"Crash Bandicoot" was a very popular game early in the PlayStation's life, and after the game's breakout success, it's not a surprise to see that it got a sequel. "Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back" came just a year after the original game, but surprisingly enough, Naughty Dog didn't just see fit to rehash the original game with this sequel. Instead, they pushed forward in meaningful ways and created a game that vastly improved on the original game.
"Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back" cleans up quite a few of the flaws that I noticed with the last game: in ways, it relies a little bit less on "fake difficulty," and there's a lot more variety to the gameplay, making it a more wholly fun experience. Much of what made the original so solid is still here as well: the platforming is excellent, Crash is still charming, and the visual design remains solid to this day. Once again, I also think the sound work and music adds nicely to the overall presentation of the game, and it rounds out what is an overall amazing package.
The only thing that really holds this back for me is that there's still several moments that feel like "fake difficulty" to me. Even though that, along with the trial-and-error nature of the gameplay, are both dialed back from the first game, they are still evident in a few places, and it can be a bit frustrating.
Overall, though, "Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back" is an excellent sequel that improves immensely on the first game. If you haven't gotten a chance to play this yet, you absolutely should give it a try.
Final rating: 9 out of 10 "Awesome"