Crash Bandicoot is a PlayStation platformer, released in 1996. The game was the first major release from the studio under the name 'Naughty Dog' who had previously gone under the name 'JAM' ('Jason and Andy Magic' after the two creators, Jason Rubin and Andy Gavin). It was the first game of the Crash Bandicoot series.
It was released to, overall, positive reviews. GameSpot's Zach Meston criticized the gameplay for being "gameplay is flat as roadkill on a four-lane highway" and awarded it a 'Fair' rating of 6.8 out of 10, but this average review went against the generally positive reviews of both gaming websites and players. IGN named it a "must have" platformer and N4G gave the PSP port an 8/10. The popularity of the game spawned 3 direct sequels in the Crash Bandicoot franchise. Crash Bandicoot went "Greatest Hits" (NA) in September 1997, "Playstation: The Best"(Japan) in May 1998 after being released in December, 1996 and "Platinum" (EU/AU/NZ) in March 1998, being released in November, 1996.