Every Crash Bandicoot Game, Ranked By Difficulty

Thanks to the release of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time in late 2020, series fans are more nostalgic than ever. Despite this enthusiasm, though, it's impossible to deny that some Crash Bandicoot games are incredibly difficult at times. This is especially true when one considers that the series was originally marketed toward children.

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Beating these games 100% is a whole other story and will require an awful lot of skill and dedication from players. Of course, not every Crash Bandicoot game can be beaten in the traditional sense, with the party and racing games being separate from the main series. With that in mind, here's every Crash Bandicoot game released for home consoles ranked from easiest to hardest.

Updated July 16, 2022, by Tom Bowen: Crash Bandicoot was one of the most popular video game mascots of the nineties and has seen something of a resurgence in recent years thanks to the release of the N. Sane Trilogy collection and the series' long-awaited fourth installment. Thanks to these titles, everyone's favorite orange bandicoot now has upgraded looks, as well as an increased difficulty level to match. Like many of its predecessors, Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is incredibly challenging, but whether or not it is the most difficult Crash Bandicoot game ever made is perhaps a matter for debate.

14 Crash of The Titans

This tatted version of Crash Bandicoot debuted in 2007, and its style is very different than previous Crash titles. Due to this, it's much simpler to play. Crash actually punches and kicks in this one, adding more combat than before. Spins are still present, but moves like these have to be unlocked.

This Bandicoot is a bit more violent than his previous iterations. Many fans don't like it because the playing style breaks away from the original series, but one thing's for sure: Crash of The Titans is one of the simplest Crash games and one of the easiest to just pick up and play.

13 Crash: Mind Over Mutant

Crash: Mind Over Mutant is the follow-up to Crash of the Titans, and it's similar in gameplay style. Crash is able to fight giant beasts to take control of them and can even use their powers to become even stronger. This gives players a huge advantage, as these mutants are way larger than Crash and his buddies and can pack one hell of a punch.

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Part of what makes Crash games so difficult lies in their level designs. Classic Crash games involve steep jumps, hidden gems, box collecting, and much more. Sadly, Crash of the Titans and Crash: Mind Over Mutant lack most of those classic aspects, which makes them both much easier, but also much less fun.

12 Crash Tag Team Racing

Crash Tag Team Racing is definitely one of the simpler bandicooting installments in the series. An odd hybrid between classic Crash and Crash Bandicoot kart racing games, this game is childishly comedic, yet entertaining at the same time.

Racing in this game is very similar to Mario Kart: Double Dash, with players able to either drive or act as gunners. The gameplay itself is simple and the controls are buttery smooth most of the time. The steering isn't great on the racecourse, but it's still pretty easy to win nonetheless.

11 Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex

The truth is that Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex is pretty much a carbon copy of the original Crash trilogy, but with different levels and its own storyline. There's not anything that's particularly hard about it in comparison to the earlier games.

The biggest complaint about this title lies in its graphics and controls. It's definitely not the hardest in the series, but its mechanics pale in comparison to previous Crash titles. To put it bluntly, most of the difficulty that the game poses stems from its weak design.

10 Crash Twinsanity

Crash Twinsanity is pretty mediocre when it comes to difficulty. It's not quite ridiculously easy, sure, but it is still one of the easier games in the franchise. In fact, the additional help from Cortex makes the gameplay less challenging overall.

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The controls are definitely better than they are in Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex and the more open-world level design provides more maneuvering room. It's quite goofy and has the same type of humor as Crash Tag Team Racing, so it's definitely enjoyable.

9 Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy

Granted, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is technically a remaster of the first three games in the series, but its mechanics are very different from the originals. As a result, many view the trilogy as its own unique entity rather than a simple remastering of the originals.

The graphics are amazing and one of the most notable changes, but the hitboxes definitely make the game even more difficult than the original three platformers. This led to a bunch of memes comparing the trilogy to Dark Souls, which should give those who've never played the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy an idea of what to expect.

8 Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back

Out of the three original Crash Bandicoot games, Cortex Strikes Back is arguably the most forgiving. In many ways, it offers a nice balance between Crash 1 and Crash 3. The gems and relics are still difficult to track down, but that's just how every Crash game is.

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Cortex Strikes Back is actually a favorite among fans due to its perfect difficulty level. Its controls are great and it doesn't have any wonky mechanics. Overall, it's definitely the easiest game from the original trilogy and is generally considered to be the best of the classic Crash games.

7 Crash Bandicoot: Warped

The third installment in the original trilogy is more difficult than the second and that's largely because of its additional level types. In Crash Bandicoot: Warped, there are motorcycle levels, underwater levels, aircraft levels, and levels where Coco and Crash ride Polar and Pure; all of which creates an added layer of difficulty in the game.

The motorcycle levels are especially challenging. The giant pits and difficult steering mechanics make these levels an absolute pain for many players. Sadly, this doesn't get much easier in the N Sane Trilogy collection either. Crash needs a bike with better handling.

6 Crash Nitro Kart

Crash Nitro Kart was released four years after Crash Team Racing and is a bit simpler than its predecessor. However, it's still not incredibly easy. This is because like Crash Team Racing, Crash Nitro Kart involves several difficult game modes, including Gem Cup challenges, CNK Tokens, and more.

A cool fun fact about this game is that it was released for both home consoles and the Game Boy Advanced. Both versions were quite different and the GBA version actually includes an unlockable version of Spyro from the Spyro the Dragon series. Neither version is the most difficult Crash game around, but they'll definitely keep players on their toes.

5 Crash Team Racing

Just because it's a kart racer doesn't make it any easier. In Crash Team Racing, players have to collect more than just trophies. There are also gems, relics, CTR tokens, and boss keys. It's not just about getting first place, either.

In order to achieve 100% completion, all of these items must be collected. Plus, in arcade mode, there are several "battle" options that can also be a huge pain. However, there's no doubt about it, Crash Team Racing is still a lot of fun despite its difficulty.