Bug Lite (まっクラいせき たんけんたい lit. Pitch-dark Archaeological Site Expedition Team in Japanese) is the twenty-fifth level and is the fifth and last level of the fifth warp room of Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped. In most of the level, the only light source comes from a firefly that circles around Crash. The firefly only sticks around for a limited amount of time, so Crash must move quickly to reach the next bug waiting for him before the light source takes off. The lack of light, and presence of enemies such as crocodiles, mummies, and snakes make this arguably one of the most difficult levels in this game.
Bug Lite is notable for having two gems, one is for collecting all the boxes along the main route, and the other is a multicolored gem route. In order to access the colored gem route, Crash must have obtained the blue, green, purple, yellow and red gems. This alternate route starts with the blue gem platform along the main route in Bug Lite. It takes Crash to face a hallway laced with spears that shoot from the walls. The easiest way through here is to avoid the spotlights that trigger the darts by jumping over the holes in the floor, and carefully double jumping over the spears. The multicolored gem route is lit up, unlike most of the rest of the level.
Like Spaced Out, each of the gem paths has a specific theme. The blue gem path focuses on using spotlight areas and coffin mummies. The green gem path focuses on using ground spikes and nitro crates at certain places. The purple gem path focuses on using scarab platforms and moving platforms to hinder Crash. The yellow gem path focuses on using spiked mummies to defeat Crash. The red gem path just lets Crash receive the gem with no obstacles, albeit there is an bottomless hole between the gem and the exit of the level.
It is possible that the name of this level is a reference to "Bud Light", a light beer served at many events and sporting outlets. The "Bug" part refers to the fireflies that aid Crash throughout the level, while "Lite" is an alternate spelling for the light that the fireflies carry with them. The name could also be a reference to the Pixar film "A Bugs Life"
Translation of Aku Aku Hints in the Japanese Version
The dark path requires fireflies. However, if you don't advance quickly, they will escape!
If you have got the green diamond, go to the high-tech future. The future is bright!
Trivia
Like Spaced Out from Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, Bug Lite is the last level of Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped to contain a crystal and also has two gems (one earned by clearing all boxes and the other by using the multicolored gem route).
You can complete the multicolored gem route without the Green Gem by using the glitched high- jump, although most players have already attained the Green Gem when trying this route.
This level is known for being one of the only last mandatory levels in the Crash Bandicoot games to not have a technology-related theme.
This is the third Crash level to have a firefly lighting the way following Night Fight and Totally Fly from the previous game.
The Japanese name of all these three levels contain the word "pitch-dark".
Scan from an unofficial guide, showing this level was originally to have an iron checkpoint crate in the yellow gem path.
Originally, this level was going to have an iron checkpoint crate in the yellow gem path. It's possible that it was removed because any player who hits that crate but didn't have the red gem would be trapped inside the yellow gem path and would have to exit the level. In the final version, whoever enters the multicolored gem path without all the gems can simply die and return to the last checkpoint hit on the main path of the level.
This level has the second most crates in the game, beaten only by Future Frenzy. This is quite different from previous pitch-dark levels, which never had many crates.
Unlike the other Egyptian-themed levels in the game, the floor of the bonus round does not consist completely of iron crates, but mainly on normal floor.
