Crash of the Titans (Nintendo DS video game)
| Industry | Video game development |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | United States |
Key people | Mike Platteter (Producer), Eli Ford (Director), Marc Hall (Director) |
| Products | Crash of the Titans (Nintendo DS version) |
Crash of the Titans is a 2007 platformer video game created by Amaze Entertainment and released by Vivendi Games for the Nintendo DS. As an installment within the Crash Bandicoot franchise, this version offers an alternative take on the console edition developed by Radical Entertainment.
The storyline centers on the protagonist Crash Bandicoot as he faces off against his adversary Doctor Neo Cortex, who engineers enormous beings known as "Titans." Players utilize combat techniques to incapacitate and commandeer these Titans. The Nintendo DS iteration introduces distinct narrative components alongside extensive integration of touchscreen and microphone functionalities.
Reception was mixed among reviewers, who commended the diverse gameplay and visual presentation but expressed dissatisfaction with the fighting system, touchscreen responsiveness, and the game’s somewhat immature tone.
Gameplay
On the Nintendo DS, the game merges platforming with beat 'em up gameplay. Players guide Crash in thwarting Cortex’s scheme to mutate the inhabitants of Wumpa Islands. The adventure spans four islands, each containing two stages and a boss battle; triumphing over a boss unlocks access to the subsequent island. Navigation across islands is accomplished by drawing routes on the touchscreen.
Presented from a third-person viewpoint, Crash moves freely in eight directions and executes various attack moves. His companion, the levitating mask Aku Aku, functions both defensively as a shield and offensively as a weapon. Larger foes called "Titans" possess stamina bars—once depleted, Titans can be stunned and then "jacked" by Crash through touchscreen commands. Controlling Titans enables players to unleash their unique abilities, triggered via touchscreen gestures or microphone input. Multiple Titans can be sequentially controlled by chaining jacks.
Players collect "Mojo" orbs by defeating enemies, chaining jacks, and breaking crates; Mojo serves to enhance Crash’s skills at kiosks scattered throughout levels. Additional Mojo can be obtained by inserting the Game Boy Advance version before playing on the Nintendo DS.
Each island includes a pachinko-style board where players can win rewards such as health items, temporary invulnerability, explosive effects, artwork for galleries, cheat codes, or large Mojo bonuses. Levels also contain collectible Gems acquired through gathering Mojo, crate destruction, and uncovering hidden Tiki Masks. At specific moments, players assume control of Cortex’s niece Nina, who wields a raygun that is recharged using a touchscreen crank mechanism to mutate creatures into loyal minions.
Plot
Doctor Neo Cortex taps into ancient Mojo powers to convert the peaceful creatures inhabiting Wumpa Islands into formidable Titans. To fuel this process, Cortex captures several Tiki Masks, including Aku Aku, who is Crash’s ally. After Crash rescues Aku Aku, Cortex escapes and commissions Doctor N. Gin and Tiny Tiger to construct and stockpile fuel for a colossal "Cortexbot." Meanwhile, his niece Nina mutates local wildlife; dissatisfied with her subordinate status, she schemes to seize control of Cortex’s operation by recruiting N. Gin and Tiny following their defeats by Crash. Nina confronts Cortex and reveals that the Cortexbot’s true function is merely to dance.
Crash and Nina pursue Cortex into the Cortexbot itself, where he pretends to surrender. If players have not achieved full collectible completion, Crash reflects Nina’s mutating raygun back onto her through deflection, reverting her to infancy. Cortex attempts to eliminate Crash but is ultimately defeated along with his Cortexbot. Both Cortex and a restored Nina retreat to their mansion where Cortex applauds Nina’s treachery. Upon achieving 100% completion, Nina shoots Crash shrinking him before defeating Cortex herself and ordering repairs on the Cortexbot with the intent to destroy Wumpa Islands.
Development and release
Amaze Entertainment, recognized for their work on previous Nintendo DS Spyro games, developed the Nintendo DS version of Crash of the Titans. Vivendi Games published it under the Sierra Entertainment label. The project was overseen by directors Eli Ford and Marc Hall, with production led by Mike Platteter from Amaze and Joe Selinske from Radical Entertainment. The development team sought to adapt the console narrative while taking advantage of the DS’s touchscreen and microphone capabilities. However, plans for interoperability with the Wii version were ultimately scrapped due to technical limitations.
Characters such as Crunch and Uka Uka, present in the console iteration, were omitted from the DS adaptation. Kevin Chung headed the art and animation efforts, supported by Platteter and additional team members. The design responsibilities fell to Shawn Truesdell, Darrin Michelson, and Kami Neumiller; Truesdell and Neumiller also contributed to programming alongside Platteter and Michael Humes. The musical score was composed by Nathaniel Papadakis, while sound effects were crafted by Matt Piersall and Jimi Barker. Voice direction was managed by Eric Weiss, with a smaller cast compared to the console version, featuring talents such as Jess Harnell, Lex Lang, Greg Eagles, Debi Derryberry, and Nolan North.
The DS edition was revealed simultaneously with the console versions in April 2007 and saw release dates of October 2, 2007 in North America; October 19 in Europe; and October 25 in Australia.
Reception
According to review aggregator Metacritic, Crash of the Titans garnered "mixed or average" critical responses. Craig Harris from IGN described it as "a fantastic apology for Crash Boom Bang!", suggesting that Amaze Entertainment assigned their premier development team to this project. He commended the level design and gameplay diversity stemming from Titan mechanics and mini-games. Zachary Miller of Nintendo World Report compared its combination of platforming and beat 'em up elements to the God of War series, praising its brisk gameplay pace but noting a lack of variety in environments and enemy designs. Frank Provo at GameSpot appreciated both the varied gameplay styles and the innovative jacking mechanic but criticized the game's brevity. Louis Bedigian from GameZone found its core gameplay reminiscent of the original PlayStation entries. Tracy Erickson of Pocket Gamer viewed the jacking feature as the only novel aspect within an otherwise conventional platformer, highlighting uneven pacing in certain stages.
The visuals received positive remarks for their vibrant and detailed style; however, Provo pointed out occasional texture distortions and graphical glitches. Harris praised Crash’s redesigned look as more attractive than earlier versions. Both Harris and Bedigian noted that the graphics nearly matched those of the original PlayStation trilogy. Although Harris expressed disappointment over limited camera control options, he along with Provo valued fixed camera angles for preventing awkward perspectives.
Core combat was frequently described as repetitive and lacking balance. Bedigian criticized its heavy emphasis on fighting elements at the expense of platforming, reducing gameplay to monotonous button-mashing. Harris observed that combat lacked impactful feedback. Bedigian characterized enemy AI as simple and easily exploited, while Miller found tougher enemies later in the game to be frustratingly unfair.
Touchscreen controls used for jacking foes or activating attacks were widely regarded as cumbersome and poorly integrated, interrupting gameplay by forcing players to remove their hands from traditional button inputs. Reviewers proposed that these touchscreen actions might have been better assigned to buttons for smoother play. Miller additionally reported that path-drawing for travel was sometimes unresponsive.
The game’s humor, voice performances, and cutscenes were often seen as excessively juvenile, limiting appeal beyond a younger demographic. Bedigian argued that its Saturday morning cartoon style diminished interest among teenagers and adults familiar with the series. Harris disliked the comedic elements, while both he and Miller criticized an unnecessary laugh track. Miller also considered the narrative—focused on Cortex’s vague plan involving a dancing robot—to be poorly delivered and unengaging. Erickson remarked that exaggerated audio effects further reinforced a childish tone throughout the game.