Table of Contents
This is a Croc that slipped through the cracks
90s platformers need no introduction. The era had an almost endless catalogue to choose from. While Mario, Crash, Sonic, and surprisingly even Bubsy have become mainstays, some slipped through the cracks. Mascots like Gex and Tomba made a mark, but sadly didn’t really stick. Then there was a mascot who kind of just came and went. Our man of the hour: Croc. Croc: Legend of the Gobbos would be released in 1997 for the PS1. It sold well and was successful enough to get a sequel. But what impact did it leave? Honestly, not much one way or the other. Strangely, it would eventually be remastered for modern consoles, which leads us to Croc: Legend of the Gobbos: Platinum Edition. Complete with a touch of modern paint, quality-of-life updates, and bonus features, is this the re-release this franchise needed to bring it back full swing? Short answer: not particularly.
Basket of Joy
Croc starts with a baby who washes up in a basket on an island inhabited by little fuzzballs called the Gabbos. They raise him, train him, and get him into peak physical condition. Everything on this island seems to be going just peachy. But like any 90s platformer, this sadly does not last. A giant evil wizard named Baron Dante has taken the island and the Gabbos’ king hostage. Before his capture, the king rings a gong to summon a bird to get Croc to safety. Croc sets out on an adventure to free the Gabbos and stop the evil Baron. How original.
Stomping your way down town
As stated above, Croc is a 3D platformer. We explore Gabbos Island, collecting crystals and saving the little fuzzballs. You don’t have to collect everything to finish the game. Very much a good thing, because gathering all the colored crystals and Gabbos is not worth the headache. Croc’s movement is pretty solid and controls smoothly. Your two methods of attack are the tail spin and stomping. However, one mechanic that I call into question is jumping. While functional, this title does not feature a double jump. You would think that would be a given. The stomping mechanic is also perplexing and counterintuitive. To stomp, you jump and press the jump button again. This makes platforming a bit more difficult than intended. Every time you miss a ledge, you instinctively try to double jump, only to stomp down to your death. A rewind feature is not present. While you can get by without it, this would have benefited the player greatly in the later stages. The weakest component of this game is, without a doubt, the bosses. While decently designed, the boss mechanics are boring and sinfully easy. I literally got through every boss fight without dying once.
The world you inhabit
The level designs and graphics are fine. Nothing particularly innovative or memorable. All the levels kind of blend together and do little to really stand out from one another. The music, however, is pretty good, with catchy tracks and poppy melodies. You will definitely be humming the main theme without even realizing it.
A So-so legacy
So, is Croc an underrated, overlooked gem? How does it hold up? Honestly, about the same as it did when it was released. I actually have a similar story with Croc as I do with Tomba 2. It took me several consoles and generations to finally finish. However, unlike Tomba 2, I never lost my copy. I actually still have my original PS1 copy to this day. Every time I would try to play it, I would lose interest about halfway through and forget to pick it back up again. That being said, this is not a bad game. It’s just remarkably average. I would say it’s well worth playing at least once, but I would be lying if I said it had any replay value. Go save some Gabbos and watch those jumps. They are a doozy.
Verdict:7/10
