Crash Tag Team Racing

On September 9, 1996, nearly 25 years ago, the first Crash Bandicoot game was released on the PlayStation 1, and since then, he's been one of the most iconic video-game mascots, going toe-to-toe with Mario, Sonic, his ally Spyro, and Rayman. Since then, his franchise evolved, introducing Crash's new allies, foes, new locations, various types of gameplay, et cetera. Yes, Crash had some mediocre games in the past (Crash Tag Team Racing, Crash of the Titans, Crash: Mind Over Mutant, Crash Bash, et cetera,) but it doesn't matter. We shouldn't sweep the controversial aspects of a franchise under a metaphorical rug, especially during an anniversary! We celebrate the anniversary of a franchise to commemorate its existence, not to just ridicule its flaws. Yes, most anniversaries like this typically means the main copyright holders of the franchise would attempt to dangle nostalgia in fans' faces, but let's not get political here. Crash is turning 25, is one of the most iconic videogame mascots of all time, was Sony's mascot in his early years, was thrown to random developers like a football, and returned gracefully in 2017.

Happy Birthday, Crash!