Crash Bandicoot is a 1996 platform video game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. It is the first installment in the Crash Bandicoot series.
Crash Bandicoot follows the adventures of the title character, a genetically-enhanced eastern barred bandicoot created by the evil Doctor Neo Cortex. In Crash Bandicoot, Crash sets out to stop Cortex' plans of world domination and save his girlfriend Tawna, a fellow genetically-enhanced bandicoot.
As a platform game, Crash Bandicoot is comprised of several levels the player must to traverse through in a fixed sequence. Crash can defeat enemies either by jumping on them or using his spinning attack, which can be also used to destroy crates. Crates may either contain items for Crash's benefit or offer other rewards such as saving checkpoints.
Crash Bandicoot was the result of a publishing deal between Universal Interactive Studios, Naughty Dog and Sony Computer Entertainment. The title character was influenced by the likes of Sonic the Hedgehog and Warner Brothers' Tasmanian Devil. Development budget was approximately $1.7 million.
Upon release, Crash Bandicoot received generally positive reviews. Critics lauded the visuals and graphical style and praised Crash's design and character, though critics offered mixed responses on the game's gameplay and level design, while criticism focused on general lack of innovation for the genre. Crash Bandicoot was a commercial success, selling over 6.8 million copies by 2003. A sequel, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, was released in 1997.
In 2017, the game and its first two sequels were remade by Vicarious Games and Activision as Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy.