There are some titles that I write for Retro Dodo news articles that make me want to put my head in my hands and console the inner child that still takes up 97% of my life… and this is one of them. Can you imagine what it would have been like to have a Crash Bandicoot & Spyro crossover game, a title that featured both of the PlayStation heroes from our childhoods? I’ll give you a moment to mourn before we carry on.
A new documentary made by Did You Know Gaming on the studio Toys for Bob which used to develop for Activision has uncovered that Crash Bandicoot 5 was going to feature Spyro working alongside everyone’s shorts-wearing marsupial. The video is fascinating for Sony fans and tells of the processes behind making Crash Bandicoot 4, but the main thing I’ve taken away from it is a lost opportunity that would have created a duo worthy of taking on Banjo and Kazooie.
Uka Uka would have been the antagonist gamers aimed their hatred towards, and the premise of the game would have seen the psychotic mask open a portal between Crash’s world and Spyro’s. As it’s a game with Spyro elements, you already know that it doesn’t bode well for the Dragon Elders (those guys need a better insurance plan), and together with Crash and Coco, Spyro would work to save them and defeat Aku Aku. The game supposedly included some amazing features like Crash jumping into the minds of villains like Tiny Tiger (which in itself is worth remortgaging your house for the price of a PS5 game these days), but sadly this crossover never appeared.
Activision ultimately shelved Crash Bandicoot 5 when Number 4 failed to meet the sales targets they’d set for it, targets they had set off the back of the incredible reception fans gave the N.Sane Trilogy. If you’re reading this, Activision, everyone was always going to go crazy for the first three games they played as kids heading to next-gen consoles. It’s unreasonable to expect a new game no one has played before to make those kinds of numbers, but that doesn’t mean you had to cancel the crossover of our generation!
I know that Spyro eventually made a cameo in Crash Team Rumble, but that’s a consolation prize in all honesty. We already know that Toys for Bob has become an independent studio and is working on new titles with Microsoft. I think it highly unlikely that the Crash and Spyro crossover will ever happen, but perhaps there will be some subtle references to it in their new work from now on.
So, here’s to the game we never had, and I’m really sorry for giving you such terrible news first thing on a Monday morning. Check out the full video for more information on Toys for Bob, Crash Bandicoot 4, and the game that never was; it’s a great watch… if you can look past the tears, that is.
