The Crash Bandicoot series holds a special place in the hearts of most gamers of a certain age. Compared to Super Mario 64 and other titles of the period, Crash was hardly a huge innovator; yet it struck a chord with gamers through a colourful art style, lighthearted tone and fun gameplay. Crash became the de facto mascot for the PlayStation brand and many other games from developer Naughty Dog followed to great acclaim. Since then, Naughty Dog have moved on to other properties namely Jak and Daxter, Uncharted and The Last of Us and the development of the Crash passed to Traveller's Tales; from here, the series went into a sharp decline. Crash was no longer a PlayStation exclusive and a handful of weak Crash titles damaged the brand. Spin-offs including more kart racing and party games did little to rejuvenate Crash in the eyes of the gaming public and the series was shelved after 2008's Crash: Mind over Mutant. Despite the series' gradual decline, many gamers would happily give Crash a second chance; especially a title developed by series creators Naughty Dog. The online fervour stirred up by Sony's SCEA president Shawn Layden wearing a Crash Bandicoot T-shirt during the 2015 PlayStation Experience conference proves there is still quite the appetite for anything Crash-related. If Naughty Dog were to resurrect Crash Bandicoot once they've completed Uncharted 4, they will need to do many things differently to bring him up to speed with today's gaming environment. Things have changed hugely since the orange marsupial's heyday, and here are ten things that Naughty Dog should consider if they delve back into the world of the beloved bandicoot.
10. Focus Only On The Main Series For Now
Crash's early years saw a series of spinoff games; Crash Team Racing provided the PlayStation with an alternative to Mario Kart while Crash Bash was essentially a party game akin to Mario Party. Sony tried to build a more rounded gaming franchise with Crash at the centre, but as the main series fell out of favour, so to did the spinoffs fall by the wayside. Naughty Dog should be allowed to focus on delivering a main series Crash game, one good enough to kickstart the dormant franchise. If a new Crash Bandicoot game proves successful, kart racers and portable games can come later they're only warranted if a main entry is a success in its own right.
Tom, simple country boy, scarily close to his 30th birthday. A juxtaposition of sporty and active alpha male with TV and gaming nerd. Newcastle United fan who lives a LONG way away from Newcastle.
