Crash Bandicoot 5

Crash Bandicoot 5

To tell you the truth, my whole experience with this game started after a simple trip around ebay.

My name is Matthew, and my gaming experince, I can never forget.

It was late, about 8:00 on a Sunday and I was looking on ebay for something, but I can't recall what it was because of what I found soon after that. In the "Items reccomended for you section", I saw something that looked like a disc, I thought it was pretty intereresting, so I cheked it out. "Crash Bandicoot 5", the title said. The description said it still worked, despite a few minor scratches. I almost died of happiness after that. My first game was the orginal Crash Bandicoot for the PS1, and I've been playing since I've been 5. I rushed into the other room panting, asking my dad to buy it for me. He stared at me, like I was some kind of maniac, but he shrugged it off and gave me the ok. He went to the computer, checked out and payed for the item. I was pretty sure I was going to be able to wait for the game to come. He told me to get ready for bed since it was a school night. So, why not, since the game would come faster, so I just went to bed. Next morning, I woke up, got ready and rushed out the door. All throughout the day, all I could think of the that game. "What is the music like?" "Who are the bosses?" "What are the levels?". That was my one focus during the day. When I got home, I slopped through my school work, scarfed down a snack and went to hone my skills playing Crash 2 and 3.

About a week later, like game came in a little box on my doorstep. I almost screamed with excitment. I didn't even care that I was hungry, or I had schoolwork to do. I jammed the power cord of my PS2 into the outlet, and put in the game. It said Naughty Dog, Universal, and stuff that a Crash game usually says, then the title screen pops up. It of course says "CRASH 5" on the top of the screen in yellow letters, and "press start" on the bottom. It was a black screen with Crash Floating on a platfrom in the middle. of course, I pressed start. I selected a new save file and started to play the game. It started off with Aku Aku telling crash how Cortex is up to no good, and how he has to save the world again. Crash look, absoultely depressed to say the least after that, and he reluctantly sprinted out the door. The Warp Room looked similar to the 3rd game, being the regular 5 warp rooms, with 5 levels in each and a boss. I went into the first level, which was named, Jungle Journey. The level was great, and so was the music. It was amazing and the game controlled like butter. I finished the level in about a minute, and grabbed somethingt hat resembeled a Power Crystal, but it was a dark shade of black. "Maybe these are what I'm after in this game" I told myself. The level was really fun, but there was one little thing that caught my attenition. I remember I did a bad jump over a pit or something and fell in. I knew I heard a faint crunching noise, but I just passed it of as normal.

I remember one really tough level, It was an ice level with quick and trickly jumps with nitros spread out on the platforms. I quickly lost my suplly of 25 lives in a few minutes. The game over screen popped up and I jammed the start button to continue playing.

A little bit into the game, this is where things started turning pretty ugly. Well, In some levels it popped up here and there, but only if the level was very challenging. The first time It got really bad. It was a fight with Dingodile in the second world where my hand slipped from the sweat in my palms and I failed to dodge a burst of flame shot from the pack on the bosses back. Crash let out a blood curdling scream and ran around in a panic until you could clearly see his flesh and muscle singed off. Another time is whenever I was exploded by a tnt or nitro, Crash yelled and a red splashed of guts covered my screen, whereas another time Crash was hit by a slegdehammer, and his whole bodys splattered from the top up. But despite the fact, I really couldn't stop playing. The levels were great, and the music was the best I've ever heard from a video game. The gruesome deaths actually compelled me to do better in the levels. I collected all of the crystals and all of the gems, because of me desperatly trying to avoid losing a life.

After I've done everything I needed to do, my only task I havent achived yet was defeating Neo Cortex. The fight took place In a long hall in space, and Cortex was piloting some kind of machine, which resembled a steamrooler, but more evil looking with 2 spiked rollers, stacked on top of each other. I was terrified at this sight, and I new I just couldn't die. For me, for Crash. I ran as fast as I can, doging walls and other stuff trying to make Crash trip and get  gouged with those spiky rollers. I doged everything like a master, knowing there woould be some kind of button or something that would wreck Cortexes machine. I had a feeling I was just about there but one thing happened. A Wall. Crashed slammed into a wall, and a death animation occured. It was awfully long, but awfully gruesome too. It showed Crash, dizzy after hitting the wall, but quickly coming to his sense after, and lokked behind him in absoulute shock, he tried sprinting, to avoid his demise, but he quickly feel to his feet. I jsut about fainted at this point. The machine swallowed Crash Up, He let out the worst most agonizing scream that ever hit my ears. The rollers grinded and crushed crash into bits, with fur, bones and blood everywhere. I respawned at the begining and to my suprise, The corpse was still inside of Cortexes Rollers. I sprinted as fast as possible and avoided every single damn obsticle I could. Atthe end, I made it to a button. Crash stomped on it and the Machine blew into bits. Cortex blasted into the distance yelling threats like "Curse you!' and "I'll get you next time!" The screen cut to black.

Some credits started to roll after I won. It showed a few naughty dog workers, but the point that got me the most was the part I saw next. It bold letters, the credits showed,

"MURDERERS"

It listed some peoples names at the bottom of the screen.

Everyone who killed Crash

Everyone who made him suffer.

I saw my name in there along  with my brother, and some friends

After the credits finished, I ended up in the warp room. In the center, was a huge black gem. I jumped on it, knowing it would take me to a new area. It was a dark passage, with one portal at the end labelled

"The Room"

It was just a dark hallway, but on the sides of the carpet were all Dead Crashes.

Singed ones, Ones cut in half, Shattered ones, Exploded ones.

It was terrifying to see. The level progressed normally with a few points where there was buttons which you needed to spin Dead Crashes at for a bridge to drop down. Whenever I had to hit one, Crash looked mortified. there was about 10 of these areas, and I got to the last one, with a huge button in the middle. I looked left and I looked right, I even scouted out everything behind me. No Crashes.

I walked up the the front of the last pit area, thinking of what to do, suddenly, Crash turned around.

"Why Matthew"

''"Why do you have to keep reminding me of my curse?" ''Crash Staggered

What Curse? I spoke in shock back in shock. I coudln't belive what I was hearing anymore.

"I can't die"

"I never can"

"But everyday, players kill me over and over, and I have to suffer every time! And when its finally time for me to stop my suffering"

"They select continue."

"All my life is, is endless suffering! DO YOU KNOW HOW IT FEELS!"

"Every day! Getting murdered by countless people jsut trying to be amused!"

"Are you amused know? HUH?! HUH?! KNOWING THAT A BEING IS ENTERNALLY SUFFERING FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT?!"

"Nnnn nnooo Crash" I responded. I was almost in tears, knowing my favorite character, had to suffer like this his whole life.

''"Matthew, do you care about me?" ''Crash asked.

"Of course I do Crash!" I stated.

"I'm about to do something now, and I need you do do something for me."

"Yes?" I questioned him, wonder what his next action was.

"Don't press continue."

I no longer could control Crash. His next action was him diving into the pit infront of him. But this time, It was different. No screams, crunches or agony. Just a sigh of relief.

I was treated to the game over menu after that.

I pressed Game Over.

My PS2 then shut off, and I picked up the disc out of the slot. I looked at the back, some light shined on the back, and I saw scrathes etched into the back.

They were letters

"Thank You"