Crash Bandicoot 2
Hints and Tips

c 1998 Grant Appleyard, London, UK.

Index:
       Introduction
       1...    General Movement skills
       2...    Skull/Clear Platforms
       3...    Warp Worlds
       4...    Bear Control
       5...    Pack Control
       6...    Guides to Levels


Introduction
---------------

Just a wee note to say the this guide isn't a full walkthru of Crash Bandicoot2. All I've done is put
together a few hints and tips for the more difficult areas of this excellent Game. If there is no entry for the
whereabouts of a particular Diamond or Gem, its because I feel it is not to difficult to find. Also, as a
rule, most levels provide a Silver Gem if all of the boxes inside it are broken.


1: General Movement Skills
----------------------------------

The Slide-Jump: Tapping slide just before jumping gives Crash a longer/higher jump. Personally I prefer
to use the R1 button as the slide. If you get the timing right you can achieve a high jump without sliding
at all. To achieve the maximum distance, first get to the edge of a given platform, slide off and quickly
jump at the end of the slide.

NB: If you are lucky enough to own an analogue controller I recommend its use on the 'flowing' parts of
the game ie SurfBoarding and JetPacking.


2: Skull/Clear Platforms
-----------------------------

Inside a number of levels you will find clear platforms. These platforms will only be filled in if they are
reached without having lost a life previously. (nb: this does not including dying inside a bonus level). If
you manage this, the platform will be filled in with a 'Skull and Crossbones' enabling you to jump on and
ride it. Normally these platforms lead to a separate (and more difficult) stage, containing a Gem of some
sort.

Don't worry, you can die inside these sub-levels without losing the platform. *** Important- invariably
these extra levels do not contain boxes but on a few they do. Also, if the extra level has its own ending
warp point, the boxes in the main part of the level will have to be broken before entering the extra stage.

3: Warp Worlds
--------------------

Rather confusing at first but easy once you have a few!! Throughout Crash2 are 5 WarpPoints leading
to a High Up Warp Platform. For every WarpPoint you find you are given the entrance to another stage
/ a second entrance to an existing stage.



4: Bear Control
-------------------

The main thing to remember regarding control of the little polar bear is the ability to adjust his speed.
Pressing slide (ie R1) will give him a burst of speed (and any following jump will travel further), whilst
pressing down on the D-Pad will slow him down a little, giving you more time to smash tricky boxes.

5: Pack Control
-------------------

As with the bear, learning how to use the JetPack is a requirement with Crash2. Basically get used to the
slight Drag/Inertia. Also, proficient use of the top keys (L1= fly forward, R1= fly backward) is a must.

6: Guides to Levels
-------------------

*> Level 1: Turtle Woods

       Silver Gem:     Collect all boxes
       Blue Gem:       After gaining the Silver Gem, repeat the level without getting ANY
                       boxes at all.
       Sub-lev:                Belly Flop thru the Face on the ground (just before the 2nd
                       checkpoint) to access a sub-level. Inside it jump on the Ostriches
                       backs and slide-jump off to reach boxes.
       Pits:           Spin spin spin to kill the rats immediately as they rise.

*> Level 2: Snow Go

       Red Gem:        Accesible only from Warp World Entrance
       Green Switch:   Come towards the screen just after dropping down to the penultimate
                       checkpoint to find this.
       Normal Switch:  Near end of level bounce high on the second spring box to hit the
                       switch- this fills in the two boxes encountered just before.

*> Level 3: Hang Eight

       Silver Gem#1    Collect all boxes inc. the one inside the Blue Gem stage
       Silver Gem#2    Reach the end of the level before the timer runs out (roughly
                       60secs).. take long diagonal jumps to save time!

*> Level 4: The Pits

       Crystal:                Take the left hand fork half way thru level.
       Hint:           Take the left hand fork first, until you find the switch. Hit this
               then backtrack the way you came to the fork, this time going right.

*> Level 6: Snow Biz-           *** Requires Red Gem ***

*> Level 7: Air Crash

       Silver Gem#1    Collect all boxes- This is only possible by beginning from the Warp
                       World.
       Silver Gem#2    Inside a sub-level. See Skull n Crossbones notes.
       Warp World:     Just before you get on the first surfboard, jump across the floating
                       3 boxes to reach a warp platform.

*> Level 9: Crash Crush

       Hint:           Backtrack to the right at the fork, a platform at the end will
                       return you.

*> Level 10: Eel Deal

       Crystal:                At the second fork take the left hand tunnel.
       Green Gem:      At the first fork take a right. Navigate thru the Nitro boxes until
                       you reach the wall at the far end. Jump THRU the wall and follow
                       this tunnel to find the green gem.

*> Level 11: Plant Food

       Yellow Gem:     Reach the end of the level before the timer runs out (roughly
                       60secs) to get the yellow.

*> Level 12: Sewer/Later-       *** Requires Yellow Gem ***

       Hint:           There are no boxes inside the Yellow gem level.
       Hint2:          Take the right hand path at the fork to hit switches before
                       backtracking down the left hand path.

*> Level 13: Bear Down

       Warp World:     At the end of the level jump on the platforms floating in the lake
                       to reach a warp platform. This gives you the second entrance to
                       Air Crash (lev 7).

*> Level 14: Road to Ruin

       Silver Gem#1:   Inside a (boxless) sub-level See Skull n Crossbones notes.
       Silver Gem#2:   To collect all boxes you must start this level from the warp world.
                       (note: you will need to collect the crystal first)

*> Level 15: Unbearable

       Hint:           Watch for the First pit that the Big Polar Bear falls into. Drop
                       into this to access a sub-level. Also, be sure to smash the two high
                       boxes nastily placed 1/2 way thru (just after the checkpoint) this
                       sub-level.
       WarpWorld:      At the end of the level (after you are catapulted off the little
                       bear) return up the screen and jump over the crevice. Walk up to
                       the little bear to find the warp point. This gives you level 26
                       Totally Bear.

*> Level 16: Hangin out

       WarpWorld:      Track backwards just before the ? platform to enter a sub-level
                       leading to a warp point. This gives you level 27 Totally Fly.

*> Level 17: Diggin' It

       Silver Gem#2:   Skull n Crossbones platform on left fork path.
       Hint#1:         Inside the (?) bonus level, jump up the stacks of boxes (topped
                       with TNT's) to reach high platform & extra lives.
       Hint#2:         Make sure you collect boxes on both the left and right forks
                       (this means some tough backtracking).
       WarpWorld:      Belly flop on top of the bomb-spitting plant sitting on an island
                       nr the end of the level. This warppoint gives you the second
                       entrance to Road to Ruin (lev14).

*> Level 18: Cold Hard Crash- Toughy!!

       Silver Gem#1:   Inside a sub-level reached by using a skull n crossbones platform
                       1/2 way thru the stage. Inside this difficult sub-level, you will
                       need to flick the green switch at the end, then return all the way
                       back to the start to smash the boxes that are filled in.
       Hint:           Inside the (?) bonus level, when you come to across two 10-fruit
                       boxes, jump *on top* of the higher one to smash a hidden box.
       Hint2:          Also inside the (?) bonus level, near the end, be sure to trigger
                       the first of the TNT boxes, move away, then return to set off all
                       the others.

*> Level 19: Ruination          *** Requires Green Gem ***

       Note:           The Green Gem sub-level does not contain any boxes.

*> Level 20: Beehaving

       Magenta Gem:    Jump up the 'inactive' nitro boxes found half-way thru the level
                       to access the sub-level containing the Magenta Gem.

*> Level 21: Piston It Away

       Hint:           To collect every box first go thru the whole level without dying,
                       smashing every box. Then, return to the skull n crossbones platform
                       located half-way thru the level. This way every box is broken.

*> Level 23: Night Fight

       Hint:           First make it to the skull platform, jump on it and follow the path
                       to collect the Gem. Now, kill yourself to return to the earlier
                       checkpoint( you get to keep the Gem). This time take the right hand
                       route, following this until you reach the point where the two paths
                       reconverge. Double-back (quickly) to find/smash 2 elusive boxes.

*> Level 25: Spaced Out         *** Requires ALL Gems ***

Warp Platform Worlds
---------------------------

*> Level 26: Totally Bear - See bear control.

*> Level 27: Totally Fly

       Hint:           To collect all boxes: When you come across 6 re-inforced boxes,
                       try to memorise their positions so that you can find a belly-flop
                       them in the dark. You can avoid the Light-Moth, range ahead to break
                       the boxes, then return to activate the moth and make it safely
                       to the next checkpoint.