Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back

Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back is a platform game and the sequel to Crash Bandicoot. It was developed by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation and released in the United States of America on the Halloween of 1997.

Taking place in and around the fictional N. Sanity Island, Crash Bandicoot 2 follows the anthropomorphic bandicoot Crash. Crash is abducted by the series villain Doctor Neo Cortex, who has apparently turned over a new leaf and is now willing to save the world. Crash is then thrust into several parts of N. Sanity Island in order to gather Crystals and allow Cortex to contain the power of the upcoming planetary alignment and keep the planet from being destroyed. He is joined by Coco, who is suspicious of Cortex's true intentions, and partially by Doctor Nitrus Brio, who tries to convince Crash to gather Gems instead of Crystals.

Story
At the start of the game, Cortex is seen in a damp cave, where he discovers a large Crystal, and has a flash of inspiration. One year later, he is seen in a space station, being told by his new assistant N. Gin that to harness the Master Crystal's power, he will require an additional 25 "Slave Crystals", which are scattered across the Earth. Cortex then abducts Crash (while he is searching for a spare battery for Coco's laptop) and persuades him to gather the Slave Crystals, telling him that he will use them to harness the power of the aligned planets and prevent Earth from certain doom.

Throughout his quest, Crash is contacted by Coco, who is continuously searching into Cortex's scheme and trying to figure out what Cortex is really using the Crystals for, as well as Cortex's former assistant, Dr. Nitrus Brio, who tells Crash that if he truly wants to save the world, he must collect Gems instead of Crystals, so that Brio may use the Gems to destroy Cortex. He is also Crash's primary opposing force, claiming to use all of his strength to prevent him from gathering crystals.

At the end, when all of the Crystals are collected, Coco reveals that Cortex actually intends to harness the force of the Crystals to turn every single human being on Earth into Cortex's mindless slaves with his new and improved Cortex Vortex, and Crash defeats Cortex once again, banishing him deep into space, but leaving his space station operational. After Crash gathers all 42 Gems, Brio uses the Gems to destroy Cortex's space station with a laser beam, temporarily ending Cortex's threat.

Game
Crash Bandicoot 2's gameplay is largely similar to that of the original. Players make their way through a limited environment whilst breaking of crates, each of which containing some kind of bonus. Breaking all of a level's crates earns the player that level's clear gem. The player can collect additional clear and colored gems by finding and touching them. Colored gems activate secret areas. If a player collects all of the gems in the game, the secret ending is activated.

Crash has several moves: jump, spin attack, body slam, slide, duck, crawl, and an extra-high jump performed by sliding or ducking and then jumping. Stepping on a question-mark platform/trap door takes Crash to a bonus level. Going to special locations, where something is somehow out of place, brings Crash to one of five secret levels.

Also, if the player manages to reach a certain point in some levels without losing a single life, the player can hop onto a platform with a Skull and Crossbones logo on it. This takes Crash to another path in the level of the main path and contains boxes and other secrets one might notice not being found on the main path.


 * Warp Room 1
 * Turtle Woods
 * Snow Go
 * Hang Eight
 * The Pits
 * Crash Dash
 * Ripper Roo


 * Warp Room 2
 * Snow Biz
 * Air Crash
 * Bear It
 * Crash Crush
 * The Eel Deal
 * The Komodo Brothers


 * Warp Room 3
 * Plant Food
 * Sewer or Later
 * Bear Down
 * Road to Ruin
 * Unbearable
 * Tiny Tiger


 * Warp Room 4
 * Hangin' Out
 * Diggin' It
 * Cold Hard Crash
 * Ruination
 * Bee-having
 * Dr. N. Gin


 * Warp Room 5
 * Piston it Away
 * Rock It
 * Night Fight
 * Pack Attack
 * Spaced Out
 * Dr. Neo Cortex