CRASH BANDICOOT

Need to know

Gems

The original Crash Bandicoot has two different kinds of gem to collect: white, and coloured. While white gems are easy to earn, you’ll need to collect them all if you want to unlock the path to the game’s true ending.

Coloured gems are collected to open new routes to hidden areas of the game that will enable you to collect special boxes on certain levels. It means to 100% Crash you’ll need to do some backtracking as a gem collected in one level will unlock a bonus stage on another. Look for hints in the level as to which coloured gems are needed to unlock which bonus routes.

Gems are earned by accomplishing certain events or meeting set criteria, for example. completing a level without dying, and destroying every crate. If you complete a level without dying, you’ll be taken to either a gem screen (if you find all the crates), or a crate screen (which shows how many crates are still left to find). Watch as all the missed crates smash onto Crash’s head!

Bonus Stages

These stages are unlocked by collecting three of

the same type of icon found in certain levels. Once the third is collected you’ll be beamed to the bonus stage, or a new route will unlock, enabling you to jump to the bonus room. There are three types of bonus stage owned by these characters: Tawna’s Bonus Stage; N.Brio’s Boss Bonus; and Dr Neo Cortex’s Super Bonus Level.

Aku Aku

Crash’s ancient sidekick is essentially a shield. Collect two masks to take two hits before dying. Collect three to make Crash temporarily invincible. Look for these masks in crates, behind scenery, and often floating above a dangerous drop.

Crates

Spin into crates to break them. Inside are wumpa fruit to collect. Beware, though: some crates, such as green exclamation crates, will hurt Crash. Others will offer unique bonuses such as Aku Aku masks or extra lives (look for a Crash picture). Crates with arrows on will bounce Crash to new heights, question-mark crates offer random bonuses, and dynamite crates explode.

Island 1

An easy introduction stage. The only challenging

area is the ‘!’ switch to unlock the string of crates – these appear if you take the right turn at the fork in the path. Use well-timed consecutive jumps to bounce from crate to crate. Watch Crash’s shadow for a clue to where he’s going to land. If you smash all these crates you’ll earn a white gem. Don’t forget, you can backtrack out of the screen to collect every wumpa fruit.

2. Jungle Rollers (white gem, requires green gem)

Another simple level, and a good chance to get used to Crash’s controls. You can’t 100% this level until you’ve earned the green gem from Island 2 – The Lost City. This means you can’t earn the white gem just yet, either. Midway through this level, keep an eye out for a small green dot next to some boxes; this is a green gem platform and will appear when you collect the gem. At one point you’ll find a crate sat between two TNT crates. Use jump and spin to explode the TNT and collect the wumpa. If you earned the white gem from the previous level you can unlock Tawna’s Bonus Stage – ride the platform.

Tawna Bonus Stage

Go to the right and jump on the bounce box until it smashes. Leap over the gap in the metal boxes and smash the boxes on the other side. Walk up to Tawna and jump into the sparkling transport pad

to save your game – if you decide now you don’t want to save your game, tough. Once you get this far you can’t get out of it any other way aside from turning off your console.

3. The Great Gate (white gem, requires yellow gem)

Again, you’ll need to collect a gem from a future level if you want to 100% this stage and earn the white gem. In this case you need the yellow gem from Island 3 – The Lab. As you run the level, keep an eye out for a breakable arrow crate set against the sky-like background that seems to lead to nowhere. Jump on it and push towards the background to earn a hidden 1-Up. Do the same on the next breakable arrow crate to find the hidden box on this level.

Tawna Bonus Stage

Jump in between the two bounce crates until they smash and you activate the TNT below. Get out of the way before it explodes (either left or right), then go right. Jump into the ‘!’ box above, bringing the outlines into existence on the right. Jump and spin into the life box in the air and jump on each of the boxes below once, making sure you don’t fall. Jump to the right, and keep going all the way to the end of the bonus stage, where there are two more life boxes and the transport pad to beam Crash back to the level.

4. Boulders (white gem)

It’s the classic stage last seen making a cameo in Uncharted 4! This is all about memory and speed. Use Crash’s jump and spin to break crates (don’t try Mario-jumping, Crash will die) and don’t forget that a slide and jump can make Crash leap further and faster. It’s trial and error, but doable.

5. Upstream (white gem, requires gold gem)

As you’ll now discover, you’ll need to return here with the gold gem from Island 3 – Generator Room to earn the white gem. If you do have the gold gem, there are some hidden crates to find. The first waterfall hides a crate with a 1-Up – jump across the gold gem path to find it. The second gold gem path is at the very end of the level, and it leads to more crates.

Tawna Bonus Stage

Spin into the crates above the metal boxes and then jump onto the ones below the level, making sure you don’t fall down. Spin into the ones over the gap, spin again above the surface, then jump onto the ones on the floor. Jump to the end of the bonus round to get two more lives.

Boss Battle: Papu Papu

This is a simple battle. Jump over Papu Papu’s stick as spins it around, and wait for him to stall and

flash a lighter colour. When this happens, jump onto his head. Do this three more times.

6. Rolling Stones (white gem, requires blue gem)

To find the blue gem path (collected from Island 3 – The High Road), look for an unstable platform with a rolling rock in front of it. Jump down this blue gem path to uncover the missing crates and three more extra lives.

Tawna Bonus Stage

Leap right onto the metal crates. To do this properly you’ll need to jump up onto the first crate, then along to the second, and so on until you reach the end of the crates. Single-jump the crate below ground level, then repeat the same process for the next bridge of crates. Jump on the bounce crates and then onto the final platform to exit.

Doctor Nitrus Brio Bonus Stage

Start by jumping from each of the lower TNT crates straight over the higher ones and onto the next lower one until you reach the solid metal platform with some lives on. Jump onto the next platform and spin into the first crate; it’ll start the TNT below ticking, so jump back to the previous platform. Jump over the metal crates that are left and bounce on the life crates to the final platform where Brio is standing.

7. Hog Wild (white gem)

Like Boulders, this level is all about testing your memory and reactions. Learn the pattern of the crates, where holes and shield carriers appear, and keep at it. The good news? You can earn a white gem without needing to come back.

8. Native Fortress (white gem, requires pink gem)

You’ll be coming back here once you’ve collected the pink gem from Island 3 – Slippery Climb. Most of the hidden crates on this level are in the clouds, meaning you need that pink gem to get them. For now, you can look for some hidden standard crates. When you’re at the top against a sky background, locate a ledge with a turtle, a plant, and an unmarked box. Jump on the turtle so he flips over onto his back, exposing his stomach. Jump on his tum and break the unmarked crate. On the second bounce, flip Crash up to the ledge in the background and follow this path to find the hidden crates. There are two more bounce-into-thebackground areas on this level, and they are accessed by jumping off a ledge.

Tawna Bonus Stage

Jump on the first crate, then straight onto the metal crates. Use the bounce crate to reach a life crate above, then jump off to the right. Now jump on each of the crates to reach the end platform.

9. Up The Creek (white gem)

When you find the exclamation crate, activate it, and then run back across the lily pad pathway until you return to the waterfall section. You’ll see the crate has activated four new lily pads, making a walkway that leads to two new crates on a ledge. There’s an extra life on the lily pads too – can’t get enough of those! That said, if you’re speed-running, ignore the life and leap across using the log, activate the TNT crate, and then leap back across the lily pads. The explosion will collect all the wumpa for you.

Tawna Bonus Stage

Jump right onto the metal crates, then use the metal arrow crate to smash the first few crates above Crash. When the area directly above the arrow crate is clear, bounce all the way along the crates to the other end. Jump off the end of the metal crates and onto the remaining group of crates. Bounce on each one once, apart from the bounce crate, which takes ten bounces to destroy, then jump onto the final platform to collect the lives.

Boss Battle: Ripper Roo

Use the TNT crates to damage Ripper Roo when he is near them. This means you’ll need to memorise his move patterns and activate the crates when he’s nearby. First he’ll jump only on the three squares surrounding the initial square you teleport in on. Next he’ll jump on the middle row and the initial square. His final pattern sees him jumping on each of the middle-outer squares, ignoring the central square and the corners. Three hits and he’s defeated.

10. The Lost City (green gem)

There are two hidden boxes behind a steel girder at the start of the level. Destroy them by jumping the background ledge. Return to the playing field and jump the girder. In the fourth cubby hole on this level you’ll find a exclamation crate. Activate it by jumping on the unmarked crate and the button for a jump-boost. When you begin ascending the level, look to the left for a second ‘!’ box. Activate this to make six new crates appear at the top of the level.

Doctor Nitrus Brio Bonus Stage

Jump up onto the metal crates, then onto the crate on top of the TNTs. Jump onto the second, then onto some more metal crates, without setting off the TNT. Smash the three life crates and get to the other end of the metal crates. Jump onto the

TNTs, bounce along to the other end, and leap off onto the life crates floating in the air, smashing each one as you go until you land on the final platform with Nitrus Brio and the exit.

Tawna Bonus Stage

Leap across the crates, using them as a bridge. Gather as many wumpa as you like from the mass of bouncy crates in the middle, then get to the other end, where you’ll find two life crates and Tawna, plus the exit portal.

11. Temple Ruins (white gem)

There’s a wumpa fruit off to the side of a platform in the level – when you see it, jump to it. You’ll land on some invisible crates to access some bonus crates. Make sure you check behind every pillar in this level for a crate – miss one and you won’t get your paws on that gem.

12. Road To Nowhere (white gem, requires red gem)

If you have the red gem you can use it near one of the checkpoints to get to a hidden area. There’s a exclamation crate on the level to the right; hit it and use the crate that appears to activate the second crate to the left. Now activate the crate in the middle, jump off the crate and land in the middle of a floating metal crate. Four boxes appear in the background.

Tawna Bonus Stage

Jump to the right and spin out the crate in between the two metal crates (one is bouncy, one isn’t). Time a jump through here so that you leap as the crate bounces upwards rather than downwards. Jump up on the metal crates and then down onto the TNT box, waiting on the metal crate above the arrow crate for it to explode. It’ll start bouncing with you on it, so just walk off to the right at the top. Leap over to the next metal platform, spin into the crate and run back to the left to avoid the TNT. Once it’s exploded, jump over the metal crate and reach the final platform with two lives and the exit.

13. Boulder Dash (key, white gem, requires red gem)

Get all the crates to access the key, which will open Island 2’s Whole Hog bonus level. Smash all the crates on Whole Hog to get the white gem.

14. Sunset Vista (white gem)

Follow the stairs and jump onto the moving wall that contains the Super Bonus Stage icon. There’s a exclamation crate that’s out of reach at the top of the level. Lure the enemy to the right so that it stands under the crate, and jump off its back to leap upwards. The crates are in the background here, and in fact, most crates are hidden in the background of this level.

Doctor Neo Cortex Bonus Stage

Jump to the right and onto a pair of metal crates, then jump to the right and onto the TNT. Moving quickly, run to the end and spin into the normal crates before the TNT explodes, allowing you to jump to the next set of TNT. Do the same there, except with a much larger stack of crates at the end. Jump onto the metal crates and then onto the final platform where Cortex will drop a key and fly off. Pick that key up, and jump to exit.

Tawna Bonus Stage

Jump to the right, then take out as many of the crates as you like before jumping on at least one of the TNTs and running right. Keep running and jump onto the end platform, where there’s a pair of lives, and exit.

Boss Battle: Koala Kong

Koala Kong will throw a boulder at you. Just spin as it is about to hit you and it’ll break up. Keep away from the TNT that appears long enough for it to explode safely away from you. After throwing three small boulders Koala Kong will pick up a larger one that, when hit, will fly back towards him and hurt him. If you are the ‘dodge out the way’ kind of bandicoot, the heavier boulder will land on the ground, allowing you to spin it back at him – this is useful if there are any annoying mine carts blocking him as he throws it.

TNT will appear and Koala Kong will start throwing smaller boulders again. After another three he’ll again throw a heavier one at you. For a third time, avoid the TNTs and destroy the boulders thrown at you. It’ll be a couple of mine carts blocking him this time, but not very well. Repeat it all one last time to finally defeat Koala Kong.

Island 3 All but one of the coloured gems are located on this island. If you want to conquer the game thoroughly, you’ll need to find all the crates on each of these difficult levels. 15. Heavy Machinery (white gem)

To find the first Boss icon, locate two steam and two ice pipes right next to each other. To the right should be a pit with two flying spike bots. Drop between them and head to the left. Several boxes are also hidden down here.

Tawna Bonus Stage

This one’s quite simple; just remember to count to ten as you land on the crates. The only bit that may cause a tiny bit of trouble is in the middle, where you need to make sure there’s a staircase path leading upwards from the bottom question-mark crate, so jump on the normal crate on the top to

the right before you jump down there. The lives are inside the question-mark crates.

Doctor Nitrus Brio Bonus Stage

Jump to the right and use the crates to get across to the right, ignoring the first exclamation crate get to another at the end of these first visible crates. Use the new ones to get to the first exclamation crate, and finally make your way along the even newer ones to reach the end with four life crates on, as well as Nitrus Brio.

16. Cortex Power (white gem, requires blue gem)

Go right, down the path and hit the exclamation crate. Now backtrack down to the second fork, and take the left route. Go up, collect the crates and at the breakable arrow crate go to the right. Go left and take the blue gem path – further left you’ll reach a breakable arrow crate. In the next part of the level, you need to break all the crates to collect a white gem.

17. Generator Room (gold gem)

You should have an exclamation crate by the time you run into a tricky section where you need to time your jumps to make sure you grab every crate; go quickly or the platform will collapse. Now return to the main path and collect the remaining crates to finish the level.

Tawna Bonus Stage

Jump on the crates to get to the other end, being careful not to miss and fall. Simple.

18. Toxic Waste (white gem)

Run the straight line and hope for the best; you may need at least two Aku Akus to get to the end here. Another trial and error level.

Tawna Bonus Stage

Jump to the right, onto the TNT crate, and run along smashing all the crates… but make sure you bounce off the platform before they all go up in a chain reaction.

Boss Battle: Pinstripe

When Pinstripe shoots, hide behind the two chairs, and when he fires from the table, duck under it. When he stops shooting and jumps to the opposite side of the room, run up to him and spin attack. Repeat this two more times. He’ll now change his attack to the table; when his gun jams spin attack him. You’ll need to do this a number of times. To finally defeat him, he’ll pause when on the table, when you need to jump-spin attack into him.

19. The High Road (blue gem)

Walk back from the start of the level and collect the hidden wumpa fruit – if you jump over it two boards appear to catch you. Keep taking leaps

towards the screen – there’s two more sets of two platforms. You’ll soon see solid land and four hidden crates. Now head back to the main level, and use the turtles to jump the gaps. There’s a Tawna token to the left of first checkpoint, another at the second checkpoint. There’s a hidden crate on top of a stack of three crates near this checkpoint. The third Tawna bonus is just past the set of turtles beyond checkpoint 2.

Tawna Bonus Stage

Spin into the crate above the TNT. Go back, wait for it to explode, and then jump over the small gap. Now you have a choice: either go the safe way and bounce along the top row of boring plain crates, or smash the first plain crate and jump along the gap. Jump onto the metal crates at the end, and then to the final platform to collect the lives and exit.

20. Slippery Climb (red gem) A basic level that just requires patience and well-timed jumps. Having the red gem gives you access to the Nitrus Brio bonus stage. Doctor Nitrus Brio Bonus Stage

Jump to the right onto a metal bouncy crate, then to the right onto some TNT crates, smashing the life crate too. Jump down to the right onto a bouncy crate. Spring up to the right, on top of a tall stack of metal crates and TNTs at the top, drop

down onto another and go to the left, jump up to smash the life crates and jump on the exclamation crate below. Now jump to the right over the new crates and bounce your way to the final platform.

21. Lights Out (purple gem, key 2, requires yellow gem)

Once you have activated the yellow gem from Island 3 – The Lab, you can unlock an alternative level ending. Doing this also gives you the key to Fumbling In The Dark. Break all the crates on Fumbling In The Dark to receive the purple gem for Lights Out.

22. Jaws Of Darkness (white gem, requires blue gem)

Bonus World Icon 13 is located in the bottom crate in the pillar at the first checkpoint. You’ll find the blue gem right after the checkpoint.

Doctor Neo Cortex Bonus Stage

Jump along the crates to the right, then right onto a TNT. It’ll start ticking; wait for it to nearly explode and then jump to the right and onto some solid crates. Hopefully you’ll neither be blown up or fall to your death, and the iron crates below should have turned visible. Walk along them and bounce onto the TNT, then continue bouncing along the TNT crates to the end.

Tawna Bonus Stage

Walk up the iron crates, and spin into the three crates sandwiching an iron crate. Jump over the small gap and spin into a couple of the next crates. Retreat to avoid the explosion, then jump over the next gap. For the next one you need to jump to spin out a box, retreat, and then go back again. After that it’s just a simple jump or two to the end.

23. Castle Machinery (white gem, requires green gem)

The green gem will give you access to 25 free lives. This level can be completed without any gems. None of the crates are hidden on this level.

Boss Battle: Doctor Nitrus Brio

Dodge the beaker bombs that come your way. The green ones turn to moving blobs that you can jump-spin into – do this to send them flying back into Nitrus Brio’s annoying face. Do this three times and then he’ll throw six explosives, which you need to avoid. Nitrus Brio will turn into a demon; jump off the rock platform to land on his head to deal damage. Rinse and repeat.

24. The Lab (yellow gem)

This is a tricky level, and you may need to jump and spin off the sides occasionally to get through it. Getting to the end without dying will earn you a yellow gem.

Tawna Bonus Stage

Smash the crates, simple. Just keep focus on your timing and jumps.

25. The Great Hall (requires every white gem)

If you’ve collected every white gem in the game, you can play this Super Bonus stage.

Boss Battle: Doctor Neo Cortex

First Cortex will fire a couple of purple bolts. Avoid these, and then he’ll fire a single green bolt which you can spin back into him so he’ll lose some life. Next he’ll fire a purple bolt, then a blue one to jump over, one more purple to dodge, and two more blues – go under the first and jump over the second. He’ll fire two green blasts – spin both of these up above him and he’ll lose a hitpoint. Dodge the purple, jump the low blue, go under the high blue, and dodge the purple. Then a single green to bat back at him, a purple, then three bouncing blues. These go up and down; try to be beneath them at their high points. He’ll then quickly fire a couple of green blasts which you can add to make three above him. He’ll lose a point. Next he’ll start firing a load of purple in a row followed by a single green. Then a load of purple and a green. Just two will do it for this part.

His final health point is wiped out by the single green blast that he fires next.