Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex

Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, also known as Crash Bandicoot 4, was the first game to feature Crash Bandicoot on the Playstation 2, GameCube, and Xbox.

=Storyline=

"Do We Have A Plan?"
In a new space station hovering above Earth the evil mask Uka Uka is having a meeting with the three doctors Dr. Neo Cortex, Dr. N. Gin, Dr. Nefarious Tropy and the two mutants Tiny Tiger and Dingodile round a circular table. Uka Uka starts off by calling them names, then a bar graph pops out of the centre of the table and the bar goes down showing their really bad villains. As Uka Uka calls it pathetic Cortex puts the blame on Crash Bandicoot and that its not their fault. A hologram of Crash is displayed and Uka Uka calls the bandicoot a "Brainless orange marsupial" just as Tiny trys to grab it but it pops. Saying that Crash must be eliminated N. Gin nervously reminds Uka Uka that Crash always finds a way to defeat them and maybe he's just too good for them Uka Uka ignores this and say's that the five idiots need to come up with a plan while Cortex questions himself of how he gets in these situations. N. Tropy starts thinking then he comes with a possbility Cortex is up to something in his lab Cortex denies this but it hits N. Gin and starts blurting out information about a super secret weapon (Crunch Bandicoot) as Cortex waves his hand as if to say "No". Uka Uka notices and questions if they've got a plan Cortex then reviles he is making a secret weapon of unbelevable strength but it need's another power source Uka Uka thinks of something then says "Yes The Elementals." Cortex goes along with it if they unleash enough power to bring his secret weapon to life the bad guys will have a weapon capible of crushing mountains and demolishing cites Cortex then hits N. Gin as payback for blurting it out. Uka Uka is more happy to see the weapon wipe Crash off the Earth forever Cortex then says with vengence "Get ready to face my wrath, Crash Bandicoot!" then he laughs evily.

Climate Changes
Meanwhile on Earth near N. Sanity island Coco Bandicoot is trying out her brand new jet-ski and Crash is the one doing the skiing while on the beach the good mask Aku Aku is sunbathing and Pura's building a sandcastle. Just then the land shakes startling Aku Aku he wonders whats up and then looks up to see a volcanoe erupting and moving and see's grey clouds move infront of the sun. Coco also wonders whats going on Crash is still skiing but she tells him to watch out as a tidal wave comes up everything blanks out for minute and a splash is heard. A second later and Crash and Coco are washed up on the beach Aku Aku and Pura also got most of the water. Aku Aku asks if everyones okay and feels as if this has something to do with his twin brother Uka Uka and goes to an island in space to meet with him.

Meet The Elementals
Elsewhere at the island Uka Uka is already there. Aku Aku appears Uka Uka kindly greets him. Aku Aku asks him what kind of scheme Uka Uka and Cortex have planed this time but Uka Uka claims its not a scheme just some faces droping by for a visit. The Elementals Py-Ro, Rok-O, Wa-Wa and Lo-Lo immediately apear Aku Aku is shocked and reminds him of the last time they were free Uka Uka brushes this away saying his brother worries to much. Aku Aku says that The Elementals are far too dangerous and it could spill disaster for them all Py-Ro chuckles "On the contarary Aku Aku spills disaster you and that precious planet you care so much about. Destroy him!" he orders the four Elementals start spitting magic at Aku Aku but he dodges them and warns Uka Uka that they won't get away with it but Uka Uka asks who's going to stop them. Aku Aku heads to the Bandicoot House to tell Crash and Coco.

Coco's VR HUB System
At the Bandicoot House Crash is wearing a towel from the water incident, Coco is on her laptop and Pura is sleeping. Aku Aku bursts in the door and tells them that Uka Uka and Cortex have freed The Elementals and that they must stop them before they inslave the Earth. Aku Aku tells them they can do this by collecting ancient Crystals and that five for each of The Elementals is enough to send them back into hibernation state. He then asks Coco how the portal chamber she's been working on is doing luckily she's almost finished and they can test it. Later a garage door opens and inside is Coco's VR HUB system first she finishes typing a few keys on her laptop while Crash and Pura look around a beep is heard "Okay. All systems are ready and operational." she says Aku Aku looks at Crash "Its time we even up the odds in our favour." Crash points to himself Aku Aku nods and Crash has to do the first five by himself.

The End?
Cortex is grumbling on the platform he was on. Uka Uka comes up and tells him Crash may have collected the crystals but he dosen't have the gems and with the gems they can bring The Elementals back once again.

"Idiot, Fool, Nincompoop."
It starts with Cortex grumbling. Uka Uka is very angry this time and says there's no time for apoliges and blasts magic at Cortex but he ducks and it hits a vital part of the space station it may have also hit the machinne that was controling Crunch since he wakes up puzzeled about where he is. Cortex meanwhile suggests they should go to the escape pods as Uka's blast caused a chain reaction but Uka Uka blames Cortex for ducking. Crash, Aku Aku and Crunch take a lift in Coco's space ship and go down to Earth. At the Bandicoot House Crunch is now staying with the Bandicoots and thanks them for beleving in him. Coco asks Aku Aku if thats the last time they'll see Cortex and Uka Uka. Aku Aku is unsure but knows they'll be back. Meanwhile in the artic it turns out Cortex and Uka Uka did take a pod but Uka Uka is furious that they've landed in the middle of nowhere calls Cortex names and takes his anger out on the poor scientest chasing him around a small island blasting magic at him with Cortex shouting into the sky "I'll get my revenge Crash Bandicoot, just you wait!" and three years later they float along to N. Sanity Island in an icecube which leads into Crash Twinsanity.

=VR HUB System and Levels=

Earth

 * Arctic Antics
 * Tornado Alley
 * Bamboozled
 * Wizards and Lizards
 * Compactor Reactor
 * Rumble in the Roks-Boss: Crunch and Rok-Ko

Water

 * Jungle Rumble
 * Sea Shell Shenanigans
 * Banzai Bonsai
 * That Sinking Feeling
 * H2 Oh No!
 * Drain Damage-Boss: Crunch and Wa-Wa

Fire

 * The Gauntlet
 * Tsunami
 * Smokey and the Bandicoot
 * Eskimo Roll
 * Fahrenheit Frenzy
 * Crashes to Ashes-Boss: Crunch and Py-Ro

Air

 * Avalanche
 * Droid Void
 * Crashteroids
 * Coral Canyon
 * Weathering Heights
 * Atmospheric Pressure-Boss: Crunch and Lo-Lo

Space

 * Crash and Burn
 * Gold Rush
 * Medieval Madness
 * Crate Balls of Fire
 * Cortex Vortex
 * Crunch Time-Boss: Crunch, Dr. Neo Cortex and All Elementals

Special

 * Knight Time
 * Ghost Town
 * Ice Station Bandicoot
 * Solar Bowler
 * Force of Nature

=Reception=

Due to very long loading times on the PlayStation 2 version and the lack of Gameplay improvements, this game was not well received. The loading times were fixed on the Xbox version (with graphics improved considerably) and GameCube version (with losses in graphics). Fans of the Crash series were not impressed at the cross platform nature of this game, losing the feeling that Crash was the Sony mascot. This also argulably the game when Crash Bandicoot became 'uncool'.