10 Ways Naughty Dog Could Make Crash Bandicoot Work In 2016

2. Embrace The Nostalgia, Though Not Too Much

Much of the residual goodwill for Crash Bandicoot is down to nostalgia, and there's no reason that Naughty Dog can't cash in on that without bashing players over the head with it. The Mario series has made references to its heritage in recent years to good effect; Super Mario Galaxy 2 has a level called the Throwback Galaxy, an homage to the classic N64 level Whomp's Fortress that puts a fresh spin on proceedings. Naughty Dog could take a similar approach with a level or two paying reverence to previous Crash outings. The series has strong iconography too, with crates, apple collectables and quirky, genetically modified animals for enemies; bringing these back in some shape or form would help evoke memories of the past games without hammering it home too hard. As long as nostalgia doesn't restrict Naughty Dog's creativity, then it has a home in the game.