Now that you know a bit about the different moves, attacks, and special abilities, take a look at how to put them all together to win the game.
Gathering Wumpa Fruit
There’s fruit all over the various levels. You often get a piece of fruit when you smash a box, and if you hit a fruit box, you get several pieces. Why should you gather fruit? Two words—extra lives. Every time you pick up 100 fruit, you gain an extra life, and the fruit counter drops to zero. While it may seem like a lot of fruit for a single extra life, the fruit adds up. In most levels you can gain at least one, if not two extra lives just by collecting fruit. Be careful not to spin-attack when there’s fruit around. A spin attack destroys fruit, and it doesn’t get added to your inventory.
Aku Aku Masks
Most levels feature boxes with masks on them, called Aku Aku boxes. When you collect an Aku Aku Mask, it follows you around and absorbs damage. A single mask takes a damage point and disappears. If you collect two masks, the mask next to Crash becomes fiery orange. This allows you to take two damage points before it disappears. If you have the orange mask and grab a third mask, you become invincible for a short time. Crash wears the mask, and merely touching enemies or boxes destroys them. Even explosive boxes don’t hurt him. When the invincibility wears off, your mask returns to the orange variation. Masks don’t protect you from falling, but they work against traps, such as flames, and things that smash you, with the exception of giant boulders and other dangers that chase after you in some levels.
Bonus Stages
Most levels have at least one bonus stage; a few have two. These stages require you to break additional boxes needed to earn Clear Gems. Most offer extra lives as well. The nice thing about bonus stages is that if you die, you start it over without losing the extra lives. Before you leave, make sure you break all the boxes—you can’t come back later during that playthrough.
Look for Patterns
Many levels have puzzle-like features. Unless you’re in a stage or level that prevents you from taking your time, such as when a giant boulder is chasing you, don’t feel rushed. Before you jump into a situation, look around to figure out the best time to jump, and where to land. In some places, timing is crucial. For example, when preparing to jump across several platforms that extend and retract, get the rhythm down so you land while each platform is extended. The same goes for traps and other challenges. Be mindful of when moving ahead is safe and when it’s dangerous.
Time Trials
Once you complete a level, whether or not you earn a gem, you unlock the time trial for that level. The goal of these trials is to get from start to finish as fast as you can. You don’t have to break a single box. However, there are yellow time boxes with red numbers. When you hit one of these, the clock stops for that number of seconds. Your times can earn you three levels of relics: sapphire, gold, and platinum. Earning the gold and platinum relics is tough. In the second and third games, you get Speed Shoes when you defeat the final boss, Dr. Neo Cortex. In addition, there are several special abilities you obtain in the third game when you beat the bosses. The Speed Shoes and some of the other abilities make it easier to get through these time trials, so consider waiting until you have some extra help before seriously attempting them.
Another tip to decrease your time is to avoid enemies or jump over them, instead of attacking. Once you get the Death Tornado, use it to glide farther over jumps, and to jump over threats or traps. Finally, skip all of the secret and bonus stages (with a few exceptions, which save time). You don’t need them for the time trials. Focus on reaching the end as fast as you can.