Reviewed: December 2, 2008
Reviewed by: Bobby Q
Publisher
Activision
Developer
Radical Entertainment
Released: October 7, 2008
Genre: Platform
Players: 1
7
7
6
5
7.0
Supported Features:
Crash Bandicoot is back and having more fun than ever. In Activisions’ newest installment, Crash: Mind Over Mutant you once again that on the role of Crash Bandicoot and with your trusted sidekick Aku Aku you must save the world. Dr. Neo Cortex is back and wants to enslave the world with the help of his new invention and to once and for all rid the world of Crash Bandicoot forever. However, Crash has help, using Dr. Neo Cortexs’ invention Crash can take over the minds of the Mutants that originally sought out to destroy him.
Crash: Mind Over Mutant plays like the average side scrolling platform game. You navigate your way through different stages of a level all the while collecting blue mojo orbs to strengthen the Mutant that you currently have control over. To keep crash and your mutant in top fighting form, and holding true to Crash Bandicoot style the Wumpa fruit comes back as the traditional food of choice to keep up your health.
Crash: Mind Over Mutant is broken up into different worlds. Each level in that world reflects on the type of foes that you will come across on your adventure, but be careful the terrain can also be your enemy. From pitfalls to crystal formations that shoot lightning to fast moving quicksand you have to be light on your B button (jump) to make it through the levels. Although Crash makes for a fun game there are some aspects that could have been better. Although taking control of the mutants is quite possibly the most alluring part of the game it’s also one of the weakest.
Unlike its console counterparts, the DS version of Crash only let you have one mutant in your arsenal at one time. I felt this to be the games major draw back. Second to this is the lag when attacking. No matter if you play as Crash or one of the mutants you will notice a substantial lag when you attack. That aside Crash is a pretty solid game.
The graphics for Mind Over Mutant are very good. They are very detailed and are pleasing to the eye. Activision uses bright neon colors to draw in the player and create fantastic worlds and levels for the player to immerse themselves in. Although Activision did a great job creating a fun and up beat looking world for us to explore. They had a couple of mistakes that I must address. Upon encountering my first enemy I noticed that I could not readily make out their faces. With the mutants I have only minor trouble making out their facial features. But when trying to decipher the features of lesser foes you mind as well forget it.
Overall the sound quality of Mind over Mutant was better than I expected. All the sound effects and the music where loud and very clear sounding. However the scores throughout the game are very forgettable. Even now having just played the game I can not think of how the music goes. Or whether or not the track playing in the background for world three differed from the tracks in the first world you start in. Also if you are a fan of having your characters actually talk then do not pick up this game. there are absolutely no talking in the game the characters mouths are mouths are moving but no sound comes out. Which in turn makes the game seem unfinished.
I will have to say that Crash: Mind Over Mutant is a very fun and innovative game that is easy to get into and play. The game controls are simple enough that there is no need for any sort of tutorials and the problems with the gameplay and the sound effects are easy enough to over look that it really doesn’t hinder your experience with the game. I would definitely recommended this game for any one who is a fan of Crash Bandicoot and is looking for a game to occupy a couple of hours of their day.
