When people talk about classic Playstation games, they always mention the same names. Final Fantasy 7, Resident Evil and Crash Bandicoot are just a few of the titles brought up. There’s one game that rarely gets a mention these days.
Croc: Legend of the Gobbos was everything you could want from a 3D platformer. Released on the Sega Saturn, PC and bizarrely the Game Boy Colour a few years later. The PS One version was the one I played, in fact, it was the first full retail game I bought.
Mario Without The Man
Its appeal was simple, it was the closet to Mario 64 I could get without an N64. This was the time before Spyro, and just after Nintendo brought Mario to the 3D realm. Croc was the curious in-between. Developer Argonaut Games were hardly fresh faces on the block. Their previous works included titles like Alien on the Commodore 64 (complete with its funky manual) and Days of Thunder on pretty much everything in the early 90s.
Argonaut debuted on fifth-generation systems with Croc, a brave new world for the veteran studio. At its core, Croc was a charming platformer that boasted fantastic level design. The bridge between challenge and accessibility was near perfect. Simply controls that lent themselves well to a variety of puzzles and obstacles. Jump on this, tail whip that, collecting everything in sight.
Re-purposed
Mario’s influence was clear. The core gameplay was straight out of the School of Nintendo. In fairness, this wasn’t a case of ripping off Mario. Croc initially started life as a Mario spinoff starring Yoshi. Originally set as an N64 exclusive, Nintendo would later reject the game. After searching for a new publisher, Croc would eventuality end up as a new IP. Ironically enough, Croc’s original concept inspired some elements of Mario 64.
The visuals and sound design were top notch. Each of the five worlds reflected their themes perfectly. Forest Island explodes with lush colours, resulting in a wonderful colour pallet. Ice Island and Crystal Island shone, mainly due to their fantastical appearance. All of the locations boasted their own musical style, making full use of the Saturn and Playstation’s capabilities.
Back In The Day
Replaying Croc is both nostalgic and surprising. I expected the game to feel utterly dated and stiff, but I was wrong. It still holds up, even with some dodgy camera angles. To this day, the music and sound design stand out. All 42 levels still ooze with character, dancing to their own sweet sound. Even the basic platforming is still enjoyable.
Croc: Legend of the Gobbos deserves more appreciation. It may not have the brand power that other games enjoyed, but it’s still brilliant. Here’s to one of the forgotten gems of yesteryear.
