Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back — play online free
Naughty Dog's second Crash Bandicoot adventure sends the orange marsupial back into short, carefully built stages that run into the screen, broken up by side-scrolling stretches, chases and rides on a polar bear cub or a jet board. Doctor Neo Cortex, now suspiciously friendly, asks Crash to gather crystals from levels reached through warp rooms. Each stage hides crates to smash and gems for finishing it, often behind secret routes. New moves like the slide, belly flop and crawl make it smoother than the first game, and its fair checkpoints are a big reason many fans call it the best of the original trilogy.
Tips for playing Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
- ▸Slide and then jump right away for a longer, higher leap that reaches distant platforms and hidden crates.
- ▸Grab Aku Aku masks: each one absorbs a hit, and collecting three in a row makes you briefly invincible.
- ▸Don't chase every gem on the first visit; some need colored gems or paths you only unlock later in the game.
How to play
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back starts right in the player above — nothing to install. Use the keyboard, plug in a USB or Bluetooth gamepad (Xbox, PlayStation, 8BitDo…) and it's detected automatically, or use the on-screen controls on a phone or tablet. Press F5 to save your progress at any moment and F7 to load it; F1 opens the menu to remap buttons.
