Get ready fordequeue road signs and wacky fruit bazookas, friends – our favorite furry orange marsupial may soon spin, smash and crash his way back onto our screens! Multiple leaks suggest developer Activision has not just one, but two new Crash Bandicoot games warming up behind the scenes after 2020‘s acclaimed franchise revival. Could our nostalgic wishes for more crash-tastic adventures finally come true? Let‘s break down these tantalizing rumors!
The Bandicoot is Back
Before we speculate on what futuristic feats Crash might perform next though, let‘s recap what made this goofy mascot beloved in the first place – and how Crash 4 spun his fortunes back around.
Back in his 1996 debut, Crash Bandicoot stood proud alongside Mario and Sonic as one of the dominant faces of 90s platforming. Whirling, leaping and wumpa-slamming his way through lush 3D islands bustling with hazard roads, rogue robots and the nefarious Dr. Neo Cortex‘s schemes, Crash captured hearts with his lovable personality and just-difficult-enough jumping challenges. Serving as PlayStation‘s de facto mascot, the first three Crash Bandicoot games sold a mammoth 22 million total copies worldwide.
But Crash‘s good fortunes waned as custody changed hands from original studio Naughty Dog to new developers with far less success carrying the torch. After duds like 2008‘s Crash: Mind Over Mutant sealed the bandicoot’s fate as a bygone relic, he seemed destined for the great wumpa fruit crate in the sky.
Flash forward to 2020 though, and savvy studio Vicarious Visions felt the time was right to spin Crash’s crank once more. Employing state of the art visuals and audio while reviving that classic challenging-but-charming Crash gameplay, Crash Bandicoot 4: It‘s About Time became a surprise critical and commercial smash. Launching to gushing reviews, within one month Crash 4 sold over one million copies, resurrecting the bandicoot in style. Fans and critics alike praised Vicarious Visions for returning Crash platforming greatness while providing a perfect jumping-in point for new fans.
Most importantly though, Crash 4’s success signals there’s still huge appetite for everyone’s favorite wacky marsupial mascot. Which brings us to those tantalizing leaks…
Mysterious Leaks Hint at Multiplayer Madness
With Crash back on top of the world, you’d expect Activision to focus on riding the Crash 4 hype train all through 2021. But recent leaks indicate Vicarious Visions might already have their hands full building not just one, but two new Crash Bandicoot projects in secret!
The first clue comes from an innocuous promotional pizza delivery announcing Crash 4‘s upcoming PC port last month. Alongside the usual voucher was a receipt for a fictional “Wumpa Pizza” with a curious price tag reading…$12.08. Now that date format should ring some bandicoot bells! Because rumors indicate December 8th could be the target announcement for something titled Wumpa League.
So what exactly is Wumpa League then? While concrete intel remains sparse, sources claim Wumpa League may be a 4-player multiplayer party title in the vein of beloved brawlers like Super Smash Bros. Imagine selecting Crash, Coco or any of the franchise’s beloved characters to face off trading smash attacks across iconic locations from N. Sanity Island’s history!
If true, morphing Crash‘s zany platforming shenanigans into a competitive party slugfest could be a license to print wumpa fruit. Multiplayer-focused games like Mario Kart and Smash Bros have only grown more popular over the years. And Vicarious Visions proved their online capabilities already with Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled. Bringing that raucous fun to a battle arena setting could make for associated party shenanigans!
But Wumpa League may not be the only marsupial Madness in store. Message board leaks hint Vicarious Visions also has their eyes set on developing a fully-fledged Crash Bandicoot 5 down the line as well. Though purely rumor for now, Toys for Bob continuing their Crash success with a direct sequel in the future certainly passes the logic test.
Clearly, if even one of these leaked projects comes true, our orange furball friend looks to have bright days ahead again! But just what might these hypothetical new Crash titles have in store?
Speculation Station: Brainstorming Wumpa Possibilities!
Obviously with software still early in development, much remains shrouded in mystery around these potential new Crash projects. But where there are rumors, fun speculation is sure to follow! So just for fun, let‘s blue sky theorize what vicarious new directions Crash could crash into next!
If Wumpa League aims to emulate smash-esque party play, there‘s tons of directions Vicarious could take the concept. Series mainstays like Dr. Neo Cortex and Uka Uka seem tailor-made for villain fighter roles alongside Crash‘s crew. Iconic levels like Temple Ruins or Turtle Woods could become spacious battle arenas. And familiar Crash mechanics like bazooka fruit, rideable animals and spell-granting masks could translate into zany items and power-ups!
I‘d also love to see some deeper cuts represented though if the roster goes beyond the usual suspects. Give me mad scientist N.Gin piloting his trademark mobile mech into battle! Let Dingodile torch foes with his trusty flamethrower before pummelling them with his signature vacuum gun! And Beenox memorably reinvented characters like Alt-Tawna and the Nitro Squad in Crash nitro Kart – they deserve another run to shine after sitting too long on the bench. With Crash‘s long history, the well of distinct characters runs deep for Wumpa League‘s crossover potential!
Meanwhile on the traditional platforming front, if Crash Bandicoot 5 enters development, Toys for Bob could have delightful opportunities to think outside the (wumpa fruit) crate as well!
Crash 4 already demonstrated how introducing creative new gameplay concepts like alternate timelines and quantum masks could liven up the formula. So I‘d love to see Crash 5 double down on strange inter-dimensional themes allowing for even wilder setting and gameplay variety down the line. Let Crash bounce between prehistoric jungles, glacier peaks, alien worlds and maybe even completely original realms!
The quantum masks also seem ripe for creative expansion. Perhaps Crash could acquire an entirely new set granting him distinct abilities like phasing between solid objects, harnessing magnetism for traversal puzzles, or harnessing electricity for speed boosts. Entirely new moves would add refreshing wrinkles to platforming challenges.
Really though, Vicarious Visions has demonstrated remarkable imagination already rebooting even obscure Crash titles like Crash Team Racing. So assuming Toys for Bob steers development, we should expect nothing less than maximum effort crafting crafty new crash-tastic ideas!
Of course, this speculation remains mostly fantasy for now. We‘ll have to wait for official reveals to separate rumors from reality. But at the very least, Crash‘s acclaimed comeback proves the spirit of inventive fun at the series‘ heart still burns bright. So regardless what shape these projects take – or even if they exist at all! – we can rest assured everyone‘s favorite wacky marsupial still has oodles of mileage left on the odometer.
Cautious Optimism Remains Key
At the end of the day, grains of salt around any leaks remain warranted. Only Activision knows if one or both projects will materialize as real products fans can play. Perhaps these rumors will crash harder than a failed Cortex scheme.
But I choose to keep hope alive regardless! Crash is clearly back in the spotlight after years away. And with a thriving fanbase energized by his return, the timing seems perfect to really lean into momentum with additional games that build off successful foundations. Even if nothing gets teased on December 8th itself, I’d bet my last wumpa fruit we’ll be blessed with more marupial mayhem within the next year or two.
Frankly friends, Crash Bandicoot sits in his best position since the 90s prime of mascot mountain. And with overseers like Toys for Bob and Vicarious Visions clearly brimming with passion for respecting Crash’s legacy, the future looks bright for potential sequels or spin offs indeed!
So let the speculation and anticipation run rampant I say! Dr. Cortex may eternally fall ass-backwards into oblivion chasing Crash. But with fan buzz this strong behind him again, this time the victory party seems destined for our orange hero at last! Do your happy dance bandicoot styles everyone! Cause if wishes come true, Crash may once again earn his place as one of gaming’s most beloved marathon runners. Wouldn’t that be just peachy keen?
