A new Crash Bandicoot game is on the horizon, and this time, it’s going to be its own thing. While it keeps its platforming elements, it’ll be a 4v4 team battle rather than the usual gameplay we expect from the main entries. We also have many characters available to play as. Still, Crash has a gigantic roster, especially if you consider all the villains, which means we can have a lot more characters announced or brought later as DLC.
All that said, it’s time to ponder about who might appear down the line in Crash Team Rumble. Either for being a good fit or simply because they’re beloved members of the series.
Updated June 9, 2023, by Lucas Olah: Sometimes, wishes do come true. We have two characters from our wishlist confirmed, as Ripper Roo and N. Gin will appear during the game’s first season. Thus, we’ll take the opportunity to wish for even more characters because why not? Maybe Toys for Bob will read this and do something about it. Jokes aside, there are still plenty of classic characters that could eventually appear in this game, and we’re all in for it.
10 Original N. Tropy
During the events of Crash 4, we see an alternate version of N. Tropy. She was an immediate hit, being extremely ruthless – She killed Crash and Coco from her dimension – and her chemistry with our N. Tropy causes some of the best moments, with their weird flirting going back and forth.
Still, N. Tropy is too much of a classic character to be missing here, especially considering he already has a character model that can be incorporated into Crash Team Rumble. Whether he’ll be a skin for female N. Tropy or his own character with a unique moveset, having him back is a must.
9 The Komodo Brothers
Classic villains from Crash 2, Moe and Joe, never had that many opportunities to peak. Aside from their original debut, Joe appears again in Crash Team Racing, and they are bosses in Crash Bash before being demoted to nothing more than cameos.
Seeing them here would be fun. They could be two interesting additions to the game or have a unique gameplay where the player controls both, similar to the Ice Climbers in Super Smash Bros.
8 Papu Papu
Papu Papu has never been in the spotlight often as well. Outside big appearances in the original Crash and CTR, he’s just been here and there doing nothing more than cameos.
Very sad, considering that he’s the very first boss we have ever faced in the series. It’s about time that he comes back for good, and it would be fun to have him playable in a platform setting.
7 Pinstripe Potoroo
A fan-favorite, he’s a menacing villain with his own goons and a Tommy gun. Pinstripe would be a perfect long-range option in the game, being even more threatening than a simple ray gun from the likes of Cortex.
His character concept allows for a unique style of gameplay, so it would be curious to see it translated into a game such as Crash Team Rumble.
6 Tiny Tiger
Yet another popular character, and one that already has some platforming experience, if you consider the way his boss fights worked.
To be fair, it’s hard to give ideas on how he would work gameplay-wise other than being a big and strong character, but his reputation precedes him, making his popularity alone a good enough reason to add him.
5 Nina Cortex
When the series entered the PS2 era, not all the games and their content were positively received. However, some characters persevered through it all and became as meaningful to the series as the original roster. Nina, Cortex’s daughter niece, is one of those characters.
She is even teased in Crash 4’s secret ending, and she already has platforming mechanics as she was playable in Twinsanity. Still, even if she makes the cut, it’s hard to say if they’ll consider her controls from that game or just make something new.
4 Crunch Bandicoot
Continuing the PS2 era characters, another one that became an instant hit is Crunch Bandicoot. He was created to be what Crash failed to be; Cortex’s top general. He eventually becomes a good guy and a part of the main team, but when Crash 4 came and reset things, Crunch didn’t come back for a new debut.
There’s a good chance this game will likely not be canonic, similar to Crash Team Racing, so having Crunch around just because we can is good enough.
3 Nitros Oxide
Crash team racing nitro fueled nitros oxide
Introduced in Crash Team Racing, he became a staple for a villain in spin-off games. He’s also known for being the baddie in Crash Bash and even appearing in Crash Nitro Kart – though this time, he wasn’t the main menace.
And the best part is that he’s already in the game as a Relic Station in the map Calamity Canyon. We could have him as a playable character and replace the Relic Station with a random Gaxmoxian pilot. Everybody wins.
2 Fake Crash
Fake Crash, also known as Trash Bandicoot, is a long-running gag from the series. Sometimes portrayed as a villain, sometimes as a hero, but most often than not, he’s just there for a cameo. Still, he has made his share of playable appearances in spin-off games, making him a good choice to appear here.
The only problem is that since each character will have their own set of skills, making him different from Crash – and Coco, who tends to have similar or identical gameplay – will be a challenge. That said, if making him a unique character becomes complicated, he can always be added as a skin for Crash.
1 Spyro The Dragon
Ever since their creation, these two series have always been close to one another. And it’s been quite a while since both IPs belong to the same company, Activision, meaning that making them appear together is now a lot easier. Spyro – along with Hunter and Gnasty Gnorc – even appeared as playable racers in Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled.
Having the Bandicoot and the Dragon together is always fun, so why not one more time?