The jump felt off. That was the first thing everyone said back in 2017 when the Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy PS4 finally landed in our laps. We remembered the orange marsupial being a bit more forgiving, right? Vicarious Visions didn't just slap a fresh coat of paint on Naughty Dog’s 90s classics; they rebuilt the whole thing from the ground up using the original level geometry. But here is the kicker: they used the physics engine from the third game, Warped, across all three titles. If you played the original 1996 release, you remember Crash having a "boxy" collision mask. In the remake? He has a "pill-shaped" collision mask. This means if you land on the very edge of a platform, you don't just teeter there—you slide off.
It’s brutal. It’s glorious. It’s exactly why this trilogy remains a weirdly essential part of any PlayStation library nearly a decade after its revival.
The technical reality of the N Sane physics
You can't talk about the Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy PS4 experience without addressing the "pill" problem. Because the collision box is rounded, the game demands a level of precision that arguably surpasses the original PlayStation versions. Take "The High Road" or "Road to Nowhere." Those bridge levels are legendary for a reason. In the remake, jumping on the ropes—the classic "cheese" strategy—is significantly harder because the surface area you’re landing on is technically curved.
Vicarious Visions wasn't trying to troll us. They wanted a unified feel. By bringing the refined mechanics of Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped back to the first game, they gave us the ability to play as Coco across all levels and introduced Time Trials to the first two games. But it changed the "feel" of the muscle memory. Honestly, if you’re struggling with the jumping, it isn't just you getting older. The game is objectively more demanding of your landing frames than the 1996 code was.
Visuals that do more than just sparkle
The jump from 32-bit polygons to 4K (on PS4 Pro) is staggering. The fur shaders on Crash make him look like a character from a Dreamworks movie. But look closer at the environments. In Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, the ice physics in the snow levels feel heavy. The lighting in "Lights Out" creates a genuine sense of panic as your firefly starts to dim.
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The developer stayed incredibly faithful to the original art direction while adding "storytelling" in the background. You’ll see Cortex’s lab equipment looking more worn down, or the jungle foliage reacting to your spin attack. It’s the kind of detail that makes the $40 launch price feel like a steal.
Why the first game is the true final boss
Most people think they’re good at platformers until they hit the first Crash Bandicoot in this collection. It’s the shortest game but by far the most punishing. Unlike the sequels, you don't have a slide-jump. You don't have a double jump. You have your spin, your jump, and a dream.
The Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy PS4 preserves the "Gem" system but thankfully keeps the modern save system. Remember how in the 1996 version you had to reach a bonus stage just to save your game? Or how you had to complete a level without dying to get a crate gem? Vicarious Visions kept the "no-death" requirement only for the colored gems. This makes the platinum trophy attainable for mere mortals, though "Stormy Ascent" will still make you want to throw your DualShock 4 out the window.
"Stormy Ascent" is a fascinating piece of gaming history. It was a level so hard that Naughty Dog cut it from the original game entirely. It existed on the disc but was inaccessible without a GameShark. Vicarious Visions finished it, polished it, and released it as DLC (and later included it in the base game). It is an eleven-minute marathon of perfect timing. It’s the ultimate test of the remake's physics.
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The sequels and the shift in vibe
Cortex Strikes Back is where the series found its soul. The introduction of the slide and the slide-jump changed the pace. Suddenly, Crash wasn't just a platformer; he was a speedrunner's dream. The remake handles this transition beautifully. The levels are wider, the secrets are more obtuse (who actually found the secret warp room without a guide?), and the jetpack levels... well, the jetpack levels are still a bit clunky, just like you remember.
Then there is Warped. This is the game where the trilogy goes full "variety show." You have motorcycle racing, plane dogfights, scuba diving, and Tiger riding. While some purists feel the vehicle levels take away from the core platforming, they provide a much-needed break from the intensity of the "Cortex Power" style gauntlets.
The "Sane" Improvements
One thing the Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy PS4 does better than the originals is the unified menu system. You can hop between games instantly. The loading times were a bit of a nightmare at launch, but patches have smoothed that out significantly.
- Coco Bandicoot: Being able to play almost the entire trilogy as Coco isn't just a cosmetic swap. She has her own animations and brings a different energy to the levels.
- Time Trials: Adding these to Crash 1 and 2 adds hundreds of hours of replayability. The Gold and Platinum relics require you to learn "cycle manipulation"—knowing exactly when a platform will move before you even see it.
- Dynamic Difficulty: If you die enough times in the same spot, the game will eventually give you an Aku Aku mask. Die even more, and the checkpoint box turns into a permanent mask. It’s the game’s way of saying, "I see you're struggling, buddy. Let's get you through this."
Is it still worth it on PS4?
With the PS5 out, some wonder if the PS4 version is obsolete. Honestly, no. Because the game isn't aiming for hyper-realism, the art style holds up perfectly. On a PS4 Pro or a PS5 via backward compatibility, the game runs at a crisp resolution that makes the "N Sane" subtitle feel appropriate. The colors pop, the animations are fluid, and the sound design—re-recorded with much of the original voice cast—is nostalgic perfection.
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The music deserves a shout-out too. The original Josh Mancell soundtracks were iconic for their "wonky" xylophone-heavy vibes. The remake’s soundtrack, handled by the team at Vicarious Visions, adds more orchestral layers. Some fans argue it loses some of the "crunchiness" of the original MIDI-esque sound, but it fits the high-definition visuals.
Common misconceptions about the remaster
A lot of people think this is a "remaster." It’s actually a "remake." A remaster usually takes old code and upscales the textures. Since Naughty Dog’s original source code was largely lost or unusable for modern consoles, the team had to look at the original levels and basically "eye-ball" the reconstruction. This is why the jumping feels slightly different. They weren't copying code; they were translating an experience.
Another myth is that the game is "unfair." It's not unfair; it's just disciplined. Modern games often have a lot of "coyote time"—where the game lets you jump even if you've technically walked off the edge of a platform. The Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy PS4 has almost zero coyote time. If you’re off the edge, you’re off the edge.
Moving toward the Platinum
If you are going for the Platinum trophy, start with Crash 3. It’s the easiest because of the power-ups (double jump and the death tornado spin). Use that as your training ground. Once you get the rhythm of the slide-jump, move to Crash 2. Save the first game for last. It is the final test of your patience and your controller's durability.
The "N Sane" trilogy isn't just a nostalgia trip. It’s a benchmark for how to bring 90s design into the modern era without losing the teeth that made those games famous in the first place. It’s frustrating, loud, colorful, and deeply rewarding when you finally hear that "Ooga Booga" and smash the final crate.
Actionable Next Steps for Players
- Adjust your jump point: To compensate for the "pill-shaped" collision, always aim to jump a fraction of a second earlier than you think you should. Do not wait until your feet are at the absolute edge of the ledge.
- Master the Slide-Jump: In Crash 2 and 3, press the crouch button (R1 or Circle) while moving, then immediately hit Jump. You will get significantly more height and distance, which is mandatory for many of the secret paths and Relic runs.
- Check for Hidden Paths: If you see a suspicious hole in the floor or a platform that seems to lead nowhere, try jumping into it. The trilogy is famous for "death routes"—special platforms that only appear if you reach them without dying.
- Enable the Shadow: Go into the settings and make sure your character shadow is clear. In a 3D space with a fixed camera, your shadow is your only real guide for where you are going to land. If your shadow is on the platform, you are safe.
- Don't Ignore the Bonus Rounds: Even if you have enough lives, bonus rounds are the only way to "bank" your crates. If you die in the main level, you still keep the crates you broke in the bonus area, making the Gem run much easier.