Summary

Crash Boom Bang! stands as a unique yet controversial entry in the Crash Bandicoot series, remembered more for its missed potential in the party game genre than for its achievements.

Release Year: 2006
Genres: Puzzle, Quiz/Trivia
Platforms: Nintendo DS
Developers: Dimps
Publishers: Sierra Entertainment, Vivendi Universal Games

Introduction

Dive into the zany world of Crash Boom Bang!, a title that expands the Crash Bandicoot universe into the party game genre, offering a mix of mini-games and challenges.

Synopsis

“Crash Boom Bang!” is a party video game developed by Dimps and published by Vivendi Universal Games for the Nintendo DS. It was released in Japan in July 2006, North America and Europe in October 2006, and Australia in November 2006. This game is the first Crash Bandicoot game to be released for the Nintendo DS and the second party game of the series, after “Crash Bash”.

The game’s story centers on a multi-millionaire who uses the characters of the series to unearth a powerful object dubbed the “Super Big Power Crystal”. The game’s stages resemble board games, as each play area is split into a number of squares. The game takes place among four players, with the computer assigned to spare players. All players simultaneously roll dice. The number each player rolls is the number of squares they move forward. Depending on the type of square that the player lands on, Wumpa Fruit (which is used as points during the race) can be won or lost, an item can be obtained, a special event might be triggered, or a mini-game might commence.

In the Adventure Mode, the characters compete in a race for the Super Big Power Crystal. This race is made up of six stages, each containing smaller sub-maps. The host of the race, the Viscount, sets a task for each stage. This task must be completed before the player can continue to another map. The player with the most points is the winner of the stage. The overall winner of all the stages is the winner of the Viscount’s race.

In the Festival Mode, the gameplay is fundamentally the same as in the Adventure Mode, with the exception of the ability to select stages to play freely. In the My Room mode, the player’s character has his or her own private room in which the player can play minigames that have been collected in Adventure Mode, view a collection of items obtained in Adventure Mode, or create a Motion Panel, a unique in-game communication tool can allow customized messages to be sent mid-game to help friends or distract other players’ gameplay.

The game’s story centers on a multimillionaire named the Viscount who uses the characters of the series to unearth a powerful object dubbed the “Super Big Power Crystal”. The characters must beat their way through mini-games and challenges in order to eventually find the “Super Big Power Crystal” and whoever finds it wins $100,000,000. The race starts in Port Town, with the winners traveling in a boat to a large desert. Legend has it that four stone tablets are buried somewhere in the desert, and the contestants are sent out to dig for them and bring them to the Viscount.

According to the stone tablets, the actual location of the Crystal is hidden somewhere on the ancient map. Before he can investigate the matter further, Doctor Neo Cortex swoops in and snatches the map. As the two struggle for the map, they tear the map to shreds. Cortex sends his loyal Lab Assistants to find the pieces of the map scattered throughout the Big City and bring them to him. Now that the contestants know about the map, the Viscount decides to reveal his true intentions: the Super Big Power Crystal can grant a single wish who whoever obtains it, and the Viscount is willing to give a large sum of money to those who help him find it.

Finding the Power Crystal is impossible without the Final Key, so the Viscount boards his plane to travel to the North Atlantic Ocean in search for the Final Key. But the plane is full, and only a select number of the contestants are able to board. Propelled to the skies by an explosive volcano, the contestants are able to board the Viscount’s plane. On the Viscount’s ship, the Viscount tells the group the story of an explorer who found the Final Key, but was unable to find the Power Crystal. That explorer was the Viscount’s grandfather. As the explorer sailed back to his homeland to recollect his thoughts, his ship crashed into an iceberg and sank, taking the Viscount’s grandfather to a watery grave. The Viscount tells them to dive to the sunken ship and retrieve the Final Key, much to their shock, considering the near-freezing temperatures.

Characters

The game features a roster of characters from the Crash Bandicoot series, including Crash Bandicoot himself, along with new faces introduced specifically for this party adventure.

Gameplay

The gameplay of Crash Boom Bang! revolves around a collection of mini-games, played on the Nintendo DS. Players navigate through various challenges, using the DS’s unique capabilities to interact with the game.

Conclusion

While Crash Boom Bang! attempted to bring the Crash Bandicoot series into the party game genre, its execution fell short of expectations, leaving much to be desired in terms of gameplay and control quality.