Croc: Legend of the Gobbos is one of my favorite platformers of all time. I remember when this game came out on the original PlayStation, and I played it to death. The game arrived on the PS1 and Sega Saturn right around the time of the N64 launch, which came with Mario 64 as part of its launch-day lineup. And I thought Croc was the better of the two.
No seriously. A part of me would still rank this cute little game with Nintendo Rare-era vibes above Mario’s 3D debut. And talking of Nintendo vibes, Croc actually started life as a Yoshi racing title. The backstory is fascinating.
So, did I find Croc: Legend of the Gobbos as good as my nostalgia tells me it is? Let’s find out.
In Croc, you are out to rescue all your Gobbo friends whom the dastardly Baron Dante and his minions have kidnapped. You must traverse progressively more tricky platform-filled levels to bust open crates, unlock cages, and collect gems to rescue your furry little friends (they are even cuter in the remaster). In addition to rescuing Gobbos, there are 5/6 colored gems in each level hidden away that you must collect to reach the bonus exit and usually the last Gobbo of the level. These aren’t too hard to find but will have you exploring more than those who just want to get to the end of each level.
Croc doesn’t have much of a backstory here besides showing up one day, and the Gobbos raised him before disaster struck, and they were all taken by the villainous Baron Dante. However, this leads me to talk about an absolute treasure of a feature for fans of the original—the Crocipedia.
In the Crocipedia, you will find a cave of wonders when it comes to Croc goodies, from the soundtrack to concept art to a section that reveals the planned and sadly cancelled bible for the proposed Fox animated series. Please get on the phone with Netflix and make this happen if Dreamworks isn’t an option for a movie.
Anyway, I’ll stop daydreaming about the timeline we deserved, where Croc overtook Crash, Mario, and Sonic, and get on with it.
What we get here is very similar to the Tomb Raider remaster trilogies from Aspyr. Everything you remember from the original is intact, with added QOL improvements and a fresh new look. Some may prefer the old-school chunky polygonal style, and Croc is not a bad-looking game for a 1997 title, but these new visuals only enhance the charm oozing from the soul of this gem.
You can swap visual options from remastered to classic and tweak the settings as you see fit. However, the team at Argonaut Software have done such a fantastic job here that once you try the retro mode out for nostalgia's sake once, that will be it. The new models and lighting here are gorgeous. Mario 64 wishes it had gotten this treatment.
A remastered and wonderfully composed soundtrack accompanies the new visuals and can be listened to in the Crocipedia. Every little noise Croc makes adds to his personality and often I’ll pull off a tail spin or butt slam just to hear them again. Some may say Croc stole all his moves from other platform icons, but that is neither here nor there when he pulls them off with such cute ferocity.
Talking about the soundtrack, very few games nowadays have music like we get here. Each track is a bop that complements its set level, and the effects sewn into the fabric of each make the whole thing shine. The whistle of the wind on the snow levels makes me feel shivery, the dungeon music creeps me out, and the menu music makes me bob my head—incredible work.
Everything screams Nintendo Rare-era, from the level design to the Donkey Kong Country-esque map screen between levels. Croc is so close to being a Nintendo character that I’m sure he’s had tea parties with Diddy Kong, Banjo, and Conker. And I don’t mean that as a slight, far from it. Comparing a cute platformer mascot to the kings of cute, family-friendly platforming fun is intended as a compliment in the highest regard. Croc is an icon.
However, one element has not aged well and cannot be hidden by a fresh coat of paint and updated controls: the boss fights.
Baron Dante will enhance one of his minions every few levels and set him on Croc in a closed arena. These bosses are not always the most fun to play and are always relatively simple to defeat. I would argue that removing all bosses outside the final boss would enhance the game, as they really aren’t needed here, despite being a genre trope. That was my only fault with Croc: Legends of the Gobbos Remaster; it was a smudge on an all but perfectly polished wine glass.
The whole package is superbly handled with love and care from the modernised controls to the outstanding new graphics. They don’t make them like Croc anymore, which is a sin. If you love a platformer but are often daunted by the insane number of collectibles within each new addition to the genre, then Croc is for you. It has the perfect amount of everything and the right difficulty level to be a challenge.
I was thrilled to hear this remaster was in the works. One of the only reasons I’ve owned a PSP/Vita all these years is to play the original version on the go. Even before I got the code for review, I pre-ordered Croc collectors edition (wish I’d got one of those plush Gobbos too), and I fell in love all over again playing through levels imprinted on my brain.
Here’s hoping they sell enough to remaster Croc 2, then go on to make a brand-new game to complete the trilogy as Croc deserves.
It's absolutely buttery smooth, with fantastic upgraded visuals, classic charm, and a catchy soundtrack. The Croc: Legend of the Gobbos remaster is a must for old fans and platformer enthusiasts alike. Sadly, this may be why I never return to my trusty Vita, but I'll accept it for this absolute gem.
Sometimes, a classic ages like a fine wine; others age like cheese…. Croc: Legend of the Gobbos Remaster is like a Cabernet Sauvignon.
