Sewer or Later

Sewer or Later is the twelfth level in Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. In this level, taking place later than The Eel Deal, Crash Bandicoot explores a sewer. This stage introduces triple-bladed fans that spin entirely too fast for Crash to slip through unharmed; the player is supposed to take out the blades first, by spinning the Scrubbing Bubbletrons into them.

If the player has obtained the Yellow Gem from the previous level, Plant Food, they can access this stage's secret Yellow Gem Path, a sinister series of challenging, and shocking, jumps simplified only by the fact that the only necessary item on said route, a Clear Gem, is located very early on so there is literally no reason to traverse the whole thing. This particular section of the sewers is not really located in sewers at all, but rather flooded ruins. A split path later on in the main body of the level awkwardly requires the player to take the right path just long enough to reach the ! Crate, then backtrack to the left path to break the crates it created (and collect the Crystal), then re-backtrack to take the right path again to finish off the level.

Trivia

 * Sewer or Later is most likely derived from the phrase "Sooner or later".
 * This is the only level out of the sewer levels where an electric eel ALWAYS remains in their electrifying phase. However, this special eel can ONLY be found in the Yellow Gem Path of this level.
 * This level also introduces the flamethrower Lab Assistant, which is from here on in the sewer levels.
 * This is the only level out of the sewer levels where there are no wire meshes.