Crash Bandicoot games are part of why I love gaming so much. The wumpa-loving marsupial had a huge role in my childhood – Crash is the first-ever game I played on my PlayStation. To top it off, to this day, Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped remains one of my favorite ever titles. But in a franchise that has as many games as this videogame icon, you can’t help but wonder, which ones are the best?
Well, you’ve come to the right place, as I went on a journey, one where I could hop, skip, jump, and spin my way through many levels to determine Crash’s finest outings. If Crash Bandicoot isn’t for you, please make your way over to our car games guide, where you’re in great company (we say great, but how great are you if you don’t like Crash Bandicoot?). Or, if you’re after more lighthearted fun, spin your way over to our lists of the best Disney games, Lego games, Zelda games, and Mario games.
These are our favorite Crash Bandicoot games from across the series:
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
First of all, you have to be N. Sane not to enjoy this delightful trilogy, it’s a throwback to your childhood, and the nostalgia it induces is real, albeit a little frustrating, as you ask yourself whether the games were always this difficult.
The first game in this collection is Crash Bandicoot, the title that started it all back in 1996, and is still known as one of the best platformers out there. In essence, Crash Bandicoot is PlayStation’s response to Sega’s Sonic and Nintendo’s Mario. Of course, while the trilogy was originally PS only, the remaster is on various platforms, because we should all get to experience the greatness. Besides, the first game has some memorable bosses, such as Pinstripe, and we all know how much I love a good boss.
The second game, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, takes everything that makes the first game good and builds upon it. For example, this is where the famous warp room makes its first appearance, the level design is so much more diverse, and Polar makes his debut. That last point is reason enough to play this game.
Finally, the last game in the trilogy is Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped, and it’s my favorite by a mile, so much so I don’t even mind when crocodiles eat me, mummies hug me, or when I lose my pants in Agrabah. The game sends you to different time periods, it has one of the best Crash levels ever, and Orient Express – you get to ride an adorable tiger, known as Pura, across the Great Wall of China, and if that doesn’t win you over, I think it’s time you left.
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
Start your engines for another fantastic Crash Bandicoot game, and what I consider to be the best kart racer out there – you can’t change my mind, don’t even try. The game is a remaster of the original CTR from 1999, but it also includes content from Crash Nitro Kart and Crash Tag Team Racing – games which funnily enough, appear later on in this list.
As with any spin-off kart racer, you get to select a character and take them through the campaign. However, unlike the original, you’ve got customization options in Nitro-Fueled, and can switch between characters, vehicles, and racing styles at any time. Now get out there, and make them all eat your dust.
If you’re after similar games, make sure you pull over to our lists of the best Switch racing games.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
Well, upon the release of this game in 2020, all I could think was, ‘it’s about time,’ the wait for this title was long. Yes, I enjoy the N. Sane trilogy and CTR Nitro-Fueled, but the need for a fresh Crash Bandicoot adventure was strong, and finally, thanks to Toys for Bob, the marsupial got another outing, and what a treat it is. By treat, I mean a rage-inducing experience that makes you question whether the game is harder than the originals, or if it’s your gaming skills deteriorating.
Since I refuse to accept that my gaming prowess is declining, it’s clearly the first option. However, the game’s difficulty is part of its appeal. Does this make me a hardcore gamer, a masochist, or a little bit of both? I’m not sure, but the incredible level design in Crash 4 certainly means it’s easier to work your way through the same environment over and over again. Oh, and how can I forget to mention the names of the levels like Ship Happens – it really does Crash, it really does.
Furthermore, the story does us all a favor, as it picks up from the end of Crash 3 Warped. That’s right. There was no new mainline Crash game between 1999 and 2020 – what a long and painful wait. Anyway, the story is fantastic, and not only do you get to play as Crash and Coco, but their archnemesis too, Dr Neo Cortex. The fact you can also play as Tawna and Dingodile is a bonus.
I do feel the need to give a little shout-out to Pura though, I don’t think I got to see enough of Polar either, but hey, at least the bear made an appearance. The tiger, meanwhile, is lost to the mists of time.
Crash Twinsanity
Of all the Crash games that could get the beauty treatment, I honestly think it should be Twinsanity. What a treat it would be to play this game on the go.
It’s bonkers. From the get-go, you follow Cortex as he parades around dressed as Coco – he’s so convincing that I honestly think he should consider a career in drag – then, when you finally reach him, you both go tumbling through a cave system, fighting all the way, and that sets the tone for the rest of the game.
Crash Twinsanity is as comedic as it is unconventional, with the gameplay, levels, characters, and soundtrack all playing a part in why it works so well. So, for my own sanity, give me Crash Twinsanity on Switch – I need it!
Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex
This PlayStation 2 entry into the Crash canon introduced one of my personal favorite characters, Crunch Bandicoot. This jacked bandicoot is Cortex’s creation in an attempt to defeat Crash once and for all, but of course, this doesn’t work.
You play as Crash and his sister, Coco, traveling the world and saving people from a series of natural disasters. Nowadays, we’d probably put these extreme weather events down to global warming, but in this case, they’re caused by the evil Elemental masks. Hunt them down and send them back to sleep to save the world and free our new friend Crunch from Cortex’s grasp.
Crash Nitro Kart
Every good series needs a racing game, and I think they work a lot better when they’re portable. Crash Nitro Kart brought the simple joy of racing and beating your friends to the Game Boy Advance, so you could do it anywhere you fancied. In fact, when it came out, the Game Boy version received the best reviews, so take that, console purists!
As with most racing games like this, you get to play as Crash and the gang and race around various iconic locations from the games, collecting Wumpa fruits and using power-ups to boost your way into first place. Nitro Kart also featured Team Race for co-op action and plenty of time trial challenges.
Crash Tag Team Racing
Another racing game, but this time it’s on the PSP and has a cool new gimmick – clashing. In a similar fashion to Mario Kart’s Double Dash, Crash Tag Team Racing adds an element of teamwork to the kart racer, letting you merge with other players and take control of massive turrets to ward off incoming projectiles and attack your opponents.
The best parts of Crash Tag Team Racing were added to CTR Nitro-Fueled, but it’s still nice to experience the original every once in a while, especially as the PSP is a little easier to carry around than a Nintendo Switch.
There you have it, the best Crash Bandicoot games according to us. If you’re after similar titles, hop, skip, and jump your way over to our list of the best Switch platformers – or don’t, we can’t tell you what to do. If we could, every member of the PT crew would like the marsupial in shorts.