As Crash Bandicoot turns 30, fans have shared what they enjoy about the series, while GameCentral has attempted to explain why the character has disappeared from release schedules. During the 90s, Crash Bandicoot was one of PlayStation's biggest mascots, rivaling Nintendo's Super Mario and Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog. But while Mario and Sonic remain household names, headlining new games and even becoming Hollywood movie stars, Crash has languished in video game limbo. He maintains enough relevancy to pop up occasionally, such as a guest in Fortnite, but he rarely gets to be the star.
Nostalgia and Remaster Success
At 30 years old, Crash is lucky to even be acknowledged in 2026, since if it weren't for 90s nostalgia, current owner Activision may very well have banished him to obscurity long ago. To the series' credit, there remains an active audience. Not only do fans exist among the staff at Metro, but the franchise has seen notable success in recent years. 2017's Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, consisting of updated remasters of the original PlayStation games, propelled Crash back into the spotlight and sold at least 20 million copies, more than any individual entry in the series.
That success was enough for Activision to greenlight a remake of Mario Kart clone Crash Team Racing and then a brand new sequel, Crash Bandicoot 4, which was well received and clearly meant to be a new start for the franchise. That was back in 2020 though, and the only thing since then has been low profile multiplayer spin-off Crash Team Rumble, which was quickly abandoned by Activision. A new Crash platformer was planned as a Spyro The Dragon crossover, but it was canned due to the low sales of Crash Bandicoot 4.
Sales and Publisher Priorities
According to one Toys For Bob staff member, Crash Bandicoot 4 has sold more than five million copies as of 2024, which is more than any of the PlayStation 1 entries and well above the level that most other games would be considered a hit. It is a lot less than the N. Sane Trilogy though, which clearly indicates the influence of nostalgia. The budget of Crash Bandicoot 4 is unknown, but the problem is less likely to be that it wasn't profitable but that the profit wasn't worth Activision's trouble.
This is a common problem across all major Western publishers, where unless a game has the potential to be a massive hit, selling in the tens of millions, they just don't feel it's worth bothering with. The problem for Crash Bandicoot fans is that Activision is the absolute worst for this, having long ago given up publishing almost anything other than Call Of Duty. There is still hope though, kept alive by the fact that Activision will not quickly forget that they sold 20 million copies of a game just by remaking some old PS1 games. There were rumours and theories of another Crash racing game and a Netflix show late last year, but unfortunately there's been no confirmation they exist.
Fan Memories and Future Prospects
Fans recall the original game fondly. Myles Goode, Picture Editor, said: "The first Crash Bandicoot was so memorable for me because it was my first real taste of platform gaming since Sonic… but in 3D! It tested my patience in ways I wasn't always prepared for but that only made finally overcoming a difficult level feel even more rewarding." Joshua Halm, Freelance Reporter, added: "I was absolutely transfixed on the screen, as that little orange guy span roguish turtles and jumped over flowers with shark-like teeth." Caroline Westbrook, Audience Writer, noted: "For me, it took platforming to the next level, whether it was from the in-your-face visuals and graphics to those memorable characters – Crash's escape from Dr Neo Cortex still lives rent free in my head." Duncan Lindsay, Editorial Manager, said: "If the 30th anniversary doesn't present us with a new entry – or, at the very least, a Crash Bash re-release – then I will not be a happy bandicoot."
Developer Toys For Bob is working on a new entry in sister series Spyro The Dragon, after splitting from Activision. Spyro's own remaster trilogy sold an impressive 11 million copies, although if the new game Spyro: A Realm Beyond isn't a mega hit then it seems likely that franchise will also be mothballed. Crash Bandicoot may never reach the same heights of popularity he had in the 90s, nor be a billion dollar money maker, but he does deserve better treatment by Activision and a new game to please all his many remaining fans.
