Chickaroo Reviews - Crash 2: Cortex Strikes Back (PS1)

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Chickaroo Reviews - Crash 2: Cortex Strikes Back (PS1)

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After the huge success the first Crash game was getting, fans were in need of a sequel to improve on the many things Crash has already started. And one year later, Crash is back! And so is Cortex..




Game: Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
Systems: PlayStation 1, PlayStation Network
Release Dates: PS1: 11/1/97 (NA), 12/6/97 (EU), 12/18/97 (JP)
PSN: 8/30/07 (JP), 1/10/08 (NA), 2/2/11 (EU)
Developers: Naughty Dog








The Revenge of Cortex
Story: Taking place right after the end of Crash Bandicoot, Cortex has been defeated and falls back down on an island below him in a cave. In the cave, he discovers crystals. He takes one back to his lab to examine it and discovers that they hold powers that could threaten the world.
Meanwhile, Crash and his sister Coco are hanging out. Coco tells crash that she needs a new battery for her laptop and he heads out to retrieve one. As he looks for one, he gets transported to a warp room. A hologram of Cortex’s face pops up and tells Crash that he needs to collect crystals for him. Coco’s hologram shows up and tries to warn Crash to not trust Cortex but she gets cut off too quickly. Now it’s up to Crash to collect crystals and stop Cortex for good.




This is Way Much Better!
Gameplay: My god has this game improved on the last game.
For starters, this game supports the analog stick (which is a great thing). Moving Crash in a 3D environment using a D-Pad was a pain. But if you happen to have a controller with an analog stick, then things will be a lot more fun.
Instead of being on 3 different islands, you’re in an ancient warp room with five levels per warp room. Each warp room has a theme to them in a sense. From the tropics to the cold ice to many more.
The goal of each level is to collect the pink crystal in the stage. Once you get all five in a warp room, you head to the boss. Boss fights are pretty easy and simple to do.
One thing that this game majorly improved on is the saving system. No more Tawna bonus rooms! All you have to do is walk up to the “Save / Load” screen in a warp room and you can save just like that! What a relief huh?
The levels themselves are more fast paced. Crash’s controls are nice and tight. And now that the analog stick is available, it’s easier to control Crash in a 3D environment.




Smoother and Even Better
Graphics: The graphics improved a whole lot too. Crash looks a lot better and has more animations to him. Characters have proper mouth movements and the enemies look more threatening than ever. It’s better than the first game’s graphics.




More of an Upbeat
Music: The soundtrack this time is even catchier and more upbeat as you go along your merry way through levels. It’s a nice listen.
Music is composed by Mark Mothersbaugh and Josh Mancell.




Better Than the First?
Overall: Crash 2 is a much better game than the first. Better gameplay, better graphics, just all around more fun than the first. It still offers a challenge and more to do. Even the voices are better. It’s just all around fun.




4/5
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