Crash Bandicoot: Dance! Then Jump! Na Daibōken

Crash Bandicoot: Dance! Then Jump! Na Daibōken (クラッシュ・バンディクー　ダンス！でジャンプ！な大冒険(だいぼうけん)) is a manga series published by Coro Coro Comics, and was drawn and written by Kawashima Ari, running from December 1997 to February 1999. The chapters were originally published in CoroCoro Comics magazine, and they were later reprinted into two manga volumes. Two final chapters were published in the magazine to tie in to Crash Bandicoot: Warped, which weren't given any reprints.^[1] The manga was officially only published in Japanese, though an English fan-translation by FierceTheBandit (credited as Fiercey-Kun) and SnowLady4Ever can be easily found online.

The manga is loosely based off the events of Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. Cortex tricked Crash into thinking he has changed his ways in order for him to gather the crystals for an elaborate plot to take over the world. Crash teams up with Aku Aku and the adventure begins, Crash encounters a large variety of characters from Coco Bandicoot (whom he normally lives with) and Penta Penguin, to enemies from his past including: Dr. N. Gin, Ripper Roo, and even the Komodo Bros. The story itself focuses on comedy rather than action alone, getting Crash into hilarious situations involving the setting around him.

Differences between the manga and game[]

Every character can speak fluently in sentences, including Crash and Polar.
Many differences in names being used for certain objects are simply the result of that being the literal translation, or simply that being what they are referred to as in the Japanese versions of the games
Wumpa fruits are called "Apples" in translations.
Because this manga is originally written in Japanese, many translations keep the use of terms such as 'Crash-kun', (Kun being a term typically used at the end of someone's name to show respect, mostly used for boys but not exclusively) 'Coco-Chan' (chan being an affectionate way to refer to someone) and 'Onii-Chan' (being an affectionate way to refer to your brother).
Cortex refers to himself with '-sama', this being something you'd typically use to show respect towards a person (though it is typically used for girls, but not exclusively) him referring to himself like this shows his very obvious ego.
The story follows the Japanese canon of Crash Bandicoot, meaning all animals in the story are anthropomorphic, whether or not they have been mutated (such as Polar), and Tawna having left Crash for Pinstripe.
Power Crystals are referred to as "Power Stones" in translations.
Fake Crash makes a cameo appearance in the story even though it is based around Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, although he was in the commercials for the same game, his first actual appearance was in the following game afterward.

Characters[]

Main[]

Recurring[]

One-off[]

Plot Synopses[]

Volume One[]

Stage 1: I'm The Hero!![]

The story begins with Crash dreaming about saving the world and reuniting with Tawna, but is distraught to discover a parting letter from her upon waking up. After a brief pep-talk from Coco, Crash decides that he must stop being lazy and become a stronger hero so he can be "irresistible".

He leaves home to go get some apples, but upon touching one, he is teleported away to a Warp Room. Here, Cortex speaks to Crash via a hologram, and convinces the bandicoot to gather power stones for him in order to prevent the destruction of the planet. Crash soon agrees, believing this will help him become irresistible, unaware of Cortex's true intentions of using the power stones to brainwash the entire planet.

Stage 2: Reunion with Aku Aku[]

After another nap at the top of a palm tree, Crash accidentally drops in on the Aruma Family, a family of armadillos, who happen to be working with Aku Aku to capture a thief that had been loose in the area. Crash asks the Arumas for information on the locations of power stones, but the conversation goes sour when he lets slip that he is working for Cortex, and the parents chase Crash and Aku Aku out of their home. Aku Aku scolds Crash for trusting Cortex, and the two briefly argue, only to be interrupted by a thief speeding by and snatching an apple out of Crash's hands.

Crash angrily gives chase to retrieve his apple, and is soon followed by Mama and Papa Aruma, shouting that the thief had kidnapped their son, Aru. When they catch up, the thief introduces himself as Anachuur, demanding a power stone ransom for him to release Aru. Crash is distracted, but drops his apple, and bowls Anachuur over chasing after it, inadvertently freeing Aru in the process. The Arumas thank Crash for saving Aru, and give him a map leading to a power stone as a thank-you. Crash and Aku Aku set off to follow the map and find the first power stone.

Stage 3: Get them! The Power Stones![]

After an altercation with a Warthog while trekking through the bush, Crash and Aku Aku come across a young turtle boy named Junia. Junia reveals that the power stone is located at his home after being shown the map, but quickly grows upset, explaining that his father had grown a deep, unhealthy obsession with the stone to the point of neglecting his own son. Crash quickly comes up with a plan to disguise himself as Junia to convince Junia's father to give him the stone.

Crash tries several times to get his hands on the stone, which all end with him being comedically injured. When Junia's father invites Crash inside for dinner and makes him eat at a cardboard box on the floor to leave room for the stone at the table, Crash tears off his disguise and reprimands the father for mistreating his son before tossing the stone away in anger. The stone flies towards a nearby chasm, and Junia leaps out to catch it. Crash quickly grabs Junia's hand before he can fall, resulting in the turtle dangling over the cliff, weighed down by the stone. When Junia refuses to let go of the stone, saying that it would make his father sad, his father finally snaps out of it and tells Junia to drop the stone, which he does, allowing Crash to fling him to safety. While Junia's father tearfully apologises to his son, Crash plummets to the bottom of the chasm, landing next to the stone.

Stage 4: Deep in the Ruins...![]

Bored and restless, Cortex starts bothering N. Gin for something to do. Wanting to return to his work, N. Gin gives Cortex a VR device that will project a hologram of him down to Earth, allowing him to go for a walk without leaving the safety of the space station. Cortex drops in on Crash and Aku Aku in the depths of the jungle, and decides to take this opportunity to lead them into a trap. Cortex lies that he found a power stone in some nearby ruins, which convinces Crash to follow him. Aku Aku remains skeptical, but begrudgingly agrees to go along with it when Cortex points out a carving of a power stone at the ruins.

The three of them head inside the ruins, only to be bombarded with booby traps. Cortex remains immune since he's only a hologram, but Crash is repeatedly battered by the traps. While Crash and Aku Aku try and fail to escape being squashed by a rolling boulder, Cortex phases through a wall and finds a treasure chest. Cortex presses a button to turn his hologram solid, allowing him to triumphantly flip open the lid... only to discover a single pair of nail clippers. It slowly dawns on Aku Aku that the diamond-shaped carving didn't represent a power stone, but nail clippers. Outraged, Crash and Aku Aku turn on Cortex. He taunts them, forgetting that he's still solid, before Crash and Aku Aku start beating him up. Cortex hits the button again to once again become intangible, which results in Aku Aku accidentally striking Crash on the head. The two begin squabbling, forgetting all about Cortex.

Stage 5: Furious Ripper![]

As Crash and Aku Aku are wandering through the bush, Crash begins loudly complaining about being hungry. Aku Aku dismisses this, reminding him of their goal of locating the next power stone, before spotting a column of smoke from a chimney in the distance. The pair follows the smoke only to discover Ripper Roo's research laboratory. They enter, and after Crash narrowly avoids several traps set by the insane roo, they come face to face with Ripper himself. Dr. Roo is initially dismissive of Crash and Aku Aku, wanting them to leave so he can get back to his studies, but becomes intrigued when he notices that Crash has a power stone.

Ripper tries to convince Crash to let him look at the stone in return for food, but Aku Aku makes him say no. Aku Aku tries to leave, but Ripper Roo promises to give them food and let them sleep in the lab if they help him, desperate to not let the power stone leave his reach. Crash happily accepts, but fails at both tasks he's given, destroying Ripper's books and knocking a ladder onto him. Ripper pretends to be knocked out, and when Crash picks him to carry him to his room, he tries to pick-pocket the power stones out of Crash's box, only for Crash to trip and launch Ripper into a computer, electrocuting him. The computer is destroyed, and with it, all of Ripper's research data. This is the last straw, and Dr. Roo finally snaps, furiously attacking Crash and Aku Aku with his cane. After a desparate battle, a chandelier lands on Ripper's head, knocking him out cold.

Concussed from the blow to the head, Ripper starts acting friendly again, and agrees to serve up some food for Crash. Crash is excited, only for his meal to turn out to be made up of rotting food and mold. With that, Crash and Aku Aku finally take their leave, finally leaving Ripper Roo alone.

Stage 6: Enter! Danger Zone of Evil![]

By the side of a river, Crash is peacefully fishing. Suddenly, something heavy tugs on the line, and Crash pulls it out, finding a Jet Board on the hook. Crash tosses the jet board aside, returning his focus to the fish, only to see Cortex had stolen them. Angry, Crash immediately attacks Cortex, who tries to distract Crash and Aku Aku by telling them that a power stone can be found downstream. Crash asks Cortex when he doesn't just get the stone himself, prompting the doctor to nervously back away, ending up informing our heroes that the area the stone is in is extremely dangerous.

Crash is reluctant to go, but ends up accidentally starting up the jet board by kicking it, taking Crash with it down the river. Aku Aku hurries to keep up, and spots piranhas in the water up ahead. Crash tries to jump off the board, but his pants get caught between the exhaust pipes, sending him face-first into the piranhas. The bite-ridden Crash manages to jump over a wall, only to end up sucked into a whirlpool, using his fishing rod to take Aku Aku down with him. Later, Crash and Aku Aku wake up on the shore of a meadow filled with strange plants. Crash is relieved, believing that the worst is behind them, and approaches what he believes to be a giant strawberry. Aku Aku cries out for Crash to stop, but is too late to prevent the Man-Eating Plant from opening its jaws and biting Crash. Crash pulls himself out of the plant's mouth and flees in horror, Aku Aku pointing out that this was what Cortex warned them about. When one of the plants reveals itself to possess eyes, the ability to speak, and most importantly, a power stone, Crash gives up and tries to leave on the jet board. Aku Aku throws Crash at the plant, and after Crash bites the plant's tongue, the plant spits Crash out onto the jet board. The jet board roars into life and reverses into the plant at high speed, knocking it out and making it drop the power stone. Aku Aku triumphantly picks up the crystal, but Crash tries to flee once again, ending up being bitten by piranhas in the water.

Stage 7: Panic at the Snow Mountain!![]

The gang is hiking up the side of a snowy mountain, and Crash begins complaining about the cold, ending up squabbling with Cortex. To decide the winner of the arguement, they decide to split paths and see who can find a power stone first. Suddenly, a tiny, terrified polar bear cub comes dashing out of the bushes and hides behind Crash. It turns out that the cub was scared of Cortex, who was angrily rampaging around the forest, which Crash finds hilarious. Cortex gets frustrated at the cub's fear at his "charming" smile, and tries to hit the cub, which results in Crash body-slamming Cortex to stop him. The cub is grateful, and introduces himself as Polar. Crash shows Polar a power stone, and to Crash's surprise, Polar recognises it. Crash asks Polar where the power stone he saw is, and Polar agrees to show them, and rushes off.

Cortex overheard this, and decides to disguise himself as Crash so that Polar will tell him where the stone is. Polar sees right through his lame disguise and bites him on the arm. Cortex throws Polar to the ground, unaware that Polar's father was right behind him. Polar's father furiously chases Cortex, but quickly loses track of him, and ends up chasing the real Crash instead. Crash doesn't understand what's happening and begs for forgiveness, but Polar's father doesn't relent. Crash and Aku manage to find shelter in a cabin, but fail to barricade the back door, resulting in Polar's father finally catching them. Polar's father carries the beaten bandicoot through the forest looking for Polar so that Crash can apologise, only to see Cortex interrogating a crying Polar for information on the power stone. Cortex tries to play dumb, but ends up beaten up and tied to a tree. Polar's father apologises sincerely to Crash and Aku Aku, finally realising he was chasing the wrong person. Crash asks Polar if he has the power stone, and Polar tells his father to give it to Crash. It turns out that the "power stones" that Polar was referring to were actually rock candy. Aku Aku is dissapointed, but Crash is overjoyed to get free food.

Volume Two[]

Stage 1: Duel! Enter the Komodo Bros![]

In a treetop, Crash is relaxing, picking his ear with a power stone. Aku Aku bursts out suddenly, and Crash quickly pretends to be looking for stones with a telescope, only to notice a pair of legs poking out of the ground. Crash pulls them out of the ground, revealing it to have been Komodo Moe stuck in a hole. Moe thanks Crash for pulling him out, and explains that he and his brother Joe had been looking for treasures, which is why he was looking in the hole. Joe approaches, and Crash cheerfully greets him, only for Joe to coldly turn away, asking Moe to talk to him. Crash angrily reprimands Joe for ignoring him, but Joe brushes him off, bragging about his talent at treasure hunting. Wanting to prove himself, Crash tells Joe that he is a treasure hunter too. Joe throws a small treasure chest to Crash, suggesting he prove himself as a true treasure hunter by opening it, only for Crash to destroy the chest with a body slam. Fed-up, Joe chains Crash to a tree and leaves.

Furious, Crash follows Joe and Moe, uprooting the tree and dragging it behind him. Crash taunts Joe, saying that he can't even be that good of a treasure hunter either. With one fell swoop, Joe unlocks all of the chains binding Crash to the tree, then tells him to leave. Aku Aku asks what treasure the brothers are looking for, and Moe immediately blurts out that they're looking for power stones, despite Joe's protests. Crash reveals that they're also looking for power stones, but accidentally flings a stone to Joe. Crash takes it back and pretends it's rock candy, but Joe isn't fooled, and snatches the stone right back. After a scuffle for the stone, Crash ends up weak and on the floor, with the stone in Joe's hands. Feeling sorry for Crash, Moe gently points out that Crash probably worked hard to get that stone, and that taking it from him would make Joe a thief. Joe sighs and tosses the stone back to Crash, saying that he is too skilled of a treasure hunter ever to resort to theft. Smiling for the first time, Joe compliments Crash on his treasure hunting skills before taking his leave.

Stage 2: A Trip to a Deep Resort[]

N. Gin shows Cortex his latest invention, the Size Changer, and demonstrates its use. Cortex is impressed and decides to borrow it. He finds Crash and Aku Aku taking shelter from a rainstorm and uses the Size Changer to shrink Crash down to the size of an insect. Crash is understandably upset and demands Cortex change him back, but Cortex teases the tiny bandicoot, resulting in Crash getting angry and throwing a pepper shaker at Cortex's face. Cortex sneezes, shooting Crash across the room, where he eventually lands in an open tin of food. While helping Aku Aku look for Crash, Cortex discovers the tin and eats the contents, not realizing that Crash is inside. Crash tries to climb back out, causing Cortex to have stomach pains. Aku Aku gives Cortex a painkiller so he can keep searching, which Cortex swallows with water, inadvertently washing Crash all the way back down.

Some time later, Aku Aku still hasn't found Crash, and Cortex is now in so much pain that he's lying in bed in the fetal position. Crash finally manages to escape by climbing out through Cortex's nasal passage and is returned to normal size, where he immediately begins bickering with Cortex, much to Aku Aku's annoyance.

Stage 3: Baby Crash~?![]

Crash, Aku Aku, and Cortex resume their quest to find more Power Stones. After becoming lost in a cave, Crash throws a tantrum, expressing frustration at their fruitless search and doubt that Cortex's map can actually help them find the next Power Stone. Crash asks Cortex to carry him the rest of the way, but the scientist refuses, stating that the bandicoot isn't a baby and can walk by himself. Crash later falls into a lower area of the cave, where he finds a power stone encased in ice. He tries to break it out with a spin attack, but a chuck of ice hits his head, knocking him out cold.

Aku Aku wakes him up, only for Crash to have mentally regressed into a baby from the blow to the head. He can't walk on his own, forcing Cortex to carry him. Later, Crash gets hungry and eats the map, causing the three to become lost within the cave. They eventually find a river they must cross, but the current is too strong. Cortex tries to climb across using stalactites, but Crash jumps onto his back, and Cortex loses his grip. Aku Aku tries to help but the three fall into the river. Fortunately, the river flows through a hole in the cave wall to the outside. Both Crash and Cortex smack their heads upon hitting the ground, returning Crash to normal and causing Cortex to begin acting like a baby.

Stage 4: Get them back! The Power Stones![]

Stumbling through the sweltering jungle, Crash is delighted to stumble upon a cool spring, with the bonus of a full lunchbox on the side. Just as Crash finished guzzling down the food despite Aku Aku's cautions, a furious monkey leaps from the bushes and punches Crash in the face, knocking him into the water. The monkey angrily introduces himself as Rihu, and demands that Crash and Aku Aku leave his territory. Suddenly, Crash begins to feel sick, distracting him long enough to allow Rihu to steal the power stones as revenge for the theft of his lunch. Crash struggles with his nausea, but manages to stumble after Rihu. Rihu climbs up a tree, but Crash grabs his tail, prompting Rihu to toss the stones to the ground as a distraction. Crash takes the bait and lets go of the tree, falling flat on his face. Rihu jumps down and takes the stones again, zipping off into the bushes.

Crash and Aku Aku hear a scream from deep in the jungle, and follow it to discover Rihu being robbed by a Gorilla. Crash takes this as an opportunity to get the power stones back, and attacks the gorilla, somehow managing to successfully defeat him and take the stones back despite his sickness. Rihu feels guilty for treating Crash so harshly and cheerfully thanks him, calling him "bro". He then offers Crash some medicine to make him feel better, but accidentally hands him a bottle of laxatives instead, making it much worse. Rihu runs off in embarrassment.

Stage 5: Merrily at South Pole! ♥[]

In the midst of a miserable slog through a humid jungle, Crash and Aku Aku are interrupted by a coat-clad Cortex zooming in in his hovercraft and bragging about his Antarctic holiday, showing off a photo of him with a penguin. While Crash reacts with envy, Aku Aku has his eyes on something more important - a power stone imbedded in ice in the background of the photo. Determined to get the stone, Crash hops on Cortex's back and takes control of the hovercraft, sending it right back to the South Pole. After struggling in the thick snow and biting cold, Crash, Aku Aku and Cortex take shelter in a cave before noticing a penguin in the distance. Crash excitedly approaches the penguin and asks for a photo, only for the penguin to demand 500 yen for the privilege. Aku Aku asks the penguin if he knows where the power stone is, showing him the photo as reference, but the penguin is distracted by the other penguin in the picture, identifying her as his girlfriend, Gurin. When Crash asks where Gurin is, the penguin attempts to demand more money, only to be interrupted by Gurin calling his name - Penta. Gurin briefly scolds Penta for trying to scam the visitors before noticing Crash, and immediately falling head-over-heels for him.

Crash is confused at Gurin's infatuation, but is flattered by her praise, even agreeing to go swimming with her. Penta immediately goes green with jealousy, refusing to save Crash when he begins to drown in the icy water. Aku Aku begs Penta to help, who steals Aku's purse and uses his money to buy ice cream, Gurin's favorite food. Recovering from the freezing cold, Crash is hesitant to eat it, but Gurin misunderstands this as Crash not liking that flavor of ice cream, leading her to top the dessert with fish, fish sauce, and other savory ingredients before shoveling a huge spoonful into Crash's mouth. Crash is frozen in disgust, but Penta happily gulps down the ice cream, turning Gurin's affections back to him. Having made peace, Gurin shows Crash where the power stone is - right in the middle of a gigantic iceberg. It seems hopeless at first, but Crash gets an idea - they drag the iceberg back to Tasmania, where Penta and Gurin run a stall selling ice cream made with the ice, making Penta money while gradually breaking the stone free. Meanwhile, Cortex gets left behind in Antarctica, forgotten and buried in snow.

Stage 6: The Largest and Worst Fight Possible!![]

After styling his hair, Cortex emerges from the bathroom only to find Crash and Aku Aku in the midst of a furious arguement. When Cortex asks what's wrong, they explained that when Crash was trying to cook apples over a fire for breakfast, he accidentally ripped off parts of Aku Aku's face to use for firewood. Aku Aku retaliated by trying to burn Crash on the fire, burning and messing up the bandicoot's hair in the process. Realising that driving Aku Aku away will make it much easier for him to manipulate Crash, Cortex tells the two of them that it's probably best for them to part ways before either gets hurt again. Still angry, Crash and Aku Aku agree, and Aku Aku storms off into the jungle. After they clean up and eat lunch, Cortex commands Crash to come and look for power stones, but Crash is fast asleep in his pajamas. Crash complains that now Aku Aku is gone, they should be allowed to have a day off. Cortex rips Crash's blanket off, only for Crash to sock Cortex in the face for interrupting his nap time, sending him flying. Realizing that Crash will only ever listen to Aku Aku, Cortex gives up on his plan and leaves to find him. Cortex finds Aku Aku meditating on the side of the path. He tries to convince the mask to forgive Crash and come back, but the sound of Crash singing an embarrassing song about Aku Aku echoes through the trees, making Aku angry again. Cortex begs Aku to forgive him, but Aku Aku refuses to come back unless Crash apologizes.

Miserable, Cortex trudges back to Crash and tries to drag him along to look for power stones. Aku Aku, looking on from behind a tree, remembers caring for Crash as a baby, and comes up with an idea. Crash and Cortex stumble upon a power stone lying on the ground. Crash happily leaps out to grab it, only for a net to snatch him up, leaving him hanging from a tree. Cortex refuses to climb the tree to get Crash down, and Crash begins to cry, believing that he's stuck, only for Aku Aku to appear. Crash is overjoyed, but Aku Aku refuses to help him down unless he apologises. Crash refuses to apologise and tries to break through the net on his own, but gets scared when he remembers how high up he is. Aku Aku shows Crash some apples, making Crash forget it and spin the net apart, sliding down the tree trunk. Crash freaks out when he realises what he just did, but Aku reminds him that he is safe and sound now, and tells him how proud he is. Overcome with joy, Crash tearfully embraces Aku Aku, finally apologizing for what he did. Cortex picks up the stone from the ground and goes to add it to their stone box, only to notice that the box is one stone short, and that the stone in his hand has Crash's name written on it. Nervously, Aku Aku admits that he was the one who set up the trap to teach Crash a lesson, using one of the stones as bait. Outraged, Crash and Cortex turn on Aku Aku, chasing him through the jungle.

Stage 7: GO! To Outer Space on a JetPack![]

Crash finally has all the power stones. Tawna appears and apologises for leaving him, embracing him and asking him to take her back. Crash happily goes to kiss her, only to wake up from his dream in a tent with Aku Aku and Cortex, still only at 4 out of 25 power stones. Cortex expresses his frustration at their slow progress, and Crash comes up with an idea; if they went to space, they'd be able to see the bright light of the power stones from orbit. Crash is excited at the idea, but Cortex reminds him that they are vastly underprepared. Suddenly Rihu emerges in a nearby tree, and jokes that they need formal suits for politely greeting aliens, before leaving to go find proper space suits for the gang. Being a scientist, Cortex begins explaining what they'll need to know for their trip, but quickly gets annoyed at Crash fooling around, and tells him that evil aliens with get him if he doesn't listen. Realising that they still need a rocket to get into orbit, Crash miraculously builds one in seconds. Astonished, Cortex and Aku Aku watch Crash climb inside to prove that it works. A tiny firework launches from the tip of the rocket, and the rest of it stays put, proving useless.

Cortex says that they should just use his flying saucer instead, and leaves to go get it, only to find it broken in half on the ground. Crash sheepishly admits that he had broken it to use its materials to make his "rocket", enraging Cortex. Suddenly, Rihu returns with spacesuits in hand, as well as directions to a stall selling jetpacks run by Penta Penguin. Crash realises that they have barely any money and chooses the cheapest model, which turns out to be just a tiny toy jetpack. Crash doesn't have enough money to buy a real jetpack, so Penta puts him, Aku Aku and Cortex to work in his shop to pay it off. Months later, they finally get enough money to buy a jetpack. Crash puts on his space suit and tries to fly off, but Cortex steals the jetpack off his back, replacing it with a useless backpack. Cortex puts on the jetpack and tries to fly off, but Crash angrily jumps onto his back, sending them spiraling around in the sky. Cortex snatches the box of power stones off of Crash, only to drop them, sending them plummeting down to Earth, lost once more. Crash is enraged, but Cortex points out that Crash's plan was right all along; down below, the glimmering of power stones can be seen all over the world.

The manga ends on this cliffhanger, and this storyline was never continued.

Bonus Chapters[]

Stage 1: Depart for a round-the-world trip!![]

(To be added.)

Stage 2: If you lose the Power Stones...... Call me anytime, anywhere!![]