Crash Bandicoot is Sonys first attempt at a mascot game, and while the verdict is still out on whether Crash can compete with Sonic and Mario as far as marketability is concerned, Crash as a game certainly can.

Crash isn t a revolution in platform game design. It s pretty much your standard platform game, with a few important exceptions. First, there s a surprisingly deep depth of field, and second, you re not always moving from left to right. In fact, you hardly ever side scroll. Instead, Crash s designers have decided to change the perspective from level to level, so sometimes you re looking at Crash from behind, sometimes from the top, and sometimes from all around, as the perspective often shifts within the level. While occasionally maddening, this adds an element to the game rarely seen in platformers.

Cool perspectives aside, Crash really shines when it comes to the graphics. Gorgeous backgrounds and silky smooth animation make this one of the best-looking titles available for the PlayStation. The control is generally pretty good, though it is a little sluggish in some of the levels. Generally, though, Crash is a great game. Sure it can be a tough sometimes, but isn t that what platform games are all about? A must have.