Crash Bandicoot – Quadrilogy Bundle

Genre: Compilation / 3D Platformer

Players: 1-4 Competitive (Local Alternating)

Game Company Bad Behavior Profile Page: Activision Blizzard

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Review:

Note: The contents of this compilation can also be found in Crash Bandicoot – Crashiversary Bundle, which also includes Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled.

Crash Bandicoot – Quadrilogy Bundle, released on the Nintendo Switch in 2021, is a Compilation of family-friendly 3D Platformers that includes the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, first released on Nintendo Switch in 2018, and Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, released alongside this bundle in 2021. While this compilation includes all four numbered Crash Bandicoot games, it is far from a comprehensive collection of all of the Platformers in the series, as there were plenty of Crash Bandicoot games released between Crash Bandicoot 3 and Crash Bandicoot 4. However, many would argue that this is a comprehensive collection of the best versions of all of the good Platformers in the series.

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 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, these are all 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. On balance, I think the N. Sane Trilogy is the better part of this bundle if only for the sheer amount of content it contains, but everything here is top-notch.

The question that leads to then is whether this bundle represents a good value overall. At $70, it’s a little on the pricey side. However, this bundle does include what amounts to four games, all with a stellar presentation. Having said that, you’re not saving a great amount by buying them as a bundle here – this bundle only costs $10 less than these games cost separately. What’s more, the two included games frequently go on sale… although, to be fair, so too does this bundle. I suppose in the end, this bundle is ultimately a better way to go if you know you want the included games… just try to get it on sale if you can.

However, if you want all of the included games and Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, you may want to opt to spend an extra $30 to get the Crash Bandicoot – Crashiversary Bundle, which contains all of the aforementioned games. However, at that point you’re spending $100. That’s a decent price, but only if you haven’t gotten any of the Crash Bandicoot games on Switch yet, and want to get all of them in one fell swoop.

However, if you’re less interested in Crash Team Racing, or hesitant to spend the $100 required to get the Crashiversary Bundle, Crash Bandicoot – Quadrilogy Bundle is an excellent Compilation of family-friendly 3D Platformers at a decent price. If you’re looking to get some great games in this genre, this is a fantastic bundle well worth getting.

tl;dr – Crash Bandicoot – Quadrilogy Bundle is a Compilation that includes Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and Crash Bandicoot 4, which combined include 4 fantastic family-friendly Action-Platformers. As a package it’s a tad pricey, but it’s still a decent deal if you’re looking to add some great Platformers to your collection.

Grade: B+

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