As a longtime fan of Crash Bandicoot, I can’t help but feel a deep sense of melancholy when I think about the projects that never came to fruition. The canceled spin-offs and sequels that could have breathed new life into our beloved marsupial’s adventures are a bitter pill to swallow.
Without a doubt, Crash Bandicoot is among the most prominent and identifiable characters in the realm of platforming video games. However, unlike many of his peers, this bandicoot hasn’t always had a smooth journey when it comes to delivering top-notch titles. Due to the shifting ownership of his rights, several potential Crash Bandicoot games have unfortunately been shelved over time.
Crash Bandicoot gained widespread recognition through his PlayStation 1 trilogy, but unfortunately, his story took a rocky turn after that. Over time, numerous developers introduced their concepts for new Crash Bandicoot games, only for them to remain unpublished. Here are some of the most intriguing projects from the past that we regret never got released.
8 Crush Bandicoot
A Wacky Sci-Fi Adventure With An Evil Doppelgänger
Magenta Software, a modestly sized British game developer, primarily focused on licensed games until it shut down in 2015. Notably, in 2004, they were among the contenders for creating a completely new Crash Bandicoot game. At that time, they proposed an intriguing idea to Vivendi Universal, titled simply as Crush Bandicoot.
Little is known today about this abandoned game project, which artist Andy J. Davis disclosed some years back. Fortunately, Crash Mania later archived it. The game’s primary appeal was its plan to introduce Crash Bandicoot’s villainous twin, Crush Bandicoot, along with a focus on sci-fi settings and zany vehicles. It certainly sounded enticing, but sadly the publisher declined the proposal.
7 Crash Bandicoot Evolution
An Ambitious Project That Was Ruined By The Release Of Ratchet & Clank
Crash Twinsanity is a popular title within the franchise for PlayStation 2, which is remarkable given it wasn’t created by Naughty Dog. The initial version of this quirky 3D platformer was significantly larger, more creative, and more daring, to the extent that it was seen as an entirely separate game known as Crash Bandicoot Evolution.
A group of developers who previously worked at Traveller’s Tales Oxford Studios shared details about an unannounced project during interviews with Crash Mania. Following the launch of Wrath of Cortex, they started developing this extensive space-themed adventure, combining platform and role-playing game aspects. The story revolved around the Evil Twins seizing Crash’s Island from Earth, with our marsupial hero determined to put a stop to their plans.
A substantial amount of time and energy was invested in the creation of Crash Bandicoot Evolution, making it a potentially remarkable chapter in Crash’s journey. The creators envisioned intriguing ideas for settings, characters, and even extraterrestrial species. Regrettably, when Insomniac launched Ratchet & Clank in 2003, Traveller’s Tales perceived the projects as too alike and opted to begin anew, resulting in the development of Crash Twinsanity. As a subtle nod, much of the concept art for Evolution can still be discovered within the bonus features of Twinsanity.
6 Crash Twinsanity 2
One Of The Franchise’s Most Popular Games Almost Got A Sequel
The surge in popularity of the game Twinsanity, while not anticipated, cannot be overlooked. It represented a refreshing change for the series, and the creative minds at Traveller’s Tales Oxford Studios devised numerous innovative concepts for potential sequels. Regrettably, one such follow-up never materialized, as confirmed by developer Keith Webb in a 2012 interview for Crash Mania.
The original game Crash Twinsanity was quite imaginative, and a potential sequel, titled Crash Twinsanity 2, could have pushed its creativity even further. In this hypothetical follow-up, Crash would find himself trapped inside a television and embarking on various levels inspired by popular themes and genres. These stages might include a Wild West setting, a classic black-and-white cartoon world, a cooking show starring Rusty Walrus, a medical drama, and more. This concept echoes the Gex series, but unfortunately, Universal declined it, along with several other related projects.
5 Crash Clash Racing
The Original Version Of Tag Team Racing Was A Twinsanity Sequel
Back in the days, I was thrilled when I heard about a potential sequel concept called “Crash Clash Racing” from Traveller’s Tales Oxford Studios, following the success of their smashing hit game. What made this project intriguing is that its story would have continued directly from where “Twinsanity” left off – an unusual twist for a racing spin-off, which definitely kept me on my toes!
Once more, Paul Gardner and Keith Webb disclosed the existence of a game titled “Crash Clash Racing” to Crash Mania. This unreleased game showcased an intriguing concept: the merging of vehicles belonging to two different characters. Unfortunately, Vivendi Universal decided to terminate this project, but instead passed on the development to Radical Entertainment. They incorporated many of these ideas into their 2005 racing game, “Crash Tag Team Racing”.
4 Cortex Chaos/The All-New Cortex Show
A Game Full Of Brilliant Ideas, Starring The Main Villain Of The Franchise
Among the numerous concepts born from the popularity of Twinsanity, none captures the imagination quite like the project referred to as both Cortex Chaos and The New Cortex Spectacle. This endeavor, if realized, would undoubtedly be a thrilling spectacle for fans, given Neo Cortex’s charismatic nature as a humorous villain. After all, an adventure centering around him would have been nothing short of captivating entertainment.
Through a discussion with Paul Gardner on the YouTube channel DidYouKnowGaming, they uncovered some intriguing design plans for an unannounced project. Interestingly, there were not one but two unique concepts proposed for this project, each offering innovative gameplay elements that could have significantly enhanced the gaming experience.
1. In the first idea, referred to as “The Trials of Cortex,” Cortex would stand trial for his past mistakes at the hands of other villainous doctors from the series. To prove his wickedness, he’d need to conquer various obstacles using an array of devices and weapons. The second idea was called “Clones of Cortex.” In this scenario, Cortex would manufacture numerous tiny replicas of himself known as Duplets. Managing these duplicates would resemble games such as Lemmings or Pikmin. Regrettably, both ingenious concepts were turned down by Vivendi Universal due to the underwhelming sales of Crash Twinsanity, and they opted to focus on other ventures and creative teams instead.
3 Crash Landed
A Promising Reboot That Could Have Saved Crash During The 2010s
In the late 2000s, games like Crash of the Titans and Mind Over Mutant received mixed reviews, leading developer Radical Entertainment to promptly start work on a new game set for release on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, which were state-of-the-art next-generation HD consoles at the time. This upcoming title was called Crash Landed, but unfortunately, it was eventually canceled, leaving fans disappointed for years.
This game, titled “Crash Landed,” was initially planned as a full reboot for the franchise, unveiled during one of the longest dry spells in the series’ history around 2013. The reboot aimed to delve into Crash’s origins with fresh, expressive designs and a whimsical art style. In terms of gameplay, there was a strong emphasis on various tools and gadgets such as jetpacks or guns that Crash could craft by combining items found in the open-world environment. The map design was even reminiscent of “Twinsanity,” offering a semi-open world experience.
It appears that the game “Crash Landed” did not make it to release. After two years of development by several artists, Activision bought Sierra Entertainment, leading to significant job losses at Radical Entertainment and ultimately canceling “Crash Landed”. Various unused concept art, animations, press materials, and even a demo for a Nintendo DS port were discovered later, suggesting that there was quite a bit of work done on the game before it was scrapped.
2 Crash Team Racing (2010)
Crash Landed Almost Got Its Own Kart Racing Spin-Off
It’s clear that Radical Entertainment held great expectations for the game Crash Landed reviving Crash’s popularity, as they were already planning a racing spin-off titled Crash Team Racing, even before the project was fully developed. This spin-off, named after the original PlayStation 1 racing game from 1999, was initially developed by High Impact Games and incorporated elements and characters from Crash Landed.
2010’s version of Crash Team Racing was planned to have the same visual style as Crash Landed, offer fast-paced racing gameplay with customizable vehicles, and feature popular characters like Crash, Dingodile, Polar, and a newcomer named Land Shark. This looked incredibly entertaining and could have strengthened fans’ connection to this unseen reboot of the marsupial. Unfortunately, both 2010’s Crash Team Racing and its companion game were canceled, leading many to speculate that they were transformed into Dreamworks Superstar Kartz. However, an anonymous developer hinted to Crash Mania that the new kart racer starring Crash was intended to be far more expansive in scope compared to what eventually came out.
1 Crash Bandicoot 5
The Success Of Crash 4 Was Not Enough To Greenlight A Crossover With Spyro The Dragon
Video game reporter Liam Robertson recently unveiled the existence of Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, which turned out to be a smashing hit both critically and commercially. Consequently, Toys For Bob started working on two fresh projects – an idea for a multiplayer game (eventually known as Crash Team Rumble) and a potential sequel to Crash 4, temporarily named Crash Bandicoot 5.
This game is heavily influenced by “Twinsanity” and would have been set within Madame Amberly’s Academy of Evil. The design concept resembles “Psychonauts,” where Crash Bandicoot was intended to venture into the minds of famous villains such as Cortex, N. Gin, or Tiny Tiger. This exploration would have uncovered their origins in imaginative and innovative levels. What makes “Crash Bandicoot 5” particularly intriguing is that it would have served as a fusion with the “Spyro the Dragon” series, as Uka Uka was planning to utilize a device to travel to Spyro’s dimension and seize control of the Dragon Elders in that universe.
In essence, the video game franchises, Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon, have long been desired by fans to collaborate on a genuine platforming adventure. This idea held immense potential for success. However, Activision’s ambitious sales targets for Crash 4 and their recent preference towards live-service games caused them to dismiss Toys For Bob’s ingenious concept. As a result, the studio faced significant layoffs, and the surviving team shifted their focus to Crash Team Rumble and providing support for the development of Call Of Duty: Warzone.
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2024-08-29 17:07