What are your fondest memories of Crash Bandicoot? (Sony Interactive Entertainment/Metro) As Crash Bandicoot turns 30, fans are sharing what they love about the series and GameCentral is trying to explain why it disappeared from release schedules. In the ’90s, Crash Bandicoot was one of the PlayStation’s biggest mascots, rivaling the likes of Nintendo’s Super Mario and Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog. But while Mario and Sonic remain household names and continue to headline new games – and even become Hollywood movie stars – Crash sadly languishes in video game limbo. He remains relevant enough to make occasional appearances, such as a guest appearance in Fortnite, but rarely manages to become a star. At 30 years old, Crash was probably lucky to be recognized in 2026, because if it weren’t for ’90s nostalgia, current owner Activision might well have driven him into obscurity long ago. To its credit, the Crash Bandicoot series certainly remains an active audience. Not only do we have a strong following among Metro employees, but the franchise has seen remarkable success in recent years. The 2017 Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, consisting of updated remasters of the original PlayStation games, brought Crash back into the spotlight and sold at least 20 million copies, more than any single game in the series. Expert exclusive game analysis Register for GameCentral Newsletter for a unique look at game week, plus the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. You have to assume that Crash has gained a lot of new fans thanks to these remasters, even despite some of their old-school features and sometimes infuriating difficulty spikes. This was certainly enough for Activision to greenlight a remake of the Mario Kart clone Crash Team Racing, and then eventually an all-new sequel in the form of Crash Bandicoot 4 – which was well received and clearly meant to be a fresh start for the franchise. Late night games The first Crash Bandicoot was so memorable to me because it was my first real platformer experience since Sonic… but in 3D! It’s a test of my patience that I wasn’t always prepared for, but it only made finally beating a difficult level all the more rewarding. Sometimes I would get up at 5am, determined to finish the level that had beaten me the night before, without letting him win. The game also had a real sense of seriousness and adventure; each island felt like another chapter waiting to be explored, and I was always wondering what the next one would hold for me. Then there were those unforgettable moments of running away from boulders that immediately reminded me of the moose level in Mickey Mania on Mega Drive. For me, this wasn’t just a platformer – it was a true adventure that tested my patience, curiosity, and determination in equal measure. Miles Good – Image Editor Crash really felt like he was back with the N. Sane Trilogy (Activision). However, that was back in 2020, and the only project since then has been the low-profile multiplayer spin-off Crash Team Rumble, which Actvision quickly abandoned. Unfortunately, the new platformer Crash was planned as a Spyro The Dragon crossover, but was abandoned due to low sales of Crash Bandicoot 4. How bad were sales? Well, according to one of the Toys For Bob employees, it has sold over five million copies as of 2024, which is more than any other PlayStation 1 game and well above the level at which most other games would be considered a hit. However, it is much smaller than N. Sane’s trilogy, which very clearly indicates the influence of nostalgia. It’s unknown what the budget for Crash Bandicoot 4 was, but the problem likely isn’t that it wasn’t profitable, but that the profits weren’t worth Activision’s troubles. This is a common problem among all major Western publishers, where if a game doesn’t have the potential to be a massive hit and sell tens of millions, they simply don’t think it’s worth bothering with, no matter how good the game is or how profitable it might be on a smaller scale. Bandicoot Invaders I was completely mesmerized on screen as this little orange guy caught rogue turtles and jumped over flowers with shark teeth. I’ve never seen such a detailed video game before; my only experience was the 2D versions of Space Invaders in the arcades. When I asked for a PlayStation for Christmas, I had two games on my console: Rayman and the original Crash Bandicoot. Although jumping on huge fruits and hitting piranhas was a laugh, my game was Crash and I spent hours playing it. A few years ago, a friend said he still had the game in his attic, and a group of friends and I spent hours acclimatizing with Crash. Turns out it’s just as fun now as it was almost 30 years ago, although my hand-eye coordination now leaves a lot to be desired! Joshua Helm – freelance reporter Crash 4 was a very authentic continuation of the 90s games, but that also made it a little old fashioned (Activision). That’s why every publisher is happy to spend hundreds of millions trying to create the next Fortnite, but refuses to pay a tenth for a game with more modest ambitions. The problem for Crash Bandicoot fans is that Activision is clearly worse in this regard, having long ago given up publishing almost anything other than Call Of Duty. However, there is still hope thanks to the fact that Activision won’t soon forget that they sold 20 million copies of the game just by remaking some old PS1 games. Late last year, there were rumors and theories about another Crash racing game and Netflix show, but unfortunately there was no confirmation of their existence. Next generation platformer I’ve always liked my games to be simple and straightforward. Growing up during the Sega-Nintendo era, I was always happiest gaming when I played a good, easy platformer that usually featured a cartoon character you could really root for. So when PlayStation came on the scene, bringing Crash Bandicoot with it, of course I was immediately invested in it. For me it took platforming to the next level, from the vibrant visuals and graphics to the memorable characters, Crash’s escape from Dr. Neo Cortex still lives in my head. This is one of the few games I actually managed to beat, largely because I spent too many Saturday nights playing it late into the evening instead of having a social life. Yes, it really was that exciting. Caroline Westbrook – Audience Writer However, developer Toys For Bob is working on a new installment in spin-off series Spyro The Dragon after splitting from Activision. The remaster of Spyro’s own trilogy has sold an impressive 11 million copies, although unless the new game Spyro: A Realm Beyond becomes a mega-hit, it’s likely that the franchise will also be mothballed. There’s no point trying to figure out why Activision seems to think Spyro can do better than Crash, but perhaps it’s symbolic of a broader problem with publishers’ reliance on nostalgia and their expectation that these old projects will somehow be more popular now than they were 30 years ago. Perhaps Crash’s best chance at the moment is if he gets a new movie or TV deal, which would raise his profile and encourage Activision to try again (though that hasn’t really helped other franchises like Castlevania and Sonic the Hedgehog). Crash Bandicoot may never reach the same heights of popularity it had in the ’90s or make a billion dollars, but it does deserve better treatment from Activision and a new game that will please all of its many remaining fans. 26 years of Crash Bash Crash Bandicoot isn’t just the catalyst for a few broken PlayStation controllers, it’s also responsible for some of my favorite childhood, teenage, and, yes, adult memories. In fact, as recently as last week, my wife and I were having one of our semi-regular bouts in the Polar Push mini-game in Crash Bash. The main three PS1 games are incredibly difficult, and I lost count of the number of times I fell into a pit from that crazy broken bridge, accidentally spun a spiny turtle, and felt my heart skip a beat when an underwater level appeared. I’ve spent half my life jumping on 10 boxes of wumpa fruit and I wouldn’t change a thing. As friends kept up with the times and explored more modern releases, I likely missed out on some absolute fireworks as Crash and his trusty Aku Aku mask kept pulling me back. My favorite character? Doctor Neo Cortex, of course. We all love it when the hapless villain is constantly humiliated. If the 30th anniversary doesn’t give us a new record – or at least a Crash Bash reissue – then I won’t be a happy bandicoot. Duncan Lindsay – Editorial Manager and Series/Drama Editor 30 years later and the demand for Crash (MobyGames) is still decent. Send an email to gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To make it easier to send inboxes and Reader features without having to send an email, simply use our Submit Stuff page here. More stories like this can be found on our Games page. 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