Crash Bandicoot 2 - Cortex no Gyakushuu! (Japan / Asia)
PlayStation
🇯🇵
Reviewed in 1997
89
✪ Reviewed on February 14, 2026
82
Japanese release of Crash Bandicoot 2, one of the finest 3D platformers on PS1. More varied levels than the first, well-designed power-ups and refined gameplay. Naughty Dog's technical mastery reaches a new level. An essential console title in its Japanese version.
Your verdict
Category
Platformer1 player3+
Description
Japanese release of Crash Bandicoot 2, with Cortex faking redemption to fool Crash. Created by Naughty Dog and Sony Computer Entertainment, released in 1997 in Japan and Asia. Twenty-seven varied hub-based levels, polar bear and jet pack riding and bonus challenges with Coco Bandicoot. Japanese subtitle Cortex no Gyakushuu meaning Cortex Strikes Back.
Crash Bandicoot 2 - Cortex no Gyakushuu! review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
The Japanese version of Naughty Dog's second Crash, this game shares its rich, varied cartoon art direction. Lush jungles, icy caverns, sewers and high-tech labs, vivid colors and round, expressive modeling make a joyful, readable world. The variety of settings and vehicles, from polar bear to jet pack, energizes the exploration. A shimmering rendering, a 3D platformer benchmark on the console.
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
The Japanese version of the second Crash, titled locally Cortex no Gyakushuu, out shortly after the Western releases. This Japanese edition, less common than its PAL and American counterparts, draws collectors of the mascot's cross-region releases in Japan, a market where it enjoyed special marketing support. The interest lies in this local run and its distinct packaging.
Is Crash Bandicoot 2 - Cortex no Gyakushuu! still worth playing in 2026?
Crash Bandicoot 2 - Cortex Strikes Back, known as Cortex no Gyakushuu in Japan, refines the original formula with better levels, varied power-ups (notably the slide attack) and balanced difficulty. Technically superior to the first, Naughty Dog's title keeps the series charm while expanding the grammar. An excellent 3D platformer. An absolute classic today.
