Crash Bandicoot: Warped (PlayStation, 1998)

Out of all the PlayStation games I've played, this is one of the best and I don't say it lightly. Let me explain. When I first got this game way back when it was first released, I was initially a bit sceptical. How could a furry cartoon character be much fun? Isn't for little kids? Nope, I was really wrong! This is one of the most enjoyable games I've ever played, and I still enjoy this game since it has a lot in it to appeal to everyone.

Levels: 5/5
The "Warped" in the title refers to how you get to a level -- you are "warped" to a period in history. No boring stuff here -- just dinosaurs chasing you in ancient times levels, mummies to get you in the Egyptian levels, dragons waiting to trip you up on the Great Wall of China, wizards wanting to zap you in medieval levels, robots willing to blast you in future time levels, pirate ships lobbing cannon balls at you in the sea levels, and much more. There are quite a few places to visit and they are all a lot of fun! And you're not limited to just running or jumping, you also get to use several vehicles like an airplane to shoot down blimps and a car for a few race levels. After you complete five levels, you unlock a boss level, If you defeat the boss, you get five new levels to play and a special power. The best special power is the bazooka gun which makes clearing levels of enemies and hazards a breeze. Another really helpful power is Speed Shoes which lets you run much more quickly than normal. It really helps in the levels when something is chasing you and for beating the Time Trial modes (see more below).

Replay value: 5/5
The games screams replay value! Well, not really, but it does have a ton of playability in it after you have fulfilled the basic quest of collecting all 25 crystals in each level. You can replay each level in Time Trial mode where you have to race through the level in a certain amount of time. If you beat the clock, you will obtain a Relic which is used to open up a hidden level and for every five relics you collect, you can open a new hidden level. Also, you can go on missions for specially colored gems which will open up new portions of previous levels. In addition, there are two secret levels in the game. And if that's not enough, there are two endings depending on if you fully obtain every item in the game or not. The first ending is shown after you get all 25 crystals and beat the final boss. If you replay the game and go back and get everything you missed and defeat the final boss again, you can view the secret ending which is really funny!

Graphics: 5/5
Remember kiddies, this game was for the original PlayStation and not the souped up PlayStation 2. ;) However, it featured the best graphics of the original PS. The game has lots of great scenery, characters, and suffers from no hiccups or bugs which makes playing it wonderful. Tip: If you own a PlayStation 2, you can set the texture mapping in the PlayStation driver settings page to Smooth and it will make the game look much better!

Music: 5/5
Too bad they didn't release the soundtrack for this game! It has lots of great, quirky tracks for each level that perfectly capture the mood of the level from Egyptian sounding music of the Sphynx levels to techno for the future levels. It's fun just to listen to the soundtrack by itself.

Even though I've had this game for years, I still enjoy playing it and it is a game the whole family will enjoy playing! Since I can't give it a 6/5, a 5/5 will have to suffice.