by 
A King of Kings. An Idol to Millions. An Upside-Down Orange Triangle Guy. However you choose to describe him, there is no denying the irrefutable staying power of the one and only Crash Bandicoot. And today, you should pour yourself out a tall, cool glass of Wumpa juice, as the madcap marsupial is celebrating his 30th anniversary!
Yes, it has been three whole decades since a mass of poorly formed shapes put on some driving gloves and whirled, much like a dervish, into all our lives. Created by Naughty Dog as a flagship title for the burgeoning PlayStation console, Crash Bandicoot became a proud representative for Sony's exciting new hardware - offering up fast-paced, into-the-screen platforming adventures that showcased the PlayStation's 3D graphics capabilities, palette of bold and vibrant colours, and rich CD sound.
Indeed, the PlayStation could produce Mind-Boggling Effects. And nothing is more mind-boggling than Crash Bandicoot's 30-year legacy.
While so many '90s cutesy mascot types (and there were So Many) found themselves immediately consigned to the Where Are They Now File? Our hyperactive hero went from strength to strength and sequel to sequel, ably abetted by an expanding crew of friends that includes the wise tribal mask Aku Aku, Crash's tech-smart sister Coco, and his on/off girlfriend and part-time DeviantArt superstar Tawna.
Together, these heroes battle a rogues' gallery of villains, including the evil genius, Dr. Neo Cortex, the time-warping N.Trophy twins, bayou-bashing tough guy Dingodile, the Tasmanian Tiny Tiger, and (my personal favourite), the 100% certifiable Ripper Roo.
Since its debut, the Crash Bandicoot franchise has spawned over 30 titles, from the acclaimed Sony PlayStation trilogy to a wider variety of side games released on PC, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, iOS, Android, and, perhaps the most prestigious of all, the Nokia N-Gage.
Much like Super Mario Bros. and Sonic the Hedgehog, Crash Bandicoot has branched out into genres beyond the platformer - with kart racers Crash Team Racing (1999) and Crash Nitro Kart (2003), multiplayer party games Crash Bash (2000) and Crash Boom Bang! (2006), endless runner Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! (2021), and arena brawler Crash Team Rumble (2023).
The bonkers bandicoot has cameoed in other gaming franchises, poking his snout into Sony's Little Big Planet and Uncharted, as well as Activision's Skylanders series. Even The Simpsons caught a dose of Crash-man fever, with parody game "Dash Dingo" featuring in the season 10 episode "Lisa Gets an 'A'". Yes, just like John Cena, Crash was able to become a multimedia pop culture icon in spite of his jorts.
And none of these endeavours touches upon the series' consistent financial success. Crash Bandicoot's lifetime sales surpass the 75m copies milestone. The 2017 remake, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, sold a staggering 20m units - sitting at the peak of the UK charts for months after release. In 2019, Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled shifted an equally impressive 10m units, before the third sequel, Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time (2020), added a further 5m to the total. Clearly, there's still life (and love) in the old dog yet.*
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CRASH! May your Wumpa Fruits be ripe, your crates fragile, and your jumping trajectory imperceptible. Join the party below and share with us your favourite games and memories!
*(not a dog)