There’s a level in Crash Bandicoot Warped called ‘Road Crash’. I remember that I originally purchased this game on the PS1 around 1999. The game (and it’s two predecessors) was recently remastered and released on several current generation consoles, including Nintendo Switch, which is why I decided (mostly driven by nostalgia) to purchase a copy from Argos.
One of the great things about Nintendo Switch is the breath of the digital store, the titles available and the varied selection you have, as well as its frequent sales and discounts. But being an old school gamer (I never used to consider myself old school, mind you) I decided that this time I’d purchase a physical copy of the game – since many older gamers will attest to the love and respect for physical media above all else. The same could also be said for those who insist on purchasing music on Vinyl or even cassette in 2021; particularly when there are other more versatile and cheaply available formats available in abundance.
Playing through the title, I was impressed at the texture and quality of the remastered graphics, this must have been a real labour of love for those who created the game. To create something of this calibre takes time, money and dedication; and it was clear to me that no expense had been spared in giving fans (both old and new) and experience they could really enjoy.
What also struck me about the trilogy was the marked difference in difficulty between the original ‘Crash Bandicoot’ and its first two sequels. Of course, the initial game had been released in 1996 and was one of the first major titles for the original Sony PlayStation. It was also released at a time where widespread use of memory cards (before even standard memory storage) was a thing, so in the true spirit of the game you needed to record a password that would allow you to access specific points of the game as you progressed. The original Crash Bandicoot was also a difficult game, and it was clear that developers did not compromise on this factor for the remaster, with many gamers providing feedback online that the game provided a remarkably unexpected challenge for a platformer.
But ‘Road Crash’ is not on the original Crash Bandicoot. It is a level from Warped, which as I’ve previously explained, was the third instalment of the game and finds the eponymous main character bouncing about through time; in a sort of Quantum Leap esque “putting right what once went wrong” only this time Crash is collecting crystals to stop his continued rival Dr Neo Cortex from achieving world domination. ‘Road Crash’ specifically finds Mr Bandicoot in the United States, in the 1950s we presume, travelling through a stretch of Nevada Desert on a motorbike – the player needs to carefully control Crash as he strives to win 1st Place.
Of course, with Crash Bandicoot being a platformer, this level is not a traditional racing experience, and the mechanics of the game reflect that. As well as this, you’ve several massive potholes to avoid, ravines to jump and Cortex’s henchmen to worry about. The latter of these obstacles are driving large cars with even larger wheels and the slightest bump can knock you into the ditch or road sign; relegating you to the back of the grid with no opportunity to restart quickly and replan your tactics.
Ultimately, despite Warped being generally forgiving in nature, this level presents a more ‘moderate’ difficulty. Often, I would find myself screaming in frustration as my Switch Pro Controller (I can’t even imagine playing without it) was pushed to the limits of its design. I was sure I was going to seriously damage the peripheral as I flung my body left and right in a misguided belief that would somehow influence my characters efforts on screen. My partner, hearing my exclamations and outbursts, arrived preparing to administer first aid – believing the resulting expletives could only be caused by serious injury.
It was then suggested that, if I was unable to master this ability, that I might at least look to move on and try another level entirely. But, of course, I couldn’t – because at this point, I’d already managed to clear every level needed except for this one. ‘Road Crash’ was standing between me and the eventual boss at the end of this portion of the game. Another option might be that I just acknowledged my shortcomings as a man and cast the thing aside. But having paid £35 for this game I was unlikely to be doing that anytime soon. And that was part of the problem.
Gaming is a relatively expensive pastime. And purchasing physical titles, devoid of any sale discount, means paying the invitation to treat that is given by your retailer of choice. You do, of course, have the option of looking to resell the game (either privately or through a pawn store like CEX) but it’s unlikely you’re going to receive the same money paid back in your pocket. And ultimately that shortfall will hit hardest when you come to choose another title, having to add your own money back to the equation to settle the bill.
Of course, this isn’t the stock market, so we’re not talking about arbitrage here – the intention is not, at least knowingly, to make a profit. Everyone engages in commerce on an almost daily basis, the general act of buying and purchasing goods, but not everyone is a gamer – and even less so are those gamers who choose to purchase physical media, and then might consider reselling that media if either they want to buy more or just to recoup their losses.
So I continued battling away at ‘Road Crash’ and attempting to finish the level. Eventually, after what must have been my 20th attempt, I managed to achieve 2nd place in a race with 8 competitors. Instinctively, I learned what the game was trying to teach me – there was no use being belligerent – I needed to follow the rules and quite literally “play the game” in order to succeed. It was all muscle memory, there was no notes recorded, and each time I played I just got that little bit better. Then, putting on Tears for Fears ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’ I closed my mind to outside distraction and let my mind focus – before I had even realised it – I’d managed to achieve 1st place. That crystal was mine.
Internally, I felt a small spark of joy, an instant of achievement and success. Overall, though, I was more relieved, relieved that I wouldn’t need to play the level again at the same intensity. What had lasted longer was my initial upset, frustration and anger at being unable to finish the level. I’d spent far more time aggressively swearing to myself and getting upset then I’d spent congratulating myself for this achievement. But, of course, I was only talking about finishing a level in a video game – I was hardly writing an article or completing an entire day’s work.
In our lives, we are quick to anger, we are quick to criticize and judge. We are more likely to abhor our mistakes then to take pride in our achievements. This video game was meant to be a distraction from life, something which would help me “switch off” and unwind after a hard week’s work. And yet, it just served to remind me of human nature. The message here perhaps is that all the anger and resentment we might feel in one moment of upset should be as fleeting – as forgotten, more so – than that feeling of success we deserve when we accomplish something of value. Even if it’s just beating a level on a video game. We’ve got our priorities mixed up.