Crash Bandicoot Overdue for Return to Consoles

Speaking to the Telegraph, Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Andrew House, apparently addressed the possibility for Sony to return to classic game properties such as Crash Bandicoot or Spyro. Unfortunately, for some years now, Crash Bandicoot has not starred in his own console video game. The last game in the main series was Crash: Mind Over Mutant, which was released for the PlayStation 2, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii in 2008. The original Crash Bandicoot games were great, and it is about time the character made a triumphant return to the consoles.

When Andrew House was asked about the subject, it sounded as if Sony was talking about a possibility. However, the possibility did not sound definitive. The early Crash Bandicoot games were classics for the PlayStation console. The games developed by Naughty Dog were among my personal favorites, and in my opinion the best in the series. At the time, Crash Bandicoot basically became a mascot of sorts for Sony, similar to Mario for Nintendo and Sonic the Hedgehog for SEGA.

Ultimately, if the Crash Bandicoot series ever makes a  return, I would like to see the series return to its root. Any new Crash game should have a similar play style to the original, except maybe slightly tweaked. In addition, Doctor Neo Cortex should return to the series as its main villain. I preferred the days when Bandicoot was developed by Naughty Dog and he was exclusive to Sony. The games and character were diluted when the series went multi-platform. I would like to see any game return to the designs and overall look of the original. I enjoyed the original games, and while now they might be graphically dated, they made up for that with fun, imaginative characters. The platform gaming style was a fun throwback style. I especially liked the side scrolling portions of Crash Bandicoot 2.

Late last year, there was speculation from IGN that Sony possibly bought the Crash Bandicoot property for Activision. The reason? There was a launch commercial for the PlayStation 4 with a road sign with a silhouette that highly resembled Crash. However, a spokesperson from Activision later denied the rumor. If there actually is interest on Sony’s part to attain the rights to the character and make a brand new Crash Bandicoot game, that would be truly fantastic. If Crash does return though, the ads for the game should also feature the man dressed as Crash Bandicoot, again talking to people with a megaphone.