When Crash Bandicoot was introduced on the Sony PlayStation years ago, he literally took the world by storm, reintroducing the gaming world to the development talents of Naughty Dog and giving PSX owners a solid alternative to Nintendo's Mario games. However, with a couple of exceptions (like Crash Team Racing), the series has been running into the ground ever since it was taken over by Vivendi Universal Games. A new stage idea here, a new riding stage there, and you're stuck with a typical platformer. Following the mediocre Wrath of Cortex, developer Travellers Tales has gone back to the drawing board and may have given the series a necessary shot of adrenaline with the release of Crash Twinsanity.

Twinsanity's plot is basically the same as the previous games. Dr. Cortex, foiled from his latest plot by Crash, manages to run into his enemy once more, this time on a desert island. He's kidnapped Crash's sister Coco and has enlisted his own daughter, Nina, and now he's set a trap that the Bandicoot has just walked into. After a fierce boss battle that's actually pretty cool, Cortex tackles Crash and they fumble into the center of the earth, where a power crystal is discovered along with a new alien threat that could destroy both the good and bad guys. Soon, Cortex and Crash find themselves in an awkward alliance to bring down this threat, packing some inventive moves in their arsenal.

That's the thing that makes Twinsanity stand apart from the previous Crash entries. The gameplay remains about the same, with Crash packing traditional moves like a double jump, a ground slam, and a typical spin attack, but when teamed up with Cortex, all sorts of moves come into play. You can slam Cortex into boxes like a hammer, throw him across the room to activate switches, roll down hills in a ball as you two brawl, and swing him around while holding onto a power crystal, widening your range on your attack. There are also parts of the stages where you break off, and one character has to make a certain level of progress before another can proceed. This is a nice touch and beats the old "walk along a level, beat everything, and then exit the level" format.

The game does feature more free-roaming elements than the previous Crash games, which were pretty much set in a given path and had to be followed. Crash can roam around the island, picking up items like fruit that can accumulate for a one-up or a Tiki mask that makes him temporarily invincible (and can also be powered-up). It's not the most original formula in the world, but it works by giving the series a bit more freedom in terms of what to do.

The graphics, however, aren't perfect. While the colors look nice and the animation is pretty sharp, there are "jaggies", which make things look a little ugly. Also, like previous Crash games, the camera can be quite a pain in the neck, shifting to particular points that force you to miss hidden power-ups and occasional jumping spots. It's nothing frustrating, but some adjustment would have been appreciated.

Now let's turn to sound. In the past, Crash games haven't been known for packing any sort of memorable, "must-have" soundtrack. However, the gameplay has taken a turn for the better, employing some cool tunes. Joining the fun are bouncy, cartoon-like sound effects and some great dialogue from the characters, particularly Cortex, who sometimes babbles psycho speak like "Ripper Roo, you shouldn't have!" and "Blondes do have more fun!" It's cornball, sure, but it works.

Crash Twinsanity's quest is long, and there's plenty to unlock, like some hidden FMV movies, storyboards, and other little quirks that are worth messing with. (These can be unlocked by finding hidden gems throughout the game.) However, it's sorely lacking in the multiplayer department. There's no multiplayer competitions to be found whatsoever, limiting the appeal. The single player game is hard, but when it's beat, it's beat, and it's not really that thrilling to go back through. The lack of any kind of Xbox Live support hurts as well. Some new downloadables would have been nice.

Let's face it, the Crash series has been on a downhill run since Crash Nitro Kart failed to appeal (especially on the N-Gage), but Twinsanity is a welcome addition, offering enough goodness and platforming fun for a few good hours. Kids should eat it up, and some adults may find a lot to like, particularly the game's off-the-wall script. I just hope I don't see Cortex in a blonde wig again anytime soon. That just scares me.