Crash Bandicoot – Crashiversary Bundle

Genre: Compilation / 3D Platformer / Kart Racer

Players: 1-2 Competitive (Local Split-Screen), 2-4 Competitive (Local Alternating), 2-8 Competitive (Online)

Game Company Bad Behavior Profile Page: Activision Blizzard

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Review:

WARNING: CRASH TEAM RACING NITRO-FUELED, INCLUDED IN THIS BUNDLE, HEAVILY PUSHES MICROTRANSACTIONS

Crash Bandicoot – Crashiversary Bundle, released on the Nintendo Switch in 2021, is a Compilation of games that includes the 3D Platformer Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, first released on Nintendo Switch in 2018, the Kart Racer Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, first released on the Nintendo Switch in 2019, and the 3D Platformer Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, released alongside this bundle in 2021. I should note that this compilation does not include the extra content for Crash Team Racing found in the Nitrous Oxide edition. However, aside from that omission, this bundle includes every Crash Bandicoot game released on Nintendo Switch so far as of 2021.

Here is what I thought of each of the games in this collection:

Game	Genre	# of Players	Grade
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy	Compilation / 3D Platformer	1	B+
tl;dr Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is a collection of the original three PlayStation Crash Bandicoot games, family-friendly 3D Platformers that have been given a glorious makeover here. The gameplay is still excellent as well, though it has aged a bit in places – the restricted level design and unforgiving gameplay can be a cause for frustration. However, overall this is a superb collection well worth having.
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled	Kart Racer	1-2 Competitive (Local Split-Screen) 2-8 Competitive (Online)	B-
tl;dr Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled takes the PSOne classic Kart Racer and brings it into the modern day with expanded content and absolutely gorgeous visuals. It’s just a shame that this game is so infuriatingly hard to play that most players won’t be able to enjoy it.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time	3D Platformer	1-4 Competitive (Local Alternating)	B+
tl;dr Crash Bandicoot 4 is a family-friendly Platformer that is an excellent follow-up to the N. Sane Trilogy, and a solid (albeit downgraded) port from more powerful platforms that still looks outstanding on Nintendo Switch. While this game can’t offer the same kind of value seen in the N. Sane Trilogy, or the same level of depth and variety as an average Mario game, this is nevertheless an outstanding Platformer well worth adding to your collection.

In short, the N. Sane Trilogy and Crash Bandicoot 4 are solid 3D Platformers with an outstanding presentation. And while I think their high difficulty and somewhat simple and repetitive nature keeps these games from reaching the same heights as the Mario series, these are nevertheless superb entries in the genre well worth playing. Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, on the other hand, is a solid Kart Racing game, but one with a few issues that make it the weakest part of this package – its unforgiving difficulty and its somewhat sleazy microtransactions mar what is otherwise an outstanding, beautiful cartoony Racing game. Still, despite their flaws, all three games here are well worth owning.

Of course, then we have to address this compilation’s price. At $100, this package is particularly pricey, although it bears mention that purchased separately, these games would cost $120, so this package does represent a discount over the normal price of these games… just not much of a discount. And of course, it also bears mention that both the individual games and this bundle do go on sale fairly regularly, which should also add to the savings you’ll get.

Having said that, if you’re primarily interested in the Platformers in this bundle, you may want to consider the Crash Bandicoot – Quadrilogy Bundle. At $70, it’s still somewhat pricey, but if you’re not looking to get Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, that package has everything else that’s included here. In fact, if you’re a completionist who wants to get Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled Nitrous Oxide Edition, that would also be the better way to go. But then, you’re spending… yeesh, $130 on Crash Bandicoot games.

Again, I should stress that these are all quality games, well worth the hefty price tag. But whether they’re worth it to you is entirely up to which of these games you’re interested in. Do you just want a collection of excellent Platformers? Then get the Quadrilogy Bundle. Want to get absolutely everything to do with Crash Bandicoot on the Nintendo Switch? Then get the Quadrilogy Bundle and Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled Nitrous Oxide Edition. However, if you want all of the Crash Bandicoot games (as of 2021) and don’t care so much about the extra stuff in the Nitrous Oxide Edition, this is a solid package well worth getting… though you may want to wait for it to go on sale first…

tl;dr – Crash Bandicoot – Crashiversary Bundle is a Compilation that includes the 3D Platformers Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and Crash Bandicoot 4, as well as the Kart Racer Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled. It’s a solid Compilation that is technically cheaper than getting the games separate, but it’s still absurdly pricey, especially since this package doesn’t contain Crash Team Racing’s Nitrous Oxide content. Still, if you’re interested in getting all of the included content here and don’t really care about the Nitrous Oxide stuff, all of the games included here are solid entries in their respective genres and well worth getting… just take my advice and wait until this package goes on sale.

Grade: B-

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