Video game review: 'Crash of the Titans' is fun — and a bit wacky

Game title: "Crash of the Titans"

Platform: Reviewed on Nintendo DS; also available on Wii, Game Boy Advance, Xbox, 360, PlayStation 2, PSP

Studio: Sierra Entertainment

Rated: E for Everyone

Score: 8.5 out of 10

THE REVIEW:

Crash. You know him, you love him. He's everyone's favorite Australian marsupial export. In cartoon video game format, anyway. The Crash Bandicoot series has been around, what is it, nearly 11 years now? My how this genetically-advanced kid has grown up. Almost freakishly, like a mutant. Wait, that's the point!

Crash, for those not in the know, is a wacky yet kind-hearted and laid-back guy, who wears jeans to go with his coyote-fox-Tasmanian Devil goofy good looks and charm. The dude wants nothing more than to play Frisbee with his friends, eat pancakes and be at the beach watching sunsets from his home on N. Sanity Island.

Standing in his way is the antagonizing Doctor Neo Cortex. Yeah, that same evil Doctor Cortex, the mad scientist who, in this installment of the story, captures Crash's genius sister Coco and the island spirit guardian Aku Aku in a plan to use stolen island mojo to create an army of wicked animal mutants. And take over the world. Big surprise. Wait, Aku what? Aku Aku, Crash's metaphysical ally, the ancient voodoo mask spirit of an old witch doctor who looks over the Wumpa Islands. Stay with it ...

So Crash gets his mojo working, battling it out with a host of new creations and titanic monsters, hoping to put an end to the evil doctor's scheme. Good luck with that. Yet years of team racing and warping from previous game incarnations seem to pay off big time for Crash. Along with his patented tornado spin, the little guy now has a powerful acrobatic fighting system (Sierra calls it "Hyper-Dynamic Combat") that employs punches, flying kicks, counter moves and unlockable, upgradeable combos.

The game's coup de grace, Crash's ability to "hijack" enemies (rather, commandeer them with a bull-riding technique) is a pretty cool idea: beat the bad guys at their own game. Hang on to the "jacked" mutants wearing the Aku Aku mask, using their immense powers against other enemies and you've got some seriously fun time-wasting on your hands.