Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped

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Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped

Developer(s)	Naughty Dog
Publisher(s)	SCEA
Release date(s)	October 31, 1998 December 13, 1998 December 17, 1998
Genre(s)	Platform
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	ESRB: Everyone ELSPA: 3+ OFLC: G
Platform(s)	PlayStation
Media	CD-ROM

Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped (クラッシュバンディクー3~ブッとび!世界一周, Kurasshu Bandikū 3: Buttobi! Sekai Isshu^?, Crash Bandy Kuu 3: Flying! The Greatest in the World) is a platform game made by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation, released in 1998. In addition to Crash, one also plays as Coco, Crash's sister, in some of the levels. It was one of the defining 3D platform games of the era, along with Super Mario 64 and Banjo Kazooie.

1 Gameplay
2 Story
- 2.1 Ending controversy
3 Levels
4 Reception
- 4.1 Scores
5 Soundtrack
6 References
7 See also
8 External links

[edit] Gameplay

The game features a new time trial mode, in which you race through each level in the fastest time possible. Boxes are laid throughout the levels that allow you to freeze time for 1, 2, or 3 seconds. Beating the best time will earn you a Sapphire or Gold relic. In addition, there are Platinum relics and developer times set by the Naughty Dog and SCEA testers. You can still receive a platinum relic before completing the game with 100%, but you will only see the times on the level info box if you complete the game with 100%. Completing the game with 105% (the maximum percentage of the game), shows a sequence with Crash and Coco watching a fireworks display.

Crash can obtain a new move after beating each of the five bosses in the game.
- Tiny - Belly Flop (enhanced version of the normal belly flop move).
- Dingodile - Double Jump (jump, then jump twice higher or further by pressing X once more).
- N. Tropy - Tornado Spin (enhanced spin that lets you float over certain obstacles by continuously pressing the Square button; lasts for only a while).
- N. Gin. - Fruit Bazooka (shoot wumpa fruit by holding down L2 to arm and Circle to shoot. This is needed to gain clear gems on the running levels).
- Neo Cortex - Speed Shoes (faster running by holding down R2. These are needed to gain gold/platinum relics on the running levels).

The game supports the then-new Dual Shock controller. The vibration function is used to great effect in this game, from motorcycle/biplane/jet ski riding to the running feet of Pura to the pounding feet of the dinosaur that chases after you in Levels 4 and 11.

The game also made use of the PocketStation in the Japanese version, allowing you to play Crash minigames.

[edit] Story

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The game takes place very soon after Crash 2, where N. Brio used the 42 gems collected by Crash to power his laser weapon to destroy Dr. Neo Cortex's space station. As he did this, a large chunk of the space station's debris fell down to the surface of the planet, crashing into the prison of Uka Uka, an evil spirit mask, sealed into his prison by his brother Aku Aku to preserve the world, and now freed again. Uka Uka is revealed to be Cortex's master, and is severely disappointed in his progress in world domination, since Cortex has not only failed to gather the crystals needed to power his Cortex Vortex device, but also the gems. Their only chance is to travel back and forth in time to collect crystals from different time periods and then use them to power another device. Uka Uka introduces Cortex to Dr. Nefarious Tropy, another mad scientist specializing in time travel. Together they construct the Time Twister device, which enables them to travel into different periods of time to gather crystals.

Sensing Uka Uka's presence, Aku Aku tells Crash and Coco of the danger that Uka Uka poses, and urges them to prevent him from carrying out his evil plan with Cortex. Crash and Coco make their way to the Time Twister, from where they begin to gather crystals from different time periods before Cortex does so.

After Crash and Coco have gathered the twenty five crystals and defeated Cortex's four minions, they challenge and defeat Cortex and Uka Uka, sending them into depths of the Time Twister. From there Cortex and Uka Uka retreat through a time warp, plotting to gather the yet-uncollected gems for another chance of victory.

After collecting all the gems, Crash challenges Cortex again. This time, as Cortex and Uka Uka fall into the Time Twister, the device malfunctions as a gigantic time warp devours the two, as well as the rest of the time station. Crash, Coco and Aku Aku all make it back safely to their home, but a visage is shown of Cortex and N. Tropy are inside the time-space continuum as infants, supposedly malformed by the Time Twister's malfunction, tugging at Uka Uka.

[edit] Ending controversy

Some fans consider the ending to be the end of the whole Crash series storyline, as there is no given way that Cortex, Uka Uka, or N. Tropy returned. However, in The Wrath of Cortex, all of the villains return as if nothing happened, meaning that Wrath of Cortex is possibly a retcon of the storyline.

One of the most likely theories (if one wanted to continue The Wrath of Cortex from Warped) is that the only villain in the game not to be caught up in the Time Twister was Doctor N. Gin. If The Wrath of Cortex was continued from Warped, he could have been the only man to fix the Time Twister somehow and let Cortex and the others loose.

[edit] Levels

"Around the World in Millions of Years" Production Painting.

Screenshot of Crash Bandicoot: Warped.

Crash Bandicoot: Warped has 37 levels - 25 normal and 5 boss levels arranged in five time chambers, 6 levels in each, with a different background; levels 7 and 19 have secret entrances (levels 27 and 29) accessed by obtaining 10 and 20 relics respectively; levels 26, 28 and 30 are accessed by obtaining 5/15/25 relics; the last two are hidden and can only be accessed from levels 11 and 14. Each set of levels contains five levels that may be played in any order. Each level has a crystal. Upon collecting the crystals of one set of levels, Crash must defeat a boss to proceed to the next set. Gaining 3 in each area and entering a fourth level for the first time (or when entering the boss level for the first time), the boss will give a speech. When 5 relics are obtained (at least Sapphire standard), a platform appears in the middle, that takes Crash to an air-conditioned room, where the lab assistants are styled and warped - in other words, warp room 6, consisting of levels 26-30. Below are the themes surrounding each area:

Time Chamber 1 - Tiny Tiger - The Middle Ages - level 1
Time Chamber 2 - Dingodile - Saudi Arabia - level 7
Time Chamber 3 - Dr. N. Tropy - 17th Century China - level 10
Time Chamber 4 - Dr. N. Gin - Ancient Egypt - levels 16 and 20
Time Chamber 5 - Neo Cortex - Futuristic North America - level 21

As the game's story revolves around the theme of time travel, each level has a theme that mirrors a particular time. Many of these themes do not adhere to the standard gameplay of the Crash platformers. They are:

1. The Middle Ages

Average Jump-and-Run levels with wizards and knights as opponents.

Toad Village (Level 1)
Gee Wiz (Level 6)
Double Header (Level 15)

2. Atlantis

Crash has to swim through the submerged city of Atlantis, which is located in the southern seas of Australia.

Under Pressure (Level 2)
Deep Trouble (Level 12)

3. Great Wall of China

Coco races on Pura the Tiger across the Great Wall in its final years of construction.

Orient Express (Level 3)
Midnight Run (Level 10)

4. Prehistoric South America

A tarpit-filled area, where Crash is normally chased by a triceratops at least once.

Bone Yard (Level 4)
Dino Might! (Level 11)
Eggipus Rex (Level 32)

5. 18th century Pacific Ocean

Coco makes her way through pirate-infested waters on a jet ski.

Makin' Waves (Level 5)
Tell No Tales (Level 18)
Ski Crazed (Level 26)
Hot Coco (Level 31)

6. Saudi Arabia

Crash makes his way through an Arabian Nights-esque setting.

Hang 'Em High (Level 7)
High Time (Level 13)
Flaming Passion (Level 23)
Hang 'Em High - warp room 6 (yellow gem) (Level 27)

7. 1950s California United States

In the 1950s, Crash needs to win a race against hot rods on a motorcycle. In Area 51? (Level 28), he races UFOs at night.

Hog Ride (Level 8)
Road Crash (Level 14)
Orange Asphalt (Level 22)
Area 51? (Level 28)

8. Great Pyramid of Giza

Crash enters the pyramids and has to dodge traps and mummies. In the level Tomb Wader (a clear pun on Tomb Raider), the pyramids are flooded, and in Bug Lite, he needs to use a firefly for light.

Tomb Time (Level 9)
Sphinxinator (Level 16)
Tomb Wader (Level 20)
Bug Lite (Level 25)

9. World War I Britain

Crash and Coco are flying biplanes and need to shoot down blimps, bomber planes, or fly through rings.

Bye Bye Blimps (Level 17)
Mad Bombers (Level 24)
Rings of Power (Level 30)

10. Futuristic North America

Crash visits a futuristic metropolitan setting.

Future Frenzy (Level 19)
Gone Tomorrow (Level 21)
Future Frenzy - warp room 6 (Level 29)

Vehicles and animals are also available in certain levels.

Jetsub (Crash, can shoot missiles and accelerate underwater, levels 2 and 12)
Jetski (Coco, Jet-Moto style exploration, complete with a directional arrow except level 31, pointing you in the right direction, in levels 5, 18, 26, and 31)
Pura the Tiger (Coco, riding through levels 3 and 10)
Baby T-Rex (Crash, riding through levels 11 and 32)
Motorcycle (Crash, race against hot rods to gaiin the level's crystal, levels 8, 14, 22, and 28)
Biplane (Crash and Coco, shoot down blimps or planes to obtain a crystal, also has directional arrow, levels 17 (Coco), 24 & 30 (Crash))

The boss levels feature the following characters, in order of appearance:

Tiny Tiger - Fought in a Roman coliseum.
Dingodile - Fought in the ice ages.
Dr. Nefarious Tropy - Fought in the time twister's control room.

Note that when he has 2 HPs left, the background changes to the China theme; and having 1 HP left, it changes to that of Saudi Arabian theme.

Dr. N Gin - Fought in space, near the moon.
Dr. Neo Cortex and Uka Uka - Fought in the time twister's core.

This boss fight has no HPs for Crash since Aku Aku has to oppose Uka Uka.

Additionally, the game contains two extra levels that can only be accessed from another level. These levels are:

Hot Coco - Accessed from Level 14: Road Crash by running over a street sign with an alien on it.
Eggipus Rex - Accessed from Level 11: Dino Might! Yellow gem path. Jump onto the second pterodactyl.

[edit] Reception

Crash Bandicoot: Warped is considered by many to be the pinnacle of the series. Some call it one of the best PlayStation games, one of the best platformers of all time, or one of the best games of all time. This is attributed to the fact that the game is excellent all around, in terms of graphics, sound, gameplay, replay value, and overall playability. In addition, it is also considered to be the most humorous in the series, most of which is due in part to Crash's death animations. The game placed #26 on Game Informer's list of the top 100 games of all time.

[edit] Scores

GameSpot: 8.9 out of 10
IGN: 9.1 out of 10
GamePro: 5 out of 5
The Electric Playground: 8 out of 10
All Game Guide: 4.5 out of 5
Electronic Gaming Monthly: 9.1 out of 10
PSM: 4.5 out of 5
Official PlayStation Magazine: 5 out of 5
Play UK: 90 out of 100

[edit] Soundtrack

The music is composed by Mutato Muzika, made up of Mark Mothersbaugh and Josh Mancell. It, along with Crash 2, are considered to have some of the best game soundtracks of the series.