Crash: Mind Over Mutant

About This Game

Gameplay

Mind over Mutant is a beat-'em-up game in which the player controls Crash Bandicoot, whose main objective is to explore his home, Wumpa Island, and surrounding environments to uncover the mystery behind the "NV", a personal digital assistant created by the main antagonist. Crash: Mind over Mutant is a mission-based game as opposed to Crash of the Titans's level-based structure, with goals being given by non-playable characters. Characters with exclamation points (!) over their heads, when talked to, give out important information that is needed to continue the story. Scattered throughout the world are special items that empower Crash in one way or another. Golden stopwatches trigger a time-limited minigame which usually involves collecting objects or breaking things to earn bonuses. Red running shoes serve to temporarily power up Crash's kick attack and cause him to move faster, while the "Quad Damage" power-up can be used by Crash to temporarily multiply his attack power by four. Crash can perform both a light and heavy-powered attack. He can also block, dodge-and-counter, or break an enemy's block.

History

Development on Crash: Mind over Mutant began immediately after the completion of Crash of the Titans. The idea of preserving a titan for later use came from the play testing sessions of Crash of the Titans, in which the testers were found to be reluctant to leave the titans behind after an epic battle was won. Fans of the series were also a source of inspiration for Crash: Mind over Mutant, having such wishes as a free-roaming environment, Coco Bandicoot being a playable character and the return of the character Doctor Nitrus Brio. Full camera control was considered for the game, but was rejected for graphical reasons and to avoid having to insert a split-screen view in the cooperation mode.