Crash Bandicoot is a video game franchise that was originally developed by Naughty Dog as an exclusive for Sonys PlayStation console. The series consists predominantly of platform games, but also includes spin-offs in the kart racing and party game genres. The franchise has seen numerous installments created by various developers and published on multiple platforms. The main character of the series is Crash Bandicoot, a mutant eastern barred bandicoot who was genetically enhanced by the series main antagonist Doctor Neo Cortex and soon escaped from Cortexs castle after a failed experiment in the "Cortex Vortex"). Throughout the series, Crash acts as the opposition against Cortex and his schemes for world domination).
The goal of each level in the game is to guide Crash from the beginning to the end, travelling either into the screen, towards the player, or left and right in a side-scrolling manner. Several levels place Crash in unique situations which require the use of motorbikes, jet skis, submarines, and various wild animals to complete the level. The original Crash Bandicoot uses a fairly linear structure in which Crash clears through levels on a map, with some areas accessible by locating gems.
The franchise has been remastered and new games have been released in recent years. For example, "Crash Bandicoot 4: Its About Time" was released in 2023. The game features new levels, abilities, and playable characters, and is set after the events of "Crash Bandicoot: Warped".
