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Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back (or Crash Bandicoot Counterattack of Cortex in Japan) is a platform game made by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation and released in 1997.
The gameplay is characterized by a limited environment, and by the breaking of crates, each of which contains some bonus. Breaking all of a level's crates earns the player that level's clear gem. The player can collect additional clear and colored gems by finding and touching them. Colored gems activate secret areas. If one collects all of the gems in the game, the secret ending is activated. Crash has several moves: jump, spin attack, body slam, slide, duck, crawl, and an extra-high jump performed by sliding or ducking and then jumping. Stepping on a question-mark platform/trap door takes Crash to a bonus level. Going to special locations, where something is somehow out of place, brings Crash to one of five secret levels. Also if the player manages to get to certain place in some levels with out losing a single life, the player can hop onto a platform with a Skull and Crossbones logo on it. It takes you to another path in the level of the main path and contains boxes and other secrets one might notice not being found on the main path.
The game takes place after the end of the first game, where Crash sent Cortex falling to his supposed doom from atop his blimp and into a cave, where Cortex discovers a large Crystal, and has a flash of inspiration. One year later, he is seen in a space station, being told by his new assistant N. Gin that to harness the Master Crystal's power, he will require an additional 25 "Slave Crystals", which are scattered across the Earth. Cortex then abducts Crash (while he is searching for a spare battery for Coco's laptop) and persuades him to gather the Slave Crystals, telling him that he will use them to harness the power of the aligned planets and prevent Earth from certain doom.
Throughout his quest, Crash is contacted by Coco, who is continuously searching into Cortex's scheme and trying to figure out what Cortex is really using the Crystals for, as well as Cortex's former assistant, Dr. Nitrus Brio, who tells Crash that if he truly wants to save the world, he must collect Gems instead of Crystals, so that Brio may use the Gems to destroy Cortex. He is also Crash's primary opposing force, claiming to use all of his strength to prevent him from gathering crystals.
At the end, when all of the Crystals are collected, Coco reveals that Cortex actually intends to harness the force of the Crystals to turn every single human being on Earth into Cortex's mindless slaves with his new and improved Cortex Vortex, and Crash defeats Cortex once again, banishing him deep into space, but leaving his space station operational, presumably with Dr N.Gin still inside the vortex (Cortex speaks to him after N.Gin is defeated.) After Crash gathers all 42 Gems, Brio uses the Gems to destroy Cortex's space station with a laser beam, ending Cortex's threat... for now.
In all there are 30 levels in the game. There are 25 levels in the main 5 warp rooms, 5 in each. Each warp room is located on one of four islands, aside from the last one, which is located on Cortex's space station. To progress to the next warp room/island you must defeat a boss who is not willing to let you pass. There is a secret warp room containing 5 secret levels, and is only accessible by teleports within other levels. Three of these levels are secrets paths on previous levels, allowing you to get certain gems or items. The other two are new levels, both which take place in the dark. It is the main warp room of Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped in construction. From this warp room, you can see the 3 islands from the first Crash Bandicoot game.
