Rumble in the Roks

Rumble in the Rocks is the first boss fight in The Wrath of Cortex. After Crash has collected all the Crystals from the Earth Hub of Coco's VR Hub System, Crash will scuffle with Crunch and the Earth Elemental, Rok-Ko. This fight seems to take place in a circle arena with what appears to be four arches that makes this battlefield seem similar to a compass. Crash's method of attack in this battle is via Atlasphere, and Crunch's attack method is likewise; although covered in rocks rather than a transparent sphere. If Crash should best Rok-Ko and Crunch for the first time, he will win the ability to slow his walking down to get across future lines of unstable Nitro Crates.

First phase
When Crash arrives at the arena in his Atlasphere, Rok-Ko gives Crunch a hot rock donned sphere. The notion of simply attacking Crunch by bumping into him will not work and will only drain Crash of health as he takes damage when Crunch touches him, either purpose or accident. The reason why the two marsupials are in spheres is that there are rocks that move about and always bump into each other unless one of the Bandicoots hits a rock. The purpose of the two rocks that are colliding into each other in the arena (and the same purpose applies to the other two phases) is that when all of them are turned into a certain color, a torrent of rocks will hit the opposing Bandicoot and take health away. So, Crash must turn all of the rocks blue before Crunch can turn them all orange by colliding into them and therefore, allowing a downpour of rocks to hit Crunch.

Second phase
There are no new attacks that Crunch has, and the whole idea of the battle is still the same as the first phase, but with one new change: the duo of rocks needed to hit have now become a trio of rocks that Crash needs to hit before Crunch can. Also, Crash needs to evade Crunch's efforts to whittle away at Crash's energy via physical contact and avoid touching Crunch by accident.

Third phase
The rules and strategy from the first two phases have not changed, and again, Crunch gains no new techniques. The only thing that has changed is (which is the only thing that changes in this boss battle) the number of rocks, as there are now a quadruplet of rocks that Crash must hit to defeat Crunch. After Crunch is hit one last time with the landslide of rocks, Crunch falls in defeat and Rok-Ko is locked in hibernation again, whose Elemental comrades will follow later, and all that is left of Crunch and Rok-Ko is the Tip Toe ability. Crash can then collect the ability and exit the arena. On a footnote, if Crash does not collect the ability to Tip Toe right away, then Crash can move around the arena to his heart's content.

Trivia

 * This battle, Drain Damage, Crashes to Ashes, and Crunch Time are the four boss levels that Crash may move around before collecting the Tip Toe, Double Jump, Death Tornado, and Crash Dash. In Atmospheric Pressure, Crash immediately gets the Fruit Bazooka as the level is linear and Crash stops moving after Crunch's defeat.
 * Although, even if Crash does collect the Tip Toe powerup anyway, Crash can still move around before the button to leave is pressed.
 * The name of this fight might have something to do with the fact that rocks are the method of attack. The spelling of the last word in the name, "Roks," is a pun on Rok-Ko's name, and the whole name is a possible reference to the novel Rumble in the Bronx.

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