Making Crash Bandicoot by Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin

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Ever wonder what it took for a small Naughty Dog team to create and release the first game in the massively successful Crash Bandicoot series? Wonder no more as original Naughty Dog co-founders Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin discuss the entire making of the first Crash Bandicoot game in a fascinating six-part series.

By arne | Twitter @arnemeyer | Tuesday February 08 2011

Can you believe that 2011 marks the FIFTEENTH anniversary of the release of the original Crash Bandicoot game? That’s right. Later this year – August 31 to be precise – will mark fifteen years since Crash Bandicoot was released in the United States for the original PlayStation console. Europe got to experience Crash Bandicoot just over two months later, in November.

That would a series of blog posts covering the entire making of the original Crash Bandicoot game quite timely, don’t you think? Lucky for all of us, last week Naughty Dog co-founder Andy Gavin, did just that. The six-part series of blog posts by Andy, with additional insight from the other Naughty Dog co-founder, Jason Rubin, is a great, uncensored look at both the development the inaugural Crash Bandicoot game and game development in general during the mid-1990s.

Click on the links below to read all of the “Making Crash Bandicoot” articles.

Making Crash Bandicoot – part 1
Making Crash Bandicoot – part 2
Making Crash Bandicoot – part 3
Making Crash Bandicoot – part 4
Making Crash Bandicoot – part 5
Making Crash Bandicoot – part 6

A bit of trivia – three of the seven Dogs pictured in Part 4 are STILL with Naughty Dog!

Please note that before you all go asking us to make another Crash Bandicoot game, which we hear quite a bit, the franchise is currently being run by Activision.

| Comments 60 | Tags: behind the scenes, crash bandicoot, crash, making of

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Posted by: AgeCaves on 02-08-2011

Oh man! I love crash Bandicoot! I have all of the four games on the original PSone discs and three of the downloaded on my PS3! I loved these when I was a kid. I love you, Naughty Dog. Happy Anniversary!

Can’t ask for Crash Bandicoot? ... Jak and Daxter?

Posted by: Dark__Gamer on 02-08-2011

Crash was my favorite game as I kid. I didn’t realize it was developed by Naughty Dog till I got into the Jak and Daxter series.

Plus this is probably the fastest I have posted and article on my site. I post all blog posts here back on my site.
http://thekennel.ucoz.com/news/naughty_dog_making_crash_bandicoot_by_andy_gavin_and_jason_rubin/2011-02-09-197

Posted by: fraz17 on 02-08-2011

I’m glad that you have posted this here so that everyone can see this!

Just out of curiosity which of the three Dogs are still working at Naughty Dog? I know that Jason and Andy left after Jak 3. Bob left too didn’t he?

Posted by: rafael_martines on 02-08-2011

I was happy when the Naughty Dog was the studio developing Crash Bandicoot from First until Crash Team Racing, after that Vivendi or another random studios buried the character… Shame! Please Naughty Dog after U3… give us a true Crash Bandicoot Adventure, whose just you can make!

Posted by: arne on 02-09-2011

If you read Andy’s Making Crash Bandicoot - you’ll see. Essentially, Crash was never a Sony first party IP - it was owned by Universal, which later became Vivendi Games/Sierra and then most recently became Activision.

Posted by: NearRivers on 02-09-2011

Thanks for posting this. I wouldn’t have found this otherwise.

I’ts nice we can read them all at once instead of waiting, but it’s now made me miss Crash D: Hopefully you guys can write some more of these in future.

Posted by: Modliszka13 on 02-09-2011

Happy Anniversary Crash! I remember when i was just a 7-year-old kid and i was playing Crash 3(it was the 1st Crash Bandicoot game which i had)all day in order to complete it due to my broken mermory card And although i’ve never finished Crash 1 or Crash 2 i can say it is my childhood game.

Posted by: StinkeHugo on 02-09-2011

A fantastic read.

The part where they explain how they pushed the limits of the hardware capabilities is very interesting.

This shows why the Naughty Dog games look so much better than any other “state of the art” titles of the same era.

Posted by: andres_cabrera on 02-09-2011

happy anniversary crash!!!!!!:):D
i already tell zod how much i love all your games specially crash and uncharted...crash was my first videogame..i can remember that i was on the ps1 hours and hours playing crash 1,2,3 specially warped!!..
thanks nd!

Posted by: WillBenson268 on 02-09-2011

I think Crash is dead, hes not coming back. Did you play that last game? It was terrible! the PS1 Games were A LOT BETTER! I wish Naughty Dog could legally own the rights to Crash and give him a proper burial.

Posted by: ClassicSpyroFan on 02-09-2011

Im not a big crash fan but happy b-day!! I got the first 3 on psn and I have to say they are very VERY fun. It’s nice to know that Naughty Dog still cares about crash to some level. sigh… its sad to see were It ended up. A real shame.

Posted by: Rottiepawz on 02-09-2011

I made a Nitro box a few years back.

http://fireworksfree.net/crash-and-nitro.JPG

unfortunately, I didn’t take a photo of the finished TNT box for some reason.

http://fireworksfree.net/tnt-and-nitro.JPG

I made them to what I figure would be full scale. I wish I lived close enough to Naughty Dog to bring them by the office, but I’m in Florida.

Posted by: B-TEAM on 02-10-2011

I really miss CRASH games activisions have destroyed the frachise in my opinion its so sad, CRASH 1,2,3 and CTR are the best line of games in a franchise ever. if there were someway of getting you guys at naughty dog to make more that would be great.

Posted by: jeffersonlcc_br on 02-10-2011

Happy anniversary Crash!!!the 4 crash games made by you (ND) are awesome!every weekend i played CTR with my friends and made long championships (races and battles).Anyone here beat Oxide in time trial in all tracks?it was impossible!!ND great post.

Posted by: ABACADA6494 on 02-10-2011

That’s an interesting read for sure. A bit long, but pretty interesting. Ohh and just in case you didn’t know, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy turns ten(!!!) this year, how about a retrospective on how that was made? Please? I’ll give you a cookie

Posted by: ABACADA6494 on 02-10-2011

Actually, now that I think about it, I’ll give you two cookies because you got a pretty big team over there now. Crash Bandicoot and the Wrath of Cortex was the first game I ever owned, I got it in Christmas 2001 along with Ace Combat 4 with the PS2 that my dad surprised the family with. Although that game wasn’t made by you guys, it was the best Crash game not made by you. Soon after I got Jak and Daxter. One of the best games ever. Jak II took me forever to beat (got stuck like 76% in on the level where you’re in the mech suit underwater in the port) Jak 3 was also amazing!!! (if a bit easy) Jak X.... Jak X is evil and won’t let me win. Uncharted was the first game I owned for my PS3 (got it summer 2009) then I got Uncharted 2 the day it came out. Sorry about the really really long comment, but I thought that I’d tell you how amazing you guys are and how much I’m looking forward to Uncharted 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Crash-412 on 02-11-2011

im a the biggest crash bandicoot fan in the world more then anyone i have all the originals downloaded to my ps3 its just a great game why did ND sell such a great franchise to activision i just wish ND would do something to start making crash bandicoot games again im such a big fan that i actually put my PSN ID Crash-412 thats how much i love crash

Posted by: MastrrrWabbit on 02-14-2011

I enjoyed all the Crash Bandicoots on the PS1 (Cortex Strikes Back was my favorite, and I do like Crash Bash from Eurocom) and I love reading about the development of video games. Insomniac should get around to releasing their thoughts on how Disruptor/Spyro started from their humble beginnings. Same with Sucker Punch and Rocket: Robot on Wheels/Sly Cooper. I just love reading this stuff, and can’t get enough of it.

Also, I doubt anyone would want you guys to do another Crash Bandicoot if the post-PS1 license holders knew what they were doing. Also with Spyro as well. I’ve seen those toy things Activision plans on doing with the dragon, and it’s revolting. If I find whoever thought Spyro needed an “edgy, dark 90s attitude” in real life, that person’s getting one heck of a lecture on marketing (I’m only taking an introductory class at this moment, but you know what, it’s more than THEY ever took!).

Posted by: N-E-R-D1 on 02-18-2011

all i have to say is Thank you for giving me and others great games for years Long live the badicoot happy anniversary. ironically i was born around that time when it came out it was my first 3 games i played when i was 5 i learned alot of things from it never go fighting a evil scientist to save the world without your trusty tiki mask.

Posted by: KNACKLE_SQD_JD16 on 02-26-2011

oh i love crash hes my all time favourite hero, i have every single on of the games, including activisions ones, however the best ones are the first 4 my favourite being CTR still play that on my ps3 from time to time...thank you crash and happy anniversary :D

Posted by: theownageman on 04-03-2011

hi naughty dog BUY BACK CRASH BANDICOOT! and once you have done that make a new game which is like the classic games ( the ps1 games ) anyway dont you own the rights to bring back 1 2 3 tag team and crash bash in hd or some thing or at least put crash bash on the ps store

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Making Crash Bandicoot by Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin

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