Crazy Rush!

***Crazy Rush!*** is a platform video game developed by Realtime Associates and published by Paramount Interactive. Originally released in 1996 for the PlayStation and the Sega Saturn, it was re-released for the Sony Greatest Hits line-up in 1997; for the Platinum Range and Best for Family line-ups in 1998; and for the PSone Books line-up in 2001 for the PlayStation. It was later ported to the Nintendo 64 (as an launch title in Europe), Nintendo 64CD, MS-DOS, Game Boy, Sega Flash (also as an launch title), Microsoft Windows and Game.com in 1997. It was also released for PlayStation Network and Xbox Live in 2008 and 2010. A Virtual Boy version was planned, but it was cancelled after the system's commercial failure.

*Crazy Rush!* is the first game in the *Crazy Rush!* series using characters from Julie Young's three short films, *Icy Skating*, *Pups*, and *Cool Robo*, chronicling the creation of the main protagonist Felipe at the hands of the main antagonist Dr. Greeclaw and his army. It follows a 13-year-old boy named Felipe, and his attempts to rescue his sister Danica, a 10-year-old girl kidnapped by a mad scientist Dr. Greeclaw.

*Crazy Rush!* received generally positive reviews from critics, praising its graphics and reliability, but noted the game's lack of innovation as a platform game. It is now available for download at the PlayStation Store in 2008. The game sold over 500,000 units in Japan, behind *Crash Bandicoot*. A remastered version, included in the *Crazy Rush!: Funtastic Trilogy* collection, was released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in July 2016, and ported to Nintendo Switch in March 2017.

## Gameplay

*Crazy Rush!* is a platform video game consisting of different levels connected by hub worlds (homeworlds). The goal in each homeworld is to collect a certain amount of items, be it coins, tokens, or blue coins, in each level in order to travel to the next homeworld.

Each homeworld and its levels are progressively more difficult than the last. The first few levels are small fields with few ways to die, but they become harder later in the game. Many later levels focus on Felipe's ability to jump from platform to platform. Additionally, Felipe's slingshot used to vanquish enemies. Each homeworld contains an optional boss to defeat, except for the final homeworld where the boss is mandatory.

Throughout the game, Felipe's health is indicated by his head. When Felipe is smiling, he is at full health. After taking a hit, Felipe gets worried, and with another hit, his head starts freaking out. Another hit and Felipe's head turns into a skeleton with only one hit left before the player loses one life. After all lives are lost, the player is uninterruptedly returned to Crazytown.

Save points are placed throughout each homeworld. Once the player gets a token behind a save point which is accessible for the remainder of the game. The player can beat bosses in some levels. For example, the final boss is Dr. Greeclaw; after the player defeats him, Dr. Greeclaw goes to his UFO-like ship and leaves. All the other bosses were in the other levels.

## Development

In 1991, when Paramount Interactive (a video game division of Paramount Pictures) was founded and following the success of Nintendo's *Mario* and Sega's *Sonic the Hedgehog*. The company started to develop ideas to create an American competitor to them, due to Paramount's lack of an existing mascot character that could compete with Disney's Mickey Mouse and Warner Bros.' Bugs Bunny, beside they have Friendly Fox as their mascot.

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## Download

The game is now available for download on PlayStation Store for the PlayStation Vita, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 3 in North America and in Japan for $5.99 or 436 yen. It was released to the PlayStation Store in Europe on March 17, 2008, together with *Crazy Rush Too!* and *Crazy Rush!: Teamwork Action*. The game is now also available for download on Xbox Live for Xbox 360 in North America on August 4, 2010.

## Reception

*Crazy Rush!* received generally positive reviews from video games critics and was also a commercial success particularly in Europe, eventually becoming a PlayStation Greatest Hits game. Over four million copies were sold.