The wave of ’90s nostalgia rolls on with PlayStation’s underrated and often forgotten mascot, Crash Bandicoot. On Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, players get to relive the first three games in the franchise, fully remastered in eye-popping, crisp, high-definition detail for PlayStation 4. But does Crash and his high jinks hold up three decades later, or does this resurrection ruin good memories?

It’s important to note up front that these games aren’t remade on this release — they’re remastered, with some small additional flourishes, keeping the spirit of the original games intact. N. Sane Trilogy collects the first three titles in the series: Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Vortex Strikes Back and Crash Bandicoot: Time Warped. The first is a PlayStation classic, but that’s not to say the others don’t deliver as well.

For those not familiar with the series, Crash Bandicoot is a genetically enhanced bandicoot (a rabbit-like animal native to Australia) who wears pants and shoes and, occasionally, a leather jacket or some other clothing if the mood strikes him. The games pit him against his nemesis — Dr. Neo Cortex, the mad scientist responsible for turning him vertical, in an effort to create an army of mutated animals to help him with every worthy villain’s ultimate scheme: world domination.

The series was a fun, light-hearted retreat from some of the more serious and darker games that began to come to prominence in the mid-’90s, and the change of pace is just as welcomed today as it was back then. You would think that the gameplay featured in games such as these three might seem dated or lacking in some way, but it’s just as enjoyable as ever. Crash sure does look snazzy in his HD presentation, and the comical, fourth-wall-breaking explanation of how he came to look the way he does now continues the humor we’ve come to expect from the series.

One of the great things about this triple-sized offering is the ability to seamlessly play from game to game. You don’t have to complete all of the first one in the series to play the second or the third. Instead, you can jump around — just like Crash — as much as you please.

The shiny modern-day presentation isn’t the only change made with this re-release. Some gamers with good memories have complained about the handle of the gameplay being slightly different, pointing out that the way Crash jumps and the speed at which he falls is different from the original. There is, in fact, a difference in handling and feel between the three titles included here, with the two sequels having more of a fluid motion to them.

Also more fluid is the ability to save your progress. Crash Bandicoot was never necessarily a walk in the park to finish, but the added save options help make it a little bit easier. Of course, there is now also trophy support, because what would a game in 2018 be without it? The biggest change is the addition of being able to play as Crash’s sister, Coco, in the first two games; originally, she had been a playable character only in the third game.

Nintendo always had Mario, and Sonic the Hedgehog has always called Sega Genesis home, so it’s nice to see PlayStation’s most popular character back in the spotlight. With the N. Sane Trilogy expected to expand from PlayStation and make its way to other gaming consoles this summer, it looks as though Crash Bandicoot is in the midst of enjoying a nice resurgence and a promising future.

For more information, visit crashbandicoot.com.

Jason Savio