Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex

Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex is a Crash Bandicoot platformer. It is the sixth Crash Bandicoot game, the fourth mainline series game, and it was the first game to feature Crash Bandicoot on the in 2001. It was later ported to the and in 2002, making it his first multiplatform appearance. On December 4, 2007, the Xbox version was released onto the Xbox Live Marketplace as a downloadable game on the Xbox Originals Service.
In the game's story, the evil mask Uka Uka is enraged with Neo Cortex and his cronies for failing in the name of villainy. Focusing on defeating Crash Bandicoot, the talk of Cortex's secret superweapon comes up and the doctor reveals that he has created a strong warrior of unbelievable power. Requiring a power source, Uka Uka recommends the Elementals - a group of malevolent masks bent on causing global chaos. The kindhearted Aku Aku quickly finds out and confronts Uka Uka. Luckily, each Elemental can be placed back into their hibernation state with a total of five ancient crystals, so it is up to Crash and Coco Bandicoot to find them from different spots around the world with the use of Coco's VR Hub System whilst overcoming Cortex's superweapon.
==Development==
Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex was originally intended to be designed by (who designed all the games in the series thus far) and published by . It was Mark's unnamed PS2 game under development. The game under Cerny's direction was to be a free-roaming title with puzzle elements that would see Crash traveling between different planets. In early 2000, when Universal approached Traveller's Tales to be the development team behind the game, Tales produced a 3-D rendered demo of Crash running through a volcanic level. Development of the game's engine began in mid-2000. On September 21, 2000, and Konami announced that they had entered an agreement that would enable Konami to publish a Crash Bandicoot game for next-generation game systems, with Universal Interactive handling the production of the games. The agreement served to break the Crash Bandicoot franchise's exclusivity to Sony-produced consoles and effectively made Crash Bandicoot a mascot character for Universal rather than Sony. After Universal fell out with Cerny and Sony, Traveller's Tales was forced to alter the game from a free-roaming title to a standard Crash title. Traveller's Tales had to begin development of the game from scratch and were given only twelve months to complete the game.
The character Crunch Bandicoot was designed by Craig Whittle of Traveller's Tales and Sean Krankel of Universal. The concept of battling mini-bosses within the game's levels was dropped to uphold the fast and frantic pace of the series' gameplay. Multiplayer capability was also considered before being dropped. An earlier draft of the story featured an alternate version of the game's climax and ending, which involved Crash battling Crunch in a mechanical robot suit. At the end of the fight, Crunch would destroy Crash's suit with a bolt of electricity. The resulting debris would render Cortex unconscious, destroy the remote control device controlling Crunch and start an electrical fire in the space station. As the Bandicoots escape to resume their beach-going vacation, the ruins of the space station would crash-land onto the island of Cortex's original settlement, conveniently allowing Cortex and Uka Uka to resume their world domination bids.
The majority of the characters and vehicles in the game were built and textured by Nicola Daly and animated by Jeremy Pardon. The main game systems and game code as a whole were coded by John Hodskinson. The game's music is composed by Andy Blythe and Marten Joustra of Swallow Studios. A rearranged version of the original Crash Bandicoot theme by Mutato Muzika also appears in the game. The game's sound effects were created by Ron Horwitz, Tom Jaeger, John Robinson and Harry Woolway of Universal Sound Studios. The game's voice actors were cast and directed by Margaret Tang. Only two of the series' original voice actors reprised their roles for the game: voices the dual role of Doctor Neo Cortex and Uka Uka, while provides the voice of Aku Aku. inherited the role of Coco Bandicoot from , while voices the returning villains Doctor N. Gin and Doctor Nefarious Tropy, taking over for and respectively. provides the voice of new character Crunch Bandicoot, while the Elementals, consisting of Rok-Ko, Wa-Wa, Py-Ro and Lo-Lo, are voiced by , , and respectively.
The Xbox version of the game was announced by Universal Interactive on January 31, 2002. The Xbox version features reduced loading times and improved graphics that take advantage of the Xbox's console's more powerful hardware.
==Gameplay==
Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex is a platform game in which the player controls Crash and his younger sister Coco, who must gather 25 crystals and defeat the main antagonists of the story: Doctor Neo Cortex, his new superweapon Crunch Bandicoot and Crunch's power sources, the renegade Elementals. Much of the game takes place in a "Virtual Reality (VR) Hub System" created by Coco to help Crash gather the crystals.
The VR Hub System is split up into five "VR Hubs"; initially, only the first VR Hub is available. Each VR Hub has five teleportation portals to different levels. The goal in each level is to find and obtain the Crystal hidden in the area. In some levels, the Crystal will be located at the end of a level or must be earned by completing a specific challenge. After completing all five levels in a VR Hub, a sixth teleportation portal to a boss level with Crunch will appear. By defeating the boss, the next VR Hub will become available for play. When all 25 Crystals are collected and Doctor Cortex and Crunch are defeated, the game is won.
Crash and Coco start the game with four lives. They lose a life when they are hit by an enemy, or suffer any other type of damage. More lives can be earned by instructing Crash or Coco to collect 100 Wumpa Fruit, or by breaking open a special crate to collect a life. Crash and Coco can be shielded from an enemy attack by collecting an Aku Aku mask. Collecting three of these masks allows temporary invulnerability from all minor dangers such as enemies and Nitro Crates. If Crash or Coco run out of lives, the game is over. However, the game can be continued by selecting "Yes" at the "Continue?" screen. Selecting "No" at the continue screen just takes you back to the title screen.
Each level (except vehicle levels, Cortex Vortex, and Knight Time) contains a "Bonus Platform" that leads to a special bonus area, where the player must navigate through a maze and collect everything in sight. Once a bonus area is completed, it cannot be played again.
Besides crystals, gems and colored gems can be collected for 100% completion. Gems are rewarded to the player if all of the crates in a level are broken open or if a secret area is completed. Colored Gems are found in special levels and lead to hidden areas.
Relics can be won by re-entering a level where the Crystal has already been retrieved. To obtain a Relic, the player must initiate the Time Trial mode and race through a level in the per-designated time displayed before entering a level. To begin a Time Trial run, the player must enter a level and activate the floating stopwatch near the beginning of the level to activate the timer; if the stopwatch is not touched, the level can be played regularly. The player must then race through the level as quickly as possible. Scattered throughout the level are yellow crates with the numbers 1, 2 or 3 on them. When these crates are broken, the timer is frozen for the number of seconds designated by the box.
As no lives are lost in the Time Trial mode, the level can be played through as often as the player desires. Sapphire, Gold and Platinum Relics can be won depending on how low the player's final time is. The first five Relics the player receives unlocks access to a secret level. Every five Relics thereafter open up another level in the Secret Warp Room, which can only be accessed once the game is beaten. The levels in the Secret Warp Room must be won before the game can be 100% completed.
However, the percentage system gives 1% for every boss, crystal, gem, and relic. There are 25 crystals, 30 relics, 46 gems, and 5 bosses, which gives a total of 106%- so a truly 100% game is 106% on the game screen. Once the game has been completed with the true ending, Crunch cannot be fought again.
==Story==
==="Do We Have A Plan?"===
thumb|300px|From left to right: Tiny Tiger, Doctor N. Gin, Doctor Neo Cortex, Dingodile and Dr. Nefarious Tropy.
After the events of Crash Bandicoot: Warped, somewhere outside of Earth's orbit, Uka Uka holds a "bad guy convention" in a new space station that currently acts as the base for Doctor Neo Cortex and his minions N. Gin, N. Tropy, Tiny Tiger and Dingodile. Uka Uka denounces the group as "imbeciles, fools," and "nincompoops" and questions their ability to do anything right. Unveiling a line graph moving heavily downward, Uka Uka announces that the group's track record for spreading evil is "pathetic." Doctor Cortex proclaims their innocence and that Crash Bandicoot is really at fault. Irritated, Uka Uka declares that he will not let anything stand in the way of evil, especially not a "brainless orange marsupial." He concludes that Crash must be eliminated. As he speaks, Tiny attempts to clutch a hologram of Crash Bandicoot that has appeared over the middle of the table, only to have it disappear in his hand. Doctor N. Gin nervously reminds Uka Uka that Crash always finds a way to defeat them and contemplates that perhaps Crash is merely too capable for them. However, Uka Uka at this point will not take excuses and threatens the group into thinking of one good plan on the spot. As Doctor Cortex disgustedly laments his situation, Doctor Nefarious Tropy recalls a secret weapon Cortex has been working on in his laboratory. Although Cortex denies anything of that sort, Doctor N. Gin does not catch on and reminds Cortex that Tropy is referring to the super-secret weapon Cortex was laboring over day and night ever since the last time Crash defeated him, ignoring all of Cortex's non-vocal attempts to tell him to keep quiet on the subject. Uka Uka impatiently ends the discussion and asks the group what they have planned. With no choice at hand, Cortex decides to reveal the existence of his genetically-engineered weapon, which he claims possesses unbelievable strength. However he reports that the weapon is missing a power source. In a scene only present in the instruction manual for the game, Uka Uka tells the group a story about a battle that happened thousands of years ago between the Ancient Ancestors and the Elementals, a group of renegade masks who controlled the natural elements of earth, water, fire and air and used their powers to ravage the globe. The Ancient Ancestors were able to imprison the Elementals through the use of the Crystals, putting the Elementals in a state of hibernation. Cortex deduces that if they unleash the Elementals' destructive energy, they'd have enough power to bring the secret weapon to life. The weapon would be capable of crushing mountains, demolishing entire cities and, as Uka Uka hopes, wiping Crash Bandicoot off the face of the Earth forever. Cortex laughs sinisterly as he prepares for Crash Bandicoot to face his wrath.
===Climate Changes===
thumb|300px|From left to right: Aku Aku, Pura, Coco Bandicoot and Crash BandicootMeanwhile, Crash and Coco are jet-skiing near N. Sanity Beach as Pura and Aku Aku soak up the sun's rays. Suddenly, they are all startled by a loud rumble, which draws their attention to an erupting volcano in the distance (Py-Ro and Rok-Ko). Clouds begin to flood the sky (Wa-Wa and Lo-Lo), and Aku Aku seems to suspect something. Coco warns Crash about an incoming tidal wave (Wa-Wa attacks), which sweeps them both onto the shore with the others. Aku Aku immediately blames Uka Uka for the strange weather occurrences and disappears to find out what he is planning.
===Meet The Elementals===
Aku Aku arrives at a temple in the middle of hyperspace, where Uka Uka has been waiting for him. Aku Aku demands him to reveal his schemes, but Uka Uka claims "just some old familiar faces dropping by for a visit," at which point Rok-Ko, Wa-Wa, Py-Ro and Lo-Lo appear, right in front of Aku Aku. Aku Aku is shocked and reminds him of the chaos the masks are capable of, but Uka Uka mocks him. Then, Aku Aku tells him that their release could spell disaster for them all. Py-Ro orders an attack on Aku Aku, who manages to escape to tell Crash and Coco.
===Coco's VR HUB System===
Elsewhere, Crash is drying off after his encounter with the tidal wave while Coco is on her laptop. Aku Aku suddenly bursts inside and tells them about the Elementals, instructing them to collect the crystals to imprison the masks and save the Earth. Coco delivers a status update on her VR HUB System she'd been working on, announcing that it is nearly complete. Aku Aku happily decides that it is time to test it out in order to retrieve the crystals. The group enters a workshop where Coco's device is located, and with a tap of a few keys on her laptop, Coco activates the VR HUB System, allowing Crash to collect 25 crystals, and fight Cortex and Crunch.
===The End?===
Cortex bemoans his defeat, then Uka Uka comes up and reminds him that Crash may have collected the crystals, but since he doesn't have the gems, they can use them to bring The Elementals back once again before Crash gets the gems.
====The True Ending====
Cortex bemoans his defeat. Then Uka Uka furiously attempts to attack Cortex, but misses and inadvertently releases Crunch from his mind control by damaging the machinery in the space station. Crunch wakes up dazed, but has no time to get his revenge on Cortex as Uka Uka's blunder causes a critical power overload that could destroy them all. Cortex suggests that they use the escape pods, but Uka Uka is angry at Cortex for ducking out of the way. Meanwhile, Coco arrives in a spaceship just in time to pick up Crash, Aku Aku and Crunch. Later, Crunch expresses his gratitude to Crash, Coco and Aku Aku for believing in him. Coco then wonders if that was the last time they'll see Cortex and Uka Uka, which Aku Aku has a hard time believing. Elsewhere, having blasted off in an escape pod and landed in the middle of an icy wasteland, Cortex is chased around on a iceberg by Uka Uka, declaring that he will get his revenge on Crash.
==VR HUB System and Levels==
There are five chambers in the warp room, twenty-five main levels, five boss arenas and a bonus room with five more. (Boss fights are in bold)
Chamber	Character	Theme 	Level 	Items	Items	Boxes	Relic Times	Enemies/Hazards 	Entry Requirements 	Entry Requirements
Earth 	 	Snow 	Arctic Antics 	 	 	147 	: 1:15.00
: 0:45.00
: 0:37.00	Seal; Penguin; Narwhal; Skier Lab Assistant 	Available from the beginning	Available from the beginning
Earth 	 	Flying; Farmland 	Tornado Alley 	 	N/A 	15 	: 2:00.00
: 1:20.00
: 1:00.00	Other Planes, Tornado Generators 	Available from the beginning	Available from the beginning
Earth 	 	Atlasphere; Jungle 	Bamboozled 	 	N/A 	125 	: 1:15.00
: 0:35.00
: 0:25.00	Dangerous Edges; Zebras 	Available from the beginning	Available from the beginning
Earth 	 	Chase; Nightmare Castle 	Wizards and Lizards 	 	 	129 	: 1:15.00
: 0:45.00
: 0:35.00	Knight Lab Assistant; Wizard Lab Assistant; Bat; Dragon; Fire Pit 	Available from the beginning	Available from the beginning
Earth 	 	Minecart; Mineshaft Factory	Compactor Reactor 	 	 	150 	: 1:45.00
: 1:05.00
: 0:55.00	Drills (top); Vial Throwing Lab Assistant; Drills (sides); Radioactive Lab Assistant; Flaming Meteorite; Rotating Gears; Pillar; Green Laser 	Available from the beginning	Available from the beginning
Earth 	 	Boss; Atlasphere; Jungle 	Rumble in the Roks 	 	 	N/A 	N/A 	Crunch's Atlasphere; Flame Rocks 	First 5 crystals 	First 5 crystals
Water 	 	Chase; Jeep; Jungle 	Jungle Rumble 	 	N/A 	150 	: 2:00.00
: 1:20.00
: 1:12.00	Archers; Rhinos; Giraffes; Hippos; Zebras, Lions, Elephants 	Defeat Rok-Ko 	Defeat Rok-Ko
Water 	 	Submarine; Scuba 	Sea Shell Shenanigans 	 	N/A 	99 	: 1:23.60
: 1:07.91
: 0:52.38	Jellyfish; Charging Fish; Shark; Mine; Scuba Lab Assistant; Diving Lab Assistant; Anglerfish 	Defeat Rok-Ko 	Defeat Rok-Ko
Water 	 	Oriental 	Banzai Bonsai 	 	 	154 	: 1:30.00
: 1:00.00
: 0:45.00	Stork; Orange Fish; Ninja Lab Assistant; Lizard; Gong Banging Lab Assistant; Fire Flame 	Defeat Rok-Ko 	Defeat Rok-Ko
Water 	 	Flying; Volcanic Island 	That Sinking Feeling 	 	N/A 	12 	: 3:30.00
: 2:20.00
: 1:15.00	Other Planes; Tier 	Defeat Rok-Ko 	Defeat Rok-Ko
Water 	 	Submarine; Sunken Base 	H2 Oh No 	 	N/A 	165 	: 1:35.00
: 1:00.00
: 0:50.00	Purple Jellyfish; Mine; Charging Fish; Scuba Lab Assistant; Lionfish; Diving Lab Assistant; Vial Throwing Lab Assistant; Electrical Liquid; Radioactive Lab Assistant; Flapping Fish; Green Laser	Defeat Rok-Ko 	Defeat Rok-Ko
Water 	 	Boss; Pump Station 	Drain Damage 	 	 	N/A 	N/A 	Crunch's Water Beams; Water Rays; Sinking Platforms 	10 crystals 	10 crystals
Fire 	 	Nightmare Castle 	The Gauntlet 	 	 	136 	: 1:30.00
: 0:50.00
: 0:40.00	Trap Door; Knight Lab Assistant; Battle Axes; Mallet; Flaming Coal; Spiked Wall; Crusher; Torture Devices; Wizard Lab Assistant 	Defeat Wa-Wa 	Defeat Wa-Wa
Fire 	 	Chase; Scooter; Oriental 	Tsunami 	 	 	101 	: 1:30.00
: 0:45.00
: 0:40.00	Bearded Rickshaw Man; Karting Ninja Lab Assistant; Flapping Fish; Ninja Lab Assistant; Tsunami 	Defeat Wa-Wa 	Defeat Wa-Wa
Fire 	 	Race; Jeep; Desert 	Smokey and the Bandicoot	 	N/A 	34 	: 1:20.00
: 1:10.00
: 1:00.00	Pits, Tiny, Dingodile, N.Tropy, N.Gin 	Defeat Wa-Wa 	Defeat Wa-Wa
Fire 	 	Atlasphere; Snow 	Eskimo Roll 	 	N/A 	82 	: 1:25.00
: 0:45.00
: 0:34.00	Holes; Tiny; Penguin; Dingodile; Fire Pits; N. Tropy 	Defeat Wa-Wa 	Defeat Wa-Wa
Fire 	 	Copter; Volcanic Magma Lab 	Fahrenheit Frenzy 	 	N/A 	147 	: 2:00.00
: 1:20.00
: 1:10.00	Plasma Cannon; Plasma Beam; Furnace (Side); Radioactive Lab Assistant; Vial Throwing Lab Assistant; Green Laser; Pillar; Furnace (Top); Claw Robot 	Defeat Wa-Wa 	Defeat Wa-Wa
Fire 	 	Boss; Mech; Flaming Village	Crashes to Ashes 	 	 	N/A 	N/A 	Crunch's Flame Wall; Fire Rocks 	15 crystals 	15 crystals
Air 	 	Chase; Snowboard; Snow 	Avalanche 	 	 	113 	: 1:35.00
: 1:05.00
: 0:50.33	Penguin; Skier Lab Assistant; Avalanche 	Defeat Py-Ro 	Defeat Py-Ro
Air 	 	Mech; Space Station 	Droid Void 	 	 	169 	: 2:00.00
: 1:25.00
: 1:15.00	Cyborg Lab Assistant; Rotating Laser; Claw Robot; Electricity; Green Droid; Claw Robot; Blown Up Ship; Vial Throwing Lab Assistant 	Defeat Py-Ro 	Defeat Py-Ro
Air 	 	Flying; Space 	Crashteroids 	 	N/A 	14 	: 1:54.36
: 1:22.83
: 1:16.65	Other Ships; Astreroids 	Defeat Py-Ro 	Defeat Py-Ro
Air 	 	Submarine; Scuba 	Coral Canyon 	 	N/A 	85 	: 1:14.17
: 0:56.37
: 0:48.58	Octopus Tentacle; Jellyfish; Mine; Lionfish; Charging Fish; Shark; Anglerfish; Scuba Lab Assistant; Diving Lab Assistant 	Defeat Py-Ro 	Defeat Py-Ro
Air 	 	Flying Fortress 	Weathering Heights 	 	N/A 	140 	: 1:37.34
: 1:01.65
: 0:54.08	Radioactive Lab Assistant; Claw Robot; Cyborg Lab Assistant; Vial Throwing Lab Assistant; Sharp Fan; Blown Up Ship; Steam Vent; Green Laser 	Defeat Py-Ro 	Defeat Py-Ro
Air 	 	Boss; Flying 	Atmospheric Pressure 	 	 	N/A 	N/A 	Crunch's Air Ball; Air Shards; Air Whip; Air Storm 	20 crystals 	20 crystals
Space 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Space 	 	Volcanic Island 	Crash and Burn 	 	 	138 	: 1:45.00
: 1:25.00
: 1:15.00	Boxing Crab; Monkey; Lizard; Suicidal Bird; Lava; Rolling Rock; Bouncing Mini Volcano Rocks 	Defeat Lo-Lo 	Defeat Lo-Lo
Space 	 	Desert 	Gold Rush 	 	 	209 	: 2:15.00
: 1:45.00
: 1:35.00	Inflating Cactus; Swooping Vulture; Kicking Donkey; Scorpion; Dynamite Explosion 	Defeat Lo-Lo 	Defeat Lo-Lo
Space 	 	Atlasphere; Castle 	Medieval Madness 	 	N/A 	166 	: 1:40.00
: 1:20.00
: 1:10.00	Fire Pits; Giant Wheels; Tiny; Pushing Obstical; Dingodile; N. Tropy 	Defeat Lo-Lo 	Defeat Lo-Lo
Space 	 	Chase; Mech; Space Station 	Crate Balls of Fire 	 	N/A 	110 	: 2:20.00
: 1:50.00
: 1:40.00	Claw Robot; Hovering Robot; Radiation Rays; Green Droid; Blown Up Ship; Anti-Plasma 	Defeat Lo-Lo 	Defeat Lo-Lo
Space 	 	Space Station; Generator 	Cortex Vortex 	 	 	155 	: 1:45.00
: 1:05.00
: 0:58.00	Harmful Laser Gate; Electric Fences; Hovering Robot; Door Pushing Lab Assistant; Electric ceiling; Vial Throwing Lab Assistant; Electric Floor; Cyborg Lab Assistant 	Defeat Lo-Lo 	Defeat Lo-Lo
Space 	 	Boss; Space Station 	Crunch Time 	 	 	N/A 	N/A 	Rok-Ko's Rock Showers; Wa-Wa's Ice Blocks; Py-Ro's Fire Panels; Lo-Lo's Electric Grid 	All 25 crystals 	All 25 crystals
Lab 	 	Nightmare Castle 	Knight Time 	 	 	112 	: 1:20.00
: 1:05.00
: 0:50.11	Trap Door; Knight Lab Assistant; Mallet; Spiked Wall; Crusher; Torture Devices; Wizard Lab Assistant 	Defeat Cortex 	Acquire the first 5 relics
Lab 	 	Race; Minecart; Desert 	Ghost Town 	 	 	65 	: 1:10.00
: 0:40.00
: 0:30.00	Crunch 	Defeat Cortex 	Acquire 10 relics
Lab 	 	Race; Copter, Snow 	Ice Station Bandicoot 	 	 	20 	: 1:08.00
: 0:55.00
: 0:51.23	Unknown Polar Bear 	Defeat Cortex 	Acquire 15 relics
Lab 	 	Atlasphere; Space 	Solar Bowler 	 	 	86 	: 1:00.00
: 0:40.00
: 0:30.00	Tiny; N. Tropy 	Defeat Cortex 	Acquire 20 relics
Lab 	 	Snowboard; Snow 	Force of Nature 	 	 	111 	: 1:15.00
: 0:50.00
: 0:43.00	Skier Lab Assistant 	Defeat Cortex 	Acquire all 25 relics
==Characters==
===Playable===
*Crash Bandicoot
*Coco Bandicoot
===Bosses===
*Crunch Bandicoot
*Elementals
*Neo Cortex
===Supporting===
*Aku Aku
*Uka Uka
*N. Gin
*N. Tropy
*Dingodile
*Tiny Tiger
====Cameos====
*Pura
*Nitros Oxide
*Tawna
*Komodo Brothers
==Sales==
Despite mixed to positive reviews, Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex sold quite well especially the PS2 version, which made the "Greatest Hits" lineup and sold 5,420,000 copies. The GameCube (590,000 copies sold) and Xbox (1,230,000 copies sold) versions sold fairly well too but not as much as the PS2 version, though the GameCube version sold well enough to be included in the "Player's Choice" lineup. This is the second best-selling Crash Bandicoot game, after Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back.
==Gameplay differences from Crash Bandicoot: Warped==
For the most part, the gameplay in The Wrath of Cortex can be thought of as being the same as in Crash Bandicoot: Warped but with different levels and some new vehicles, and with Crash's movement feeling slightly different. Most of the elements of gameplay (such as crates, bonus rounds, crystals, gems, relics, unlocking levels and warp rooms, etc.) is the same from Warped, but there are some differences.
*Instead of the super belly flop as in Warped, the powerup given from the first boss fight is the tiptoe, although the super belly flop is awarded in the red gem path of Banzai Bonsai.
*Gems cannot be awarded during time trial mode in The Wrath of Cortex as they could in Warped.
*Death routes and gem paths cannot be accessed in time trial mode in The Wrath of Cortex (in addition to bonus rounds), whereas in Warped, only bonus rounds were off-limits in time trial, provided that Crash had the requirements for entering the special paths.
*Unlike in Warped, there are no secret warps inside levels that warp to new levels.
*All of the sixth warp room levels in The Wrath of Cortex are separate from the main levels. This is unlike in Warped, where two of them were secret entrances to other levels.
*In Cortex Strikes Back and Warped, when Crash or Coco dies and returns to the previous checkpoint, the crates and enemies that are no longer intact are the ones that were hit prior to hitting that checkpoint. This is different in The Wrath of Cortex, where the crates and enemies missing are the ones that were hit (at any point) and positioned previously to the checkpoint in the level.
**The decision by Traveller's Tales to program the game in this way led to limitations in designing levels, because in this game, it must always be clear which crates and hazards are previous to any checkpoint and which are after. Whereas previous Crash games often featured split paths, and sometimes gem paths or death routes came back to the main level, this is not the case in The Wrath of Cortex. Levels are very linear, and gem paths and death routes always dead end at an exit to the level, and are never required for box completion. The four atlasphere levels are slightly less linear, with split paths at certain points (many of which dead end) but any path through those levels still passes by every checkpoint crate.
**Additionally, destroying a checkpoint crate in a level destroys any prior checkpoint crates; In theory, only the final crate needs to be destroyed in a level for them to count.
*There is no multicolor gem path, like Cortex Strikes Back and Warped both had.
*Activatable iron crates count towards the crate count for the levels.
*Spinning on an iron arrow crate will not let you stop bouncing.
*TNT's denotation sounds play a second after bouncing off the crate, and play faster than in the PS1 games.
*Aku Aku crates twist in and out a little bit, and bounce, while unopen. Aku Aku seems to be trying to break out of them himself.
*Life mugs don't feature, opening a Crash/Coco Crate automatically earns an extra life.
*Unlike in the original Crash Bandicoot, Cortex Strikes Back, and Warped, jumping off enemies onto other enemies, or spinning enemies into each other, or jumping from an arrow crate or bouncy platform onto an enemy never gives wumpa fruit or lives in The Wrath of Cortex. Therefore, the "Extra Items Cheat" (an unintended feature of Cortex Strikes Back and Warped) is absent in this game.
*Body slamming on a bounce crate never gives any wumpa fruit, unlike in Cortex Strikes Back and Warped.
*Crash can double jump while falling, while in Warped, the latest Crash can activate the move is during the height of his jump.
*Coco is fully playable in some platforming levels, unlike in Warped where she was restricted to vehicle levels outside very short transitions. Her abilities and animations have some key differences from Crash, even if her gameplay mechanics still mostly work as a more limited variation of his (if not nearly to the same extent as in Warped). She can also now utilise two of the unlockable special abilities (the Super Belly Flop and the Speed Shoes).
*In addition, Coco's gameplay is now more personalized, the heads-up display details such as the life icon now have her likeness when playing, compared to Warped where they always displayed Crash regardless of the character playing.
*On a minor note, Coco's model is much smaller than Crash in this game compared to Warped. Her stats are affected by this, giving her a slightly stunted run and jump and a smaller hit radius.
*All vehicles are mandatory regardless of whether or not they are on foot levels, getting hit when using them (without an Aku Aku mask) will cost the player a life. This is in contrast to certain vehicles in Warped that could be ignored or dismounted from, allowing Crash to continue the level on foot.
*Bosses have health bars in The Wrath of Cortex that don't make it clear how many hit points are required, unlike in previous Crash games.
*In The Wrath of Cortex, Nitro Switch Crates detonate Nitro Crates and so destroy adjacent breakable crates. This is unlike in Cortex Strikes Back and Warped, where they only detonate the Nitros within the vicinity at the time, simply despawning the ones out of range.
*There is no special gem for completing the game with gold relics or better like there was in Warped. This makes earning the second ending easier as only 25 sapphire relics are required to be able to collect all the gems instead of 30 gold.
*The platinum relic time appears in The Wrath of Cortex on any level where Crash or Coco has obtained a gold relic. In Warped, for the times to appear, Crash needed to reach the game's second ending as well, even though platinum relics could be obtained previously to this.
*Traveller's Tales never released their developer times, although only in the NTSC version of Warped did release theirs.
*The Fruit Bazooka can be used in boss fights unlike in Warped. Also, checkpoint crates can now be broken with the Fruit Bazooka, unlike in Warped.
*Aku Aku invincibility only lasts for 10 seconds in The Wrath of Cortex, as opposed to 20 seconds in the original Crash Bandicoot, Cortex Strikes Back, and Warped.
*Whereas in Cortex Strikes Back and Warped, Crash and Coco could only have Aku Aku invincibility in platforming levels, in The Wrath of Cortex, Crash can be invincible while on certain vehicles.
*Aku Aku masks don't go away upon entering time trial mode, unlike in Warped.
*The Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment system is far less sophisticated than in Cortex Strikes Back and Warped, with the only aspect being that Aku Aku masks can be granted upon several deaths at the same point.
*Certain physics feel slightly different compared to the previous titles. Crash feels slightly slower and clunkier to control. He also climbs the ceiling grates at a significantly slower pace.
*All collectible items (Crystals, Gems, etc.) can be shot with the Bazooka to collect them, unlike Warped where you could not shoot them.
*In The Wrath of Cortex, a TNT will automatically count down when it falls onto the ground due to the boxes below getting destroyed. Whereas in Cortex Strikes Back and Warped, a TNT would instead automatically count down when it falls down with a box on top of it.
==Vehicles==
This game has more vehicles than before, in fact, most of the levels in the game involve riding vehicles, and there are lots of variants;
*"Crash-Glider/Coco-Ship": The glider is playable in Tornado Alley and the boss Atmospheric Pressure while the Ship is only playable in Crashteroids. Both can Barrel Roll like planes from Warped but the Ship can shoot lasers whereas the Glider can shoot Flaming Wumpa Fruit in Tornado Alley and lasers in Atmospheric Pressure repetitively.
*"Atlasphere": A large blue hamster ball big enough to fit Crash, this vehicle can only move and it has no attacks but is strong enough to break crates and fling away small enemies (like penguins), just by simply running over them.
*"Minecart": This is used in Compactor Reactor and for the race in Ghost Town. It moves from side to side to smash (and dodge) crates on those sides, down to go slower and up to go faster.
*"Handcar": Crash jumps onto one of these during a brief section in Gold Rush. It moves as fast as Crash can repeatedly pull its crank, and it also enables Crash to raise his legs when he needs to kick crates above him.
*"Jeep": A camo-colored jeep which is driven in to escape a herd of rhinos in Jungle Rumble and to race in Smokey and the Bandicoot, the Jeep can't stop in the chase in Jungle Rumble, but can oddly stop in Smokey and the Bandicoot. Also, the Jeep has no attacks.
*"Sub": A yellow sub is used to navigate the depths of the sea in Seashell Shenanigans, H2 Oh No, and Coral Canyon, the sub can drop mines and shoot torpedoes.
*"Firefly": This flying firefly-like plane is only playable in That Sinking Feeling, the firefly has a lock on target missile system.
*"Scooter/Snowboard: The scooter is only used in Tsunami, it has no attacks. The snowboard controls just like the scooter and is used in Avalanche and Forces of Nature. Both are only used by Coco.
*"Copter-Pak": A helicopter pack, which controls are just like the jetpack from Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, is used to maneuver through the volcano in Fahrenheit Frenzy and race through the rings in Ice Station Bandicoot just like Rings of Power from Warped with the exception that there are only 10 more rings in this course. Crash can spin while using this.
*"Mech": There are two mechs; a red one only used in the boss fight Crashes to Ashes, and the yellow one that is playable in Droid Void and Crate Balls of Fire. The red one can spray water, while the yellow one can shoot Wumpa Fruit. The mechs, while slow and heavy, can plow straight through crates, and destroy locked crates with a regular jump.
==Bonus Unlockable Mini-Game==
A mini-game called Crash Blast can be unlocked by these doing these steps. This is only unlockable in the GameCube version.
What is needed:
*The GameCube version of The Wrath of Cortex
*A GameCube to Game Boy Advance Link Cable
*A Game Boy Advance and GameCube
What players need to do:
#At the title screen, select load Crash Blast
#Connect the link cable to the Game Boy Advance
#Select Load and let the game load up
To learn more about the minigame, see the Crash Bandicoot Blast! page.
==Version Differences==
===Console Differences===
*The load times per level differ with each version. The original PS2 release suffered from a lengthy 45 second approx. load time. The PS2 Greatest Hits and Gamecube rereleases modified this to a much smaller 20 second approx load time. The Xbox and PS2 Platinum versions have an even shorter 5-10 second approx. load time.
*The GameCube version includes the option to play Crash Blast via the GBA link.
*Certain relic times were altered for the PS2 Greatest Hits/Platinum, Xbox and GameCube versions.
*Certain cosmetic details are altered or absent depending on the console version.
**The GameCube version is noticeably downgraded, using more simplistic lighting, suffering occasional texture errors and suffering from glitches in the ending cutscene. Additionally, the floating ring next to the Load/Save monitor was replaced with a bunch of dull cables. Some scenery such as that in the warp room has also been simplified.
**The Xbox version adds fur texturing to Crash and Coco. It also adds a larger number of ambient sound effects to certain levels.
**The PS2 version features a larger number of lighting or shadow effects in particular levels and bosses.
**The lighting effect that projects Coco's shadow into the panels halfway through Banzai Bonsai isn't present in the Xbox and GameCube versions.
**The loading screens for all three versions also differ significantly: the PS2 shows Crash or Coco falling down a stream of red, blue, and purple starry particles; the Xbox has a dynamic camera angle and the background has a simpler, streaky green pattern; and the GameCube simply has the word "LOADING" in front of a plain, black screen.
*Medieval Madness underwent some minor layout changes in the PS2 Greatest Hits/Platinum, Xbox and GameCube versions: the 2 big platforms just after the treacherous wooden ramps were reduced to a single one, and the elevator after the wobbling platforms up ahead moves much slower. Its music track is also replaced with that of The Gauntlet on the Xbox and GameCube versions.
*Tsunami's blue gem path changed for the PS2 Greatest Hits/Platinum, Xbox and GameCube versions: the red lanterns which one needed to jump across to access the gem in the Original PS2 version were replaced with the simple wooden platforms used in other parts of the path.
*The music in the PS2 and GameCube versions does not loop smoothly, having a brief pause before restarting each track (1 second long on PS2, 2 seconds long on GameCube). This is fixed for the Xbox version. Curiously, the exclusive Medieval Madness track is exempt from this in the PS2 version and loops properly.
**After the end of invincibility, the soundtrack from the PS2 version resumes about ten seconds after where it left off, whereas in the other versions it restarts from the beginning with a pause.
*In the Xbox and GameCube versions of the game, starting a new game and with the name as "WOMBAT" will immediately award full completion (106%). The name is a reference to Crash's original name, "Willy the Wombat".
*In the PS2 and Xbox versions of Atmospheric Pressure the sky is red, which was changed to sea green in the GameCube version.
*The last boss fight, Crunch Time, features a health bar for Cortex in the Xbox and GameCube versions, showing his entire body next to it. Also the screen doesn't change colors on the Xbox and GameCube versions.
*On the original NTSC and PAL PS2 (i.e., not Greatest Hits nor Platinum) version of the game, pressing SELECT as Crash grabs the stopwatch on Wizards and Lizards will teleport him to the end of the level. This does not work on any other level on the Xbox/GameCube versions or Greatest Hits/Platinum PS2 versions of the game.
*In Crash's house during the opening cutscene to the game, a ringtone-esque recording of the Wrath of Cortex theme plays in the Xbox and GameCube versions before Aku Aku makes his appearance. In the PS2 American version, the music does not play. However, it does in the European version.
===Regional Differences===
*Except for the GameCube version, the Japanese release of the game features the Japanese Crash theme song, "Crash Banjikyuusu" on the title screen, similarly to previous games.
*In the Japanese version Aku Aku gives the player hints when his crates are broken, similarly to previous games.
*During time trial mode in the PAL version of the game, the records will always end on an even digit.
*The Korean version of the game has two separate versions; one has Korean dubbing, while the other retains the original English audio. Which version it is is indicated by the serial number of the game, written on the game case; if it is "SLPM-64509", it is the English version, but if it's "SLPM-64513" it is the Korean dubbed version.
===Crate count differences===
Level 	PS2 (first NTSC/PAL version)	All other versions
Bamboozled 	126 	125
Wizards and Lizards	128 	129
Compactor Reactor 	155 	150
Jungle Rumble 	155 	150
Banzai Bonsai 	152 	165 (PS2 NTSC Greatest Hits and NTSC-J)
154 (Other versions)
The Gauntlet 	142 	
136 (PS2 version)146 (GameCube version)159 (Xbox version)
Tsunami 	100 	101
Droid Void 	168 	169
Weathering Heights 	137 	141 (PS2 NTSC Greatest Hits)
140 (Other versions)
Medieval Madness 	162 	
166 (PS2 Version)167 (GameCube and Xbox versions)
Cortex Vortex 	156 	155
Knight Time 	115 	112
==Reception==
Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex received generally mixed to positive reviews, with some critics criticizing the game for making little changes to the formula established by its predecessors. Louis Bedigian of GameZone wrote a positive review, saying that "any Crash Bandicoot fan would be a fool not to go out and buy this game. I started playing at 2am one night and did not stop until three in the afternoon!" Doug Perry of IGN described the game as "a decent playing and pretty looking Crash Bandicoot game. It's nothing terribly special, but it's not bad, not bad at all."Official U.S. Playstation Magazine felt that "when the strongest feeling I get from a game is the desire to play its predecessors, something's not quite right." Game Informer criticized the "outrageously bad load times," saying that they "keep the game from being average." Shane Satterfield of GameSpot concluded that the game "maintains the status quo and fails to deliver a fresh, compelling experience." Star Dingo of GamePro cautioned that "if you were hoping the new management would give Crash a big kick in the pants, however, this is one pair of pants you will find quite unkicked." Electronic Gaming Monthly criticized the trial-and-error gameplay, saying that "when forced to blindly jump, die, then discover what you missed, where I come from, that's just cheating."
Play Magazine noted that "they've caressed the music to great effect, made the bosses a bit more challenging, [and] adhered to a massive replayability standard that would drive any developer to drink." Game Informer felt that "every little morsel of platforming goodness in The Wrath of Cortex has already been done to death on the Playstation." Carlos McElfish of GameZone warned that "if you are looking for an innovative and original experience that does justice to the series you'll have to look elsewhere." Official Xbox Magazine concluded that "this is a game for those who want what Crash has always had to offer – good graphics, jump-and-spin gameplay, and tons of collectible items. Nothing more, nothing less." Hilary Goldstein felt that while Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex was "a fun game for the most part," "it fails in some areas, like proper game balance and correct use of surround sound." Shane Satterfield of GameSpot passed off the game as "a slightly updated version of the orange marsupial's 1996 debut on the PlayStation." Star Dingo of GamePro concluded that "love it or hate it, Wrath of Cortex Xbox is more of more of the same."Electronic Gaming Monthly felt that "save for a few additions to WOC, like some cool hamster-ball levels, it's almost identical to its predecessors."
The GameCube version rated the lowest among critics out of the three versions. Ben Kosmina of Nintendo World Report promised that "gamers experiencing the wacky mascot for the first time may enjoy it." Michael Lafferty of GameZone described the game as "safe, sterile and redundant." Matt Casamassina on IGN concluded that "at the end of the day this is the same Crash game I played so many years ago without any real innovations or evolutions."Nintendo Power praised the "sheer variety" of the gameplay. Kilo Watt of GamePro said that "graphically, this version is slightly below the recent Xbox release but in line with the competent PlayStation 2 iteration." Electronic Gaming Monthly agreed that "Wrath on the GC is much more polished here than on the PS2," while Play Magazine denounced the GameCube version as "a shell of the other two console versions, so I beg you to pass."
Despite the less-than-stellar reviews, the PlayStation 2 version sold over 1.95 million units in North America. As a result, the game was re-released for the Platinum Range on October 11, 2002, for the Sony Greatest Hits line-up on October 15, 2002, and for the Best line-up on October 17, 2002. The three regional re-releases were recoded slightly, having quicker load times than those of the original version. The Xbox version was re-released for the Xbox Classics line-up on April 11, 2003. The GameCube version was re-released for the Player's Choice line-up in Europe on October 22, 2004.
==Gallery==
See: Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex/Gallery
==Names in other languages==
Woc chinese logo.png|The Chinese logo
Wraakvancortex logo.png|The Dutch logo
Vengeancedecortex logo.png|The French logo
Zorndescortex logo.png|The German logo
Iradicortex logo.png|The Italian logo
Crashtwoc jp logo.png|The Japanese logo
KR WOC logo.png|The Korean logo
Venganzadecortex logo.png|The Spanish logo
This game was developed in English and was officially localized into Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean and Spanish.
==Voice cast==
Language 	Voice actor 	Character 	English	†	Crash Bandicoot
 	Neo CortexUka Uka 	 	English	 	
† 	Aku Aku (cutscenes) 	 	English	 	
Andrew Dawsonhttps://youtu.be/vllOwIr8V24?t=345 "Everybody seems to love the Aku Aku [sound]. It was actually one of the guys that I work with. He had a deeper voice than me so he did that one. It was Andy Dawson." - Mike Gollom, Crash Bandicoot sound designer. Uploaded April 20th, 2020.	Aku Aku (gameplay sound effects)	 	English	 	
 	Coco Bandicoot 	 	English	 	
 	Crunch Bandicoot 	 	English	 	
 	Rok-Ko 	 	English	 	
† 	Wa-Wa 	 	English	 	
 	Py-Ro 	 	English	 	
 	Lo-Lo 	 	English	 	
 	N. GinN. Tropy 	 	English	 	
Italian 	Angelo Cola 	Neo CortexWa-Wa 	 	 	
Italian 	Andrea Piovan 	N. GinN. TropyCrunch BandicootRok-KoPy-RoLo-Lo	 	 	
Italian 	Benedetta Ferraro 	Coco Bandicoot 	 	 	
Italian 	Siro Carraro 	Aku AkuUka Uka 	 	 	
Japanese 	 	Crash BandicootWa-Wa 	 	 	
Japanese 	 	Coco Bandicoot 	 	 	
Japanese 	 	Aku Aku 	 	 	
Japanese 	† 	Neo Cortex 	 	 	
Japanese 	 	Uka Uka 	 	 	
Japanese 	 	N. Gin 	 	 	
Japanese 	 	N. TropyLo-Lo 	 	 	
Japanese 	 	Rok-Ko 	 	 	
Japanese 	 	Py-Ro 	 	 	
Japanese 	 	Crunch Bandicoot 	 	 	
==Trivia==
*Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex was the first game in the series to have an official Korean release, and it was the only game in the series do to so until Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! 20 years later.
*This is the first Crash Bandicoot game to be released on Xbox and Nintendo systems.
==Notes==
==References==
de:Crash Bandicoot: Der Zorn des Cortex
es:Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex
fi:Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex
fr:Crash Bandicoot : La Vengeance de Cortex
hr:Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex
it:Crash Bandicoot: L'Ira di Cortex
ja:クラッシュ・バンディクー4 さくれつ!魔神パワー
pl:Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex
pt:Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex
pt-br:Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath Of Cortex
ru:Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex
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