I’ve written in previous posts about being disappointed by retro games, where the idea of playing something retro just couldn’t hold up to the experience of actually playing retro, but Crash Bandicoot XS shows that if the gameplay is well-honed, any game can be fun no matter how far in the future you play it.

Don’t get me wrong, Nintendo and its various series are some of the most recognizable properties in any domain, but for me, there are just so many other games I’d rather get to, as opposed to playing what is, to me, yet another Mario game.