Crash Twistanity
It’s a Nickelodeon cartoon waiting to happen.
Tags: Crash Twinsanity Categories: PS2 Reviews, Reviews
Posted by Andrew on Nov 2nd, 2004
| Title | Players | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Crash Twinsanity (title page) | 1 | ||
| Developer | Publisher | Genre | Online |
| Platformer | No | ||
A couple of alien twins are threatening to destroy the home island of Crash and his archrival Dr. Cortex. Now, the two enemies must join forces in order to save it. Let the twinsanity ensue.
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The one thing that really makes Crash Twinsanity a fun game, and what you’re almost certain to notice first, is the humor. Even though the game is rated E for everyone (which usually implies a target audience of children), the humor is creative enough to be appealing to adults, too. There were a ton of times in this game where I laughed out loud. If you constantly find yourself tuning into Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network to watch “kid’s shows” because you find them funny (it’s okay, we all do), then this game may suit your fancy.
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I wish I could say that this game is as entertaining as the comedy, but I would be lying. Don’t get me wrong; this is a fun game, but there are frustrating aspects which may make you want to give up before completing it, as the gameplay is a mixed bag. And since the gameplay really IS the game, the score is lower mostly because of its frustrating parts.
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The most annoying, and I suppose this is true of a lot of platformers, is the trial and error-prone gameplay. As you progress and get better with the controls, you’ll encounter this a bit less, but it’s still a controller-smashing experience. There are many times when you’ll be expected to react very quickly, but the camera doesn’t really allow you get a decent view of the level, thus causing your death… and probably more than once.
The camera seems to be a downfall of many platformers, hindering the player from getting to the destination simply because he/she can’t judge the distance well enough. Twinsanity isn’t so bad with the camera, as you’re able to control it, however it still plays a factor.
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The graphics are very well done. The cartoon feel of the gameplay is enhanced by the vibrantly colored environments. Lush green grass, pure blue water — it’s probably nothing you haven’t seen in other brightly colored, cartoonish platformers, but it does the job that it’s supposed to, and it does it well. I did notice a bit of slowdown at times, but most of the action-heavy environments are rather confined and lag is virtually non-existent. The level design was very well done. None of the environments seem contrived. They’re all very imaginitively conceived, I would say; lots of twists and turns, crazy contraptions for getting to and fro. Again, all following that very cartoonish theme.
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The sound and music is also a plus. They seem to have captured the feel of just about every environment offered with a great background theme that never gets tiresome. From the upbeat main theme playing as you navigate the island to the almost-silly rendition of “Row Your Boat” around the rivers and native village. It’s never too much, but you won’t forget it’s there, which is how I think music should be in a video game. The sound effects are pretty standard, run-of-the-mill cartoon effects. Explosions, smashes, slide whistles, boinks — it’s all here. Just like the graphics, they’re not mind-blowing, but they do the job, and they do it well.
A very cool part of Twinsanity is the two person (Crash and Cortex) gameplay modes. In some areas, you’ll become a “Roller Brawl,” a mode in which Crash and Cortex roll around fighting, and you have to steer them through some intricate levels. It becomes almost pinballish. The fighting is particularly funny. Stay still for a second and watch the maneuvers. One will spank the other or put the other in a headlock; lots of good stuff.
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You’re also sometimes able to, as Crash, grab onto Dr. Cortex and wield him like a weapon, taking out crates or enemies. Other modes include “Humiliskate,” in which you ride Dr. Cortex like a skateboard, and “Doc Amok” in which Cortex is runs wild with a swarm of creatures flying around his head and it’s up to you to clear his path. These modes are usually pretty challenging. But, as I mentioned before, you often only get through levels by trial and error, which can be frustrating.
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On top of that, though, you’ll also be expected to sit through the cut-scenes (if there was one) each and every single time you have to redo a part of the level. There is no skip button, and some of the cut-scenes can get long, not to mention aggravating to listen too again and again. No cut-scene skip button is huge NO-NO for any game. Please, developers: I’m sure you worked hard on those cut-scenes, and we all appreciate that hard work, but give us the option to skip. Otherwise, you’re just asking for trouble.
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The cut-scenes do showcase the games highpoint: the humor. All of the movies and cut-scenes in this game will give you a chuckle here and there, and that, along with the attractive presentation, may be what ultimately keeps gamers coming back. I worry about the difficulty for the younger gamers (12 and under), simply because it is a challenging game. But the fun-loving, cartoonish look, I suspect, is what primarily will be keeping their attention.
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This game is not a bad game, it’s only hindered by some annoying flaws, which are more or less platformer-specific. After you’ve become familiar with the controls, the game becomes much more enjoyable, and though the trial and error-type flaws persist, you can tolerate them. The game is appealing and well presented enough for you to have a decent video game experience.
| What Works | Score |
|---|---|
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+ Funny for all ages + Variety in gameplay and level design + Nice graphics, sound, music |
6.5 |
| What Doesn't | |
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- Too much trial and error - Can't skip cut-scenes |
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| Under the Shrink-wrap | |
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Crash Twinsanity is a pretty good platformer. It's flaws may become too much for those not willing to go through a level multiple times or sit through a cut-scene for a third or fourth time, but the game's graphics, music, and especially humor are presented well enough to probably keep most people coming back for more. |
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Tags: Crash Twinsanity
Posted by Andrew on Nov 2nd, 2004 and is filed under PS2 Reviews, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or trackback from your own site.
