Lots of Crash Bandicoot fans are excited to see the marsupial return in the upcoming Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, but there is at least one very notable naysayer: original Crash Bandicoot producer David Siller. In an interview with Power Up Gaming, Siller referred to Activision’s remastered version of the first three games as a “Frankenstein-ian effort,” saying the franchise should have instead moved forward to making a new game with innovative ideas.
While Siller admitted that the remastered graphics look great, he was more concerned with whether or not developers Vicarious Visions made any improvements to the gameplay. Siller even speculated as to whether or not remastering the old games was a good idea, suggesting that Activision and Sony should have made a new game to “amaze and enthrall everyone” instead:
Innovate and blow some minds! There is so much more that could have been offered now or even during the earlier generation of consoles. There wasn’t a Crash Bandicoot game for the PS3 now was there?
This isn’t the first time Siller has lashed out against publishers. He made headlines last year when he claimed Naughty Dog and original Crash Bandicoot publisher Universal Interactive Studios “black-balled” him, ignoring his contributions to the series. Siller, along with former Universal Studios Interactive contractors Charles Zembillas and Joe Pearson, felt their work on the beloved franchise had been “totally forgotten about.” Siller himself directly accused Naughty Dog co-founders Jason Rubin and Andy Gavin as well as former Universal head Mark Cerny of “systematically eliminating” any mention of his contributions to the original game.
Siller ended the interview by saying that, as a game designer and creator, he would have made a new and dynamic Crash Bandicoot game instead of rehashing the old ones, and likened his ethos to that of film director Alfred Hitchcock: “When asked what is your favorite film work, Hitchcock would answer ‘My next one’!”
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is set for release on June 30, 2017 for the PlayStation 4.