Crash Bandicoot brings back some fond memories for me - especially at this festive time of year. I remember receiving PSOne Crash Bandicoot games nearly every Christmas during the period that I owned Sony's first console - and I remember every Christmas being the same: enjoyable, addictive, and challenging. Some levels on the early Crash Bandicoot games would have all my family sitting around the TV, screaming "JUMP!" as the barrels rolled towards my furry alter ego. I'm getting teary-eyed just thinking about the pleasant past, a place without worry or woe, a peaceful land; since then the Crash Bandicoot series has gone somewhat downhill though and never really returned to the greatness of its origins.

That was my feeling at least until I fired up Crash: Mind Over Mutant for the first time; it's so colourful and picturesque that it had me contemplating how far Crash has come since the previous entry in the series - the visuals are stunning from the start. Wide, open, luscious planes of green grass, blue skies and waterfalls in the distance, which are drawn perfectly - you can really see what's coming. The characters are animated with style and the way the crazy bandicoot and his friends move - as well as their gestures and facial expressions - really lend themselves to the somewhat daft but highly amusing storyline. Veteran Crash players will have already guessed the basis for the story; Neo Cortex is up to his old tricks, trying to take over the world again! As usual, he comes with the sort of stereotypical, loud-for-effect, evil voiceover that you would expect from a comical game with a misfit adversary.

Mind Over Mutant isn't really a completely new game; in fact, it plays very similarly to its predecessor, Crash of the Titans, so perhaps it should really be called Crash of the Titans 2. If you enjoyed the last game then you're almost certain to enjoy this latest release, especially given its slightly better story, bigger levels and plentiful laughs. While Mind Over Mutant is game that appeals to all ages to a degree, an older bandicoot like me won't get as much out of it as a younger member of the family. There's a lot on offer for everybody though and I did enjoy kicking mutant butt with my bandicoot fighting styles. Kicking, punching, clawing and fighting dirty are some of the ways of Crash, as well as his trademark signature spin to knock down nearby enemies and his high, kangaroo-esque jump to get you out of trouble for a precious few seconds. Of course, there are combos to use as well, such as jumping and then spinning to cross large gaps where a standard jump won't suffice.

There are many platforming puzzles that await Crash Bandicoot and while lots of them involve jumping, the game wouldn't be the same without them. A nice touch is that the level sometimes turns 2D so you're almost side scrolling, giving you a better view and understanding of what is to come, as well as making a nice break from 3D free roaming action by mixing in a bit of classic platforming fun. Aside from jumping around, some other puzzles utilise the titular mutants (last year's Titans) that you can jack into and control.

Jacking a mutant isn't like jacking a car in Grand Theft Auto though; to take control, you first have to weaken the mutant in a certain way. Maybe you have to attack them with certain moves, or block until the mutant strikes, opening him up for attack and thus making him more vulnerable. Some mutants can only be weakened by attacking them on the back of another mutant, which is where some of the more complex puzzles come into play. Each mutant has its own special ability or two as well, which you can utilise once in charge of them. Some are stronger than others, and some have the power of the elements on their side. The first mutant you get to control is an ice mutant, which commands the power of frost. Later on there's a lake that you need to freeze to progress - put two and two together and you've got mutants providing the keys to progressing across the levels, making them more than the simple fighting machines that you might have expected.

Using the mutants as fighting machines is entertaining though - and highly engaging at times, as you watch two huge creatures with different powers and fighting styles going head to head in visually rich brawls; it really is a treat, especially if you're playing co-operatively with a friend. The co-op mode is really cool and one of the reasons to get Mind Over Mutant; you can play the entire game with a friend by your side and you can customise your bandicoots with new colours, hairstyles and clothes so that you don't get mixed up with who is who. When playing with a friend you can either both go around on foot, fighting mutants and villains with your aforementioned moves, either on or off the back of the mutant, or one of you can transform into the classic Crash Bandicoot voodoo mask and shoot chickens from your mouth. Surprisingly it can be very helpful to have your friend holding of waves of mutants back by raining down poultry terror on your foes!

Having played Mind Over Mutant with friends, family members and my partner, I only have a handful of gripes. Firstly, the camera can be quite restrictive at times, especially when playing co-operative; it's hard to pan around and see where you need to go next. The other issue is the music; it's terribly repetitive and does nothing for the game whatsoever. It's not cutesy, it's not funky, it's just malformed - a form of torture for the ears, mutated if you will. The sound effects on the other hand are spot on and, as you'd expect, usually over the top to fit the cartoon style, while the voiceovers are excellent, bringing the slapstick comedy to life.

Crash: Mind Over Mutant is a fun game, colourful and beautifully presented, with an engaging combat system that includes mutants to control, which deliver moments of pure satisfaction. The game is definitely too easy for more experienced gamers, and even younger ones will probably find the whole thing a bit of a doddle, but there's a lot to be said for a game that you can just pick up and play, while the combination of comedic elements that will have kids rolling around in laughter and the co-op mode makes this a winner. Banjo-Kazooie is probably be the better choice on Xbox 360 but you can't go too far wrong this Christmas for the youngsters with Mind Over Mutant.

Reviewed by Dexter Pearson for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).