In September 1996, Sony was gaining momentum with the launch of its first PlayStation console, which would go on to become a global phenomenon. At the same time, Nintendo was struggling with delays in launching its Nintendo 64, which hurt its market position. Sega, already facing challenges with its Saturn console—ridiculed at the 1995 E3 expo by Sony, then a relatively new player—was also in a difficult spot. Sony, however, lacked a strong mascot to rival Nintendo’s Mario or Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog. That changed when a California-based studio, Naughty Dog, introduced Crash Bandicoot, a character that would become a key part of Sony’s identity in the video game industry. Naughty Dog, founded in 1984 as JAM Software by Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin, had been working on Crash Bandicoot since late 1994. They aimed to create a 3D platformer inspired by Nintendo’s Donkey Kong Country. After evaluating several platforms, they chose PlayStation over competitors like 3DO, Jaguar, and Saturn, and later Nintendo 64, due to technical limitations with the latter’s cartridge format. The character design of Crash Bandicoot drew from both Sonic and Warner Bros.’ Taz, with the bandicoot being selected after considering other animals like the wombat and potoroo. Importantly, the rights to Crash Bandicoot belong to Universal, not Sony, which would later impact the franchise’s direction. Crash Bandicoot was designed as a linear game, a choice that some critics found restrictive but others praised for its rhythm and ease of play. Shuhei Yoshida, then a key producer for PlayStation, requested that Naughty Dog reduce the game’s difficulty, which they partially agreed to. Despite these adjustments, the game was a massive success when it launched in the fall of 1996, selling nearly 7 million units worldwide. It was followed by two sequels, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back (1997) and Crash Bandicoot: Warped (1998), which together sold over 20 million units. The 1999 game Crash Team Racing also sold around 5 million units, cementing the franchise’s popularity. However, the decline of the Crash Bandicoot franchise began when Naughty Dog chose not to retain control of the intellectual property. The 2000 game Crash Bash, developed by Eurocom rather than Naughty Dog, was less successful and launched on multiple platforms, including PlayStation 2. Universal Interactive, later known as Vivendi Games, continued to release new Crash Bandicoot games annually, but these lacked the impact of the original trilogy. Activision acquired the franchise in 2008, but even with generally decent games, the series never regained its former glory. Crash Bandicoot faded from the spotlight for many years until an unexpected resurgence in 2016. Naughty Dog included a level from the original trilogy in their game Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, sparking renewed interest. This led to a remastered version of the original trilogy, released on PlayStation 4, later on Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch (published by Sega in Japan). The success of this compilation prompted the release of Crash Bandicoot 4 in 2020, which was well-received but challenging. Since then, the franchise has seen only a mobile game and a multiplayer title, with fans hoping for a return of the beloved mascot.