Nitro Crate

A Nitro Crate as seen in Cortex Strikes Back

Nitro Crates are powerful, explosive crates, filled with nitroglycerin, seen in the Crash Bandicoot series.

The most dangerous crates in the Crash series, they should not be touched under most conditions unless supplied with invincibility. In Crash of the Titans for the DS, they appear with only an "N" on them, in the GBA version of the same game, they have a yellow explosion. To destroy them, Crash must press the Nitro Switch Crate at the end of the level, which instantly blows up all Nitros in the level—however, anything near their explosion would not be destroyed while unseen; until The Wrath of Cortex.

In Cortex Strikes Back, Crash Bandicoot: Warped, The Wrath of Cortex, and Twinsanity, Nitro Crates occasionally hop up in the air making them more difficult to pass. In Bee-Having, a staircase of harmless Nitro Crates lead to a secret stage, containing the Purple Gem. Unlike normal Nitro Crates, these never explode when touched. In the Crash 2 prototype, however, body slamming the crates causes them to explode, making it impossible to reach the secret stage without resetting or dying.

If Crash touches them, they will explode and he will lose a mask or a life if he has no masks left. If Crash does lose a life in Cortex Strikes Back or Warped, he will die and become an angel playing the didgeridoo. However, while traveling underground beneath the crates, Crash will be killed and a grave will pop up.

In Crash Team Racing, its Nitro-Fueled remake, and Crash Nitro Kart, they are available as a weapon for racers with ten Wumpa Fruit, upgraded from TNT Crates. If hit, they explode and the player loses three Wumpa Fruit as well. Racers can get them from a ? Crate at any time. Komodo Joe and Nitros Oxide also use them in their boss races. In Nitro-Fueled, the Nitro Crate also appears as an alternate skin for the Iron Checkpoint Crate.

In Crash Bash, they appear in all Crate Crush levels except Drain Bash, they also appear in Oxide Ride as an obstacle.

In Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage, exclusively in the multiplayer minigame Crash Ball, a variant of a Nitro Crate called a Nitro ball appears.

In Crash Twinsanity, Crash is still blown up if he touches them, even if he has an Aku Aku mask. Nitro Crates will also destroy enemies if they are ran or knocked into. The Nitro Crates in this game are different in appearance to versions seen in previous games.

The only ways to touch a Nitro Crate without dying are by using the Sneak Shoes power up in The Wrath of Cortex, having an Aku Aku mask, or, in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, using Kupuna-Wa's ability to slow down time so that you can touch the crates and have enough time to move away from them before they explode.

Descriptions

Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back

• Manual

"NEVER EVER touch a Nitro box. (Just a suggestion)."

Crash Bandicoot: Warped

• Manual

"Can you say "smithereens?" Even a simple touch will blow you away!"

• Prima strategy guide

"Stay away from these buggers. Even being near a Nitro Crate when it goes off can cost you a life."

Crash Team Racing

• Manual

"Now the crate turns into a more deadly "NITRO" Crate, which blows up as soon as someone hits it. No mercy here!"

• Prima strategy guide

"This power-up creates a green Nitro Crate which also remains where you drop it. The Nitro Crate explodes immediately on impact."

Crash Bash

• In-game

"Avoid nitro crates!"

• Prima strategy guide (Jungle Bash)

"Keep your distance, as these are very unstable! Touching one will make it explode instantly, so you obviously can't pick it up. You'll have to knock something (or someone) into it instead."

• Prima strategy guide (Space Bash, Snow Bash)

"Touching one of these will make it explode instantly, so you can't pick it up."

Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex

• Manual

"Caution should be used when close to these highly volatile boxes. Many a bandicoot has been vaporized by these green meanies."

• Bradygames strategy guide

"Crash or Coco can lose a life if you get too close."

Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure and Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced

• Manual

"Caution should be used when close to these highly volatile boxes. One touch and Crash goes up in smoke!"

• N-Tranced - Prima strategy guide

"If you touch a Nitro Crate, it explodes and you perish. So how do you finish the level with a perfect Crate score? By hitting the Nitro Switch Box, of course."

Crash Nitro Kart

• Console manual

"Your TNT crate will be upgraded to a green Nitro crate that will explode as soon as someone hits it."

• GBA & N-Gage manuals

"Your TNT crate will be upgraded to a green NITRO crate that explodes as soon as someone hits it."

Crash Twinsanity

• Manual

"Explodes when touched."

• Prima strategy guide

"Whereas TNT crates only explode when broken, nitro crates explode when touched in any way. Avoid these at all costs. If nitro crates block your path, you either need to find some way around them or find a way of safely detonating them—for example, with a detonator crate or by knocking an object or enemy into them."

Appearances

• Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
• Crash Bandicoot: Warped
• Crash Team Racing
• Crash Bash
• Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex
• Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure
• Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced
• Crash Nitro Kart
• Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage
• Crash Twinsanity 3D
• Crash Nitro Kart (mobile)
• Crash Twinsanity
• Crash Twinsanity (mobile)
• Crash Boom Bang!
• Crash of the Titans (Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance versions only)
• Crash: Mind Over Mutant (DS version only)
• Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2
• Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
• Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
• Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
• Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!
• Crash Team Rumble

Gallery

A Nitro Crate from the instruction manual of Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back

Japanese render of a Nitro Crate for Cortex Strikes Back

A Nitro Crate from Cortex Strikes Back

Crash standing on fake Nitro Crates in Cortex Strikes Back

Japanese artwork of a Nitro Crate from Cortex Strikes Back

Japanese artwork of Crash riding Polar from Cortex Strikes Back

A Nitro Crate from Crash Bandicoot: Warped

Japanese artwork of a Nitro Crate for Warped

Nitro Crate Icon from Crash Team Racing

Promo render of a Nitro Crate from Crash Team Racing

Japanese render of a Nitro Crate for CTR

A Nitro Crate from Crash Bash

Japanese render of a Nitro Crate for Crash Bash

Japanese render of a Nitro Tile for Crash Bash

Japanese render of Crash unwisely holding a Nitro Crate for Crash Bash

A Nitro Crate from Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex

Japanese render of a Nitro Crate for The Wrath of Cortex

Sprite of a Nitro Crate from Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure

Nitro Crate icon from the console versions of CNK

Nitro Crate sprite from the handheld versions of CNK

Japanese Nitro Crate sprite from the Game Boy Advance version of CNK

Nitro Crate icon from the handheld versions of CNK

Nitro crates from Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage

Nitro Crate sprite from Ripto's Rampage

Nitro ball sprite from Ripto's Rampage

A Nitro Crate from Crash Twinsanity

A Nitro Crate from the mobile version of Twinsanity

Japanese render of a Nitro Crate for Boom Bang!

Nitro Crates from the DS version of Crash of the Titans

A stack of Nitro Crates from the GBA version of Crash of the Titans

A Nitro Crate from the Pre-console of Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy

Nitro Crate in the N. Sane Trilogy

Artwork of a Nitro Crate in Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled

The playable Iron Checkpoint Crate's Nitro Crate skin icon from Nitro-Fueled

A playable Nitro crate in Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled

Nitro Crate sticker from Nitro-Fueled

A Nitro Crate in the icon of the "Juiced Up!" trophy for Nitro-Fueled

A Nitro Crate in the Night Night Nitro emblem from Rumble

Names in other languages

Language	Name
Arabic	صندوق نايترو sunduq naytrw
Traditional Chinese	硝酸箱 (WOC) 爆轟箱 (OTR!) Xiāosuān xiāng (WOC) Bào hōng xiāng (OTR!)
Simplified Chinese	氮素箱 Dàn sù xiāng
Danish	Nitro kasser
Dutch	Nitro-Doos
Finnish	Nitrolaatikko
French	Caisse Nitro Caisse de Nitro (Purple)
German	Nitro-Kiste
Greek	Κουτιά Νίτρο Koutiá Nítro
Italian	Casse Nitro Cassa Nitro (Purple)
Japanese	ニトロばこ ニトロ箱(CTR) Nitoro bako
Korean	니트로 상자 (WOC) 니트로 상자를 (OTR!) niteulo sangja (WOC) niteulo sangjaleul (OTR!)
Norwegian	Nitrokasse
Brazilian Portuguese	Caixa Nitro
European Portuguese	Caixas de 'Nitro'
Russian	Нитроящик Nitroyashchik
Spanish	Caja Nitro Caja de Nitro (Purple)
Thai	ลังไนโตร Lạng nị tor
Turkish	Nitro Sandıklarına
Vietnamese	Thùng Nitơ

Trivia

• According to Crash's profile in Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!, he hates nitro crates.
• Neo Cortex created the TNT and nitro crates, according to the flashback tapes in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time.

References

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
DLC Content	Crash Bandicoot: Stormy Ascent Crash Bandicoot: Warped: Future Tense