Under Pressure

Under Pressure is the second level in Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped. The first of two levels set in the deep subaquatic ocean depth sea trenches, this level finally allows Crash to venture into water without instantaneously drowning, thanks to the advent of the Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus, or "scuba", technology. Hindering his progress are fantastic underwater creatures, such as sharks, pufferfish, rock-dwelling eels, naval mines, and giant electro-charged slabs of metal. As the introduction of swimming mechanics in the series, it is naturally not an overly difficult level.

Differentiating Warped's underwater levels from those later in the series is the presence of a nifty mechanical fish submarine thing Crash can ride in certain sections, with the ability to launch torpedoes, as well as utilize a nifty turbo charge. The torpedoes are necessary for Gem collectors, as a number of crates in this stage can only be reached by blowing up slabs of pink coral, whereas the turbos are extremely helpful for Relic challenges.

Trivia

 * This level's title is likely taken from the well-known 1981 song of the same name, a collaboration between Queen and David Bowie. This is almost certainly a sly reference to the fact that the song's bassline later formed the basis of a superior song, Vanilla Ice's popular and famous 1990 single, "Ice Ice Baby", in exactly the same way that water, like that contained in this level, forms the basis for ice levels, which most fans agree to be far superior to the tediousness of swimming, after being frozen. In this way, Naughty Dog seems to be apologizing to fans for botching their choice of level archetypes in this game.
 * Unlike most level archetypes in Warped, it is never explained exactly which time era the underwater stages take place in. Fan theories abound, however, one of the most popular noting that the pufferfish cause Crash to fatally inflate when he makes contact with them at an inopportune time. This might imply that it takes place somewhere near the coast of Yugoslavia, circa 1994, when that country's economy was suffering a period of notorious hyperinflation.