One of the things I love the most about my job is getting to see the amazing creations and mash-ups that the Retro Gaming community comes up with. Super Mario and Crash Bandicoot are two of gaming's greatest forces, with their games holding a special place in the hearts of players all over the world. But as Crash released as a 3D game on the PS1, you wouldn't usually associate the jorts-wearing marsupial with a sidescrolling title, let alone one that released six years before Crash came onto the scene!
Crash Bandicoot and the Retro Dimension is a ROM hack by Bandicoot that puts all of the elements you know and love from Crash Bandicoot into the iconic SNES game Super Mario World. Essentially, you're playing Super Crash Bandicoot, and I'm more than ok with that.
The Retro Dimension is a true work of art, with 86 levels inspired by the Crash Bandicoot series to complete, each with its own relic to collect, and 1o2 exits to find. You'll also need to keep an eye out for the 94 gems hidden in the game as you move through the levels.
I love the way that Bandicoot has used different Aku-Aku masks as Mario power-ups, perfectly fusing the unique elements of each game and creating a nostalgic blast from the past that throws us right back into the 90s. The journey to beat Dr Neo Cortex in 16-bit is the SNES game we all needed, and you can check it out on the official project page over at Romhacking.net!
