The last time I gave this game a serious go (more than just playing a couple levels and dropping out), I remember it being a really frustrating experience and promptly gave up just before the halfway point. Crash 1 then became a game I'd "come back to" every time I thought about it, but something I kept pushing back as I remembered my prior experiences.

This time around though and a couple Crash games under my belt since then, I actually found it to be a tough but rewarding platformer. Although basic in comparison to the sequels, there's a quaint simplicity to the gameplay of Crash 1 that works out nicely for it, even if it doesn't end up being as packed full or feature-rich as its successors when all's said and done. NST also does quite a lot to make this game more accessible both by modern sensibilities and also to bring it in line with other Crash games, so the slight tweaks also go a long way to making finishing this game feel more like tough love and less like an excercise in torture.

I had quite a bit of fun here all in all, and it's one I intend to revisit again in the future from now on.