Power Crystals

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Power Crystals are important items found in the Crash Bandicoot series.

Contents

[edit] Overview

Power Crystals are generally crystals that carry immense power, being able to absorb and contain the power of planetary alignments, power up machinery, etc. They are also known to be purple, and large in size.

The Power Crystals made their debut in Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, simply under the name "Crystals". In the game, Doctor Neo Cortex lands in a cavern that contains a large "Master Crystal", which he decides to use to harness the power of the upcoming planetary alignment and use it to power up his new Cortex Vortex and enslave the Earth.[1] But a year later, it is discovered that 25 "Slave Crystals" scattered across the surface are also needed for the Cortex Vortex to reach full power. Without any earthbound operatives left under his control, Cortex decides to deceive Crash into collecting the Crystals for him.[2] Thankfully, Coco manages to reveal Cortex's plot to Crash just before he can hand the Crystals to him. After pursuing and stranding Cortex in the depths of outer space, Crash discards the Crystals into space, so that they may never be used again. The Master Crystal is assumedly lost when Doctor Cortex's space station is struck down by N. Brio's laser beam.

In Crash Bandicoot: Warped, Uka Uka and Doctor Cortex decide to gather the Crystals in their original places in time using N. Tropy's Time Twister so that Uka Uka can achieve ultimate power and enslave the Earth. Once again, Crash manages to foil this plot and banish Uka Uka, Doctor Cortex, and N. Tropy to a prison in time.

In Crash Team Racing, 20 crystals are scattered in an enclosed arena. If the player succeeds in collecting all of them, Purple Tokens can be achieved.

In Crash Bash, the Crystals are wanted by Aku Aku and Uka Uka for different reasons; Aku Aku wants the Crystals to never be used again as they're too dangerous to be left lying around, while Uka Uka wants to use the Crystals to achieve ultimate power and enslave the Universe. The fate of the Crystals depends on which side the playing character is on.

In Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, the Crystals are needed to subdue the destructive nature of the Elementals. Each Elemental can be returned to their hibernation state with a total of 5 Crystals.

In Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure, the Crystals are needed for Coco to reverse the effect of Cortex's Planetary Minimizer and return the Earth to its original size.

Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced is the first game in which the Crystals are named Power Crystals. In the game, the Power Crystals are needed for Aku Aku to replenish his diminished power and open new areas in Hyperspace to allow Crash to proceed in his journey to defeat N. Trance.

In Crash Nitro Kart, the Crystals have the same function as they do in Crash Team Racing, used to achieve Purple Tokens.

In Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage, the Power Crystals are wanted by Cortex and Ripto to conquer the world. They have no other function besides this.

In Crash Twinsanity, the Power Crystals are needed to power Cortex's Psychetron and make the leap to the 10th Dimension. 6 Power Crystals were needed at first, but thanks to Coco's intervention, 4 additional Power Crystals were needed, making the total amount of Power Crystals in the game 12. The shape of the Power Crystals has also changed in this game.

In Crash Tag Team Racing, the Power Crystals are needed to unlock the Jump Pads throughout the park and gain access to the stolen Power Gems. There is a whopping total of 142 Power Crystals (counting those in on-foot mini-games).

In Crash Boom Bang!, it is revealed that a wish-granting "Super Big Power Crystal", a big crystal with smaller crystals sticking out of it, is known to exist in an ancient lost city. The Viscount decides to use the contestants of the World Cannonball Race to find it himself, promising the winner one-hundred million dollars for its discovery. The normal Power Crystals can be used as items during minigames.

[edit] Criticism

Overtime, the Crystals have been seen by fans as having lost their plot importance. While in the earlier games Cortex and the others would kill to have one Power Crystal[3][4][5], nowadays Cortex would simply give one to Crash just because it was covered in Wumpa Whip[6].

[edit] Trivia

  • The "official" power crystal count for the series is 25.
  • It should be noted that the Power Crystals bear a resemblance to the Dark Crystal, the titular object in the Jim Henson movie of the same name (albeit less jagged and somewhat smaller).
  • Also, during the games, the Power Crystals had a color change, which is both purple and pink. In Tag Team Racing, when giving a Power Crystal, it was in a dark purple color when shown.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Coco Bandicoot: Crash! Cortex isn't going to use the Crystals to contain the planets' energy! He's going to harness their force and use it to power his super Cortex Vortex he's built on his space station! One blast of the ray will cover the entire planet, turning everyone into Cortex's mindless slaves! Crash, don't let him have those Crystals! (Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back)
  2. ^ Doctor N. Gin: But Doctor Cortex, to reach full power, we need not only your Master Crystal, but also there are as many as 25 Slave Crystals on the surface. How do you expect to retrieve them when we don't have any earthbound operatives left?
    Doctor Neo Cortex: You fool! Do you think I'm unaware of the situation?! If we don't have any friends left on the surface, then we'll have to find... an enemy... (Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back)
  3. ^ Tiny Tiger: Uka Uka and Cortex want Tiny get Crystals, and bring them to big Coliseum in Rome. Crash! Leave them for Tiny, or Crash get crushed! (Crash Bandicoot: Warped)
  4. ^ Dingodile: G'day, mates! Dingodile's the name, and Uka Uka and Cortex gave me orders to bring the Crystals to them during the Ice Ages. So gimme the goods, and shove off, or I'll roast yas! (Crash Bandicoot: Warped)
  5. ^ Rok-Ko: Well well! Looks who's been collecting Crystals! I warned you, Bandicoot! (Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex)
  6. ^ Doctor Neo Cortex: Oh, and take this Power Crystal. I found it in a dumpster covered in that disgusting Wumpa Whip, so... I don't want to keep it. (Crash Tag Team Racing)

[edit] External links

 
Crash and his Pals Crash | Aku Aku | Tawna | Coco | Polar | Pura | Rex | Fake Crash | Penta | Trophy Girls | Crunch | Ernest | Pasadena | Von Clutch | Chick | Stew
Neutral Brio | Papu | Krunk | Nash | Norm | Geary | Park Drones | Viscount
Cortex and his Baddies Cortex | Ripper Roo | Kong | Pinstripe | N. Gin | Komodo Bros. | Tiny | Uka Uka | N. Tropy | Dingodile | Rilla Roo | Elementals | N. Trance | Nina | Rusty
Other Villains Oxide | Bearminator | Velo | Zam | Zem | Ripto | Evil Twins | Tikimon | Amberly | Evil Crash | Willie
Enemies Tribesmen | Lab Assistants | Piranha Plants | Ants
Items Crystals | Gems | Wumpa Fruit | Relics | Gem Shards
Areas N. Sanity Island | Cortex Castle
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