Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time proved the former mascot still had plenty left in the tank, and more players can see just how much when the game comes to Playstation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC (via Battle.net) on March 12. The expansion to new platforms serves as a celebration of the series' 25th anniversary this year.
The PS5 and Xbox Series X versions improve the game with shorter load times, 4K visuals, and 60 fps performance. Best of all, players who own the last-gen console versions are entitled to a free upgrade (except in Japan), and they can also transfer their save data. The PS5 version makes use of the DualSense’s adaptive triggers, creating enhanced feedback when using Tawna’s hookshot or Neo Cortex’s blaster.
Crash Bandicoot 4 launched last October and serves as a direct sequel to Crash Bandicoot: Warped. The game returns to the tried-and-true platforming that catapulted the series to stardom in the '90s, but with a modern polish and suite of new mask powers, such as the ability to invert levels and phase objects in and out of existence. With fun platforming, a challenging, old-school difficulty, and catchy soundtrack, Crash Bandicoot 4 shaped up to be one heck of a comeback. You can watch us take it for a spin (pun shamelessly intended) in this episode of New Gameplay Today.
If you’re looking to jump on the nostalgia train this March, you can pick up Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time on PS5/Xbox Series X/S for $59.99 or pre-order the Switch and PC version for $39.99. Activision plans to share more info on the PC version at a later date, and says it has other festivities in store to celebrate Crash’s silver anniversary throughout the year.
Modders are back once more to make Super Mario 64 even better than we remember, this time adding ray tracing into the mix. The 1996 classic just got another modernized makeover, this time with the inclusion of a new visual flourish.
As part of Mod Corner, I love sharing new ways that fans put their personal touches on some of our favorite games. Super Mario 64 itself is no stranger to being a fertile ground for growing mod ideas, but when a friend dropped the below video in Discord with the caption "I bought a $1500 GPU to play Super Mario 64 with RTX," I couldn't help but to laugh and share:
Click here to watch embedded mediaThe mod itself for the unofficial PC port of the Nintendo classic is still a work in progress, but it's pretty impressive. Necessary? Not really, but it is nifty when looking at what a difference ray tracing can make, especially with older graphics and when looking at those glorious water animations.
When Super Mario 64 released back in 1996, the 3D Nintendo game shifted how we looked at video games in an entirely different way. It was revolutionary for its time and to this day is a treasured experience that Nintendo fans love to revisit time and time again. Mods like this allow players to revisit beloved games like this, just with a little newness thrown in there for those that want it.
Want more mods? The above YouTuber has a plethora of videos on their channel centering around mods for Nintendo, Sega, and other big-name companies and the games they deliver.
What do you think of Super Mario 64 ala ray tracing? A cool tweak or does the idea of modding classics put you off? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below! Also! If you're looking for more Mod Corner goodness, feel free to hit me up in the comment section with a request of your own!