Crash Was Originally Going to be a Wombat
We know Crash as the world’s most popular bandicoot but there was once a time when he was supposed to be a wombat with a completely different name. Naughty Dog founders Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin originally planned to launch the now iconic platformer with a protagonist named Willie the Wombat. It wasn’t until Gavin and Rubin came across bandicoots in an Australian wildlife guide that the pair decided on changing Willie the Wombat to Crash Bandicoot—the name Crash being inspired by the fact that he would be smashing boxes.
According to Short List, however, Universal Interactive Studios was actually far more interested in the idea of publishing a game with a friendly, cuddly wombat at the head. Universal wanted to keep the character as a wombat and give him the name Wuzzle instead. Fortunately, Gavin and Rubin saved us all from the reality of a Wuzzle the Wombat video game. The pair insisted that if Crash Bandicoot wasn’t the game’s protagonist, they would abandon the project completely.
Former Sony CEO Ken Kutaragi Wasn’t a Fan of Crash
Crash Bandicoot is a well-known and well-loved PlayStation franchise but there was once a time when the creators of the animated marsupial and the head of Sony didn’t quite see eye-to-eye. Former Sony CEO Ken Kutaragi felt like Crash Bandicoot would be a game more suited for a console with a focus on family-friendly gaming. At the time, Kutaragi wanted to focus on making the PS One feel like a mature gaming platform that strayed away from family-focused titles. According to Digital Spy, there was quite a bit of debate over whether or not Crash Bandicoot was a title that fit with the kind of game library Kutaragi had in mind for PlayStation. Fortunately, there were enough people in favor of bringing Crash to the PlayStation that the game was pushed through despite Kutaragi’s concerns. Turns out Crash was certainly worth the risk.
He Was Too Ugly For Japan
It turns out Crash wasn’t always charming people with his wacky good looks. When Crash Bandicoot made his way over to Japan, Naughty Dog decided he needed a makeover that made him more appealing to Japanese gamers. In Japan, Crash is given softer, rounded edges, more tamed eyebrows, and larger eyes. It ultimately creates a version of Crash that looks fits the anime aesthetic. These may seem like subtle differences to some but it made all the difference in the Far East. These new aesthetics resonated well with gamers in Japan and could be one of the many reasons why the game performed so well in that market.
Crash Has Had a Terrible Love Life
A closer look at Crash’s love life will make you never complain about yours again. The very reason we were introduced to the crate smashing bandicoot in the first place is because he was on a mission to rescue his girlfriend, Tawna, who had been captured for the sake of Dr. Neo Cortex’s experiments. So go ahead and think about all the trouble you went through to rescue Tawna only to see her vanish when the second game was released. Ever wondered what happened to her? Well, after all that, she left Crash. Not only did she ditch her hero, but she also decided to run right into the arms of Pinstripe Potoroo. At least, that’s the explanation that was included in the game’s manual in Japan to explain Tawna’s sudden disappearance.
Outside of the world of Crash Bandicoot lore, however, Tawna actually vanished from the game because she was deemed too sexual for the franchise.
There Is An Entire Species of Bandicoots Named After Him
In addition to having a place in the gaming history books, Crash also has a place in scientific journals. Paleontologists decided to name an entire sub-species of extinct bandicoot after the video game character. What makes this particularly special is that the scientists decided not to alter the name in any way so the sub-species is literally called the Crash bandicoot. It’s one of the rare moments when the scientific community used a completely unaltered title for a species without making an attempt to use Latin or Greek roots.
There is Actually an Explanation for Why He Doesn’t Have a Neck
There are plenty of gamers who have spent years building their bond with Crash Bandicoot without ever questioning why he didn’t have a neck. If you’re not that player, however, you should be happy to know that there is an actual explanation for why Crash wasn’t given a neck. It all comes down to what technology was available at the time. Before we lived in a world where HD screens and 4K televisions were considered standard, we used to all enjoy our video games on boxy TVs with poor resolution. Naughty Dog feared that taking up even a small portion of screen real estate to give Crash a neck just wouldn’t be worth it when there seemed like a far better option for what to do with that extra space. Developers wanted to make Crash’s face large enough that players could easily spot his goofy facial expressions. In order to accomplish this, Crash would just have to be one bandicoot that didn’t have a neck.
And There’s Even a Reason Why He’s Orange
Keeping in line with the theme of functionality, it turns out developers put a lot of thought into what color Crash would be. Since he was inspired by actual bandicoots, some might wonder why he isn’t a shade of brown instead of a vibrant orange. The answer is simple—Naughty Dog didn’t want Crash to blend in with the many different landscapes players would explore throughout the game. This is also why you won’t see levels in the game that include a lot of fire or lava as these elements introduce a color scheme that could make it extremely difficult for Crash to stand out to players.
Published: Jun 30, 2017 09:30 am