Crash Bandicoot (manga)

クラッシュ・バンディクー (lit. Crash Bandicoot) was a two-chapter manga published in the Japanese children's magazine COCO (also known as CoroCoro Comic), with the first chapter published in the December 1996 edition and the second in the February 1997 edition. It was only offically published in Japanese, however both chapters have been fan-translated to English by Danyq94 and Boogaboom.

The manga is loosely based off the events of the first game. Crash washes up on the shore of N. Sanity Island after escaping Neo Cortex's castle. He is soon awoken by Aku Aku, and the two agree to work together to get back to Cortex Castle, save Tawna and stop Cortex from taking over the world.

The first chapter covers the Papu Papu fight, while the second combines the N. Brio and Cortex fights.

Differences between the manga and game

 * Crash speaks in full sentences rather than being mute as normal.
 * Tawna is referred to as Crash's friend rather than girlfriend. Crash later refers to Tawna as his "beloved", leaving their relationship in the manga uncertain.
 * Wumpa Fruit are referred to as apples, as they are in the Japanese canon.
 * In Chapter 2, Crash claims that eating apples restores his health, which is false. In-game, Crash has no health bar, only being protected by Aku Aku, while wumpas are just collectibles.
 * Mild swearing is occasionally used despite being a children's manga. This is due to these words' equivalents in Japanese not being considered swear words.
 * Crash defeats Papu Papu with a spin attack, which Papu Papu is immune to in-game.
 * Crash later defeats Spiked Saucers with a spin attack, whereas in-game they are indestructible (aside from Aku Aku invincibility).

Characters

 * Crash Bandicoot
 * Aku Aku
 * Tawna
 * Neo Cortex
 * Nitrus Brio
 * Papu Papu

Chapter 1 - A Cool Guy Appeared!?
The tale begins with Crash unconscious, passed out on the shore of N. Sanity beach. He is quickly rudely awoken by Aku Aku, who introduces himself and demands Crash help him stop Cortex from taking over the world. Crash is confused at first, but soon agrees, motivated when Aku Aku reminds him that Tawna is still being held prisoner by Cortex. As Crash runs bravely off into the jungle, it is revealed that Cortex and N. Brio are watching him with a Surveillance Robot. Crash proceeds along the path, with some gags as Crash gets past bottomless pits, rollers and TNT Crates, collecting a stash of apples along the way.

This comes to an end when a TNT explosion sends Crash flying straight through the roof of Papu Papu's hut, landing right on top of Papu Papu himself. Papu is insulted when Crash tries to brush him off and leave, and begins to attack Crash and Aku with his fists and staff. Crash briefly distracts Papu with dancing, but that only makes him angrier in the end. Crash finds more Aku Aku masks in an Aku Aku Crate and achieves invincibility, but he wastes too much time showing off, and the invincibility wears off by the time he goes to attack Papu Papu. Crash is cornered by Papu Papu before quickly getting an idea - he grabs a torch, jumps and spins to make a "flame spin attack". Papu whacks the ball of flames out of the air with his staff only for it to be another distraction, with Crash now right behind him. Finally, Crash defeats Papu Papu with a spin attack.

Accepting his defeat, Papu Papu gets up and points Crash and Aku Aku in the direction of Cortex Castle. Determined to save Tawna, Crash jumps out of the hut's window in the exact direction that Papu was pointing, which sends him plunging over a cliff into the sea below. Aku Aku presumably saves him.

Chapter 2 - Crash Versus Cortex!!
Crash finally arrives at Cortex Castle, determinedly storming towards the entrance with Aku Aku in tow. Crash bursts through a door, only for it to be an outhouse instead of the front door, much to Aku Aku's chagrin. Crash tries to use the toilet, but Aku Aku impatiently tosses him away from it.

Meanwhile, up in the castle's lab, an alarm goes off, alerting Cortex and Brio of Crash's arrival. The scientists immediately send the surveillance robot down to see what Crash is doing, only for Crash to pretend to be in a commercial for clothes boxes to make fun of them. N. Brio sends out Spiked Saucers to attack Crash, and he tries and fails to dodge them all. Crash books it to escape the saucers, getting zapped by an electric barrier along the way. Aku Aku points out a Basic Crate, which Crash breaks open, revealing a stash of apples inside. Crash is cheered up by the apples, and defeats all of the spiked saucers with a super-big spin attack that sends him flying through the roof.

Crash ends up busting into another room, where he discovers Tawna tied up, sitting in a chair. The two happily run towards each other... only for Crash to run right past Tawna towards a large pile of apples behind her, sending her right into a wall. Tawna pulls a tommy gun out of nowhere with her mouth and shoots Crash with it, making him apologise sheepishly. Crash helps Tawna out of her ropes, before spotlights turn on, revealing Cortex and Brio standing across the room.

Cortex sets off a trap, which fails. Finally Brio steps forward, challenging Crash to a fight. Brio begins tossing explosive beakers at Crash and hands one to Cortex to throw, only for Cortex to immediately down the whole thing. Smoke billows as Cortex seems to begin to transform - as the smoke clears, Cortex now has feminine features, and immediately asks Crash if he is beautiful. Aku Aku urges Crash to take his chance to attack, only for Crash to insist that he is more beautiful. Giddily, Cortex asks for Brio to hand him his ray gun. Cortex readies his weapon with his eyes closed and ends up holding it backwards and firing it over his shoulder, zapping Brio. Cortex tearfully promises to avenge Brio, only for Brio to protest that Cortex was the one that shot him.

Cortex and Crash lunge at each other, but Cortex quickly pulls a lever, opening a trap door that sends Crash plummeting through the floor. Crash luckily lands on a single jump crate on the ledge below, which sends him flying back up, taking Cortex by surprise and defeating him with a spin attack. Tawna and Aku Aku run forward to congratulate Crash before a loud rumbling noise begins. Crash turns to see a bruised Brio pressing a self-destruct button. The heroes try to leave, but Cortex shakily climbs to his feet, ray gun at the ready. Crash urges Tawna and Aku Aku to leave before rushing towards Cortex as the castle finally begins to collapse, and the room goes dark.

Tawna and Aku Aku look on in dismay from the ground as the castle finally gives out, crumbling to the ground in a firey explosion. Tawna begins to cry as she looks around at the rubble, calling out for Crash. A patch of debris begins to move, and Crash bursts out, triumphant. Tawna and Aku Aku joyfully rush towards Crash, only for Crash to ask them if he's beautiful again. Cortex pulls himself free from another nearby pile of rubble, calling Crash the most beautiful in the world. Crash and Cortex begin showering each other with compliments to Aku Aku's exasperation and Tawna's disappointment as Brio dizzily emerges from the rubble in the background.