crash bandicoot
Latest
Activision studio Toys for Bob is going independent after sweeping Xbox layoffs
Activision studio Toys for Bob has announced its becoming an independent entity. This is happening after sweeping layoffs impacted 86 employees.
Crash Bandicoot mobile game is 'On the Run' to an early grave
The Android and iOS title 'Crash Bandicoot: On the Run' will shut down for good on February 16th, 2023.
'Crash Bandicoot 4' is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Switch in March
From his glorious origins on the first PlayStation, beloved orange furball Crash Bandicoot has leapt to most major gaming platforms in a nostalgia-fueled revival that shows no signs of slowing down. Now in his 25th year, the zany marsupial is heading to the PS5, the Xbox Series X and S and the Nintendo Switch on March 12th with the release of Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. Next-gen console owners can expect more striking visuals when the game is cranked up to native 4K and 60 FPS on the PS5 and Xbox Series X, and an upscaled 4K/60 FPS on Xbox Series S. Additional features on the new PlayStation include haptic feedback via the DualSense controllers and extra guidance by way of onscreen Activity Cards.
Crash Bandicoot is landing on Android and iOS devices in spring 2021
When King revealed that it’s working on a Crash Bandicoot game for mobile in July, it didn’t have a release date for the title yet. Now, the developer behind the game (and Candy Crush) has announced that Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! Sure, that’s not an exact release date, but you now at least have an idea of when you can start spinning and sliding across Crash levels on your phone.
Candy Crush creators bring Crash Bandicoot to iOS and Android
It's a good year to be a Crash Bandicoot fan. Not only is Toys For Bob working on a direct sequel to the original, PS1-era games for a fall release -- you'll also be able to steer him through an endless runner for iOS and Android before long. Granted, we don't know exactly when Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!
'Crash Bandicoot 4' will be revealed tomorrow at 11AM ET
'Crash Bandicoot 4' will be announced on June 22nd at 11AM Eastern, although leaks have spilled some of the details.
"Crash Bandicoot" creator comments on Cataclysm's problems and the evolution of WoW
I didn't see this until recently, but I'm really glad I did. Andy Gavin, the co-creator of Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter, ran a series between the end of November and mid-January examining WoW, its four expansions, and how each of them succeeded or failed through both personal and professional eyes. His particular focus is the endgame in each and how it worked to attract and retain players -- or, in some cases, didn't. While there's certainly been no shortage of player commentary on how WoW's developed, Gavin's experience as a game developer who's not involved with Blizzard is a pretty unique perspective. I found his article on Cataclysm to be particularly adept at putting into words a lot of things I felt but had difficulty articulating. Most of the expansion's developmental time had to go into a revamped leveling process that few people saw unless they wanted to level a new alt. The content at 85 that greeted more casual players got bottlenecked in a series of difficult heroics that frustrated players dropped constantly. Personally, I still consider Cataclysm to have been a necessary expansion -- it did a lot of stuff that Blizzard had to do for the game even if it wasn't as eye-catching as what BC and Wrath did -- but I think Gavin's assessment is accurate and measured. (And many of Blizzard's own observations aren't all that different.) Funnily enough, with lots of people leveling new monks in Mists of Pandaria, more people might be seeing Cataclysm content now than they did during the expansion that was actually dedicated to it. I've linked Gavin's full series here. While it's long, it's an incredibly interesting and detailed read: WoW's endgame: Vanilla WoW's endgame: The Burning Crusade WoW's endgame: Wrath of the Lich King WoW's endgame: Cataclysm WoW at present: Mists of Pandaria
Renegade Kid's lost Crash Bandicoot DS prototype revealed
Prolific DS/3DS developer Renegade Kid made a demo for a Crash Bandicoot DS game years ago. The test for Crash Landed was done in 2008 or 2009 for publisher Activision, according to Nintendo World Report's source, but the game was not picked up. Several Crash games were made for DS, but this was not one of them.Now, for the first time, video of the unfinished (barely started!) demo has surfaced on YouTube. Renegade Kid co-founder Jools Watsham verified the existence of the demo, calling the video "a blast from the past" and revealing that the demo took two weeks to make.
Rumor: Cancelled 'Crash Team Racing 2010' screenshots surface on YouTube
If we're to believe it, that video up there contains a series of screenshots from a cancelled sequel to (or reboot of) Crash Team Racing, Naughty Dog and SCE's 1999 kart racer set in the Crash Bandicoot universe.As the story goes, Crash Team Racing 2010 was in development at High Impact Games, even getting so far as to enter its beta testing phase, until Activision shut down production for unknown reasons. The simplified UI design and somewhat minimalistic graphic style, along with High Impact's history as a mobile developer, seem to point to CTR2010 having been a PSP title, assuming it actually existed.We've reached out to High Impact for a statement on its involvement either way.[Thanks, Allen!]
Rumor: Sony working on a Smash Bros-esque fighter featuring Sony all-stars
The hat of "Sony Mascot" has been worn by many, many different critters and folk since the days of Crash Bandicoot and, uh, Croc. In fact, Sony's stable of lovable household names is so fully stocked that they've decided to pit their creations against one another to determine who lives and who dies. Okay so, that last part might be a little hyperbolic, but the rumor mill is operating at full capacity over Title Fight, a Super Smash Bros.-ish cross-franchise brawler reportedly in development at SuperBot Entertainment, according to The Paul Gale Network. If rumors are to be believed, the game will feature a cast of Sony-console specific characters like Nathan Drake, Sweet Tooth, Sly Cooper, that guy from Killzone and Fat Princess. Fights will take place in various Sony related locations such as Sandover Village or a golf course from Hot Shots Golf. The gallery of images below, which shows Sweet Tooth, a blank female form that may or may not be Heavenly Sword's Nariko and a debug screen that mentions Kratos, were tweeted (and subsequently deleted) by SuperBot Entertainment's senior level designer Chris Molina. Apparently, this hullabaloo is also what that franchise-rich teaser trailer from September was all about, which would also indicate the inclusion of Parappa the Rapper, as well as a representative from FOXHOUND. If all this pans out, Title Fight will be the latest in a long, proud history of SCEA-published fighting games like Battle Arena Toshinden and Cardinal Syn. We'll keep our ear to the ground for more as this story develops.%Gallery-140432%
Crash Bandicoot creator ruminates on the old days
Don't be surprised if you see America's Favorite Marsupial (after Kangaroo Jack) tooling around on the highways and byways of this great land. That's right: Crash Bandicoot is old enough to get his learner's permit. To mark the big guy's 15th birthday, co-creator Andy Gavin took to his blog to share some memories of Crash's early days, naked baby photos, as it were. Our personal favorite is Gavin's story of trying to conduct an intensely technical conversation with Ken Kutaragi while (1) "pretty drunk" and (2) shouting over ear-splittingly loud music. It's a lot of fun, as are some of the Crash-centric memories readers have posted in the comments. ... And hey, while we're thinking about it, if you should happen to see Crash Bandicoot driving around, you should be wicked surprised, contrary to our intro. He's not only fictional, he's a bandicoot. It's an extremely unsafe situation that should probably reported to local law enforcement. Sorry for being so irresponsible.
Sony support site leaks S1 and S2 tablet screens, may run Honeycomb 3.2 (update: pulled!)
Ready to shed a little light on those baffling tablet teasers? Well, it looks like someone over at the company's eSupport site uploaded a troubleshooting doc for the yet-to-be released S1 and S2 tablets, and we have the leaked screens to prove it. Listed under the very helpful heading of "How to find the Android Honeycomb operating system version installed on this tablet," conflicting pics of the "About tablet" screen point to both a 3.1 and 3.2 software destiny. Also on board for this illicit peek, is a shot of the slates' space-tastic homescreen, in addition to its app drawer where we can clearly see bundled Sony apps like Chumby, Crash Bandicoot and Crackle. While we're inclined to believe Honeycomb's latest and greatest will ship on the pair of black beauties, the site offered no other confirmation of the OS goods. Head on past the break for an extended look, and place your bets in comments below. Update: The page has been removed from Sony's site.
Sony Ericsson Xperia Play review
The PlayStation Phone. We've had quite the intimate history with this gamepad-equipped slider, learning of its secretive existence way back in August and then handling a prototype unit in January, so you'll forgive us for feeling sentimental and still entertaining our pet name for it. The Sony Ericsson marketing gurus renamed it the Xperia Play when it finally went official at MWC this year, but the PlayStation connection remains as strong as ever. Aside from the D-pad, iconic game keys, and two touchpads, this device comes with a little app named PlayStation Pocket, which will be serving up dollops of classic PlayStation One gaming to all those with a taste for it. Yes, the Sony influence is strong with this one, and the Android Market will be joining the fun with Xperia Play-optimized titles from third-party developers. So all we really need to know now is whether the Android smartphone underpinning this smash-bang fusion of old and new school entertainment happens to be any good. Shall we get Started? %Gallery-119806%
Naughty Dog's Evan Wells reflects on the studio's evolution, and online-enabled future
Uncharted developer Naughty Dog has managed to become one of the premiere first-party development teams at PlayStation over the past fifteen years. Each consecutive release has garnered more attention for the studio, and Uncharted 2's multiple Game of the Year awards have made the studio the envy of the industry. Evan Wells recently talked with us about the benefits of working with Sony and the advantages that being a first-party studio offers. "It's a great place to be," Wells said. "We have a great relationship with Sony, and it's wonderful to have the backing of a major company and a platform holder -- it does give us a lot of opportunity to take risks, and build some pretty massive games. But we also have the independence and the confidence from Sony to be able to drive our own creative decisions, and pursue the direction that fits our company culture the best." The closure of development studios has become an all too common trend in the recent years -- with game budgets reaching eight-digit figures, the risks are significantly high. But Wells doesn't foresee an end of independent gaming. "I don't think it will ever swing completely one way or another. There's always going to be a mix. You see some really amazing games being developed by these first-party, publisher-owned studios. But you also see some amazing independent games, as well. I think it's always going to be a mix. I don't think it's going to become predominantly one way or another."
Report: Jason Rubin's Iron and the Maiden sued by ... Iron Maiden [UPDATE]
When former Naughty Dog chief Jason Rubin rolled out of bed this morning, we imagine he had a lot on his mind: What cereal to eat, what paper to read, and, oh yeah, how best to deal with lawyers representing Iron Maiden. According to online rag TMZ, the aging metal band has filed suit against Rubin's comic book company, Iron and the Maiden LLC, for what the site describes as using a "confusingly similar" name. We admit we were befuddled at first too; after all, who knew that Iron Maiden was even still around?Rubin, who has not yet responded to Joystiq's inquiry on the matter, is best recognized in gaming circles as the face behind Crash Bandicoot and Jak and Daxter. Lately, however, his energies have been spent elsewhere after leaving game development in 2004 for social media, comics and the greener pastures of Web 2.0. Still, judging by Iron Maiden's catalog of album covers, we're not sure how any of this could have prepared him for facing down a gang of haggard rockers and what we imagine to be a throng of undead legal counsel. Update: A spokesperson representing both Jason Rubin and his companies, Iron and the Maiden LLC and Morgan Rose LLC, sent over an official response to the lawsuit this evening, calling the whole case "completely without merit." The complete statement can be read after the break.
Xbox 'deal of the week': Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex for $10
Paragraph of professional obligation: Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex is this week's "Deal of the Week" from Microsoft. The Xbox Original is available to Gold Members for 800 ($10), 33 percent off its normal price.Paragraph of professional facepalm: Microsoft, please cease and desist using the term "deal" until company representatives speak with Valve and learn the true definition. Steam does deals -- real deals! These Xbox deals border on insulting and take the metro around fail town.[Add Crash Bandicoot to your download queue]
Crash Bandicoot is top billing ... on iPhone
Apple has released some data regarding the most downloaded applications from its App Store, which is celebrating its imminent one billionth download, reports GI.biz. Topping the list of most downloaded paid apps is none other than fallen console idol Crash Bandicoot's Nitro Kart 3D racing game. Other popular paid apps include classic time wasters like Bejeweled 2 and Tetris, as well as Enigmo, Moto Chaser and Flick Fishing.Heading up the most downloaded free games is Tap Tap Revenge. Curiously, Apple lists Tap Tap Revenge as the fourth most downloaded free app, behind Google Earth, Facebook and Pandora Radio. This is contrary to a report released by comScore last week claiming that Tap Tap Revenge was the most downloaded free app overall.Now, if you'll excuse us, we have start designing an iPhone game, like now.
Shipping this week: Earth shattering edition
We mean the headline literally, you see, because this week's marquee title (arguably) is Fracture. You may recall Fracture as the earth molding third person shooter from LucasArts. If you don't remember it -- and we wouldn't blame you -- there's a demo of the game available on Xbox Live Marketplace right now. We've also got a platformer, two basketball titles, and ... um ... Guilty Gear 2: Overture. All told, we have: Crash: Mind over Mutant NBA Live 2009 NBA 2K9 Guilty Gear 2: Overture Anyone out there planning to pick something up this week?[Via Joystiq]
DS Fanboy Interview: Griptonite's J.C. Connors on Spore Creatures and more
Spore has been much more than a game over the years - years! -- that we've been talking about it, and it's tough to produce a companion piece in the shadow of such an epic project. From the reception of Spore and the DS crony, it's sadly clear the two were destined to sink or swim together. But Spore Creatures deserves its own time in the sun, despite what you may have heard; for a handheld title, it's certainly ambitious, and the amazing development team at Griptonite Games has done more with less. Griptonite Games has worn several nametags in the past few years. When last we spoke with them, they were Amaze Entertainment, and their own identity as Griptonite was shelved. Now, Amaze is a part of Foundation 9 and the Griptonite name has been dusted off. In all the chaos of nomenclature, one thing has remained a constant: this little corner of the development world has been responsible for some real gems. We recently sat down with studio head J.C. Connors to discuss Spore Creatures, our Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night (GBA) withdrawals, and the unexpected excellence of Disney Friends (yeah, man, Disney Friends).DS Fanboy: Spore Creatures is an interesting companion to the main title. What can you tell us about the best aspects of the DS game?J.C. Connors: Hands down, the creature creator. It's one of the coolest features ever seen on the DS. Gallery: Spore Creatures #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; } NEXT >>
We ain't afraid of no ghosts, just cancellation
If there's something strange in your neighborhood, who ya gonna call? Ghostbust ... er ... well, maybe not.With the Blizzavision merger, a few Sierra titles (like Ghostbusters) may get the axe. When it comes to efficiency, Sierra has been deemed a "non-strategic business unit," which (we're sure we don't have to tell you) is not good. While the recently merged publisher reports that Sierra franchises like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro will be safe, the fate of Ghostbusters is still up in the air. Offering a bit of reassurance, Sierra claims, "[Ghostbusters] is not cancelled and will not be cancelled." Some words from the people with the money, though, would probably make us feel better.
