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Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back

  • Video Game
  • 1997
  • E
IMDb RATING
8.5/10
2.9K
YOUR RATING
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back (1997)
Globetrotting AdventureActionAdventureComedyFamilySci-Fi

Crash Bandicoot is on an adventure to collect crystals and help Dr. Neo Cortex save the world, or so it seems.Crash Bandicoot is on an adventure to collect crystals and help Dr. Neo Cortex save the world, or so it seems.Crash Bandicoot is on an adventure to collect crystals and help Dr. Neo Cortex save the world, or so it seems.

  • Directors
    • Andrew S. Gavin
    • Jason Rubin
  • Writer
    • Andrew S. Gavin
  • Stars
    • Clancy Brown
    • Brendan O'Brien
    • Vicki Winters
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.5/10
    2.9K
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Andrew S. Gavin
      • Jason Rubin
    • Writer
      • Andrew S. Gavin
    • Stars
      • Clancy Brown
      • Brendan O'Brien
      • Vicki Winters
    • 14User reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos10

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    Top cast11

    Edit
    Clancy Brown
    Clancy Brown
    • Dr. Neo Cortex
    • (voice)
    • …
    Brendan O'Brien
    Brendan O'Brien
    • Crash Bandicoot
    • (voice)
    • …
    Vicki Winters
    • Coco Bandicoot
    • (voice)
    Haruna Ikezawa
    • Coco Bandicoot
    • (japanese version)
    • (voice)
    Kazuhiro Nakata
    • Dr. N. Gin
    • (japanese version)
    • (voice)
    Ken'ichi Ogata
    Ken'ichi Ogata
    • Aku Aku
    • (japanese version)
    • (voice)
    Mitsuru Ogata
    • Dr. Nitrus Brio
    • (japanese version)
    • (voice)
    Kappei Yamaguchi
    Kappei Yamaguchi
    • Crash Bandicoot
    • (japanese version)
    • (voice)
    Shôzô Îzuka
    • Dr. Neo Cortex
    • (japanese version)
    • (voice)
    Dal McKennon
    Dal McKennon
    • Ripper Roo
    • (archive sound)
    • (uncredited)
    David Siller
    • Aku Aku
    • (archive sound)
    • (uncredited)
    • Directors
      • Andrew S. Gavin
      • Jason Rubin
    • Writer
      • Andrew S. Gavin
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews14

    8.52.9K
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    Featured reviews

    10MovieLad26

    A truly great sequel, and my all time favorite Crash game!

    Let me start off by saying, that I am a HUGE fan of Naughty Dog's Crash Bandicoot games. 1, 2, warped, CTR, and CB are all pretty sweet games. But overall, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back is my favorite of them all. Let me tell you why.

    1) The Levels: Overall, this game has twenty-five levels of non stop fun. Though elements from the first game were used, there were new level types such as taking a jetpack and travelling through a space ship, and old elements were reinvented as well. For example, you run from a boulder in the first one. In the second one, you run from a huge polar bear. Pretty sweet and fun levels.

    2) The challenges: Now believe me when I say that this game is freakin hard at times. At least, if you wish to get a 100% finish. Multiple traps, tricks, secret passage ways, if you want it all, be prepared to look around quite a bit. Well, not a bit. A lot!!! For example, you know those nitro boxes that you can't touch? Well in a level, there is a pile of them, set up to look like stairs. You can actually hop on those ones and not blow up. Get to the top of the pile and you end up in a secret warp room. I'm sure you wouldn't think about diving in a hole and uncovering a bonus room. Yup, very challenging.

    3) The Characters: We are introduced to some of the Major characters in the series. Coco Bandicoot, Crash's lil sis, N. Gin, and Tiny Tiger. We also get to see Ripper Roo again. One of the particular bosses didn't last. The komodo bros. I think they were in CTR, but that's it.

    Overall (Yeah, I use that word a lot) This game is freaking awesome! 10 out of 10, baby! Favorite and best Crash Bandicoot game ever!!!
    10dractualfactual

    My Favorite Out of All The Rest

    All right! It id official! After ten years of playing this game I finally started a new game and in four days I beat the game for the first time ever. Only three levels and one boss level challenged me really, really much. The game-play was excellent. Only problem is I am used to using the L3 pad as my directional pad it got just a little out of hand with Crash just walking occasionally and nearly running into an enemy or falling down a pit.

    Crash 3 was a great sequel but a little too hard for me to beat. Although I am currently trying to beat it. But this game remains my favorite compared to others because I beat it for the first time ever and it is the only Crash game I ever beat.

    I will never forget this game, ever! 10/10
    10nyarnebbanot

    I just remember how much I loved Crash Bandicoot 2

    I was feeling a bit down so I thought I play Crash Bandicoot 2 on my PC and I gotta say this really is the best PS1 game there is. I remember going to an EB games and buying PS1 games and one of them being Crash 2. I was hoping it was the Crash Bandicoot Warped game I played at Toys R Us with a little bandicoot riding a Tiger cub on the great wall of China. It wasn't what I wanted but I sure as heck wasn't taking it back.

    Cortex Strikes back's plot is that Dr. Cortex wants the Crystals back now he must get Crash to help him. But Dr. M Brio will compete against Cortex.

    Crash Bandicoot 2 Cortex Strikes backs is such a good game. This game oozes detail that Naughty Dog can only care about. Sure they may not be bad in other sequels but Naughty Dog has that kind of love and charm only people who work for Universal and Sony can provide .

    Crash 2's gameplay is such an improvement from Crash 1. There are now Knee slides and body slams that Crash can perform to stomp turtles. A huge improvement from just spinning and getting mogged by boars from the original.

    There is a sense of nonlinearity in a linear franchise. Split paths as you can collect crystals to help Cortex or Gems to get then . Crash will travel from Snow worlds and Green rain forests to sewers and science levels.

    The bosses are fun and there is more story telling to the levels like the first being a tutorial.

    There are even racing and chase levels. Go up a stream in a motorized surfboard run away from giant polar bears! Or even giant boulders.

    Bonus rounds all about. Complete time trials too.

    Crash can unlock secret levels by finishing others and getting secret colored gems.

    Crash Bandicoot 2 has such amazing 3D graphics for a console. For something only using 1kilobites per texture and only the most polygons to spare this game really oozes personality and a strange sense of immersion that can only be found in an old Naughty Dog game. First of all, Cash himself is super expressive. His animation is super fluid and nice to look at. When Crash tumbles into a room from a rolling boulder he gets exhausted and his ears overlap.

    This is so reminiscent of old Looney Tunes cartoons. Every level is super vibrant yet quite literally gritty and takes advantage of the PS's relatively low polygon count. All the world loads up and with out much pop in or glitches. It really is the perfect looking PS1 game. Whenever Crash dies, he'll either turn into ash or turn into a digeridoo playing angel.

    The music is made by Mark Mothersburgh. Now every song sounds like 'Whip it' just to make things super zany and I love it even more for it. The reverb of the PS1's audio makes it so much better to hear.

    Overall, Crash 2 has aged so well that I can't help but glaze it.
    8KtKaboom

    This game is great!

    Crash Bandicoot 2 is one of those games that has one playing for hours. The bosses are fun, and Crash gets to ride bears on some levels. The only annoyances are the levels are the same and some parts are extremely hard to beat. Overall this game is very good.
    9Croc320475

    My favourite Crash Bandicoot game

    I got this game along with Sony PlayStation 1 for Christmas in 1997 when I was seven years old. I always loved that PS1 game. It is one of my favourite PS1 games of all time and it is my favourite Crash Bandicoot game in the series of all time as well. It has nice graphics, great gameplay and catchy music. I kinda missed playing it. I'd really love to play it again someday.

    I have it on PS4 as its remastered version in Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy. Its remastered version looks incredible. I like its both original and remastered versions. I cannot prefer so who cares which one is better anyway?!

    It's probably one of the best PS1 games of all time.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      During the first level of the game, if Crash keeps going through a certain amount of times without getting the level's crystal, Cortex will become frustrated with him each time he comes back without it.
    • Quotes

      Dr. Nitrus Brio: So, you're helping Cortex to gather crystals. Yet you've acquired a gem. Interesting! Well Crash, know this, as long as you are allied with Cortex, you are my sworn enemy and I will do everything in my power... to stop you! If the fate of the world is truly your concern, you should collect the gems, not the cr-crystals. If you collect all 42 gems I can use them to focus a

      [laughs uncontrollably]

      Dr. Nitrus Brio: focus a laser! A laser beam that will destroy Cortex and his space station! Until then, I will use my forces to stop you from gathering crystals!

    • Connections
      Featured in Gamebrain (1997)

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 31, 1997 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Crash Bandicoot 2
    • Production companies
      • Naughty Dog
      • Sony Computer Entertainment America
      • Universal Interactive Studios
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

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    • Color
      • Color

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