Crash Bandicoot: Dance! Then Jump! Na Daibōken

クラッシュ・バンディクー ダンス！デ·ジャンプ！ナ大冒険 (lit. Crash Bandicoot: Dance! Then Jump! It's a Great Adventure) is a manga series published by Coro Coro Comics, and was drawn and written by Kawashima Ari, running from December 1997 to February 1999. The chapters were originally published in CoroCoro Comics magazine, and they were later reprinted into two manga volumes. Two final chapters were published in the magazine to tie in to Crash Bandicoot: Warped, which weren't given any reprints. The manga was officially only published in Japanese, though an English fan-translation can be easily found online.

The manga is loosely based off the events of Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. Cortex tricked Crash into thinking he has changed his ways in order for him to gather the crystals for an elaborate plot to take over the world. Crash teams up with Aku Aku and the adventure begins, Crash encounters a large variety of characters from Coco Bandicoot (whom he normally lives with) and Penta Penguin, to enemies from his past including: Dr. N. Gin, Ripper Roo, and even the Komodo Bros. The story itself focuses on comedy rather than action alone, getting Crash into hilarious situations involving the setting around him.

Differences between the manga and game

 * Every character can speak fluently in sentences, including Crash and Polar.
 * Crash along with a few other characters uses mild swearing very often.
 * This is due to some words in Japanese not being considered swear words, and then just translating accordingly to English.
 * Many differences in names being used for certain objects are simply the result of that being the literal translation, or simply that being what they are referred to as in the Japanese versions of the games
 * Wumpa fruits are called "Apples" in translations.
 * Because this manga is originally written in Japanese, many translations keep the use of terms such as 'Crash-kun', (Kun being a term typically used at the end of someone's name to show respect, mostly used for boys but not exclusively) 'Coco-Chan' (chan being an affectionate way to refer to someone) and 'Onii-Chan' (being an affectionate way to refer to your brother).
 * Cortex refers to himself with '-sama', this being something you'd typically use to show respect towards a person (though it is typically used for girls, but not exclusively) him referring to himself like this shows his very obvious ego.
 * The story follows the Japanese canon of Crash Bandicoot, meaning all animals in the story are anthropomorphic, whether or not they have been mutated (such as Polar), and Tawna having left Crash for Pinstripe.
 * Power Crystals are referred to as "Power Stones" in translations.
 * Fake Crash makes a cameo appearance in the story even though it is based around Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, although he was in the commercials for the same game, his first actual appearance was in the following game afterward.

Chapter 1: I'm The Hero!!
The story begins with Crash dreaming about saving the world and reuniting with Tawna, but is distraught to discover a parting letter from her upon waking up. After a brief pep-talk from Coco, Crash decides that he must stop being lazy and become a stronger hero so he can be "irresistible".

He leaves home to go get some apples, but upon touching one, he is teleported away to a Warp Room. Here, Cortex speaks to Crash via a hologram, and convinces the bandicoot to gather power stones for him in order to prevent the destruction of the planet. Crash soon agrees, believing this will help him become irresistible, unaware of Cortex's true intentions of using the power stones to brainwash the entire planet.

Chapter 2: Reunion with Aku Aku
After another nap at the top of a palm tree, Crash accidentally drops in on the Aruma Family, a family of armadillos, who happen to be working with Aku Aku to capture a thief that had been loose in the area. Crash asks the Arumas for information on the locations of power stones, but the conversation goes sour when he lets slip that he is working for Cortex, and the parents chase Crash and Aku Aku out of their home. Aku Aku scolds Crash for trusting Cortex, and the two briefly argue, only to be interrupted by a thief speeding by and snatching an apple out of Crash's hands.

Crash angrily gives chase to retrieve his apple, and is soon followed by Mama and Papa Aruma, shouting that the thief had kidnapped their son, Aru. When they catch up, the thief introduces himself as Anachuur, demanding a power stone ransom for him to release Aru. Crash is distracted, but drops his apple, and bowls Anachuur over chasing after it, inadvertently freeing Aru in the process. The Arumas thank Crash for saving Aru, and give him a map leading to a power stone as a thank-you. Crash and Aku Aku set off to follow the map and find the first power stone.

Chapter 3: Get them! The Power Stones!
After an altercation with a Warthog while trekking through the bush, Crash and Aku Aku come across a young turtle boy named Junia. Junia reveals that the power stone is located at his home after being shown the map, but quickly grows upset, explaining that his father had grown a deep, unhealthy obsession with the stone to the point of neglecting his own son. Crash quickly comes up with a plan to disguise himself as Junia to convince Junia's father to give him the stone.

Crash tries several times to get his hands on the stone, which all end with him being comedically injured. When Junia's father invites Crash inside for dinner and makes him eat at a cardboard box on the floor to leave room for the stone at the table, Crash tears off his disguise and reprimands the father for mistreating his son before tossing the stone away in anger. The stone flies towards a nearby chasm, and Junia leaps out to catch it. Crash quickly grabs Junia's hand before he can fall, resulting in the turtle dangling over the cliff, weighed down by the stone. When Junia refuses to let go of the stone, saying that it would make his father sad, his father finally snaps out of it and tells Junia to drop the stone, which he does, allowing Crash to fling him to safety. While Junia's father tearfully apologises to his son, Crash plummets to the bottom of the chasm, landing next to the stone.

Chapter 4: Deep in the Ruins...!
Bored and restless, Cortex starts bothering N. Gin for something to do. Wanting to return to his work, N. Gin gives Cortex a VR device that will project a hologram of him down to Earth, allowing him to go for a walk without leaving the safety of the space station. Cortex drops in on Crash and Aku Aku in the depths of the jungle, and decides to take this opportunity to lead them into a trap. Cortex lies that he found a power stone in some nearby ruins, which convinces Crash to follow him. Aku Aku remains skeptical, but begrudgingly agrees to go along with it when Cortex points out a carving of a power stone at the ruins.

The three of them head inside the ruins, only to be bombarded with booby traps. Cortex remains immune since he's only a hologram, but Crash is repeatedly battered by the traps. While Crash and Aku Aku try and fail to escape being squashed by a rolling boulder, Cortex phases through a wall and finds a treasure chest. Cortex presses a button to turn his hologram solid, allowing him to triumphantly flip open the lid... only to discover a single pair of nail clippers. It slowly dawns on Aku Aku that the diamond-shaped carving didn't represent a power stone, but nail clippers. Outraged, Crash and Aku Aku turn on Cortex. He taunts them, forgetting that he's still solid, before Crash and Aku Aku start beating him up. Cortex hits the button again to once again become intangible, which results in Aku Aku accidentally striking Crash on the head. The two begin squabbling, forgetting all about Cortex.

Chapter 2: A Trip to a Deep Resort
N. Gin shows Cortex his latest invention, the Size Changer, and demonstrates its use. Cortex is impressed and decides to borrow it. He finds Crash and Aku Aku taking shelter from a rainstorm and uses the Size Changer to shrink Crash down to the size of an insect. Crash is understandably upset and demands Cortex change him back, but Cortex teases the tiny bandicoot, resulting in Crash getting angry and throwing a pepper shaker at Cortex's face. Cortex sneezes, shooting Crash across the room, where he eventually lands in an open tin of food. While helping Aku Aku look for Crash, Cortex discovers the tin and eats the contents, not realizing that Crash is inside. Crash tries to climb back out, causing Cortex to have stomach pains. Aku Aku gives Cortex a painkiller so he can keep searching, which Cortex swallows with water, inadvertently washing Crash all the way back down.

Some time later, Aku Aku still hasn't found Crash, and Cortex is now in so much pain that he's lying in bed in the fetal position. Crash finally manages to escape by climbing out through Cortex's nasal passage and is returned to normal size, where he immediately begins bickering with Cortex, much to Aku Aku's annoyance.

Chapter 3: Baby Crash~?!
Crash, Aku Aku, and Cortex resume their quest to find more Power Stones. After becoming lost in a cave, Crash throws a tantrum, expressing frustration at their fruitless search and doubt that Cortex's map can actually help them find the next Power Stone. Crash asks Cortex to carry him the rest of the way, but the scientist refuses, stating that the bandicoot isn't a baby and can walk by himself. Crash later falls into a lower area of the cave, where he finds a power stone encased in ice. He tries to break it out with a spin attack, but a chuck of ice hits his head, knocking him out cold.

Aku Aku wakes him up, only for Crash to have mentally regressed into a baby from the blow to the head. He can't walk on his own, forcing Cortex to carry him. Later, Crash gets hungry and eats the map, causing the three to become lost within the cave. They eventually find a river they must cross, but the current is too strong. Cortex tries to climb across using stalactites, but Crash jumps onto his back, and Cortex loses his grip. Aku Aku tries to help but the three fall into the river. Fortunately, the river flows through a hole in the cave wall to the outside. Both Crash and Cortex smack their heads upon hitting the ground, returning Crash to normal and causing Cortex to begin acting like a baby.

Trivia

 * When Crash upsets Ripper Roo, his blond hair stands up straight and he begins to develop an aura-like energy around him, this could be a reference to Akira Toriyama's "Super Saiyan" which is from a manga known as Dragon Ball.
 * Volume 3 was under development, but was canceled due to unknown reasons. This makes the series end on a cliffhanger with Crash and Cortex stuck in space after finding out the locations of the Power Stones.