Crash: Mind Over Mutant (Nintendo DS)

Crash: Mind Over Mutant is a game in the Crash Bandicoot series developed by TOSE and released in October 2008 for the Nintendo DS. The game is a portable version of Crash: Mind Over Mutant, and the sequel to the Nintendo DS version of Crash of the Titans however the story and gameplay are radically different from the console version of the game.

Story
Some time after the events of the previous game, Dr. Neo Cortex invented the NV: a virtual-reality headset powered by bad mojo that transforms the wearer into a mindless, bloodthirsty creature. Cortex realizes the marketability of the device and has it mass-produced. It is advertised as a personal assistant and entertainment system. Meanwhile Crash, Coco, and Aku Aku are at the Bandicoot House, Coco asks Crash to help her clean up the mess left over from Cortexbot, Crunch then arrives and tells them that he found NVs on sale and bought some for them. He then gives one to Coco and they put them on. Crash then goes to stop Cortex but when he finds him, he fuses all of the Hero Titans into A giant monster called the Chimera. Crash defeats it and initiates the station's self-destruct. The ship crash-lands on Wumpa Island. Miraculously, the two survive. They happily reunite with Crunch and Coco. Coco decides not to clean up any of the mess that's now piled up in their front yard and tells Crunch to do it.

Gameplay
Despite it being a sequel to the Nintendo DS version of Crash of the Titans, the gameplay is more like the Game Boy Advance version being 2D instead of 3D. Crash is able to perform simple punches and kicks which allow him to stun and jack and control Titans by defeating them in close-range combat and riding on their backs. He can also still earn attack upgrades by collecting mojo, In addition, Crash can now put a non-boss mutant in storage ("pocketing"), and can switch between his current and pocketed mutant at any time. Most mutants from the previous game return, and a few new ones have been added, which he can use their abilities to progress through the game.

Playable

 * Crash Bandicoot

Supporting Cast

 * Coco Bandicoot
 * Crunch Bandicoot
 * Aku Aku

Villains

 * Neo Cortex
 * Nina Cortex

Enemies

 * RhinoRoller
 * Spike
 * Anubis-Vicious
 * Psycho-Mandrake
 * Ee-Lectric
 * Ratnician
 * Doom Monkey
 * Koo-ala
 * Voodoo Bunny

Reception
The Nintendo DS version received mostly negative reviews in contrast to the console releases. Mike David of GameZone said it was the "first really disappointing Crash title", while Neal Ronaghan of NWR felt that the game "leaves much to be desired in terms of depth and level design". Craig Harris of IGN christened the DS version as a "boring, drab, uninspired beat 'em up with none of what made last year's game so good on DS."

Trivia

 * Despite the characters Doctor Nitrus Brio, and Uka Uka Having important roles in the console version, They are completely absent from this game.
 * In the console version Crash Coco and Crunch all have new designs, but in the DS version they all retain their designs from Crash of the Titans.
 * As developed by TOSE, Crash Mind Over Mutant DS was one of the only two Crash Bandicoot game that was made entirely in Japan.
 * The only other game to be developed in Japan is Crash Boom Bang!, which was developed by Dimps.
 * Despite the DS port being made in Japan, it was not released there.