{
  "id": 9785135,
  "title": "How One Crash Bandicoot Level Helped Build Naughty Dog",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/how-one-crash-bandicoot-level-helped-build-naughty-dog",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-25T15:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IGN",
    "slug": "ign",
    "url": "https://www.ign.com/articles/how-one-crash-bandicoot-level-helped-build-naughty-dog"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "From the early days of Naughty Dog, its founders Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin aimed to revolutionize the realm of 3D platformers, with Boulders being the first of its kind. Boulders, the fourth level of Crash Bandicoot, took around 60 seconds to complete and was a groundbreaking chase sequence that would later influence cinematic level design in video games for decades. The running-towards-camera chase sequence, as popular as ever, raised the cinematic tension in blockbuster games for the last 30 years. However, its origins were humble, and its widespread use is all thanks to the Crash Bandicoot developers at Naughty Dog trying to solve a single problem: how do we show the character's face more? The developers aimed to preserve the good elements of classic platform games while creating the first great 3D platformer, but they soon ran into an issue. The camera was always behind you, limiting the character's ability to connect with players. To address this, the team made several breakthroughs over the next two years, including starting the game with the character facing the screen, adding 2D levels for familiar poses, and attempting the reverse of Sonic's ass levels – the run into the screen. This innovative approach led to the creation of the blueprint for Crash Bandicoot's most iconic cinematic perspective, where the oncoming threat was presented on the horizon, giving players a sense of challenge and design, rather than the fault of their own ability.",
  "summary": "From a quick-fix solution to a triple-A staple, this is how an early Crash Bandicoot level inspired decades of cinematic level design in Uncharted and beyond.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}