Hologram Probe

Hologram Probes are recurring enemies in the Crash Bandicoot series. They are spherical in shape and have a telescope-like eye. They also have the ability to hover and to project holograms. Some variants have spikes sticking out of their sides.

Crash Bandicoot
The hologram probes debut in the original Crash Bandicoot game. In this game, they primarily appear in the machinery-based levels including Heavy Machinery, Cortex Power, Generator Room, and Castle Machinery. They are tiny spherical robots with a single lens protruding out of the top of their bodies. They're also surrounded by a circle of spikes. Crash is not able to harm them as touching them will result in him taking damage unless he swiftly spins them. They can be defeated though with the use of invincibility once a player collects three Aku Aku masks. They do not attack Crash, but instead hover around paths and gaps that requires Crash to time his jumps to avoid them.

Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
The hologram probes return again in Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, where they primarily appear in the darkness levels including Totally Fly and Night Fight. They act similar to the ones in the original Crash Bandicoot game, where they act as obstacles that Crash must avoid. They cannot be defeated in anyway in this game, and Crash will take damage if he touches one. One slight change to these robots though is that they emit a light from their bodies and can be seen in the dark without the use of a firefly.

Crash Twinsanity
The probes return in Crash Twinsanity after a seven year absence from the series, but with a new dark red color to them. They are only seen in Ice Climb where they simply float in the same place they're in, but outside the caves, they move from left to right over steaming pipes. If they are hit, they will fly and hit the ground, sparking and disappearing in a flash of white light.

There is another version of the probe seen in the enemy gallery but it does not make an appearance.

Changes
The probes were colored rusty gray with several small vents on themselves and a telescope-like eye. In Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, the Crash 1 model was used. In Crash Twinsanity, they had a new red color, lacking any differences.