Crash Bandicoot is not an impressive game by any means, but the idea of playing as bandicoot blew my mind.
Crash's girlfriend has been kidnapped by a crazy scientist (and creator), Dr. Neo Cortex. So, Crash takes on the mission of rescuing her. In doing so, he goes through three islands Donkey Kong Country style, if you will. Some levels include riding wild animals, classic 2-D platforming levels, and interesting boss battles.
Crash Bandicoot's bad side is its length of the adventure. You could finish it in less than a day. There are things to collect, but they really aren't worth much of the effort you would have to put into getting them. Sometimes you jump right over a platform or go left or right and fall into the endless pit of doom! That gets frustrating. So, watch what you're doing.
Crash Bandicoot is a great game, but to compare it to Super Mario 64 is completely unfair.