A Snappy Introduction
The oft-forgotten mascot of the original PlayStation platformers is next in line for the remaster treatment.
Croc must save his precious Gobbo guardians from the nefarious Baron Dante in the game that started life as a Yoshi platform adventure. But unlike his Spyro and Crash remaster brethren that introduced more subtle changes, Croc Legend of the Gobbos feels like a straight-up remaster; warts and all.
Croc starts life as an orphan, in a basket floating down the river. Taken in by the Gobbos, who are the wolves to his Romulus and Remus impression, they raise him whilst teaching him how to spin-kick.
One day, he shoots up and instantly towers over the Gobbos. Which is just as well, as Baron Dante has kidnapped the King and released his Dantinis into this once peaceful world. Armed with some kung-fu moves that would make even masters of the martial art quake in their boots, Croc sets off to reunite the Gobbos and save the king.
A Cute Little Croc
Poetic license aside, it is the most generic of origin stories, but it’s hardly why we chose to play all these platformers back in the day. Bright colourful graphics? Check. Cute but deadly protagonist? Check. Lots of things to collect? Double check. Purchase complete.
Across various worlds and biomes that again never really troubled the imagination, Croc must traverse each level collecting crystals, Gobbos, hearts and more.
Crystals in Croc Legend of the Gobbos are essentially rings from Sonic the Hedgehog; as long as you have one on your person when hit, you can survive. There are also five coloured crystals in each level that if collected open up a secret area in each level. Here, the sixth and final Gobbo is usually waiting to be rescued. The remaining five are all dotted throughout the main section of the level.
A Remaster Worth The Wait?
Levels typically involve more open areas along with cave areas that each come with their fair share of environmental hazards. Croc can swim, but areas in which you can swim are few and far between. Usually, if there is a platform above a body of liquid, it is advisable to not fall into the liquid.
Improvements have been made to the camera, something that was unruly even when playing it after its first release. It is much better here, and almost warrants Croc’s ability to quickly 180° irrelevant now.
An improved camera helps a lot, but Croc can still be a tricky little game, particularly in later levels. Timing of jumps needs to be crucial, as does anticipating enemy movements, which isn’t always reliable. Most enemies can be defeated in one hit from Croc, but they have a nasty habit of respawning quickly, so it is best to not hang around for too long after one has gone.
The remaster contains all the secrets that littered the original release. That includes puzzle pieces, secret endings and the super-secret star locations. I’ll be honest, I never knew these existed until the remaster, having never noticed them on a 14” CRT screen. These new HD visuals don’t make them all the more easier either.
Reptile Dysfunction
Each of the four major biomes – forest, ice, desert and castle – have two bosses to take down. It’s with these where Croc simply cannot match up to the likes of Spyro and Crash; the bosses you will face are hardly memorable and most are very easy to defeat on the first try/first try in over 20 years.
And even more basic is the virtual brick wall you hit when you land the final hit on a boss. Instead of seeing them writhe away in pain and embarrassment, they simply stop whatever animation they were in the middle of and the level ends just as abruptly. That was the case in the original game and it is still apparent here.
But poorly designed bosses aside, there is still a lot of charm found in Croc Legends of the Gobbos. The remaster improves the graphics substantially, and gives you that faux memory of that being how it always looked. However, with a feature I love in all remasters, you can quickly switch between the original and updated graphics at the touch of a button.
That isn’t the only addition either. The Crocipedia is a treasure trove of old artwork, promo materials and interviews with the original developers. If this was a release from Digital Eclipse in a similar vein to the likes of The Making of Karateka or Llamsoft: The Jeff Minter Story, we’d be lauding this as a digital museum for fanatics. It shows the love for the original game that the developers had and is a special treat to be included here.
A Faithful Cult Trip Down Memory Lane
For many, a beloved childhood classic has returned in Croc Legend of the Gobbos on Xbox. And, aside from the improved camera and graphics, it plays exactly as you remember. Easy to start with, getting more and more tricky but with the overarching sense that it was never quite as good as a Crash or Spyro game. That feeling is still here, but in a way, that suggests that Croc Legend of the Gobbos is a very faithful remaster.
And comparisons aside, it remains a cult classic for all the right reasons.
Important Croc Links
Croc Legend of the Gobbos Returns to Rescue a New Generation of Gamers – https://www.thexboxhub.com/croc-legend-of-the-gobbos-returns-to-rescue-a-new-generation-of-gamers/
My Love/Hate Relationship with Croc Legend of the Gobbos – https://www.thexboxhub.com/my-love-hate-relationship-with-croc-legend-of-the-gobbos/
A Beloved Platforming Mascot Returns in Croc Legend of the Gobbos – https://www.thexboxhub.com/a-beloved-platforming-mascot-returns-in-croc-legend-of-the-gobbos/
Buy Croc Legend of the Gobbos on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/croc-legend-of-the-gobbos/9NLGM0ZN00PB
