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Crash Bandicoot 3 Review - PSX
Crash Bandicoot 3... ah yes, the third in the Bandicoot series for the original Playstation. Back then, all the consoles had a mascot - Mario and Nintendo, Sonic and Sega, and then Spyro/Crash and Playstation. Mario games are great, Sonic games are great, so guess how this game is?
The story goes like this - a meteor (satellite? I'm not sure) crashes into a temple, and some spirit says, "Free, at last!" It cuts to Crash, Coco(his sister), and Aku Aku(a witch doctor mask) hearing the explosion, and then Aku Aku explains that his brother Uka Uka is now free, and evil. Neo Cortex(the antagonist) and Uka Uka are at a space station time machine talking about taking over the world, yada yada yada, and the good guys magically get to the space station (?). The story isn't really a story, but it works. It's like the Mario games - plumber saves princess from dragon/dinosaur; not much story at all.
This game is amazing. If you take a look at the Playstation's capabilities, this game pushed them to the edge. The graphics and music are N64 standard (N64 - 64 bit; Playstation - 32 bit). The animations are great, the cutscenes have diologue and are perfect, and.. well, everything is good, but I might as well explain them more. The graphics are repetitive, because all the levels of a period are basically designed the same, but it isn't too bad. The character models are animated perfectly, and the deaths are hilarious (one, for instance, is if you're burned, Crash turns to dust.) The music is repetitive too, but in the right way, like how in the Mario games the caves have specific music, the grass levels have certain music, etc. In the cutscenes, the characters' mouths move, which is something not many N64 games had, and it was more powerful.
As for the gameplay, there are five hubs (one extra secret one too, so technically six) with five levels each. After you get the crystal in each of the five levels, you fight a boss, and gain a new move (this was the first Crash Bandicoot to include unlocking new moves). After that, the next hub is unlocked, and you can keep going. There are several types of levels for Crash: medeival, prehistoric, motorcycle racing, underwater, futuristic city, airplane battle, Egyptian tomb, and Arabian village. For Crash's sister Coco, the types of levels include: riding a tiger on the Great Wall of China, jetski, and airplane battle (Wow, they're pretty sexist! But I guess the game is based on Crash...) The main goal is to get all the crystals, but there are other objectives as well, which include getting gems and ankhs. Ankhs are for time trials, after you've beaten a level at least once. The gameplay is great - the controls are solid, there are some extra moves, such as a double jump, and after you spin something away (yeah, his attack is a spin - he's hyperactive), it's pretty fulfilling to see them fly away. There are some things that are annoying - I've had PLENTY of cheap deaths, but whatever. As for the gems, they can be gained through secret passageways and by smashing all the boxes in a level (that's something else I forgot to mention - boxes are strewn throughout the level, and when you smash them, you get wumpa fruit, the equivalent of coins or rings - and that's right, you guessed it - after you get 100 wumpa fruit, you get an extra life). If you miss just one box, you have to go back and find the one you missed, which can be annoying. The jetski levels are pretty repetitive, and very boring, but it's just those ones. There are some things in the game I didn't like, but I think that goes for every game I've played. The gameplay is extremely good.
Unlike many games where once you've won, you don't feel like playing again, this game is a game you can play over and over again. The levels aren't too long, and the game can be beaten pretty fast, so it's not like it's agame that takes forever. You can probably get all the crystals in 1-2 days, so as you can see, it's pretty short. There are plenty of other things to collect, so they can take awhile, and you might not feel like getting those again and again, but the main game is fun to play every so often. The bosses can be replayed, so they can be fought agains as often as you would like.
This is an awesome game. I wouldn't say it's a masterpiece, but it's close, and it's fun to play, and is very entertaining. If you get the chance to buy this game, you should pick it up. I know I keep saying things are great or good, but that's because that's how it can be described. It's a great game.
Story: 5/10
Graphics: 10/10
Music: 9/10
Gameplay: 9/10
Replay Value: 8/10
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