Summary
Ever since the firstCrash Bandicootgame was released on the PlayStation 1 back in 1996, the orange marsupial has been one of gaming’s most iconic and recognizablemascot characters. The bandicoot’s staying power is impressive, as even the most die-hardCrashfan would admit that the platformer’s gaming catalog struggled to impress on seventh-generation consoles. The franchise has since made a roaring comeback, however, most notably with theN. Sane Trilogyand recently releasedCrash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time.
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One particular feature thatCrash Bandicootgames are well known for - aside from the main series' corridor-like level design - is the high difficulty level, particularly when trying to complete each game 100%.
Updated on Jun 06, 2025, by Jack Pursey:When the N. Sane Trilogy was released, it not only breathed new life into the Crash Bandicoot franchise but also showed the industry that players were still interested in playing tough AAA platformers. The game’s success led to Crash Bandicoot 4, which didn’t tone down the difficulty level at all, instead ramping it up when it came to 100% completion. Although every Crash Bandicoot game was considered for this list, it’s only stages from the N. Sane Trilogy and Crash Bandicoot 4: it’s About Time that feature. To highlight the challenge of thehardest Crash Bandicoot levelseven more, this list has been updated to include some more information.
Gold Relic Time:1:33:30
Platinum Relic Time:1:23:80
WhenCrash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Backwas first released, the game was criticized by some for being too similar to its predecessor. To combat this, Naughty Dog added a variety of vehicle sections to the third game in the series,Crash Bandicoot: Warped. The vehicle stages in the game divide opinion, though many people believe that they provide a welcome change of pace.
Orange Asphalt is one of the final stages inCrash Bandicoot: Warpedand is one of the game’s motorbike levels that tasks Crash with finishing first in a race. This is far easier said than done, however, as the opposition gets a comfortable head start on Crash, and the motorbike moves painfully slowly, which can make avoiding the level’s numerous obstaclesfrustratingly difficult.
Gold Relic Time:0:30.44
Platinum Relic Time:0:26.87
Whole Hog is one of two secret stages from the originalCrash Bandicoot.To access the stage, players need to obtain a key from the level Sunset Vista by completing the Cortex bonus room, a room that is not only difficult to complete but also difficult to simply access.
Once players have finally unlocked the secret stage, they will find that it’s very similar in design to the level Hog Wild from the same game. However, Whole Hog significantly ramps up the difficulty from Hog Wild, making it one of the hardest levels in the hardest game from the originalCrash Bandicoottrilogy.
Gold Relic Time:0:47.36
Platinum Relic Time:0:41.63
Like the aforementioned Whole Hog, Totally Bear is a secret level. The level can be found inCrash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Backand is accessed via the stage Un-Bearable. For players who are yet to find Totally Bear, playthrough Un-Bearable normally until the very end of the level, when the chasing polar bear will fall into a pit. Instead of heading to the exit, jump over the pit where the bear fell and continue moving forward until coming across Polar, which will cause Crash to teleport.
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Totally Bear is considerably harder than the other Polar-riding levels in the game. It is a particular nightmare for those gunning for the Platinum time trial relic, which requires some ridiculously tight jumps.
Gold Relic Time:1:22.00
Platinum Relic Time:1:13.42
As the name suggests, Bee-Having fromCrash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Backdifferentiates from most other stages in the franchise with its bee enemies. Bee’s may not sound like the most intimidating enemy type on paper, though players will soon change their tune when they are swarmed by an angry mob of stingers that are deceivingly hard to avoid or spin away.
Thankfully, players are able to hide from the bees under the surface, though that isn’t too safe either when a guy with a giant hammer is lurking around trying to kill Crash too. Add to that electric fences and plants that - for some reason - shoot explosives, and players have a recipe for an infuriating level.
Gold Relic Time:4:32.23
Platinum Relic Time:3:40.61
Like many games from the recently releasedCrash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, one of the main challenges of Rush Hour is its length, exemplified by its whopping 441 box count and 3:40.61 Platinum Relic time. The level is also tough as itforces players to complete tricky platforming sequenceswith Dingodile and Tawna, who are less agile and less familiar to players than Crash.
The level becomes even longer when playing the N.Verted version of the stage, as players are forced to trudge through water from beginning to end. If that wasn’t enough, the N.Verted level also features what is perhaps the hardest-to-find hidden gem in the entire game. Unfortunately, it is one of several times inCrash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Timewhere the game’s difficulty moves past “an enjoyable challenge” and into “frustratingly unfair.”
Gold Relic Time:2:22.33
Platinum Relic Time:1:47.51
The Crate Escape makes this list for similar reasons as Rush Hour, except this time, players must control Crash’s age-old nemesis, Cortex.
RELATED:Crash Bandicoot: Hardest Platinum Relics From The N. Sane Trilogy
The level’s difficulty peaks when players must take on the platforming challenge pictured above, where Cortex must ascend the side of a building that is full of enemies to avoid and tricky jumps to make. The vertical section isn’t the end, however, as players are then unexpectedly in control of Crash again as they desperately jump between fast-moving platforms to try and reach a moving vehicle.
Gold Relic Time:2:06.07
Platinum Relic Time:1:35.99
There are a lot of things that theCrash Bandicootseries gets right, from itscharismatic roster of villainsto its extra challenges for completionists to its consistently superb linear-level design. However, one thing that the franchise has never been able to master, despite many attempts, is ice physics.
As the name suggests, Cold Hard Crash is full of ice sections, which makes avoiding dropping icicles, Nitro crates, and falling pillars frustratingly challenging. The level is also infamous with completionists, as breaking all the boxes in Cold Hard Crash is one of theBandicootfranchise’s hardest challenges, mainly due to the infuriating death route.
Gold Relic Time:1:13.29
Platinum Relic Time:1:04.61
The bridge levels in the originalCrash Bandicootare amongthe most iconic platforming stages of all time. The stages are so difficult, in fact, that many players try to cheese them by running along the ropes, which is an incredibly tough challenge itself.
The High Road is the second bridge level inCrash Bandicootand, much like its predecessor, tasks players with crossing a bridge that is falling apart. The bridge doesn’t initially look too tough due to how straight and narrow it is, though the game throws a ton of hazards at players, including ice, for some cruel reason. It’s also deceivingly difficult to see where Crash is going to land without the marker introduced inCrash 4,causing some infuriating deaths.
Gold Relic Time:2:32.50
Platinum Relic Time:2:01.66
Toxic Tunnels is the penultimate main story level inCrash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time.The level’s cruelty is evidenced in the opening seconds when boxes are hidden behind Crash off-camera, and the stage becomes only harder as it goes along with numerous electrical hazards to avoid, fast-moving carts to hop between, and even a brutally hard red gem path for completionists to beat.
To make matters worse, the platinum relic time is brutally short, meaning that players can make no significant mistakes as they race through the level in hopes of achieving the elusive relic.
Gold Relic Time:3:00.47
Platinum Relic Time:2:26.08
Slippery Climb is another level on this list fromthe firstCrash Bandicootgame, which is by far the hardest game from the original trilogy. The main challenge of the level is that so much of it is moving, whether it be stairs that sporadically turn into slopes, small platforms that stick out for little more than a second, or even conveniently placed birds that hover up and down and must be jumped on.
Speedrunners have found a neat trick that manages to skip the vast majority of the game’s obstacles, as Crash can run across the top of the level off-screen; however, getting Crash to the top of the screen is even tougher to pull off than completing the level normally of most people.
