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CRASH BANDICOOT XS (GBA)
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a.k.a. Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure
Publisher: Universal Interactive. Developer: Vicarious Visions. Released: May 2002 (Europe). Genre: 2D platformer. Posted 24th November 2023. By Tom Clare © 2023 |
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Whilst Naughty Dog’s nineties platforming trilogy remains a cornerstone of many gamers’ early-3D nostalgia, Crash Bandicoot XS isn’t remembered with the same clarity or reverence. This is understandable and, despite Vicarious Visions’ stellar efforts, an unfortunate by-product of having to move forward a brand whose most innovative and eye-catching moments had passed. Alongside Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex, XS represented an uncertain transition period for the series without its original developer.
XS, or The Huge Adventure as it was known in North America, marked a rare bright spot for the series during a decade that would see the adventures of its titular marsupial decline in terms of quality and market relevance, despite radical changes to the formula along the way. It’s easy to forget that XS marked a big step for the series: its first outing on a non-PlayStation system, its first on a portable platform and its first as a 2D platformer. It’s a lot better than you might think.
Whilst Naughty Dog’s nineties platforming trilogy remains a cornerstone of many gamers’ early-3D nostalgia, Crash Bandicoot XS isn’t remembered with the same clarity or reverence. This is understandable and, despite Vicarious Visions’ stellar efforts, an unfortunate by-product of having to move forward a brand whose most innovative and eye-catching moments had passed. Alongside Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex, XS represented an uncertain transition period for the series without its original developer.
XS, or The Huge Adventure as it was known in North America, marked a rare bright spot for the series during a decade that would see the adventures of its titular marsupial decline in terms of quality and market relevance, despite radical changes to the formula along the way. It’s easy to forget that XS marked a big step for the series: its first outing on a non-PlayStation system, its first on a portable platform and its first as a 2D platformer. It’s a lot better than you might think.
Into-the-screen shooting sequences show off the GBA's capabilities to surprisingly good effect
Flamboyant antagonist Neo Cortex is up to his old tricks, building a Planetary Minimizer to shrink the Earth to the size of a grapefruit. Coco Bandicoot believes that if her hyperactive brother can collect 20 crystals, she’ll be able to build a counter device and save humanity. It’s unlikely many players were excited specifically for the game’s story, but all the same, it’s a shame the brief narrative, told in stills, feels so perfunctory. Character and humour have always been important, and this is perhaps one of the few areas that was noticeably stymied by the Game Boy Advance hardware, as voicing in this instance might have added some personality. Cortex in particular is almost always on hand with some great lines, and the game is missing some of his sass.
That’s not to say Vicarious Visions didn’t give it a good shot, however. Whilst XS doesn’t possess the production values of the home console outings, the gameplay still carries with it a sense of fun and personality. There are a few nice, death-specific animations should Crash find himself bested by a specific trap or foes. Seeing the bandicoot ballooning in size after hitting a pufferfish is a definite highlight. There are also a number of nifty moves to unlock, including Crash’s bellyslam and sprint, which offer new ways of tackling certain sections.
That’s not to say Vicarious Visions didn’t give it a good shot, however. Whilst XS doesn’t possess the production values of the home console outings, the gameplay still carries with it a sense of fun and personality. There are a few nice, death-specific animations should Crash find himself bested by a specific trap or foes. Seeing the bandicoot ballooning in size after hitting a pufferfish is a definite highlight. There are also a number of nifty moves to unlock, including Crash’s bellyslam and sprint, which offer new ways of tackling certain sections.
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Fans will feel at home straight away. What’s most impressive is how successfully Vicarious Visions managed to capture the vibe of the series, both in terms of the feel of the gameplay and also the challenge. The result is an moreish sequence of tricky platform levels. As well as replicating the satisfying crate-smashing and apple-accumulating sound effects of the earlier titles, signature jaunty music sets the tone really nicely, and it isn’t long before the game is throwing zany variety your way. Jungle levels evocative of the 1996 original, slippery snowscapes in the mould of Cortex Strikes Back and tricky space stations like those seen in Warped, and these are just the platforming bits. You’d think the switch to 2D might change the nature of the game somewhat, but it’s a great fit. There are plenty of deaths to endure, but despite the apparent unfairness of some of Crash’s demises, this rarely discourages the player from returning for more fun and punishment.
Vicarious Visions successfully implemented a couple of non-uniform playing styles into the mix. Firstly, there are some surprisingly decent Space Harrier-esque, into-the-screen shooting that see Crash blasting planes and Zepplins. Though it’s fair to say the three instances of this trope don’t really develop (instead simply running a little longer each time), they make for a strong showcase of the Advance’s 3D capabilities, running smoothly with a fair amount of action and with reasonable scaling. Then there are the underwater levels, which grant Crash a little more freedom of movement and, with a litany of underwater foes, make for a fun foray, even if they can seem a little sparse at times.
Vicarious Visions successfully implemented a couple of non-uniform playing styles into the mix. Firstly, there are some surprisingly decent Space Harrier-esque, into-the-screen shooting that see Crash blasting planes and Zepplins. Though it’s fair to say the three instances of this trope don’t really develop (instead simply running a little longer each time), they make for a strong showcase of the Advance’s 3D capabilities, running smoothly with a fair amount of action and with reasonable scaling. Then there are the underwater levels, which grant Crash a little more freedom of movement and, with a litany of underwater foes, make for a fun foray, even if they can seem a little sparse at times.
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The retention of the hub layout proves an excellent decision. With the exception of an adapted version later employed in XS’s GBA sequel Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced, this would be the last game to make use of the brilliant setup. Each world consists of five levels, and once the player has beaten them in any order they see fit, a boss fight becomes available. Beat the bad guy, and five more levels become available, and so on. Each level offers ample replay value, with additional gems awarded for smashing all the crates, which encourages exploration and combing over the levels for secret bits you might have missed the first time around. Then there are the much-loved (and feared) time trials. These are a speed runner's dream, with different grades of relic awarded depending on the completion time and crates occasionally alloted a time value, so it’s up to the player to work out whether they should go out of their way to smash a 2-second crate. Given that there are no checkpoints and you have to finish the level quickly with one life, this is an appetising challenge for those who’ve beaten the story and perhaps represents the game at its most potently addictive.
There are one or two small gripes, but nothing ruinous. The last boss is a little underwhelming, the jump responses a little suspect at times and levels aren’t able to maintain the whirlwind of creativity and variety in the second half of the game, falling back on ideas showcased earlier on. They’re still enjoyable though, with a difficulty curve that allows for trickier, more involved levels towards the end. Its four worlds comprise 20 levels, whereas most Crash games weigh in at five worlds and 25. This remains a pretty decent accumulation for a handheld title of the time, buoyed by its addictive nature and strong replayability factor.
There are one or two small gripes, but nothing ruinous. The last boss is a little underwhelming, the jump responses a little suspect at times and levels aren’t able to maintain the whirlwind of creativity and variety in the second half of the game, falling back on ideas showcased earlier on. They’re still enjoyable though, with a difficulty curve that allows for trickier, more involved levels towards the end. Its four worlds comprise 20 levels, whereas most Crash games weigh in at five worlds and 25. This remains a pretty decent accumulation for a handheld title of the time, buoyed by its addictive nature and strong replayability factor.
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Despite the switch to 2D, much of the feel, challenge and moreishness of Naughty Dog's outings is recaptured here
Crash’s first venture into the world of portable gaming should be remembered as a success, condensing much of the series’ attributes to work effectively in a portable environment. There are a few small trade-offs, mainly on the presentation side, but on the whole, XS remains a fine showcase for the Game Boy Advance. Those who missed it first time around will enjoy a surprisingly effective transition to 2D platforming.
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VERDICT
"Vicarious Visions managed to capture the vibe of the series, both in terms of the feel of the gameplay and the challenge... Those who missed it first time around will enjoy a surprisingly effective transition to 2D platforming." OVERALL: 8/10 |
OTHER CRASH BANDICOOT GAMES REVIEWED
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back (1997, PlayStation)
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Crash Bandicoot Fusion (2004, Game Boy Advance)
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