Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy - My Guide

My notes and guides for finding all the gems in Crash 1, 2, and 3.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2958797086

Farming Lives

CRASH 1 LIVES FARMING
Enter Castle Machinery with the Green Gem unlocked
Take the Green Gem path for 29! lives
Exit the level
Reload the quicksave save
Re-Enter Castle Machinery and repeat the process

ALSO
Enter Jungle Rollers (level 2)
Run through the level
Finish the level
You can earn up to 4 lives
Reload the quicksave save
Re-Enter Jungle Rollers and repeat the process

CRASH 2 LIVES FARMING
On BEE-HAVING at the first bee hive, stand behind it (easier to see)
After the 2nd bee comes out, spin or slide-spin to kill the bees
After doing this you will earn a 1-up
However, do it too early and you won't get the 1-up
Do it too late and the bees will sting you, losing you a life
Assuming you have a handful of lives you'll usually gain more than you lose and you can get a lot this way

You can also get 10 lives once per save file by jumping on the baby polar bear 10 times

CRASH 3 LIVES FARMING
Switch to Coco
Enter Orient Express (level 3)
Run through the level
Finish the level
You can earn up to 5 lives
Reload the quicksave save
Re-Enter Orient Express and repeat the process

ALSO
Enter Sphynxinator
Get the first life at the start
Get the 4 lives on the left path
Exit the level
You've earned 5 lives
Reload the quicksave save
Re-enter Sphynxinator and repeat the process

Performance

Performance Issues
While it's not a huge negative, I have notice that N Sane Trilogy has kind of a jittery camera. I've seen many suggestions to fix this issue, and while it did not completely remove the problem, I was able to get better response by turning VSYNC to OFF. Additionally, I've read that if you turn VSync to FAST in the NVIDIA control panel (if applicable) that this will also help--this didn't make any noticeable difference for me. Generally speaking if you're seeing screen tearing, turn VSYNC ON, if you're seeing input lag or decreased frame rate, turn VSYNC OFF.

Crash Bandicoot

MY RATING: A-
MY PERSONAL BEST: 103% (no time trials)



GEMS

• Green -> Lost City; UNLOCKS Jungle Rollers, Heavy Machinery
  
• Orange -> Generator Room ; UNLOCKS Upstream
  
• Blue -> Toxic Waste; UNLOCKS Rolling Stones, Cortex Power, Jaws of Darkness
  
• Red -> Slippery Climb; UNLOCKS Native Fortress, Road to Nowhere
  
• Yellow -> The Lab; UNLOCKS The Great Gate, Lights Out
  
• Purple -> Lights Out; UNLOCKS Boulder Dash (THIS IS ONE IS USUALLY LAST)

To earn gems, you must complete gem levels without dying even once

KEYS
The keys do not spawn until Crash lands on the end platform of the Cortex bonus level. If you try to get too fancy and jump to the exit pad either before landing on the end platform, or don't wait long enough while on the end platform it's entirely possible to miss collecting the key. If this happens you will not be given credit for getting the key and you will never be able to correct this, due to the autosave. This happened to me on my 4th playthrough of Crash. Luckily I had made a separate save of the game prior to this bug happening and it saved my latest play-through. Just don't get too much in a hurry.

• Sunset Vista UNLOCKS Whole Hog
  
• Jaws of Darkness UNLOCKS Fumbling In The Darkness

UP THE CREEK
After the ! block, go back on the lily pad path and get the two boxes that appear. Normally there'd be an outline for crates that show due to a ! but these two do not. Otherwise, it should be easy to get the gem.

CORTEX POWER
Cortex Power is non-linear; here's a handy dandy walkthrough

• right path
  
• right path
  
• go back, at Y go on left path
  
• go forward to CHECKPOINT crate
  
• go back on the left path
  
• at Y go left path on blue gem
  
• after blue gem path merge, go back on right path
  
• go to CHECKPOINT crate, then turn around to go forward
  
• go forward to finish level

JAWS OF DARKNESS
On the two metal blocks on the blue path, there is an off screen hidden box above the metal blocks.

STORMY ASCENT
Stormy Ascent is required to get over 100% completion
After the guy throwing beakers:

• On the 2 steps down you can just jump over
  
• On the 4 steps down, jump half way, then to platform
  
• On the 2 stone steps and 4 steps down, jump half way, then to platform
  
• On the 4 steps down, jump on the steps then immediately jump away (this is the hardest)
  
• On the last 2 stone steps and 4 steps down, jump and just slide while holding to the right
  
• If you get an Aku-Aku mask you can just take the hit on the last two stairs as an N.Brio bonus round will show later and act as a checkpoint

Bonus section:

• Wait on first dynamite til it's about to explode then jump left
  
• Use the bounce block to get up to the lower level
  
• Jump and spin to break 2-3 boxes hovering from underneath, save at least one, and the bottom row box
  
• Jump up and then to the left, make sure to get the offscreen boxes
  
• Jump down completing the section

BRIDGE LEVELS
Crash can walk on the ropes of the skybridges
Just target your shadow in the middle of the lower rope and you will land solidly

Crash Bandicoot: Cortex Strikes Back

MY RATING: C+
MY PERSONAL BEST: 100% (no time trials)
Death Paths require that you complete areas without dying even once
You need all gems to get the multi-color gem path for Spaced Out



GEMS

• Blue -> Complete Turtle Woods with no boxes broken; Opens path in Hard Eight
  
• Red -> Enter Air Crash, after the first CHECKPOINT, jump on the boxes of the first sled to get to the platform; Re-enter the portal and finish the section to get the gem; Opens path in Snow Biz
  
• Green -> Secret route in The Eel Deal behind fake wall near Nitro boxes; left path (right only for green gem), then left path, go back, and then right paths; Opens path in Ruination
  
• Yellow -> Reach end of Plant Food before the timer ends; Opens path in Sewer or Later
  
• Purple -> Secret route in Bee-Having on top of fake Nitro box stairs

BONUS GEMS

• HANG EIGHT: Beat the timer just before the first sled
  
• AIR CRASH: You must take the "death path" to get the bonus gem
  
• SEWEWR OR LATER: Must have found Yellow gem
  
• ROAD TO RUIN: Take death route to get gem
  
• DIGGIN' IT: Take death route on left
  
• RUINATION: Take the green gem path
  
• PISTON IT AWAY: Take the death route
  
• NIGHT FIGHT: Take the death route
  
• SPACED OUT: Take the gem path

GENERAL NOTES

• On maps like Road to Ruin you can spin away the logs being thrown at you

SECRET PATHS
After unlocking them, re-enter to get special or additional gems

• AIR CRASH: Enter Bear Down, at the end, jump on the platforms to a larger tile to warp
  
• SNOW GO: Enter Air Crash, after the first CHECKPOINT, jump on the boxes of the first sled to get to the platform (do not get on the sled, try to get to the platform on the right)
  
• ROAD TO RUIN: Enter DIGGIN' IT and belly flop on the plant by itself after the paths merge
  
• TOTALLY BEAR: Enter UN-BEARABLE and after thrown off Polar, run back to meet him again for the secret entrance
  
• TOTALLY FLY: At the purple crystal in HANGIN' OUT, walk towards the camera for the secret exit

CONFUSING LEVELS

• AIR CRASH: Start AIR CRASH from the secret path and hit all boxes to get the 1st gem
  
• AIR CRASH: Start the level, complete death path for 2nd gem
  
• UN-BEARABLE: To get all crates fall down the gap the polar bear makes with the bridge
  
• BEE-HAVING: Walk to the top of the Nitro crate staircase (they're safe)
  
• DIGGIN' IT: At fork, get the 2 boxes on right, then go take death route, backtrack all the way to bounce crate after merge
  
• NIGHT FIGHT: After taking right track, back track for 2 crates on left path
  
• COLD HARD CRASH: Take the death route--enter it with 2 aku aku masks
  * Exit the death route to get the bonus gem ; To get the first gem, take the death route, but after the ! block go back to the route beginning ; The ! block ends in a drop off and it's easy to slip off, after the 3 + 1 nitro blocks, slow down
  
• TOTALLY BEAR: There is a section where you must long jump and clear 4 boxes to get the final gem--if you use slide-jump (/) you will almost always miss these boxes, you have to run-jump (L SHIFT) to get these boxes; in most cases the type of jump doesn't matter, but it does here
  
• DR. N. GIN: Throw wumpa fruit at his exposed weapon points

For PISTON IT AWAY, here is a quick snippit to make life easier:
1. Grind up lives
2. Walk past the CHECKPOINT just before the death route
3. Start the death route, then die immediately
4. Go back to the CHECKPOINT, and activate it
5. Go along main path, skipping the ?, then hit the CHECKPOINT at the six nitro boxes
6. Come back and now complete the ? path to act as a continue point
7. Jumping over the four triggers requires you to slide and then jump
8. You can spin to protect yourself against the shrink ray blasts
9. It's easier to jump back off the electro-squid when standing on its same level
10. Now you can die as many times as you like and still keep the the death route open and get the first gem

Crash Bandicoot: Warped

MY RATING: B+
MY PERSONAL BEST: 105% (30 relics)



COLORED GEMS
Red Gem -> In DEEP TROUBLE, at end, double back to split path -> opens BONE YARD
Purple Gem -> Death route in HIGH TIME -> opens TOMB TIME
Blue Gem -> Death route in TOMB WADER -> opens SPYNXINATOR
Green Gem -> Death route in FLAMING PASSION -> opens GONE TOMORROW

LAST GEM
Yellow Gem -> Opens gem path in DINO MIGHT! with access to the level EGGIPUS REX
* You need 10 time trial relics
* Go to secret hub and enter HANG 'EM HIGH
* There are only nitro boxes along the yellow gem path in HANG 'EM HIGH

MEDIEVAL HUB

• Tiny Tiger
  
• Use your spins to protect against the lions
  
• You unlock the improved body slam
  
• BONE YARD -> Second gem requires RED gem
  
• BONE YARD: Relic -> You need to RUN the whole level

ARABIAN HUB

• Dingodile
  
• Avoid his fire and spin into him when he's exposed
  
• You unlock the double jump
  
• HOG RIDE -> the controls are so stiff, but the road is easy
  * Go through the first time just for crates
  * Go through it again to get first
  
• TOMB TIME -> 7 boxes on right path, then complete left path
  
• TOMB TIME -> Left path requires PURPLE gem, after snake, go back for 13 boxes

ORIENTAL HUB

• Dr. Nefarious Tropy (Dr. N Tropy)
  
• You unlock the tornado spin (tap spin repeatedly)
  
• DINO MIGHT! -> take the YELLOW GEM path, the first red dino on the left after the ? will take you to the secret level
  * While in EGGIPUS REX you should do the time trial to get the diamond and relic
  * Second gem, go past yellow gem platform, go to 4 crates past the wall of crates, then go back to yellow gem
  
• DOUBLE HEADER BONUS -> Remember to slide and double jump
  
• ROAD CRASH -> the controls are just so stiff, the level is not enjoyable
  * Go through the first time just for crates
  * Go through it again to get first
  * Find the secret level HOT COCO
  * You'll have to go through HOT COCO twice for the gem and relic

EGYPTIAN HUB

• Dr. Nitrous Gin
  
• This is a two part battle
  
• The first part: shoot his weapons
  
• The second part: shoot his weapons
  
• You unlock the fruit bazooka
  
• SPHYNXINATOR -> go right until you hit the dynamite box and then go left, after the ? go back for a CHECKPOINT; if you backtrack to the flamethrower guy, you can stop and go forward again

FUTURE HUB

• Dr. Neo Cortex
  
• BUG LITE -> Needs ALL GEMS for gem path to get 2nd clear gem
  
• GONE TOMORROW -> Requires GREEN gem; if for some reason you detonate the TNT crate before having the boxes pop in on the bridge (you'll know what I mean), if you stand right above them and shoot them with the bazooka you can still break those boxes. This way you can still get the 100% gem without having to die or restart the section.

SECRET LEVELS

• 5 Relics: Ski Crazed
  
• 10 Relics: Hang 'Em High
  
• 15 Relics: Area 51?
  
• 20 Relics: Future Frenzy
  
• 25 Relics: Rings of Power

Hardest Levels, Unranked

C1: The Lab, for its perspective
C1: Stormy Ascent, for its length
C2: Piston It Away, for its death route
C2: Cold Hard Crash, for its death route
C3: Road Crash, for the crystal [this level can piss right off]
C3: Rings of Power, the requirements do not allow for mistakes

Differences Between PlayStation Originals and N Sane Trilogy

General

• Crash now has a pill-shaped bounding box instead of a rectangular one, this can make landing harder
  
• Original game and menus in 4;3 aspect, new trilogy supports different resolutions
  
• In general, games seem to be based off Crash 3 and "back ported"
  
• Fonts and numbers seem to be resized from originals to be more consistent
  
• Cheat codes for the games have been removed
  
• Loading screens now give you hints about what to do
  
• Many dangerous platforms now telegraph when they're about to change
  
• The cut scenes are all slightly different--different angles or camera movement
  
• On levels with colored gems the ghost crate turns into an iron crate if you died, telling you that you are unable to collect the colored gem.

BUGS

• There's a jumping bug on the PC (keyboard)--hit and hold jump on solid ground. Normally, you would just hop one, and stand afterwards. Sometimes, though Crash will end up jumping twice or sometimes just jump continuously. It's usually not a problem most of the time, but definitely explains why when you try to high jump (by holding down jump) you don't always get the result you're expecting. I suppose this could also be related to VSYNC settings.

Crash Bandicoot

• Crates with multiple wumpa fruit now bounce 5 times collecting 2 fruit instead of 10 times and 1 fruit
  
• End of level has a ghost box counter before exiting the level just like Crash 2 and 3
  
• Cut level Stormy Ascent included in trilogy as a bonus level
  
• You could cancel out of Crash waking up by spinning, now you must mouse click
  
• Coco is playable
  
• Fake Crash is added to the game as a bonus
  
• Time trials have been added
  
• Jumping physics were slightly altered to match those of Crash Bandicoot 3
  
• Crash falls at his rate in Crash 3, not the original game
  
• The third island now has a shortcut to N Sanity Beach
  
• The level Toxic Waste now has marks on the floor on where the barrels will bounce
  
• Gems now have borders on them to match the style from Crash 2 and 3
  
• Non activated gems are show differently
  
• Some bonus sections now use moving gems instead of multiple gems
  
• Victory poses after a boss have been changed
  
• Several levels have crate contents altered or moved
  
• Rules for extra lives have changed (always showing vs only resetting after loading a save)
  
• In a dark level, if an Aku Aku was near a CHECKPOINT, you'll start the CHECKPOINT with a mask, in the original you had to crash the nearby Aku Aku mask
  
• Broken crates are now remembered after CHECKPOINTs, they were reset originally; which is why to get clear gems and colored gems you needed a perfect run in the original game, but not in the trilogy
  
• You can replay Tawna, Brio, and Cortex bonus rounds if you die now because a pad activates when you collect all 3 tokens, instead of the original game where you were warped to the bonus rounds upon collecting all 3 tokens--and if you died you just had to start the level over

Crash Bandicoot 2

• Originally there was one animation for crystals and gems, now Crash pulls them out of various orifices
  
• Crates with multiple wumpa fruit now bounce 5 times collecting 2 fruit instead of 10 times and 1 fruit
  
• You originally could land on the sides of the mole pits to avoid being caught, the sides are flush in the trilogy making it harder to skip them (although I've been able to slide jump over one once)
  
• You can jump and belly flop near the edge of mole pits to escape early
  
• Coco is playable
  
• Fake Crash is added to the game as a bonus
  
• Time trials have been added
  
• The moving platforms and columns in the temple levels have been changed from hexagon platforms to rounded squares
  
• The BONUS level for BEE-HAVING has a point where two metal columns with 6 nitro crates across the gap has been changed to two metal columns resting on 8 nitro crates (the bottom metal boxes got converted into nitro crates)
  
• The N GIN boss battle was updated to show markers where his missiles would hit
  
• Access to the Speed Shoes was added after beating Neo Cortex
  
• Crash Dash is renamed Speed Shoes from Crash 3
  
• Jumping physics were slightly altered to match those of Crash Bandicoot 3
  
• Crash falls at his rate in Crash 3, not the original game
  
• Accelerator pads now have a few green squares before the pad to let you know they're coming
  
• Originally boss fights are accessed by going up the lift after getting all crystals in the hub, where the boss gate is in N Sane Trilogy used to be the PlayStation's version load and save menu.
  
• Animations for putting on, and taking off, the jet pack is changed
  
• The secret ending animation details are changed (slicing Cortex's lab in half vs just blasting it)

Crash Bandicoot 3

• N. Tropy's introduction is changed from a pan to a walking through a portal
  
• An original level is now part of the game, Future Tense
  
• There was a corner in Tiny Tiger's arena you could stand to avoid lions, this is still present in the trilogy and the audience will throw cheese at you as well
  
• Coco is fully playable
  
• Ceiling grates that Crash hangs from is a solid texture, and not transparent--however, it was transparent in the original Crash 2 as well as the trilogy
  
• Wumpa fruit originally didn't disappear in EGGIPUS REX, it does now like the rest of the levels
  
• The demo for Spyro was removed
  
• An aiming reticle was added to the plane sections
  
• Planes no longer snap parallel to the ground, and you can slow down using the circle button
  
• The intro camera sweeps in N Sane Trilogy stutter on plane levels where they didn't in the original
  
• The Time Twister computer screen was where in the original version you would load and save your game.