The revival of the Crash Bandicoot series has signaled a return to form for the character as far as interest in him is concerned. Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is expected to steal the stage, although new fans likely need to be better accustomed with the protagonist first.
Interestingly enough, because of the fact that the internet was hardly commonplace during Crash’s heydey, even original fans don’t know as much about the character as they should. It’s equally intriguing that Crash has had an impact on the real world too. To find out in more detail about this, check out these 10 things you didn’t know about Crash Bandicoot the character.
10 He Is A Fully Grown Adult
Some people compare Crash to be like a Pokémon, in that he appears to be a cute and child-like creature. However, not only is Crash an anthropomorphic animal, but he’s also a young adult by his standards.
This was confirmed when Crash was shown to have a girlfriend, along with being treated as an adult by the supporting characters. So, it appears he’s not as naive and innocent as people consider him to be.
9 Sony CEO Ken Kutaragi Hated Him
Pretty much everyone loves Crash Bandicoot for his lovable personality and, at this point, the nostalgia factor. However, one person who was by no means a fan was Sony CEO Ken Kutaragi, who was adamant for Crash to simply go away.
The reason for this was that Kutaragi was against having a mascot for the PlayStation brand, a role Crash had unofficially been fulfilling at the time. Kutaragi also wasn’t convinced that Crash had marketing potential in Japan, and so the Bandicoot went unloved by the “father of the PlayStation.”
8 He Was Originally Willie The Wombat
Things get canceled all the time in comic books and gaming media, and Crash was no exception. In fact, he wasn’t even Crash Bandicoot when one of his first personas was canceled. That was Willie the Wombat.
During the planning process, the species for this character had initially been set as a Wombat. However, after multiple sketches and mock-ups led to nowhere, Willie was shelved entirely to give way for the Crash Bandicoot fans know today.
7 His Fur Color Is Orange So He Doesn't Blend With The Background
Crash has always been weird, even when taking into account weird characters from other franchises. Still, there’s a reason for his strange design, and it has to do with the settings of the games' levels. While Bandicoots are generally brown or gray, Crash is orange.
This has to do with Naughty Dog wanting him to stand out from the background, as a brown colored Crash would’ve blended into the environment. To this end, Crash was given the wacky coloring to both go with his personality and avoid confusion during levels.
6 He Has A Girlfriend Who Was Phased Out Of The Series
Protagonists tend to get more interest from fans if they have love interests. And yet people generally forget that Crash isn’t a single man, and actually happens to have a girlfriend. The reason why this fact goes unknown is because Tawna was phased out after her initial appearance in the first game.
This was due to Tawna being considered far too seductive in design for a children’s game. She has made a recent reappearance as a playable character in Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled.
5 An Actual Bandicoot Species Is Named After Crash
The popularity of the Crash Bandicoot character is such that it has found its way into science. Fossils found of the Peramelidae family of creatures, the forerunners of the bandicoots, have been named as the “Crash Bandicoot” species.
That’s right, the naming has to do with the well-known status of the character, and he was used as the reference for this species. There’s no doubting the impact he’s had on the world now, seeing as even scientists use his name.
4 He Originally Shared His Voice Actor With Neo Cortex
It’s absolutely paramount to have good voice actors for any character, although some people are so talented they can do multiple voices. This is the case for Crash Bandicoot as well, who shared his voice actor with his arch-nemesis.
Brendan O’Brien was the original voice behind the main character, and simultaneously filled in the role of Neo Cortex as well. So, any time you’re playing the original game, remember that it’s the same guy who’s the villain and the hero.
3 His Lack Of Speech Is Deliberate
Some consider Neo Cortex to be among the useless villains in media due to him failing to get any reaction out of Crash. However, Crash was specifically planned to be a predominantly silent character.
The reason for this was that, according to co-creator Andy Gavin, was Crash was to be on the wackier side of things, and it was agreed that the best way to convey his fun-loving personality would be to have Crash react innocently to the things around him. To this end, Crash was kept a mostly silent hero.
2 Crash Was The Mascot For The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Not only is Crash the namesake for scientific fossils, but he was also the mascot for the “School and Youth” program for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This was in association with Vivendi and Sierra Games.
The intent of using Crash Bandicoot for this cause was to raise awareness of this disease among children and young people. While he might not have officially become Sony’s mascot, Crash sure did lend his image to a higher cause.
1 He Has A Different Design In Japan
The Japanese market is one that has specific tastes. There have been many character designs lambasted for not meeting the preferences of the market. Crash Bandicoot faced a similar issue, which was addressed by changing his appearance altogether.
With this in mind, developers altered his features to more cartoonish lengths in order to better communicate his fun nature. Judging the difference in the US version of Crash with the Japanese one does make it clear how many changes he’s gone through.