If you thought Crash was far too good-looking  – it's the eyebrows, isn't it? – well you'll be intrigued to learn there's a cutesier version of him out there on the other side of the world.
It turns out that the Japanese audience didn't take to Crash's bushy eyebrows or angular features, so they gave him an anime makeover.
Cue larger eyes and a much friendlier, more adorable appearance. Awwww, he looks like baby Crash.

11. The intro was originally a cartoon

The first Crash Bandicoot games were co-published by Universal Interactive and it turns out Universal Cartoon Studios created this Saturday morning cartoon intro/ad for the original game.
It came complete with ultra cheesy theme song, but Sony abandoned it in favour of pushing the 3D aspects of the game.
The footage wasn't publicly seen until 2015, when that cartoon leaked online.

12. Crash actually has a bandicoot named after him

Yes that's right, Crash has a bandicoot named after him and it's not just some critter at a zoo somewhere. It's an entire sub-species.
Crash did so much to highlight the bandicoot species that when scientists discovered the fossilised remains of a previously unknown bandicoot, they called it the Crash bandicoot.

13. Most of the characters are voiced by one man

One man is responsible for most of the characters in the Crash Bandicoot game. Brendan O'Brien provides the monosyllabic reactions from Crash himself, the voice of Dr Neo Cortex, Dr Nitrus Brio and henchmen like Koala Kong and Pinstripe Potoroo.
Ripper Roo though is one exception, as he's voiced by Dallas McKennon. His maniacal laugh is a sped-up sample of McKennon's voice, and is the same laugh used for the hyena from Disney's Lady and the Tramp.

14. But there's a reason Crash doesn't speak

There's a reason why Crash never utters more than a "Whoa" or a "Yeehah" in the series.
"We felt that he should be goofy and fun-loving, and never talk –  on the theory that voices for video game characters were always lame, negative, and distracted from identification with them," explained Crash Bandicoot co-creator Andy Gavin in an extensive blog post.
It wasn't until Radical Entertainment took over the franchise that Crash spoke in 2007's Crash of the Titans. Well, he uttered "Pancakes" in the closing sequence, but fans REALLY weren't happy.

15. The item boxes were a late addition

One of the major parts of the Crash Bandicoot gameplay is tornado-ing through and bouncing on wooden item boxes, releasing the precious Wumpa fruit within.
However, they weren't added into the game until very late in the original title's development as a way of adding some puzzles to otherwise straightforward levels.

16. Aku Aku was named after a restaurant

Crash Bandicoot's guide through every game was a Tiki mask called Aku Aku, but the famous floating face got his name from a restaurant in Boston near where the developers worked.
"The name Aku Aku comes from a Polynesian restaurant that resided near the Alewife T Station when Andy (Gavin), Jason (Rubin), and I lived in the Boston area," explained Dave Baggett, ex-Naughty Dog developer (and first employee). "It had a giant tiki statue out front and, as I recall, fairly terrible food."

17. The soundtrack was almost very different indeed

What really finished off the first Crash Bandicoot was its memorable soundtrack full of strong jungle rhythms, didgeridoos and funky bass.
However, the original idea was to the score the game with an "urban chaotic symphony" including sound effects like grunts, car honks, birds and even farts.
Thankfully, the soundtrack we know and love was brought together at the last minute, just in time to get stuck in our brains forever.

18. They're Wumpa Fruit, not apples

Nearly everyone who played Crash Bandicoot thought that Crash had an insatiable appetite for apples. But it turns out that they're Wumpa Fruit. Not apples.
The fictional fruit is kind of a hybrid between an apple and a mango, though the Wumpa Fruit actually does taste like apples – according to developer Dave Baggett.

19. One level got deleted entirely from Crash Bandicoot

Although Crash Bandicoot was amazing, there's no getting away from the fact it was rock hard. Irregular save points meant that the Game Over screen could mean hours of lost gameplay.
For the developers, that frustration reached breaking point in a level called Slippery Climb, where one mistimed jump could wipe out a whole lot of progress.
However, there was originally an even tougher version of the level called Stormy Ascent, but it was so tricky that the developers chose to bin it entirely.

20. Dr. N. Gin's was inspired by a real-world issue

In Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, Dr. Neo Cortex has a new friend called Dr. N. Gin. He's a bonkers cyborg who has a massive missile in his head that causes him to have explosive tantrums.
Apparently the missile got lodged during a botched experiment and is still active, causing the Doc to have severe headaches.
This little design and story feature was actually inspired by creator Jason Rubin's own vicious migraines. Poor fella.