Preorders for Crash Bandicoot’s first iOS game in a decade are now up and (endless) running.
The endless runner game, titled Crash Bandicoot: On the Run, is the famous PlayStation mascot’s first game for the iPhone since 2010’s sequel to Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D, a game that’s no longer available through the App Store. It is scheduled to hit the App Store on March 25.
The preview for Crash Bandicoot: On the Runreads as follows:
“Crash Bandicoot is back, but this time he’s on the run and on mobile! That means high-speed battle runs across Wumpa Island to save the multiverse from the evil Dr. Neo Cortex; smash crates, avoid obstacles and run into your favorite characters…Not to mention battling your favorite Crash bosses, earning rewards, base building and weapon crafting – all with a customizable Crash!”
The game promises “classic Crash Bandicoot gameplay,” with running, sliding and jumping action on Wumpa Island. This will include a plethora of classic locations, including Turtle Woods, Lost City, Temple Ruins and the Lab. In addition, players will face iconic bosses such as Scorporilla, Nitrus Brio, Nina Cortex and Dingodile, and encounter friends like Coco Bandicoot.
Going the endless runner route is similar to Nintendo’s strategy with 2016’s Super Mario Run, which racked up a record 40 million downloads in just four days. In the case of Crash, it seems developer King added some mild RPG elements, with the ability to build up running skills and XP points, and craft gadgets and weapons.
You also can unlock an assortment of skins, which will likely be where the game’s in-app purchase system will kick in. Additionally, a multiplayer mode should please gamers who like an extra challenge and a dash of unpredictability.
How much things have changed
Hearing that Crash Bandicoot is coming to the App Store (again) makes me reminisce over just how much has changed since the character made his first appearance. In the mid-1990s, Sony was still new to the games market with its PlayStation console. And Apple’s Pippin games console was technically competing (albeit briefly) with the PlayStation.
Jump forward a quarter century, and it’s Microsoft who is now going head-to-head with Sony in the console wars. And Crash’s fellow PlayStation mascots — Tomb Raider‘s Lara Croft and Metal Gear Solid‘s Solid Snake — have both been the subject of successful iOS games. Things sure have moved on!
You can preorder Crash Bandicoot: On the Run from the App Store. It is free to play, with in-app purchases.
