Strategy Guide - Guide for Crash Bandicoot 2

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.