As is being mentioned over on Resetera, a LinkedIn put up from Naughty Canine co-founder and lead programmer on the unique Crash Bandicoot from 1996, Andrew (Andy) Gavin, dives right into a crucial distinction between the unique box-bashing bandicoot expertise and Vicarious Visions’ 2017 remakes, which many people who grew up taking part in these video games see as entertaining and genuine: The leaping apparently works otherwise.
In accordance with Gavin, the “Crash Bandicoot remake received nearly all the pieces proper. Besides crucial 30 milliseconds.” He goes on to say that remake developer Vicarious Visions “utterly botched how leaping works.” That’s preventing phrases the place I come from (Hillcrest, characterize). However he’s received some numbers to again him up. Right here’s his clarification of the distinction between how leaping works in Crash 1996 and the latest remakes:
On the unique PlayStation, we solely had digital buttons–pressed or not pressed. No analog sticks. Gamers wanted completely different top jumps, however we solely had binary enter […] So we constructed one thing borderline insane. The sport would detect if you pressed leap, begin the animation, then repeatedly measure how lengthy you held the button. As Crash rose via the air, we’d subtly regulate gravity, length, and power primarily based in your enter.
He sums this up by saying “Let go early = smaller hop. Maintain it down = most top. [The game] intercepted your intent throughout these 30-60 milliseconds and translated it into analog management utilizing digital inputs.”
That is the distinction. However I’m kinda skeptical this morning, the seventeenth of July within the 12 months of our woman 2025. Kotaku has reached out to Andy Gavin for extra particulars.
After some fast testing, I’m both lacking some delicate nuance that I’d go as far as to say is negligible, or, Andy, I’ve to surprise if we’re taking part in the identical remake? Verify your LinkedIn messages, I’m curious in regards to the particular variations in precise gameplay situations.
Granted, I examined issues out on a PC with a Bluetooth Xbox controller utilizing a backup of the unique sport’s picture working in RetroArch with a Beetle PSX core. I then timed my jumps in every sport to a metronome and jumped each “entire be aware” (I’m a musician, that’s the way you’re going to get correct timing from me). A few of you’re in all probability freaking out: This can be a horribly inaccurate method to drill down into the specifics of a 30-60 millisecond. Till I can devise a Mythbusters-grade testing unit full with a robotic that occasions a button press at a precise specified time (after which one thing that blows all of it up), I can’t say for sure, however the jumps really feel extra comparable than Gavin’s assertion that the remake solely accommodates “most top” jumps. I imply, right here’s one other gif exhibiting smaller jumps in movement on each video games:
I’m keen to imagine that, clearly, there are minute technical variations between these two video games, separated by many years of change in how video video games are made. But in addition, as my colleague and Kotaku senior reporter Ethan Gach talked about in our work Slack, Mario had completely different leap heights primarily based on how lengthy you held the button, so how distinctive is the Crash leap anyway? I additionally not too long ago replayed these remakes. I and lots of different long-time Crash followers usually admit, this assortment feels very correct to the unique Nineties-era expertise.
I’ll get again to you if and once I be taught extra about Crash’s makes an attempt to defy gravity.
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