The main games in the series are largely platformers

The games are mostly set on the fictitious Wumpa Islands, an archipelago situated to the south of Australia, although other locations are common. The main games in the series are largely platformers, but several are spin-offs in different genres. The protagonist of the series is an anthropomorphic bandicoot.

The graphics may be 3-D, but gameplay is flat as roadkill on a four-lane highway. Forget about plot: in most levels, Crash simply marches along a linear path, spinning into enemies and smashing crates filled with fruits. Collect 100 pieces of fruit and you get an extra life - a "tribute"

Several levels are side-view jump-fests, as seen on 16-bit machines dozens of times before. Rumor has it that the game's most interesting feature - hidden gems that are revealed by executing levels flawlessly - was added only at the behest

Players may enjoy Bandicoot purely as a test of jumping abilities. And make no mistake: jumping is key. Crash executes every type of jump ever seen in a platform game: short jumps, long jumps, short AND long jumps, quick jumps, jumps onto icy ledges, jumps onto tiny ledges, and so on. Players looking for an old-school platform game with uncanny visual effects will certainly find it here.