Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced (2003). Play online

Summary

Crash Bandicoot 2: N‑Tranced crams a thick buffet of platforming flavors into a GBA cartridge. Classic side‑scroll runs sit alongside wake‑boarding escapes, space‑borne shooter bits, and the quirky Atlas Sphere stages where you roll a metal ball across isometric terrain. A branching map unlocks new routes as you collect Crystals at the end of each level.

From the start Crash can spin, slide and body‑slam, then boss defeats grant a higher jump, a longer‑lasting spin and a speed boost that open hidden paths. Temporary crates hand out helicopter packs, magic‑carpet shooters and protective Aku‑Aku masks, adding tactical variety.

Two Link‑Cable multiplayer modes keep a friend busy: Atlas Sphere pits you against each other to push opponents off ledges, while Level Race lets you race against a ghost for the best time. Connecting a copy of The Huge Adventure unlocks extra characters and arenas.

Reviews scored it 75 on Metacritic, praising graphics, level variety and the fresh Atlas Sphere stages, while noting its similarity to the predecessor. IGN named it GBA Game of the Month for January 2003.

Storyline

In Crash Bandicoot 2: N‑Tranced, after Doctor Neo Cortex's failed Earth‑shrinking plan, his uncle Uka Uka hands the reins of world domination to the time‑bending Doctor Nefarious Tropy. Tropy looks ahead, sees the Bandicoot trio fighting him, and decides the only way to stop them is to control them. He hires hypnotist N. Trance to kidnap the Bandicoots, and the scheme succeeds when Coco and Crunch are taken while Crash is rescued by Aku Aku.

A bizarre clone called Fake Crash replaces the real hero, but Tropy and Trance fail to notice the switch. Meanwhile, Trance uses hypnosis to force the captured Bandicoots into his service. Crash and Aku Aku travel through hyperspace, break the mind control, and free Coco and Crunch.

After defeating Fake Crash, Crash confronts Tropy and Trance in a final showdown, destroying both villains and shattering their hideout. The Bandicoots celebrate with a photo that fulfills Tropy’s vision, while Uka Uka vows to find a true adversary.