Coco Bandicoot is the deuteragonist of the Crash Bandicoot series. She is the younger sister of Crash Bandicoot and just like her brother, as well as his girlfriend, she was captured and mutated by Neo Cortex and N. Brio. Coco is highly intelligent and tech-savvy, assisting her brother in his adventures with her laptop and technological expertise.
Appearances
Games
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
Coco is first seen in the intro cutscenes for Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back living on N. Sanity Island with Crash, when the battery for her laptop runs out, she sends Crash off to find a replacement battery. When Coco discovers that Crash is gathering crystals for Cortex, she becomes suspicious of Cortex and hacks into his computer to see what he's really up to. What she finds are detailed schematics for an improved Cortex Vortex and a suspicious-looking space station. She learns of Cortex's real plan just as Crash has gathered all the crystals, and reveals Cortex's intentions to Crash before he can give the crystals to Cortex. She appears beside her brother and N. Brio as they destroy the Cortex Vortex with N. Brio's laser beam.
Crash Bandicoot: Warped
Coco on her jet ski in Crash Bandicoot: Warped
In Warped, Coco is featured as a playable character for the first time. She and Crash are called upon by Aku Aku to use N. Tropy's Time Twister Machine and gather the powerful crystals scattered throughout time before Cortex can use them to brainwash the entire world. Coco helps by gathering the crystals in 17th century Imperial China, the 18th century Pacific Ocean, and World War I Europe. She is also responsible for the defeat of N. Gin on the moon, with her new pet tiger cub, Pura, assisting her.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
Coco as she appears in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time.
Coco is a main character alongside Crash in It's About Time. After completing N. Sanity Peak, any level playable as Crash is playable with Coco as well (with the exception of Crash-specific flashback tape levels). As in the N. Sane Trilogy, the two control identically. She is unlocked as a playable character after completing N. Sanity Peak and opening the Dimensional Map. Coco is first seen at N. Sanity Peak, where she and Aku Aku have discovered a quantum rift, a literal hole in space that serves as a gateway between dimensions. With the help of the Quantum Masks and other allies, she and Crash travel the dimensions in order to stop Nefarious Tropy and Neo Cortex from rewriting history. Throughout the game's story, Coco frequently acts as Crash's "voice", delivering exposition and conversing with characters as her brother does not. In particular, she forms a strong bond with an alternate-dimension version of Tawna whom they meet during their journey.
Ten flashback tape levels are exclusive to Coco which delve into her backstory and relationships to other characters. She was created some time between the events of Crash Bandicoot and Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, and eventually snuck out of Cortex Castle via a "super secret emergency escape hatch".
In the 100% ending epilogue, it is revealed that Coco tried (and failed) to invent the world's first self-flying flying car, and later gained fame as an e-sports champion, naming herself "Kickass Coco".
Other major appearances
Coco in Crash Team Racing
Coco is a playable character in Crash Team Racing, being one of the eight selectable racers in Adventure Mode. Her home track in the game is Coco Park. She appears in the intro, powering her kart through her laptop. Her garage, where she keeps her kart, doubles as a hi-tech computer room full of gigantic consoles and monitors which she constantly works on. In the game's epilogue, Coco opens up her own internet dating service after the events of the game. Even though it isn't going well, share prices are through the roof.
Coco in Crash Bash
In Crash Bash, Coco is summoned by Aku Aku to battle against Uka Uka's team in a fight of good and evil alongside her big brother. But, Aku Aku forces Uka Uka to hand over two of his team as he has too many and chooses Tiny Tiger and Dingodile. Her stats are equal to her big brother. In the Crate Crush mini game, she can spin crates far while moving, although her throwing range isn't good. In Polar Push, she can push two times in a row and has great pushing power. In Tank Wars, she shoots average moving fireballs. Her best stat is in the Pogo mini games where she is faster than Crash on her pogo sticks. Her taunt is whistling at the other players in the game. When she wins, she laughs triumphantly.
In The Wrath of Cortex, Coco activates a new portal chamber she created for Crash to use when the Elementals wreak havoc on Earth. She helps Crash gather the power crystals needed to stop the Elementals by collecting them in a tsunami-ravaged Asia and an avalanche zone. She also stops an armada of Cortex's space stations from striking Earth. Near the end, she helps Crash and Crunch escape from Cortex's malfunctioning space station.
In The Huge Adventure, Coco builds a device that reverses the effects of Cortex's Planetary Minimizer with the power of the crystals. In the complete ending she uses the relics and the gems as well to destroy Cortex's space station.
In N-Tranced, Coco is abducted by N. Trance and is hypnotized alongside Crunch and Fake Crash. Coco battles Crash in a large battleship inside an active volcano, with Crash attacking the craft while it is reloading its weaponry. Upon snapping out of N. Trance's control, Coco becomes a playable character, gathering two crystals in space whilst escaping a fireball using her Rocket Tug. See also Coco Bandicoot (Boss Fights).
In Crash Nitro Kart, she returns as a playable character and is a member of Team Bandicoot with Crash, Crunch and Fake Crash. She has good turning like N. Gin, Polar, Zam and Pura. In the intro, Coco is on her laptop and next to the kart. After Team Bandicoot defeats Nash, she hacks into his brain and puts him to sleep, saying he needed some. In the end, she's seen reading a book with Polar next to her.
In Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage, Coco teams up with the Professor to track down Ripto and Doctor Cortex. Later in the game, they're both kidnapped by Doctor Cortex's niece, Nina Cortex, who keeps them locked up in cages. After being freed from her cage, Coco suggests that Crash and Spyro put a tracking device on Cortex and Ripto as to allow the heroes to track the villains back to their hideout. Coco's last major contribution to the story is constructing a portal to Cortex's and Ripto's lair. Coco is also playable in the multiplayer minigames in Party Mode.
Coco Bandicoot in Crash Twinsanity
In the intro of Crash Twinsanity, Coco is happily chasing a butterfly before she's paralyzed by Cortex in order to lure Crash into a trap. Much later, Coco believes that Cortex kidnapped Crash, and travels to the Iceberg Lab to confront him. With a swift kick, she attacks Cortex and sends the Power Crystals he was holding flying into the Psychetron. The resulting chain reaction leaves Coco paralyzed again until the end of the game. She is last seen in the final cutscene, gasping in shock as the Psychetron shrinks down Cortex and deposits him inside Crash's brain.
Coco is a playable character in Crash Tag Team Racing. Her clashed weapon is the Sticky Lightning Gun. In the game's story, Coco discovers the sole clue to whoever stole Von Clutch's MotorWorld's Power Gems has led to Wumpa Whip. Because of Crash's high consumption of the beverage, she briefly believes (along with the others) that Crash is the culprit, despite the fact that Willie Wumpa Cheeks is the park's lone source of Wumpa Whip. At the end of the game, Coco, Crash and Crunch were offered the park's deed, but Coco returns it to Von Clutch, to whom she feels it belongs. Here, Coco's notable change is her personality, which differs from the other games. She is a lot more boisterous and rough. She seems to be a bit of a bully to Crash in this game when interacted with.
Coco plays a central role in Crash Boom Bang!, in which she is invited by the Viscount to the World Cannonball Race in his search for the Super Big Power Crystal. Coco's appearance is very different in this game.
Coco in Crash of the Titans
In the opening sequence of Crash of the Titans, Coco is seen building a device to recycle butter. She is captured by Dr. Neo Cortex's airship. When Nina replaces her uncle, Dr. Neo Cortex, Nina has Coco brainwashed and is forced to finish the Doominator. She ends up completing the robot, but is rescued by Crash and is able to stop it at the end of the game. She eats pancakes with Crash and Crunch in celebration at the end of the game. When the Doominator crashes into Wumpa Island, she cares more about her stuff than any damage to the surrounding area.
Coco Bandicoot's official artwork in Crash: Mind Over Mutant
At the beginning of Mind Over Mutant, Coco converts the Doominator's eye into an entertainment system. After seeing an infomercial advertising the "NV", a do-anything personal digital assistant, she receives an NV along with Crunch and quickly becomes addicted. Soon enough, the NV transforms her into a ferocious beast who tries to destroy Crash using a giant basketball-launching machine. After being defeated and informed (to her disappointment) that the NV had a negative influence on her, she uses the Doominator's eye to access Cortex's blog and learn what Cortex is planning. She is accessible as the second player's character from that point on. By the end of the game, Coco is still obsessed with trying to find a way to recycle butter for some reason. Coco has one other available skin that can be worn by accessing the chest inside of Crash's house. This other skin is the same clothing from Crash of the Titans (minus the headband) and her hair is in a pony tail. Carbon Crash is also one of Coco's skins.
Coco Bandicoot, as she appears in Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
In Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, Coco reappears as a fully playable character for most levels in the remake's versions of the first three games, as opposed to only being playable in a few levels in Warped. In the game's story, she was able to achieve this by hacking into N. Tropy's Time Twister using her laptop and traveling through time. She is available from the start in the third game, but must be unlocked in the first two games by defeating the first boss in each game.
Coco can additionally use the Super Powers that have been collected from bosses in Warped. As mentioned before, there are levels that Coco cannot enter because they were specifically designed for Crash. For instance, Coco does not ride Crash's motorcycle in the original nor does she swim underwater, yet she's still fully playable in the plane stages. She also cannot enter any Boss stages, except for N. Gin in Warped. A full list of levels that cannot be entered by Coco can be seen below.
| Level | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Papu Papu |
| 2 | Hog Wild |
| 3 | Whole Hog |
| 4 | Dr. Nitrus Brio |
| 5 | Bear It |
| 6 | Bear Down |
| 7 | Un-Bearable |
| 8 | Rock It |
| 9 | Pack Attack |
| 10 | Totally Bear |
| 11 | Under Pressure |
| 12 | Tiny Tiger |
| 13 | Hog Ride |
| 14 | Dingodile |
| 15 | Deep Trouble |
| 16 | Road Crash |
| 17 | Dr. N. Tropy |
| 18 | Orange Asphalt |
| 19 | Dr. Neo Cortex |
| 20 | Area 51? |
Coco is a playable character in Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled. In the game's epilogue, she begins a video game streaming service company. Despite the company not making enough revenue, its share prices remain high.
Baby Coco, as she appears in Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
Nitro-Fueled also marks the debut of Baby Coco, an infant version of Coco, who is available alongside Baby Crash and Baby T during the Back N. Time Grand Prix. In a similar manner to Cortex and N. Tropy at the end of Warped, the premise of this Grand Prix explained that Coco and Crash were transformed into babies after Fake Crash stole and altered time with N. Tropy's staff. Just like the more grown-up Coco, Baby Coco is an Acceleration-specialized character in the Intermediate class. She is also carrying around a toy mobile phone, just like how the regular Coco carries around a smartphone in Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled. Baby Coco is bought in the game's Pit Stop as a Character Bundle for 3375 Wumpa Coins, which further includes a Baby Coco sticker, a Pastel paint job, and a Floating Flowers decal for the Nostalginator.
Coco as she appears in On The Run!
Coco appears in On the Run! as a playable character, helping Crash to defeat the villains. She had built a new base on Wumpa Island, using labs to create Portal Weapons to defeat the bosses and using the mission computer to track their location. Earlier on in the game she serves as the tutorial guide, giving Crash (and through him, the player) tips and advice on how to play the game.
Coco features as a playable character in Crash Team Rumble - she also appears as the game's tutorial guide. She is in the Booster role, which makes a Coco player's main goal activating gem platforms and collecting relics to activate relic stations. Her playstyle is largely the same as in It's About Time, with a few key adjustments made and new moves added to suit the game.
| Crash Team Rumble attributes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Health: 3.5/5 Capacity: 2.5/5 Combat: 3/5 Mobility: 5/5 Difficulty: 3/5 Playstyle: Booster | ||
| PS4/5 Controls | XBox One/S Controls | Move |
|
A | Jump "It's jump! Um... press it twice to double jump?" |
 , ,
|
X, X, X | Triple Spin "A spinning attack that can be comboed up to three times. Chaining spins together makes Coco move faster. A favorite with speedrunners!" |
|
RT | Quantum Wall "Summon a Quantum Wall that hurts enemies and grants a speed boost. Allies who touch the Quantum Wall also get a speed boost." |
| ,
|
A, RT | Spiral "Launch through the air while spinning, damaging any enemies you ram into. Coco can still double jump while spiraling." |
|
B | Slam "Slam flattens enemies leaving them in a slow state for a short period. Enemies are vulnerable when flattened. You can jump-cancel out of a Slam to gain a little extra air." |
| ,
|
B, B | Super Slam "Hits harder than the regular Slam and causes a larger AOE shockwave on impact. You can't jump-cancel out of Super Slams; they require commitment." |
Other media
Coco briefly appears in the early chapters of Dansu! De Jump!, with a smaller role than the manga's source material, Cortex Strikes Back. When Crash falls into a depression after Tawna leaves him in the first chapter, Coco gives him a pep-talk and encourages him to improve himself in order to get over Tawna and become "irresistable" - though mostly, she just wants him to stop moping around. After Crash gets kidnapped by Cortex, she gets left behind. She reappears for a single page at the beginning of chapter 4, Deep in the ruins...!, where she reprimands Crash for leaving without telling her before going back home on her scooter. She has a more significant role in the two bonus chapters, since they're based on Warped rather than Cortex Strikes Back, matching her roles in said games.
Coco also appeared alongside her brother in the season three (and series) finale of Skylanders Academy.
Characteristics
Physical Appearance
Coco is a young anthropomorphic eastern barred bandicoot with orange fur, green eyes and long blonde hair, which is usually tied up in a high ponytail with a long curled bang. Her proportions are more humanoid than her brother's, having a more clearly defined neck. She has black eyebrows, small pointed ears with brown insides, a short snout with a small black nose, peach fur around her muzzle and often appears to be wearing pink lipstick. In the Naughty Dog games her eyelids are darker, giving the appearance of eyeshadow. In her classic appearance she has a blue flower tucked behind her left ear and wears a white t-shirt, light blue overalls with one strap over her left shoulder and pink sneakers with white soles. This classic appearance saw a number of variations over time; in The Wrath of Cortex her flower is purple rather than blue and the insides of her ears are peach. In the N. Sane Trilogy and Nitro-Fueled the flower is hot pink, matching the lipstick and eyeshadow she wears in that design. This design also adds a pink trim to the collar and sleeves of her t-shirt. In On the Run! her flower is missing entirely, though she keeps the pink trim on her shirt from the N. Sane design. The most significant variation on this design is in It's About Time and Rumble, which replaces her flower with goggles resting on her forehead, gives her a pink utility belt with an item pouch attached, a heart shaped pink patch on her right knee, a pink bracelet on her right wrist and a small white earring in her right ear.
Coco's design significantly changed beginning in Crash Nitro Kart, where she appears taller and slightly older than before. Her clothing also changed, with her now wearing a white t-shirt with a pink smiling flower on it and light blue trim on the collar and sleeves, sky blue pants with pink stripes down the sides and pink sneakers with white laces and soles. Her T-shirt now reveals her stomach and belly button. Her hair is still fairly long but is noticeably shorter than before, with her bang being swept to the left side. She appears to be wearing some light brown eyeshadow here as well as red lipstick. Her design is mostly the same in Twinsanity, aside from her flower and lipstick being made pink. In Tag Team Racing her design is altered again, now having a pink star on her t-shirt, denim jeans with a white belt, and more detailed shoes with a white stripe on the sides. Coco's appearances in Boom Bang! seems to be based on this design with a few changes; her t-shirt now has pink trim and no design on the front, she now wears denim shorts instead of jeans, her hair is longer and she wears a pink and blue bracelet on her left wrist.
Coco's design was overhauled once more in Crash of the Titans, being completely redesigned along with the rest of the game's cast. She appears slightly older again and her body shape was altered, having a much bigger head and slimmer proportions. She wears her hair loose down to her waist with a blue bandanna on her head and her bangs pushed to the left side of her face. Her fur is a deeper shade of orange than before and the pale yellow fur around her muzzle down extends down to her stomach. This light fur is also seen on the palms of her hands and the insides of her ears. Her lipstick and eyeshadow is gone, though her eyelashes are much more exaggerated. She wears a white t-shirt crop-top with a pink star on it and navy blue trim, blue jeans with a black belt and pink sneakers with white soles.
Coco's Titans design was significantly changed in Mind Over Mutant, where she retains her previous game's base appearance with her outfit completely changed and proportions altered. Her head is more normally sized and she wears her hair in a ponytail once more, with her bangs split to either side over the large blue goggles she now wears. Her eyes are more almond-shaped with much smaller eyelashes and the insides of her ears are now dark. She wears a stained white singlet over a dark blue t-shirt, yellow pants with a black belt, gray kneepads and a flashlight strapped to her left leg, and orange boots with brown soles. She also has a dog tag on a chain around her neck with a heart symbol inside a gear with a lightning bolt beneath it. Her design in Skylanders Academy seems to be based on this look, having the singlet and blue t-shirt, brown pants with kneepads and a dark brown belt, light brown boots and brown fingerless gloves with metal knuckles. She also wears a blue headband and has light patches of fur around her eyes. As of the N. Sane Trilogy, Coco would return to her original design.
As a baby in Nitro-Fueled, Baby Coco's outfit is largely the same as her older counterpart, with the trim on the sleeves of her shirt being red instead of pink and her overalls being oversized, hanging loosely around her legs. Her hair is much shorter, curling upwards at the sides and tied in a knot on the top of her head. She doesn't have her head flower and has only a single tooth in her mouth, which is usually holding a pink pacifier. While in her kart, Baby Coco sits on a pink booster seat to help her reach the wheel.
In many of Coco's appearances, she is frequently seen carrying her trusty laptop everywhere she goes. Her laptop is usually hot pink and covered in various stickers. In Nitro Kart, her laptop is missing its stickers and is inconsistent in color - on the team select screen and in cutscenes it is sky blue, while on the loser's podium it is pink as usual. In N. Sane Trilogy and Nitro-Fueled, Coco is also frequently seen with a hot pink smartphone, matching her laptop. In It's About Time and Rumble, Coco trades in her laptop for a tablet computer, which is a lighter pink and covered in new stickers.
Personality
If I get this Doominator eye working, we'll have the best entertainment system of all time! It'll play games, watch movies, and dispense butter! It'll be the mother of all TiVos!
Coco Bandicoot
Coco is a brilliant mechanic and computer whiz, often seen tinkering with devices or hacking into systems. Her fascination with technology is evident from her early days under N. Gin's mentorship in Cortex's castle, where she shows an aptitude for mechanics and computing. She hacks into Cortex's systems to uncover his schemes, builds vehicles like the Nostalginator and Fairy Mobile, and repurposes a Doominator eye into an entertainment system. Her ability to hack Nash's brain and trace Cortex's plans via his blog further highlight her technical prowess. Coco's intelligence is not just academic - she applies it practically, often outsmarting villains like Cortex and Nina.
Coco's dialogue is laced with a playful, confident attitude and a sharp wit. She is quick to throw shade, whether to call Nina's hair "dumb" or dismissing Cortex's plans with snarky remarks. Her interactions with Crash are filled with affectionate teasing, like calling him "big brother" while bossing him around to fetch parts. Even when captured, she retains her spunk, blowing a raspberry at Nina or defiantly proclaiming Crash will save her. Her spirited nature makes her a lively counterpart to Crash's more laid-back demeanor.
Coco's determination is evident in her relentless pursuit of her goals, whether to build the ultimate vehicle to "smoke the track" or to stop Cortex's evil plans. She is fiercely competitive, particularly when pitted against Nina, whom she aims to outshine as the "best girl on the track". Her frustration when Crash fails to retrieve parts shows her intense drive to succeed. Even under pressure, she bounces back with a plan to thwart the villains.
Coco's bond with Crash and Crunch is a core part of her personality. She relies on Crash to help with her projects, affectionately calling him "big brother" and celebrating his victories. Despite her teasing, she is deeply protective, warning Crash about Cortex's deception and prioritizing the safety of Wumpa Island and their home. Her decision to return MotorWorld's ownership to Von Clutch shows her selflessness and loyalty to doing what is right.
Coco's playful side balances her intelligence. Her dialogue often includes quirky phrases and word choices like "and stuff" or "bestest", reflecting her youthful energy and enthusiasm. She gets excited about gadgets (calling the NV "ultra-cool"), finds humor in Crash's antics (like complimenting his belch), and eagerly promises pancakes to celebrate a villain's defeat.
Coco's ability to think on her feet is a defining trait. She escapes Cortex's castle via a secret hatch, hacks into holograms to warn Crash, and uses the Doominator's eye to uncover Cortex's plans. Even when captured, she remains defiant and resourceful, finding ways to resist or contribute to the heroes' efforts. Her quick thinking often saves the day, like when she disables the Doominator with her transpalooper.
Coco can be impatient when things do not go her way, especially when Crash fails to deliver parts promptly. Her perfectionist streak shows in her insistence on building the "bestest" vehicles and her frustration when her plans are disrupted. This impatience underscores her passion but can lead to moments of exasperation.
Behind-the-scenes information
Creation and development
From the beginning, Coco Bandicoot was conceptualized as Crash Bandicoot's younger sister, set to debut in Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. She was designed to replace Tawna Bandicoot, a character from the first Crash Bandicoot game, as the series' "token girl".[2][3] Coco was the product of collaboration between Naughty Dog, the original developers of the Crash Bandicoot games, and Sony of Japan, whose efforts to localize the series coincided with the beginning of Cortex Strikes Back's development.[4] The intent was to create a cute, active female character with international appeal.
A significant portion of the Crash Bandicoot series' success came from their marketing campaign in Japan, which was unusual for a game series with a foreign developer. Breaking into the Japanese market was not easy due to the stigma around foreign games there.[5] Naughty Dog were assisted by producers from Sony of Japan Shuhei Yoshida and his assistant, Roppyaku Tsurumi (also known as Shimizu, or Tsurumi-0600).[4] They worked closely with Naughty Dog, making many changes to the games so they would better appeal to a Japanese audience. Their influence on the series was extensive; according to Andy Gavin, co-founder of Naughty Dog who headed the Japanese localization of the first game, they "got pretty much whatever they wanted" owing to their knowledge of "the mysterious Japanese market".[6]
Concept art of Coco Bandicoot by Taichi Ogawa.
Meanwhile, development was beginning for the upcoming sequel, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. One of Sony of Japan's concerns was with the character Tawna, Crash's girlfriend from the first game, who they felt was overly sexual and looked too old to appeal to young players.[3][7] With this feedback in mind, other Naughty Dog co-founder Jason Rubin approached them to begin design work for a new character.[8] Together they determined that a sister to Crash would make for a safer, more popular character in Japan.[3]
Roppyaku Tsurumi collaborated with Japanese artists Taichi Ogawa and Takamitsu Iijima to produce the first designs of the character that would become Coco.[9][10] She was first depicted as a tall and slender bandicoot with a short nose, and blonde hair with a ponytail and a curled bang. Her eyes were drawn in an art style made to resemble Japanese manga.[11] Her outfit consisted of a white bikini top tied at her left shoulder and a floral skirt with a left side slit. She also wore a red hibiscus flower in her hair, a beaded necklace, blue wristbands, brown sandals, and green wraps with a white fur trim around her lower legs. These initial designs were not intended to be adopted as-is, but rather would be reinterpreted and iterated on to include elements that would appeal to both Western and Japanese audiences.[12]
A sample of Coco Bandicoot concept art by Charles Zembillas, showing the evolution of her design.
Once finished, these designs were sent to Charles Zembillas, artist and character designer for Naughty Dog. Between March 18 and May 6, 1997, Zembillas developed her design further, with additional feedback from Tsurumi.[3][12] Concepts from March at first kept her floral skirt, then changed it to a pair of shorts. Even so, design elements such as the shape of her face and hair style would persist through each iteration. A model rotation dated to April 8, 1997 instead has her wearing a crop top and long jeans.[13] Most accessories from the earlier drafts were removed, except for the flower in her hair, which was no longer any specific type of flower and would be blue in-game.
By May 6, her final design had begun to take shape.[14] Over time, her proportions had changed. Her head and eyes became larger relative to the rest of her body, traits common in Western cartoon characters such as those in the Crash Bandicoot series.[11] She was also made slightly shorter compared to previous iterations of her design. She now wore a t-shirt paired with overalls, with the right strap slung off of her shoulder. It also features the first depiction of her using her laptop, showing her development as a technologically inclined character.[15] Though her design was largely finished, at this point, the character was still unnamed; the name “Coco Bandicoot” was chosen at a later, unknown point.[14]
In contrast to Tawna, Coco was designed to be youthful, cute, and active.[16] Each visual element of her final design served to portray this: the strap of her overalls being undone on the right, the side of her dominant arm, was meant to show her activeness.[17] Although her shoes are mostly hidden by her overalls in the concept art, in-game they would become platform sneakers, which were fashionable at the time. Her interest in technology would also make her seem modern and trendy. These traits were likely chosen to resonate with the main demographics of PlayStation players; in Japan at the time, the console was most popular among young people and women in their twenties.[18]
Trivia
- Coco has her own theme in Cortex Strikes Back which plays during her holograms, although it's not easy to make out as it is masked by her dialogue. The game's composer Josh Mancell has uploaded a pre-console version of the theme onto his SoundCloud.
- Coco uses leetspeak in Crash Nitro Kart for some of her in-race lines.
- Coco's laptop is hot pink in almost all appearances. However, in Crash Nitro Kart's intro and in some promotional artwork, it is same shade of sky blue as her jeans. The laptop returns to being pink during her podium defeat animation.
- In Crash Team Racing, when Coco loses, there is the Naughty Dog Logo on her laptop that can be seen when she comes in second place. When she comes in third place, you can see the Naughty Dog signature paw print on the laptop's screen.
- The Naughty Dog logo returns to her laptop in both the N. Sane Trilogy and It's About Time. The logo can also be seen on Coco's phone in the N. Sane Trilogy and Nitro-Fueled.
- She's the only character in Crash Nitro Kart to have five fingers.
- In Nitro-Fueled, silhouettes of Coco's default victory animation are used as the Nitro Squad's paparazzi for their podium animations.
Additional information
Gallery
References
- ↑ Eden Riegel. Instagram. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024 "Thrilled to pieces to get to finally announce that I voice #CocoBandicoot in the new #crashbandicoot 4: It’s About Time."
- ↑ Making Crash Bandicoot — part 6. All Things Andy Gavin. Archived from the original on May 28, 2023 "Coco basically replaced Tawna as the token girl. It seemed a cuter dynamic."
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Origin of Coco - Part 1. Charles Zembillas' blog. Archived from the original on June 8, 2025 "Coco was created as a counter balance to Tawna who was Bandicoot's girlfriend. She came along because ND was sensitive to Sony Japan and wanted to please them. Sony Japan didn't feel comfortable with a super sexy character with Crash so ND went with a sister character instead to appease them. ... What I was told by Jason [Rubin] is that the Japanese wanted a safer character. One that didn't have strong sexual undertones. Thus a sister for Crash instead of a girlfriend."
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Crash goes to japan — part 1. All Things Andy Gavin. Archived from the original on April 10, 2025 "Sony assigned two brilliant and dedicated producers to us: Shuhei Yoshida and his then assistant Shimizu (aka Tsurumi-0600). They sat in on every major planning meeting and we scheduled the whole fall for me to localize the game in exacting detail (while we were simultaneously beginning work on Crash 2!)."
- ↑ Crash goes to japan — part 1. All Things Andy Gavin. Archived from the original on April 10, 2025 "American games, if they even made it to the land of the rising sun at all, almost always flopped. ... Foreign games even had a special name over there (which I have no idea how to spell). These “lesser” titles were stocked in a seedy back corner of your typical Japanese game store, near the oddball porn games."
- ↑ Crash goes to japan — part 1. All Things Andy Gavin. Archived from the original on April 10, 2025 "Somehow Yoshida-san was able to maneuver the game into being not one of those funny foreign games, but an official bona fide release of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. the first party Japanese studio. So to pull off this cultural masquerade Jason and I decided that Shu ... and Shimizu got pretty much whatever they wanted. They after all, knew the mysterious Japanese market."
- ↑ Shuhei Yoshida. Next Generation Console Development and Production in the Global Market: Opportunities and Challenges. Archived at GDC Vault. 40:11 "[Tawna] was too old for the Japanese market, so we ditched her and created this little sister character Coco."
- ↑ Rio Hasegawa and Roppyaku Tsurumi. How to Make Your Game Successful in Japan: Part 1. Archived at GDC Vault. 28:38 "There used to be, originally, a western-like character, but Jason Rubin said "if that's not going to become popular in Japan, then we can introduce a different character that would work better in Japan."
- ↑ Go West, Young Bandicoot. Stanford University. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015
- ↑ Roppyaku Tsurumi. X. Archived from the original on October 7, 2023 元々は、Jason Rubinか吉田修平さんかMark Cernyかが云い出したことだったと思うのですが、日本で受け入れられる要素を盛り込むために、日本のアーティストのイラストを渡したのですね。サルゲッチュチームの飯島くん・小川くんに描いてもらったかと思います。 ("Originally, I think it was Jason Rubin, Shuhei Yoshida, or Mark Cerny who suggested it, but in order to incorporate elements that would be accepted in Japan, they gave illustrations to Japanese artists. I think Iijima-kun and Ogawa-kun from the Sarugetchu [Ape Escape] team drew them.") Machine translation by Google.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Rio Hasegawa and Roppyaku Tsurumi. How to Make Your Game Successful in Japan: Part 1. Archived at GDC Vault. “But as you can see, the bone structure really is more human-like, and the way eyes are a little bit less human-like, and much more like a manga in our image.”
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Roppyaku Tsurumi. X. Archived from the original on October 7, 2023 当時のSCE制作部吉田グループ内の、他チームのアーティストに協力してもらい、何人かに「クラッシュの妹はどんな感じだろう？」というテーマでイラストを描いてもらい、そこに私が注釈をつけてNaughty Dogに送ったのです。... 日本のイラストをそのまま採用するという話ではなく、それをNaughty Dogが見て、取り入れられるところは取り入れる、というスタンスでした。そしてCharlesが描いてきたラフイラストに私がコメントしたりして、今の形になった、と。 ("At the time, I collaborated with artists from other teams in the Yoshida Group of the SCE Production Department, and had several of them draw illustrations on the theme of "What would Crash's sister be like?" I then annotated them and sent them to Naughty Dog. ... It wasn't a case of adopting the Japanese illustrations as is, but rather Naughty Dog looked at them and adopted what they could. Then, I commented on the rough illustrations that Charles had drawn, and it became what it is today.") Machine translation by Google.
- ↑ Origin of Coco - Part 4. Charles Zembillas' blog. Archived from the original on June 8, 2025 "These drawings are from April 8, 1997. After my initial pass on the character I began to refine her final design with a model rotation."
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Origin of Coco - Part 5. Charles Zembillas' blog. Archived from the original on March 21, 2025 "Here are a few more sketches from the development of Crash's little sister Coco Bandicoot. The drawings are dated May 6 1997. It was my third session working on Coco's design and personality. She still did not have a name at this point but she had a nice look and she had character. You can see how her final appearance was really taking form."
- ↑ Origin of Coco - Part 6. Charles Zembillas' blog. Archived from the original on June 7, 2025 "Okay Crash fans here's the last entry in the development art of Coco Bandicoot. These are the final drawings I did of the character when she was first designed. They were sketched on May 6 1997 at the same time that the previous 3 images I showcased a few days ago on February 6 were drawn."
- ↑ Rio Hasegawa and Roppyaku Tsurumi. How to Make Your Game Successful in Japan: Part 2. Archived at GDC Vault.
- ↑ Roppyaku Tsurumi. X. Archived from the original on October 7, 2023「利き腕」を動きやすくすることで、アクティブさを強調していたはずなのに ... オーバーオールの右ストラップを外しているのは、アクティブさを表しています。厚底のスニーカーは、まあ当時の流行ですね。テクノロジーに長けている＝流行にも敏感、という意味合いです。 「日本のキャラクターというのは、このように意味のある『記号』をまとっている」と説明した覚えがあります。 ("By making the "dominant arm" easier to move, the activeness was supposed to be emphasized. ... The right strap of [her] overalls is undone, which shows [her] activeness. The platform sneakers were a trend at the time. Being good at technology means [she] is also sensitive to trends. I remember [explaining] that 'Japanese characters are decorated with meaningful 'symbols' like this.'") Machine translation by Google, with edits in brackets for clarity.
- ↑ Lost In Translation — Japanese and American Gaming's Culture Clash. gamedeveloper.com. Archived from the original on August 27, 2021 "'Crash launched at a time when the PlayStation was enormously popular with young people and females in Japan. It was the 'in' thing for 20-something girls to own a PlayStation at that time, and that kind of crowd was perfect for a cute-character-based action game.'"
| Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy | ||
| DLC Content | Crash Bandicoot: Stormy Ascent Crash Bandicoot: Warped: Future Tense | |