, who also made games such as Half-Life, Team Fortress, Left 4 Dead, and Counter Strike. Notice something here? All games are made for the first-person, and Valve is a renowned first-person shooter developer.

You play as an unwilling test subject who must go through 19 test chambers in order to receive a supposed cake. That's pretty much the story. Seriously.

Gameplay is what makes this game unique. You receive a portal gun that shoots two kinds of portals; an orange portal and a blue one. If you enter one, you exit out of the other. There are many hazards in the test chambers. You have to go against poisonous waters, automatic turrets, lethal laser balls, and crushing machines. You can only place portals at white colored walls, ceilings, and floors. To solve tests, you would have to either get a box onto a red button, or get a laser ball to enter an activation button. Sounds simple, right? Wrong. Almost every puzzle is uniquely mind-bending, and every puzzle is not like the last. The final boss is very satisfying, too.

The game is not really bad. At all. Valve made an innovative puzzler that pretty much anyone can enjoy. Really, the only bad part about the game is that it's too short. Like, really short. 19 puzzles plus a boss fight may seem long, but really, it isn't. Anyone that loves a brain-tickling game or a first-person action game should definitely buy the game.

Score:

9.0

The good: unique gameplay, catchy song at the end, satisfyingly great puzzles, great final boss.

The bad: It's too short.

Sonic Colors

Sonic Colors is a Sonic the Hedgehog game exclusively for the Nintendo game consoles: Wii and DS. This is definitely the game for any Sonic fan. I mean THE game.

The game starts off with Sonic and Tails visiting an interstellar amusement park curiously built by Dr. Eggman/Robotnik. He created the park as he “feels remorse for his past evils.” However, Sonic and Tails were suspicious, so they decided that whatever plan Eggman was trying to execute, they would be ready to thwart it.

Sure enough, Eggman was up to something nefarious. To power up machines, he used an unusual power source: an alien race called Wisps. But, it seems that Sonic can absorb their power to help him go about his quest.

As the title suggests, there are numerous colors to look at, but don’t be too distracted by them. Sega has reinvented the theme of Speed in this game, with high speed action in pretty much all of the levels. The game is also centered around the use of Wisps, as different ones give different abilities, such as giving Sonic more boost, turning into a spike ball, or act as a laser. There are eight different Wisps, and they will help you in certain situations. Frequently, you will encounter puzzle-solving areas, which might cost you some lives if you don’t know what the heck you are supposed to do. The puzzle solving might get a little frustrating, but it will be very satisfying once you have made it to the goal ring. In addition, the game uses every control scheme imaginable for the Wii: remote sideways, nunchuk, classic controller, even the GameCube controller. So, anybody can be content with the controls.

The boss battles are pretty challenging at first, but the game has some repetitive bosses. As you progress through the game, you will see a boss and think: I have seen this before. Now, the final boss is epic, and I mean, EPIC! It seems a little like another boss, but it is still not even close. Even the final boss is not the end. You have something else to do, but I won’t spoil it all that much.

The game has these Red Rings, and, it is probably a good thing this game is not for the Xbox 360. You will have 180 rings to collect, and what they are even for is for the “Eggman’s Sonic Sim” part of the game, where you try to guide a robotic version of the speedy hedgehog to the goal ring. However, that part of the game is not even that great. That is where you can have the co-op. But, another bad thing about the game is that the co-op is weaker than Glass Joe from Punch-Out. The screen is mainly focused on one player, so the other guy won’t know what the heck he is doing. Sonic simulator isn’t that good in the first place. I guess the red rings are for the completionist gamer. IT IS MAINLY A SINGLE-PLAYER GAME. Now, if they had split screen co-op for the actual levels instead of this sonic sim crap, maybe even with online, this game would have been better. Much better.

Anyway, this is a very good game for anyone with a Wii or a sonic fan. This game has saved the Sonic franchise for a few years. Sega has made this game in the nick of time. Although, Sonic 4 doesn’t seem too bad, but is it on a disc? NO.

The good: beautiful graphics and colorful level design, high speed action, satisfying story, awesome color powers, epic final boss, amazing featured song.

The bad: weak co-op, cheap deaths, frustrating puzzles, eggman sonic sim is a piece of crap.

Score:

8.5

For the record, if there was better co-op,and less puzzles, this would have made the Editor’s Choice.

All-Pro Football 2k8

APF2K8 is the latest football game released by 2k Sports, since EA has bought the NFL License around 2006-2007. Their last NFL game, NFL2K5, was the final NFL game they could make before the license business. But, 2K Sports had a plan: they had permission to have NFL Legends in a football game, so that’s how things started with 2K8.  

2K8 has over 240 legends that have played in the NFL who are retired now, but are still remembered for their legacies. In the game there are several fictional teams with actual past players. When you first start off, you’ll be asked to create a team. This is mandatory for nearly everything in the game. For choosing your players, there are three tiers of players: Gold, Silver, and Bronze. You need to choose 11 of the three tiers of players. Once you have that set up, you’ll be asked to choose what non-star players have for tendencies, such as a good pass blocking o-line, or deep threat receivers, or elusive backs, whatever. It’s totally up to you what you want to do with your team. Then you get to logos and stadiums, and before you know it, you have a team.

There are many things you can do. You can start up a regular exhibition game, or get to Season mode, or warm up with practice, or go on Xbox Live or Playstation Network. You can also create your own player or edit your team if you want.

Now, on to gameplay. Other reviews would say that the controls are the same as 2K5, but I never played a 2K football game, so the controls are new to me. You have a charge move for quarterbacks, running backs, and defenders. There is also a new type of attribute system, similar to the player weapons introduced in Madden ’08. There is a reach tackle system, and a whole bunch of other features that make this game a good console game.

I do have to say, this game is no Madden, but a bright idea to have NFL legends play in modern times in a video game. 2K Sports has made a pretty good football game. 

Score:

8.7/10

Ape Escape: On the Loose

Ape Escape: On the Loose is an Ape Escape title released exclusively for the PSP. It is basically a PSP version of the first game of the series. Sony has made some modifications from the original (made for the PS1), such as using only one analog stick, and using the right trigger button as a crouch motion instead of the jump.

The game starts off with a young boy named Spike running with his friend Jake to see the recently made time machine that the Professor has made. But once they reach the Professor’s laboratory, Specter and a bunch of crazy monkeys send them through time and space. It is up to Spike to capture as many monkeys as possible and stop them from changing the world.

In the game you play as Spike, and to catch all those monkeys, you will get many gadgets to choose from, such as the Time Net, Stun Club, Water Net, and a whole bunch of other gadgets to capture those monkeys. Seems simple, right? Wrong. No two monkeys are the same. For example, you first see a monkey that can run very fast, and then you see one with a machine gun. With the many gadgets you will acquire, plus the perfect difficulty, you will enjoy this game.

Bottom line, Ape Escape: On The Loose is a fun platformer for the PSP, with a great challenge, exceptional gadgets, and addicting gameplay. If you have a PSP and love platformer games, this game should be in your collection.

Score:

8.0/10

Crash of the Titans

Crash of the Titans is one of the newest Crash Bandicoot games out there, next to Crash: Mind over Mutant. The game delivers a combat-heavy platforming style that only a few people might enjoy.

As I said before, the game is combat-heavy. Crash has learned some new moves since Crash Twinsanity. From the previous games, Crash’s moves included the spin attack, belly-flop, slide move, and of course, jumping. Now, he learned how to throw punches and kicks. This game has made the series a lot more different further down the road. You can create combo moves by rapidly pressing the attack button. Use these moves to defeat minions and some newer enemies. So, there is the light attack, and then there is the heavy attack. Crash can inflict more damage by charging up a kick, then doing a front flip kick. Using this can break an opponent’s block. You can also use Aku Aku to block enemy attacks. Sadly, he can only block certain attacks, so he is usually no help when jacking titans.

The game is not called Crash of the Titans for nothing. One new addition is that there are powerful titans that Crash can control to use against other titans, minions, or to advance to other parts of the level. The concept of jacking titans is simple. You have to beat the absolute snot out of them, break their blocks, and then control them. But, it is easier said than done. Some titans won’t even use defense and let you jack them freely. Others will always use defense and offense combined, so it is close to impossible to jack them. However, hard work and perseverance bring quite a reward. All the titans have a unique fighting style, yet some titans are knockoffs. For example, the first titan you will see is known as Spike. He has very sharp claws to use at your disposal, with a special attack that allows him to pull spikes out of the ground. Then, you will see Ratcicle, where he uses the exact same attack animation, only quicker.

Another thing that is different about Crash is that his spin attack is rearranged. You can spin freely to many different enemies and objects, but here is the thing: you can actually get dizzy from spinning too long. Let me tell you, it will suck to get dizzy. Crash will just stand there, leaving him open to any attack. His health is better now, so instead of having one or two hit points, you have a health meter, so I guess that is good.

The levels have three main objectives: Combo King, Minion Master, and Spybots. Combo King is where you get a minimum amount of hits in a single combo. Minion Master is where you defeat a minimum amount of little minions in a level. Spybots are little toilets that you have to look for and destroy. Once you meet the end of each level, a little menu pops up and displays your stats for Combo King, Minion Master, and Spybots. It shows if you completed it or how close you were. The number of tasks you complete will apply to your overall ranking. Getting one task done will earn you the rank of “Bronze.” Two is “Silver.” All three will earn you a “Gold” ranking.

On to the story! The game starts off where Coco Bandicoot is working on a butter-recycling machine. Crunch is doing push ups, and Crash is…chewing on a purple wrench. Cortex has a blimp show up and announces that he is working on a robot to destroy Wumpa Island. Cortex then captures Coco and Aku Aku. Crash then throws the butter-recycling machine to help save either Coco or Aku Aku, and it rescues Aku Aku.

Crash has had a major transformation. I think that it was for the better. New combo moves, titans, and a brawl style made crash a BEAST. And with three different difficulties, it will sure keep you busy.

Score:

8.5/10.

Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy

Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is the most recent video game I’ve gotten to this day. Naughty Dog created the game, and for all of you Crash Bandicoot fans, Naughty Dog created that series, too. Jak and Daxter is Naughty Dog’s first free roaming 3D platformer. In the Crash Bandicoot games, you basically moved on a track in 3D.

In the story, Jak, a 15-year-old boy who was usually quiet, honest, and loyal went to Misty Island with his wisecracking, loudmouthed, and clumsy pal Daxter even though they were told not to. And once they found out some horrible news, they decided to turn back. Once they started walking, Daxter trips over a jar full of eco, the energy of the world. And once he finds out that it was “stupid precursor junk,” he just throws it to Jak. Surprisingly, the “junk” lights up when Jak catches it. But then, a Lurker, who is simply a monster, attacks them. So Jak uses the mysterious jar to throw it at the Lurker and destroys it. But during the explosion, Daxter falls into a pool of Dark Eco, the most dangerous element in the universe. Jak supposes Daxter is gone for good, but actually, Daxter is turned into a bright orange ottsel (otter weasel). Daxter is really peeved off that he is an ottsel, so you control as Jak to attempt to “save” your friend Daxter.

During gameplay, you will have the basic platforming moves such as the double jump, the headslam, and a spinning kick attack. And, unfortunately, as many platformers go, you have a lot of collecting to do. The main thing you will have to collect is the power cell. Power cells are not only shiny, but you will need certain amounts to advance in the game. The secondary thing is Precursor Orbs. Orbs are basically the currency in the game, and if you have enough, you can trade in with civilians for power cells. Even though it is a platformer, you can ride on two things when the levels require speed and height. One thing is the A-GraV Zoomer, which is a hoverbike-like thing. The other ride is the Flut-Flut, which is a bird that has an uncanny long jump.

Here are some things that you will notice about Jak and Daxter. One thing is that Jak is mute and doesn’t say any words, yet you can here him when you use attacks and double jump. You have to collect 7 Scout Flies in each level to get a power cell. When you use a headslam move, it actually looks like Jak is landing on his head. Every time you get a power cell, while Jak puts it in his backpack, Daxter breakdances, moonwalks, does the robot, or Jak may pass the cell to him and he will slam-dunk it. Also, every time you die, Daxter will say something funny. My favorite quote is: “That looks like it hurt. Should I call for backup?”:)

Remember what I said about eco? Well, in the game, you will find out that Jak has an amazing talent of harnessing eco. There are four types of eco: Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow. Red Eco increases your power and attacks. Blue Eco can break boxes, make you run faster, and activate Precursor platforms and artifacts. It also can attract Precursor Orbs. Green Eco increases your health. Finally, Yellow Eco gives you the ability to shoot fireballs at enemies and strongboxes that you can’t break with simple attacks or Blue Eco. 

Overall, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is a very fun and enjoyable game. There are times where I want to tear my head off because of the hard parts, but that’s life. The sound is good, the gameplay is great, the animation is AWESOME. The only flaws I see are just one level and one mission. But still AWESOME.

Score:

10/10