Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy review, PS4: A classic reborn

Before Naughty Dog created the wise-cracking adventurer Nathan Drake and threw him into numerous set pieces in the acclaimed Uncharted series, the developer produced another PlayStation star called Crash Bandicoot.

It was 1994 and Jason Rubin and Andy Gavin had decided to work on a 3D action-platform game in which the main character would run into the screen, tackle obstacles and collect things. Two years later, and with the developer having created its own programming language and compression software in a bid to get the game running fluidly on the PSOne, the game was ready. It sold six million copies and Crash became the Sony console's unofficial mascot.

More than 20 years later, Crash is back, stomping the same old ground as he did all that time ago when he sought to stop Brio and Cortex from taking over the world while attempting to rescue his girlfriend, Tawna. In fact, put that original game next to this refashioned, new version and you'd be hard-pressed to see much difference.

Aside, that is, from the modern animation, hugely enhanced graphics, up to 1440p rendering, cool motion blurring, superb sounds and a rethink of how the game plays for a more demanding gamer on a platform that allows for greater technical prowess. For this is Crash Bandicoot for the PS4 and it has never looked or felt better.

You can't help but play this game with a smile on your face. Indeed, to pull off something as unique and yet as familiar as this is a masterstroke, with the developer straddling the fine line between a remake of a classic and straightforward remaster. We actually got a glimpse of the old Crash in the final installment of Drake's Uncharted adventures but while that allowed us to reacquaint ourselves with the basics, the pangs of nostalgia for those who remember this the first time round come flooding back as you remember how cool, exciting and progressive gaming in the 1990s proved to be.

That said, Crash does show its age. As you progress at speed, spinning to dispatch nasties, bouncing on boxes to collect fruit, leaping over gaps and avoiding constantly moving obstacles, you do realise how far we've come from such rudimentary mechanics. It's about as arcade as you're going to get, not that such a thing is a harsh criticism, but if you're after something to tax your brain, then it's not going to satisfy quite as well as the more fluid and expansive titles of today.

But that is missing the point. The three Crash Bandicoot games here – hence the trilogy – really do dazzle. You'll admire the cartoon-like scenery and, if you're that way inclined, may even cheer the artists for essentially ripping up the originals and putting in a ton of effort to make the fires glow more intensely and the blades of 3D grass stand starkly. It's quite a feat to take low-resolution graphics and work on them to such a degree that they are not only enhanced but still bear a striking resemblance to the original. Sometimes you think of retro games with rose-tinted glasses and are shocked the reality doesn't match the memory. This turns such a thing on its head.

One thing you'd remember if you played the original, though, is that it is a damn difficult game (more so when it comes to the racing sections that, unfortunately, still fare badly). Come a cropper and you can end up going way back to a distant checkpoint to start over. What's more, with waves of enemies, huge drops and the need for some exquisite timing, finishing the debut really can feel like a major accomplishment. No wonder Naughty Dog had made the other two games easier and that the latest developer Vicarious Visions has decided to put a few helping hands into the new versions. You can get power-ups and checkpoints that better suit your ability and for newbies, certainly, it's all the better for it.

It helps you fall in love with the game given you're not gnashing your teeth to as great a degree as you once would have. The upshot is that it'll encourage you to plunge into the new options, whether it's playing as Crash's sister, Coco, or competing in the time trial modes that allow you to compete with friends online. One thing's for sure, though, you will want to play. And replay. And try some more. That, ultimately, is the success both of this recreation and the original. It seems you really can't keep a good marsupial down.