Crash Bash

Crash Bash for PlayStation is a 2000 party game from Eurocom, created with Cerny Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It brings Crash Bandicoot characters into a collection of fast, competitive minigames rather than a traditional platforming adventure. Released in North America in November 2000, it arrived in European territories shortly afterward; the Japanese edition was titled Crash Bandicoot Carnival. Crash Bash is the fifth game in the Crash Bandicoot series and marked the first time the series took on the party-game format.

The game supports one to four players, with four-person local play available through the PlayStation Multitap. Players select from two opposing sides led by Aku Aku and Uka Uka, choosing familiar figures including Crash, Coco, Tiny, Dingodile, Dr. Neo Cortex, N. Brio, and Koala Kong, alongside newcomer Rilla Roo. Each character belongs to one of the masks' teams, giving the competition a simple series-themed framework. Computer-controlled competitors fill vacant places, so the minigames can also be played without a full group.

Crash Bash revolves around 28 minigames arranged in several recurring styles. In Ballistix, players steer hovercraft and deflect metal balls away from their own goal. Polar Push puts competitors on polar bear cubs in icy knock-out contests, while Pogo Pandemonium has them claim squares of a grid by bouncing across it. Other events emphasize direct combat or movement: Crate Crush uses thrown and kicked stone crates, Tank Wars adds mines and missiles, Crash Dash turns the action into lap racing, and Medieval Mayhem presents further arena challenges. The formats return with different rules and layouts, keeping the controls focused on quick reactions, positioning, and competing for the round win.

Adventure mode gives the collection a progression route for one or two players. From Warp Room hubs, players earn trophies by winning minigames and then return for additional gem and crystal challenges with special conditions. Meeting collection requirements opens a Boss Arena and, after victory, the next Warp Room. Later challenges award relics against tougher computer opponents. Battle mode offers individual unlocked games as free-for-all or team matches, while Tournament mode strings together four events and awards the overall victory to the highest point total. Players can set the number of rounds needed to win and choose the computer opposition's difficulty in the multiplayer-focused modes.

Crash Bash arrived as a notable transition point for the series. It was the first Crash game not developed by Naughty Dog, which had made the earlier PlayStation entries, and it was also the last Crash Bandicoot game released exclusively for a Sony console. Its action-oriented contests set it apart from board-game-based party titles while retaining the bright characters, locations, and cartoon energy associated with Crash. The PlayStation release also includes a title-screen code that accesses a Spyro: Year of the Dragon demo, a small connection between two prominent late-PlayStation Sony-published series.