Alright, let me try this…
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Andrew Gavin, the brain behind the original Crash Bandicoot’s code magic, isn’t holding back. It’s like opening a can of worms, talking about the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, which popped out over eight years ago now. He did say some nice stuff about the folks at Vicarious Visions, but boy, he wasn’t too thrilled about the jump mechanics. Said they “totally messed it up” — or something along those lines.
So, picture this — summer of 2017, and Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy hits PlayStation 4. Then a year later, bam, it’s everywhere: Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC. Remasters of the first trifecta of games by Naughty Dog (remember them from the ‘90s?), and people loved it. Well, mostly. The visual upgrade was like candy for the eyes, doing its thing and all.
Now, here’s when it gets spicy. Gavin hops on LinkedIn (yeah, because why not) and says, “Graphics, great! Faithful to the OGs.” But gameplay? Oof. Like, he wasn’t letting that slide. The jump mechanics, he says, went from spot-on precision to “huge and floaty” — a term I never thought I’d use for a jump, but hey, here we are. The OG Crash let you variate the jump height, all based on how soft or hard you pressed the button. The new one? Nah, it’s like pressing a button at a carnival: same jump every darn time.
And then he brings up some technical stuff. Apparently, back in the day, the original PlayStation controllers only had binary input. So, Gavin whipped up this rad system which timed your button holds within a teeny 30- to 60-millisecond window (don’t ask me how he came up with that). Made the game feel intuitive and nuanced, especially in the age of clunky platformers. Fast forward to today, and Gavin’s wondering if the Vicarious Visions crew even knew about this neat system or if it just didn’t matter to them.
Yeah, it may seem like old news — we’re talking years now and the team hasn’t touched Crash since. Yet here we are, in the midst of a ‘90s platformer revival, like it’s the next big thing. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD kicked off 2024 with a bang, and fans are cautiously crossing fingers for a fresh Banjo-Kazooie comeback, despite those nasty rumors about cancellation. And don’t get me started on Crash Bandicoot 5. Toys for Bob was maybe — or maybe not — involved, and now it’s just poof! Could be on hold, could be scrapped, who really knows?
Anyway, where was I? Oh right, jumps. Turns out they’re a big deal after all.
