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 CW: Cartoonish, stereotyped portrayals of indigenous Australians and Australian wildlife. Those of you who follow my Let's Plays know that I like to play weird, interesting, deeply-flawed titles with a lot of heart...but not today. This Let's Play is about a big video game franchise that is very near and dear to me - Crash Bandicoot. In this thread, we'll be playing Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy. Developed by Vicarious Visions in 2017, it's a quasi-remake of the first three Crash games. As someone who's followed the franchise almost since the beginning, I absolutely adore this collection - perhaps even more than the originals. I will be joined by my good friend pdPreciousRoy, who is seeing these games for the first time. This LP is geared towards those unfamiliar with Crash Bandicoot. That being said, whether you've never played a Crash game in your life, or you're a hardcore fan, or maybe you haven't touched the series in years, everyone is welcome!  Crash Bandicoot is a series of platforming games, originally created by Naughty Dog for the Sony PlayStation between 1996-2000. The first game is an interesting and fun, if often frustrating, experience; its sequels are powerhouses of graphical prowess and game design, re-imagining the tropes and mechanics of classic balls-hard 2D platforming in three-dimensional space. After making the spinoff Crash Team Racing in 2000, the rights to Crash Bandicoot reverted back to its publisher, Universal Interactive Studios. The next several years were fraught with peaks and valleys as the IP jumped from studio to studio. Sadly, even the best post-Naughty Dog Crash games couldn't recapture the magic of the originals. After the critical and commercial failure of 2008's Crash: Mind Over Mutant, the franchise was shelved by its current publishers, Activision and Vivendi. The character of Crash was briefly brought back as a guest character for Activision's toys-to-life Skylanders games, but the future of the franchise proper seemed doomed. Fast-forward to 2017. The first three games were re-released as Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy, developed by Vicarious Visions for the PlayStation 4. This love-letter to the past polishes the old games with a new coat of paint, tightened the controls, and introduces several quality-of-life changes from later titles. The N. Sane Trilogy sold like hotcakes and introduced a new generation of gamers to the orange marsupial. The collection was later ported to Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Toys for Bob, the studio responsible for the Switch port, would later develop an official instalment of their own, Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, in 2020.  First of all, this is not a megathread. While I will LP all three games in the collection, they'll be separated into individual threads, and I will complete one or two unrelated Let's Plays in between each game. For those who remember my Castlevania: Lords of Shadow megathread, I ended up burning out hard on that series by the end, and I don't want it to happen again, especially with a franchise that's so important to my childhood. Playing the PC version of N. Sane Trilogy, I will collect every gem in all three games, posting updates every Saturday. While the majority of this LP will focus on the N. Sane Trilogy, I will sometimes use footage from the originals as a basis for comparison. We'll also discuss the development histories of both the originals and the N. Sane Trilogy, as well as talking about the post-Naughty Dog Crash games, and what they got wrong (and right!) about the classic feel. I will also be getting Platinum relics on the Time Trials in Crash Bandicoot: Warped. I'm not ruling out the possibility of completing the Time Trials for Crash 1 and 2, but currently it's not in the cards, as I think it would slow down the pace a bit too much. As to whether I'm going to play some of the later games and/or Toys for Bob's Crash 4...maybe? Don't rule it out, but as mentioned, I'm a bit weary about increasing the scope too much, so for now we'll focus just on the N. Sane Trilogy. Thanks for joining me on this crazy, hog-wild ride. Let's get started! theenglishman fucked around with this message at 04:19 on Jun 20, 2021 |
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Jun 6, 2021 17:52
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 FULL PLAYLIST                                   
theenglishman fucked around with this message at 17:21 on Oct 29, 2022 |
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Jun 6, 2021 17:53
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Miz Kriss posted:Anyway, I think I remember an interview waaaay back when the game was released that the inspiration behind the game was that they wanted to make a Sonic game but in a different perspective. 3D was a budding technology at the time, and the devs wanted to have the camera fixed from the back, which was unheard of at the time. The game was then proceeded to be nicknamed "Sonic's rear end Game" during production until they had an actual name for the game. Interesting - I've seen the Ars Technica War Stories video with Andy Gavin, but didn't know there was a Rolling Stone article too. I'll have to read that when I get a chance.
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Jun 7, 2021 19:42
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(confirmed in this 2016
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Today we finish the first of three islands. Seriously. The first Crash is pretty short.
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Jun 13, 2021 04:53
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It was something of a slow rollout. A few PlayStation 2 games, and even some very late PlayStation games, had a form of autosave, though it didn’t become a standard until the 7th generation.
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Jun 13, 2021 13:32
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Kibayasu posted:I remember constantly being surprised by how many memory blocks on a standard memory card a game did or didn't want on the PS1. Some of the more complicated games only wanted a few whereas what I considered a simple one needed a third or half. For Crash I guess Naughty Dog might have been working with the Mario/Sonic model of "saving" for a long time before the memory card became a thing. I remember that Naughty Dog implemented an optional autosave system for Jak and Daxter, which would save automatically every time you got a power cell. I also have reason to believe that the restrictive save system in Crash was implemented to nerf passwords. Since you needed to get a gem or complete a bonus round to save, it means that if you put in the password for a 100% file, you couldn't save it to a Memory Card. I get the intent behind that choice, but it's still pretty dumb.
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Jun 13, 2021 20:27
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Just a thought regarding the pacing of this LP - my current plan is to introduce the concept of the time trials in the Crash 1 section, but not actually do any time trials until Crash 3, just to break up the pace. I might also show off the time trials in the original Crash 3, to make it less monotonous. Is that okay with you guys?
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Jun 14, 2021 17:48
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Ignatius M. Meen posted:Getting an idea of them in Crash 1 but waiting until Crash 3 to actually bother completing them is a good idea yes. Pretty sure you don't get anything worthwhile for completing them until 3 anyway, and it's not until 3 that a few mechanics get introduced to make them playable/fun as I recall. You're half-right about that last part. In the N. Sane Trilogy version of Crash 2, you get the Crash Dash from 3 (renamed the Speed Shoes) as a reward for beating Cortex.
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Jun 15, 2021 13:59
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thrilla in vanilla posted:I was very excited to play this and recently picked it up on a sale for Switch but the changes to the controls and motion made it a very frustrating experience for me. Managed to finish warped but had to throw in the towel after that. Excited to follow this though The N. Sane Trilogy definitely has some genuine issues, but I think that a lot of the frustration from classic Crash fans is, as you said, a problem of muscle memory. When your goal is to modernize a classic series like this, there has to be some, well, modernization. With fans playing these games for as long as they have, you're bound to have some complaints about it not being the exact same experience with a fresh coat of paint. Honestly, Vicarious Visions' main mistake wasn't changing the controls, but not tweaking the level design in some areas to accommodate for those new controls. The High Road and Slippery Climb come to mind - they're already two of the hardest levels in the original, and they're made artificially harder by using level design built around forward momentum that Crash no longer has. That being said I greatly prefer the controls in the NST to those of the originals; my issue is how it affects certain levels.
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Jun 15, 2021 15:59
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thrilla in vanilla posted:Oof, yeah the latter of those two was my breaking point for the crash 1 remake and I loved that one when I was a kid. I'd really be interested to see the exact difference in opinions of the NST between those who grew up with the original games, and those playing them for the first time. My gut feeling still tells me that a lot of the problems older fans have with the new compilation are related to muscle memory. Those old instincts kick in when playing the compilation, and you temporarily forget which version you're playing. It's like listening to an old song, but some of the notes you remember are moved, or changed around, or played in a different way. I sympathize with those fans, but I also think it's important to distinguish between the N. Sane Trilogy's actual flaws vs. things that are just different. In other news, I have finished recording my footage for Crash 1, and almost finished editing. As a reminder, there will be an unrelated LP in between each game in the trilogy - a sort of intermission, if you will; these intermissions will have their own dedicated threads. I have decided to keep this as the "main" thread, technically making it a megathread, but I don't want to burn out, especially not on these games. For those interested, the "intermission LP" between Crash 1 and 2 will be the Nintendo Wii game Rabbids Go Home.
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Jun 19, 2021 21:20
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If I'm being honest, bosses in the Crash series are more of a spectacle than a challenge.
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Jun 20, 2021 04:15
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Ignatius M. Meen posted:It's a game originally from 1996, they probably weren't thinking too hard about backtracking issues loving with the players until after reviews came in. The series does get better about poo poo like that in later games. It certainly improved in later games. Crash Bandicoot 2 has almost as much backtracking as the original, but it's better paced, and the game gives you more chances earlier on to retread levels.
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Jun 23, 2021 21:19
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And just like that, we're done with Wumpa Island. Onto Cortex Island!
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Jun 26, 2021 14:23
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Chimera-gui posted:So I started with the second game shortly before the third's release and it's actually the only one of the three original games I one hundred percent-ed. As a kid I got 105% on Crash 3 and came very close to 100%ing 2. I ended up beating the first game, once, but I just didn't have the skills to 100% it so  .
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Jun 28, 2021 14:17
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I’m really sorry guys, but I’m going to have to push back the next update by one week. My estimate for how much time I’d need between the backlog and the current update time. Hopefully by next week I’ll be back on track. Thank you for your patience.
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Jun 29, 2021 00:56
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As an apology for the delay, I'm releasing this video a day early. The next video will release on the 17th as scheduled.
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Jul 9, 2021 14:24
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Lulti posted:One nice addition to the NST in Toxic Waste are the scuff marks for the bouncing barrels on the floor, making it easier to dodge them. Holy poo poo how did I never notice that?!
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Jul 9, 2021 20:58
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MarquiseMindfang posted:Personally speaking, the biggest and most frustrating change the NST made was to Crash's hitbox. It went from square in the original games, meaning you could stand with the very last pixel of Crash's shoes on the ledge just fine, to capsule shaped, meaning you'll hit the edge of ledges and just slide off (due to the shape of the collision box) a frustrating amount, especially during speed runs when you're trying to skip as much stuff as you can. I don’t disagree with you about the hitbox issue but I just haven’t really noticed that much of a difference while playing. I’m sure it’s there, but maybe there’s something about my playstyle that makes it less noticeable. It’s weird.
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Jul 13, 2021 18:24
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Jul 17, 2021 13:58
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Ignatius M. Meen posted:I definitely gave up before this point. That climbing level you said was infamous just looks incredibly tight in a not-fun way. The lights out levels are not nearly as bad once the light is separated from Aku Aku protection, though the level design still can get pretty challenging in the later games. This implementation on the other hand is just brutal. Yeah I definitely prefer the darkness levels from the later games.
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Jul 19, 2021 13:47
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I'm working this weekend and won't have much time to interact, so I'm posting today's update on Friday. Actually, would you guys be okay if I switched upload days to Friday instead of Saturday? I have every scheduled, but it won't be that hard to change it.
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Jul 23, 2021 18:15
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Kibayasu posted:Doesn't particularly matter to me what day the videos are on. From my memory, in the original games lives don’t appear again after they are collected; while in the NST they don’t spawn again until after you’ve beaten the level. I believe the one exception is the green gem life stash in Castle Machinery which never respawns.
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Jul 29, 2021 21:21
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Jul 30, 2021 21:34
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Beartaco posted:I do really want to play some of those weird PS2 crash games at some point. There was a really good Let's Play of Wrath of Cortex along with all the PS1 games but they all got deleted for some reason and I could never find out why which was a real bummer. I played like an hour of Twinsanity on an emulator at one point and it kind of seemed like they were trying to make it a bit more open like Jak and Daxter which was interesting. Not good, but interesting! Wrath of Cortex is a weird game - it's too faithful to the formula set up by Crash 2 and 3, but at the same time most of the new stuff they added is really bad. It's not helped by the fact that I played the GameCube port, which is apparently the worst one. I've heard some good things about the Xbox port at least.
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Aug 3, 2021 20:54
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And with that, we're done with Crash Bandicoot 1! Just a quick note that this thread will go on a temporary hiatus while I work on an unrelated LP, after which I will return to Crash Bandicoot 2 (the same thing will happen between Crash Bandicoot 2 and 3). Feel free to discuss the games in this thread until then. theenglishman fucked around with this message at 15:07 on Aug 6, 2021 |
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Aug 6, 2021 15:02
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Chimera-gui posted:I hate the mental image your bullshitting at the end of 9-2 has put in my head. I hope it was of Crash dressed up as Hatsune Miku.
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Aug 7, 2021 03:52
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Crash Bandicoot was charming, interesting and occasionally fun. But now, we're getting to the good poo poo. Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back was first released for the PlayStation on Halloween 1997, a little over a year after the first game. It is a huge improvement in almost every way: better graphics, level design, pacing, a brand-new level structure, and even something resembling a story. Following his defeat at the end of the first game, Dr. Neo Cortex stumbles upon a stash of powerful crystals. One year later, in his rebuilt Cortex Vortex, he hatches a scheme to This is a 100% run, just like the first game. Updates on Saturdays or Sundays, depending on my schedule. CLICK HERE for the full playlist.
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Dec 12, 2021 04:31
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FoolyCharged posted:Yeah, it's the moon and some space debris. Because cortex in space. As a kid I thought it was a golf ball.
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Dec 12, 2021 21:41
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Pungry posted:All these updated graphics and I still have no clue what the thing the name of the game is on is supposed to be, or what crashed through it. The prerelease logo does a better job of showing off that it’s a moon: 
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Dec 13, 2021 01:11
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Rigged Death Trap posted:Crash 2 is imo the first real crash game. Thank you for bringing this up in the thread so I don’t have to rant about it in a future video!
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Dec 13, 2021 15:50
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It's the face that gets you in the end.
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Dec 18, 2021 15:42
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ThornBrain posted:Your voice sounded really loud and boomy, TEM. Might need to adjust your mic or EQ out some of that low end. The human voice doesn't need anything below 100 Hz. (Un?)fortunately we've got a backlog for the next four videos, but I'll experiment with my mixer and see what changes I can make in the future. Rigged Death Trap posted:Having the boulder jump the crates is a devious move by the devs. I think later boulder levels give you little leeway on mistakes so you have to keep every inch you outrun the boulder by to get the box gem. Caused me a lot of annoyance as a kid From what I can tell regarding the level design, that only applies to certain out-of-the-way boxes. I'm guessing Naughty Dog wanted to ensure there was some extra challenge for the box gem. I think the same thing applies to the triceratops in Crash 3. theenglishman fucked around with this message at 18:30 on Dec 19, 2021 |
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Dec 19, 2021 18:24
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Merry Crashmas everyone!
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Dec 25, 2021 15:04
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Kibayasu posted:Let me first acknowledge the absurdity of this statement but one thing I do feel is that the new Cortex voice just isn't as trustworthy as Clancy Brown and its just a little too obvious Cortex is going to betray you. Again, yes, I realize I'm talking about the person who played Byron Hadley, Lex Luthor, and Sergeant Zim. I mean it's not exactly the most dramatic plot twist in the world, is it? I agree that Clancy Brown's performance is better in this game but I do like Lex Lang's Cortex, in specific contexts. He's great at the comic-relief side of Cortex, the once-imposing mad scientist reduced to a lackey by other villains. Crash Twinsanity in particular is hilarious because Lex Lang does such a good job playing the miserable wimp to Crash. Once we get to Crash 3 and Cortex' bad case of Eggman Syndrome really starts to kick in, that's where I think Lang really shines.
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Dec 28, 2021 18:05
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Let's kick off 2022 with a bang. Or a crash, as it were.
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Jan 1, 2022 18:01
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Samovar posted:Reported for bear cruelty. 
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Jan 2, 2022 02:42
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Unique glitches! Live meme reactions! Dying polar bears! This update has it all.
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Jan 8, 2022 19:18
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achtungnight posted:Out of curiosity, have you beaten the Uncharted high score on the first game yet? I haven’t. I don’t have a PS4 or 5, nor have I played Uncharted 4 - I experienced it through ChipCheezum’s excellent LP from a few years ago.
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Jan 8, 2022 20:12
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Lulti posted:You COULD get those boxes on the platform surrounded by mines once you are on the jetboard at Air Crash. Oh poo poo, really? I gotta go back and see if I can do that, maybe add it as a bit of extra footage.
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Jan 10, 2022 18:49
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Jan 14, 2022 22:45
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