Was it Good? - Croc: Legend of the Gobbos

[@ambrite]

Croc wears a backpack because it's adorable, leave him alone

[@CsubAzUrmedve]

I played this game as a kid, but I was never able to complete it. It was not just the game being hard; somehow this game made me depressed. I don't know why. It's strange to read that I was not alone with this problem. I remember deep sadness when I'm looking at this game.

[@rafadydkiemmacha7543]

Let me guess - you played it without the music on?

[@Polomance862]

I've a feeling you played this game, or got this game during a tumultuous moment in your life. Whether something happened, or a particular stress occurred. Or maybe its a sort of reminder in said childhood. A buried memory perhaps?

[@CsubAzUrmedve]

@@Polomance862 Perhaps. I don't remember unfortunately.

[@TheTGOAC]

Maybe you were just a sad ass kid

[@ano2101]

I heard the music in this video and my memory’s comeback auch a good time sadly I just had the demo on psx great music

[@fearhunger3983]

The sound design of this game was fantastic. Everyone who played the game is probably taken back 20+ years when they hear Croc's "Ka-Boom!!", "Ka-Pow!" and "Ka-Splat!"

[@MateriaGirl]

hot soup

[@Dong_Harvey]

@@MateriaGirl poor dude's just hungry and his dad isn't there to make him some nice hot soup

[@brandonsumner6494]

If she don't recognize that "Ka-Splat!" she aint the one.

[@TheJacklikesvideos]

@@brandonsumner6494 she too young

[@benturtl9076]

Don't forget the "Ha-suh!"

[@tastelesscow6605]

You just hit me with so much emotions...my grandparents had an old PS1 and that was my introduction to gaming. I played the greats like crash and crash racing but those never disappeared with their popularity. This game though, I totally forgot about. Seeing this video pop up I immediately remembered all those memories associated with playing this game at my grandparents. I started to cry as my grandma just passed away a few months ago, the last of my grandparents, and I still am grieving. It's amazing what memories can be attached too, but I remember very vividly my grandma helping me play since I was too young and being so enamored by the colors of those gem things when you collected them. I never beat the game though, maybe I'll emulate it and finally get around to doing it...I miss you grandma, thank you for all the love and memories.

[@YesOkayButWhy]

Your grandparents had a PS1? What ages were they?? Cool.

[@hwLUke]

Almost every single game on this channel is a nostalgic game from my childhood that i spent countless hours playing and loved the crap out of it. Love the content. Every time a new video drops it's like christmass

[@evi6199]

Then the 2-1 Snow level music plays which sounds christmasy

[@Maggerama]

It's about half of them for me. But the thing is, nostalgia doesn't matter. It doesn't even matter whether I liked the game in question or if I share Josh's opinion on it - each video is still a great watch. Now, that is true mastery.

[@OsKuukkeli]

I'm just waiting for Medievil and Alundra

[@shoobzy3431]

Wish I was apart of that ngl, all I can do is look for pc ports of these games in a sad attempt to see what gaming was like back then.

[@pigglewiggle175]

It's intentional. He's having a mid-life crisis and replaying the old games from his demo discs

[@silverwing4153]

Croc was weird. It made me sad when I first started but the more I saved the gobbos the happier I got. Even though it was incredibly lonely.

[@xbrthrhdx]

lol I just said the same exact thing almost.

[@TheSoulPlaneShow]

so true

[@TheDualTatorz]

I know Josh mentioned how he used to be a teacher, but throughout this series, it feels like he is grading somebody's paper. Pointing out what is good, what makes it good, and doing the same with the bad. As someone trying to become a teacher myself, its always kind of funny when I notice moments that sound like that xD

[@kfk4441]

I agree

[@nidungr3496]

I love how they implemented the gobbos as simply two sprites with feet and eyes.

[@garyskippracing]

I feel like the backpack could have been easily justified by animating the gems being placed inside. Or even pseudo cheating the effect by having the flap open and close so it at least looked like they were going inside, at these low frame rates that could be made convincing, even if fully animating it was problematic.

[@Capydapy]

I always thought as a kid that the Gobbos went inside the backpack ?! Don't they spin around and go into his backpack ??

[@kellyleigh6393]

@@Capydapy maybe that's just in Croc 2, that's the one I played as a kid, and I remember the same thing.

[@Capydapy]

@@kellyleigh6393 oooh yes maybe my brain got it mixed up with Croc 2 lol

[@117green11]

It's probably the first thing they thought of when redesigning the model to croc as Yoshi has a shell on his back.

[@dr.c2195]

His backpack was already justified. You really needed an animation to make it clear to you that he uses his packpack to store what he collects? Why? Where else did you think he would store it? His ass? He is naked except for his backpack. It is pretty obvious that he uses his backpack for storing loot.

[@Lopitra]

If Croc does anything that is specifically Croc, it is the music and artstyle. Those are the most unique and memorable bits of the game.

[@Victorcolongarcia]

Exactly my thoughts

[@bloodletterable]

That musical nostalgia hit. This, medievil and gex the gecko were the games of my childhood.

[@lordovthorn2747]

26:33 came out AFTER Mario 64 after being in Development since BEFORE Mario 64 because it was originally developed as a Yoshi game for the ill fated and never made Nintendo Playstation which was so succeed the SNES. Croc was literally dev'd as a Mario-universe tie in title.

[@divinkitty9452]

Here's my reason for replaying Croc: He is so cuuuute. Such an adorable mascot. If I got this game as a kid I would spend hours on end playing this just to see Croc.

[@ike804]

Funnily enough, this was actually a thing since the game was first released. It was really popular with women simply because of how many of them though Croc was adorable

[@dr.c2195]

I love Croc's look, too. He is one of those "cute but cool" mascots like Pikachu and Sonic, but IMO cuter than both of the other 2. And he does it all while still looking cool and adventurous.

[@Danosauruscrecks]

My math note book from the year is riddled with croc and gobbos

[@KingLich451]

Who could have guessed a crocodile could be so cute

[@watermelonineasterhay]

I love his little noises ❤

[@elsast7865]

Don't know why but I always remembered Croc as the saddest platformer. I recall a mood of deep loneliness crossing its various levels. Did anyone had that feel too ?

[@ekonsupra7425]

Yep, is for the music (with many bemols) and the empty worlds...

[@TecknoVicking]

That's one of the reason I couldn't finish it at the time.

[@isqueirosbic]

I think on the PC version you could choose not to install the music, thus it would be very empty. That's how I remember playing it, with no music

[@jordangoodison9673]

My guy what was your childhood like?

[@boodahbass]

try rayman 2! very forlorn but very magical world

[@scimir2316]

I haven't played most of those games you review on this channel but honestly this quickly became one of my favourite video series. I like the way you voice your videos, the choice of games and overall how much effort you put into this content.

[@ecyor0]

interestingly enough, while the tank steering is awkward, I distinctly remember the combination of the tank controls and 180° flip being VERY satisfying once you got the hang of it.

[@treytavares1727]

Takes a bit for me to get used to when I play it after a long break, but it really does work with the level design.

[@mikedobinson1388]

I remember if you did a 180 as you were sprinting it was more of a flip that you did - very cool!

[@Gagneto]

Considering Croc and Banjoo are less than a year apart and how development cycles work it might be just a coincidence that the jigsaw pieces are similar, rather than inspired by

[@louieberg2942]

I feel this goes for several similarities. I think some of the things labelled "inspiration" are simply convergent evolution.

[@russmawson6744]

100%

[@gameswithtoasty3246]

I remember this game creeping me out at a kid. The weird, boxed in worlds, lifeless enemies and weird musical jiggs mixed together to make me feel uneasy. The weird boxing boss used to give me nightmares. His entire design, to this day, creeps me out.

[@HauntedAbysss]

Same it was extremely Extremely unnerving... I had several bad dreams aswell. But I did dream of croc in a Spryro world and it was magnificent. I never went to play it again after that dream as I couldn't face the empty voids of the world's after ice Island.

[@Disconn3cted]

Glad to see that other people experienced it as well

[@GeneralxWinter]

Love that this is a universal experience. As many nightmares as i had of that boss i still have the fondest memory of this game

[@apieceoftoast768]

Same. I think Croc 2 was a lot more open and charming.

[@TheHankScorpio]

For me it was Platform Pete, I used to have dreams of an endless spiral of his rotating platforms

[@Abedeuss]

Holy shit, when 4:10 music started playing I just got with a massive wave of nostalgia, don't remember last time I felt it. Almost got dizzy. Great game, never finished it as I had no patience as a child, but I should definitely try to go for it soon.

[@HauntedAbysss]

1000% knock you over. I got chills myself. I remember falling asleep as a kid infront of my TV and this tune coming on over and over in my dream because of the screen saver.

[@Kieranh778]

Fun fact: I got this, on Sega Saturn, when the game came out and the Saturn version of the game actually shipped with a bug that made Croc's head invisible..but you could still see the eyes. So it was just a body with floating eyes, running around. How a bug that apparent, could go through any kind of testing is beyond me lol

[@metalbobted]

Yep I had this too, but was able to fix it by ejecting the disk door so you were directed to the Saturn menu and launching the game from there, then the head would appear. No idea how this fixed it 😂

[@B727X]

It’s cuz only losers bought the Saturn compared to a PlayStation so they didn’t bother

[@stewroo]

@@B727X I hope for the sake of the species that you never have any power in this world.

[@TearTheRoof0ff]

@@B727X Guardian Heroes.

[@LutraLovegood]

There could be many reasons, like not enough QA, not enough time and money to fix it, the bug being particularly difficult to fix, etc. Game development is rather complicated with a lot of nebulous goals.

[@travislee5039]

The game's real secret? You could put the game disc into your CD player and jam out to the soundtrack

[@stormevans6897]

No way

[@IamR3D88]

Lots of old PS1 games did that actually. Just have to skip track 1 (where the data is)

[@jamielockdown]

Funnily enough I had it on PC, and being a dumb child I didn't realize it wouldn't work on my friend's PS1. However, the music did (as would any audio cd)

[@stolensentience]

Most ps1 games had this “secret”

[@KopperNeoman]

All orange book CDs can do that.

[@pixelated_jefe]

I would love to see you do one of Tomba or Tomba 2. The 3D style with the 2D sprites are just legendary.

[@NagaTales]

Holy shit. This was the first Home Console video game I ever played. I haven't even hit play yet, and the nostalgia just from seeing the thumbnail was enough to stop whatever irrelevant train of thought I was on prior to seeing it xD

[@tribalmentang]

The main theme still rings in my head and I've been humming it for well over 20 years

[@chromasus9983]

Oh now this is a treat. Despite its flaws, Croc 1 is extremely nostalgic to me, and it especially has a soundtrack that's just beyond beautiful and atmospheric for the time.

[@ian10064]

I couldn’t agree more!!

[@wormerine8029]

Croc1 had no flaws! It was a perfect action adventure ;-). Actually scratch that. Those snake things popping up from wells gave me nightmares.

[@ninochaosdrache3189]

@@wormerine8029 Forget the worms, those reapers in the castle haunt me to this day.

[@MarkOfTzeentch]

Playstation 1 came with a copy of croc and i played it until the cd broke.. loved it

[@postRMO]

yeah I came back after watching the tomb raider video to see. Couldnt be happier. Me and my bro got so deep into this.

[@StayNightGaming]

Man I absolutely loved Croc as a kid. I truly can't even remember if I ever beat it but there was something about the music, the exploration and level design that I think was the real catalyst that slingshot me into RPGs in general

[@josephvanwyk2088]

I loved this game as a kid. It was super immersive - despite how it looks. (I also believe this was popular due to the 3D. Back then it was mostly 2D scrawlers.)

[@TheDapperDragon]

I highly recommend Tomba (Or Tombi) or Klonoa for a Was it Good. Hugely interesting games, with Klonoa being one of my most scarring video game childhood memories.

[@arstulex]

I would really prefer if you'd be quiet

[@r.henryjr.1533]

@@arstulex The heck did he do to you?

[@GabsSeravat]

As a kid I used to love playing Croc 2 and Gex: Enter the Gecko, so watching this video made me pretty nostalgic!

[@MarcosQ24]

me too, i used to think they were related or something

[@YesOkayButWhy]

​@@MarcosQ24 Gex is married to Croc's sister.

[@YesOkayButWhy]

My two favourites when I was young along with Crash. ❤

[@EhhmmmNo]

I played this so much as a kid. THE most garbage handling I experienced on a platformer in my younger years (and there was a lot of competition for that), but really fun vibes!

[@lordhellstrande7188]

Yeah...the handling of this game is absolute ass but is still rather fun

[@InsanityForce]

Mine was Rascal...

[@0x2480]

the croc 'definitive edition' mod adds analog controls, you should check it out

[@ryllian1]

@@0x2480 I swear croc already had analog controls for movement at least?

[@croweycroweycroweycr]

@@ryllian1 croc 2 did i believe

[@theFado96]

Her: "I don't give any mixed signals." Her signals: *The Croc password*

[@MasterSorez]

This was actually the first game I ever played in my life, so this holds a super special place in my heart

[@SymbioteMullet]

I played the saturn version, which had an amusing glitch where croc's head, except for his eyes and the tip of his nose would be invisible. And also the arms and legs of the gobbos and enemies, and everything but the wings of the end of level bird. There was an easy fix, but that glitch and the altered aesthetic it caused really stuck with me.

[@GooseGumlizzard]

One of the most nostalgic games for me from when I was very young.

[@coreym8145]

No way.. I cant believe you will do this one! I loved this game as a kid.. Croc, Mario 64, Banjo, Spyro and Crash were my childhood games lol

[@antonjohansson3819]

Yeah, only did last 2 games as a kid, remember the differences, Crash(Warped) was the fast one where you had to run through tunnels and got a bazooka and faster boots at end. Also liked the vehicle levels as they were different. The time travel was cool reason for different levels. Spyro was the one with gliding, fire breatth and charge. A bit more open levels and more natural flying levels.

[@Vverp265]

Once you said Croc was supposed to be a Yoshi game all the similarities with Yoshi's Island became pretty clear. The levels, 8 stages per world with 2 bosses and mechanics to unlock hidden levels.

[@jacuul6735]

This, King's Field, and the early Armoured Core games were some of those games that were not reviewed well at the time and noone played that I still hold fondly in my heart. If Josh is into JRPGs I would love for him to review Kartia: The Word of Fate, Golden Sun, or Lunar 2. I played the hell out of those and never have anyone to talk to about them

[@Silverman160Zero]

I jumped extremely late on the Golden Sun train. But damn do I love them now.

[@fireflocs]

+1 for Kartia. It's a great turn-based strategy game.

[@ArkBlanc]

Golden Sun 1 and 2, fuck yeah

[@alecciarosewater7438]

oh i would love to watch him dunk on golden sun

[@phimuskapsi]

​ @devildark Legend of Dragoon, Front Mission 3, Star Ocean, so many good ones.

[@michaelcalvin42]

I had forgotten how good the music in this game was. I found that I remembered each song you showed after hearing just a few notes (thanks for jogging my memory on where a few of those tunes I've hummed randomly over the years came from.)

[@MagicalMike2]

Wouldn't have remembered any of the music from when I played as a kid, but the quirky shouts that Croc does are forever burned in memory. Thanks for having an entire section dedicated to them.

[@coolfool4439]

Croc was my Childhood Game (tm) since I didn't own any consoles, just played it on pc. Ashamed to admit that shackled prisoner was so terrifying to me I never made it past him. Thank you for showing me the rest of the game lmao Great vid!

[@GreyWolfLeaderTW]

Croc was made by Argonaut Software. AKA the boys who helped Nintendo make the original Star Fox and got the 3D technology they needed to transition from the Super Nintendo to the Nintendo 64 going. Argonaut did a lot of classic hidden gem work, including Stunt Race FX, the Emperor's New Groove (PS1), Alien Resurrection, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (PS1), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (PS1), and I-Ninja.

[@DR3ADER1]

And they still exist, technically. They're now two studios. Before their closure in 2004, their Cambridge studio was developing the groundwork for Heavenly Sword, and thanks to UK law being very strange, were reformed as Ninja Theory by Argonaut's original founder, Jez San. The main Edgware studio would move south to Kentish Town, and in December 2004, two of Argonaut's former producers, Sefton Hill and Jamie Walker, would form Rocksteady.

[@stolensentience]

Wow so nothing but derivative games

[@Froggeh92]

I ninja rocked

[@Flotton]

Seeing it as abandonware is really unfortunate, but knowing it's available I'd recommend playing it! I relived some lovely memories replaying it over the last week and while it is a flawed game, you can really appreciate the art and the design here Awesome video man ❤️👍

[@RixsEmporium]

I absolutely loved this game! Even my mum said they should do a remake of it since she loved it too haha. I really hadn't noticed till now though that it really is just a conglomeration of a bunch of other games haha. However you have made me remember the absolutely amazing music and noises Croc makes

[@Life_Is_Decay]

An instant smile came across my face when you played the music in the beginning. This game was my absolute favorite as a kid.

[@RDBcheckout]

When i was little i got Croc for my birthday. The moment i got it my sister lent it to the neighbours girl who broke the disc. I never played Croc and im still mad today.

[@DonTinker]

You did it Josh, your resurrected Croc 🫡

[@MaximillionPegasus88]

I immediately thought of this video from Josh when i heard the news

[@yhvrfc32]

Wow, croc was a big part of my childhood, great soundtrack.. i think the music needs more praise, it has so much heart and atmosphere in it compared to other games. Cant wait until you do Metal Gear Solid 1 !

[@richardpreston7333]

My favourite anecdote about Croc is that they pitched it to Nintendo, who said no, and when Super Mario 64 came out somebody from Nintendo went up to them at (I think) E3 and basically went "Yeah... sorry."

[@gamingchinchilla7323]

I believe that was Shigeru Miyamoto himself. That's the story I heard anyway.

[@midnightkiteflight6333]

I will defend Croc until my dying breath. This game was sick. Might play it this afternoon.

[@anxietyfox4322]

Hell yeah brother.

[@BEAT.SWEATS]

same 100%

[@aaronbasham6554]

So did you?

[@midnightkiteflight6333]

@@aaronbasham6554 Haha can't remember if I played it that afternoon, but I have played it in the last few weeks. It's good fun once you get used to the weird controls.

[@robinhoekstra2845]

@@midnightkiteflight6333 where can i find it?

[@Easelgames]

It's important to note that part of the reason the tank controls in Croc are frustrating but not in Tomb Raider.. Is because of the level design. Most of TR has wide open spaces or tight caves with no falling. Croc is very small spaces with death tiles everywhere (be it falling, lava, etc) and that's not to mention the terrible hit detection, AND the respawning enemies. These factors all combine for a very frustrating control scheme.

[@Nexiusify]

I loved this game as a kid, I was so thrilled when I finally beat it. So cute and magical.

[@noisegavot9473]

Seeing that dashing enemy with the fire trail got me haha. I remember that so clearly. I played this game so many times thinking there was more to it. Always felt like there was more to this game.

[@tovick1643]

Croc was the very first game I ever got! I got a ps1 for my 7 th birthday, and croc as a game! Later that year i got Rayman, and my next birthday i got Spyro the dragon! Those 3 games were so meaningful to me in any way shape or form!

[@blushunt]

I enjoy your videos even if I'm not personally familiar with the game just because the amount of effort you put into editing and scripting is so impressive. However, I wait for Pandemonium to appear in this series soooo much! This game might not be so well-known but it was my childhood favourite. Thank you for doing fantastic work!

[@MystM]

On the point of some things with no context in this game: One of the bosses in this game explodes into the Crystals that Croc collects, maybe referring to the fact that The Crystals can become bad guys? The final secret boss is a Crystal Dante as is the entire island, so it might sense within Croc's lore that The Crystals can become baddies? I think Spyro The Dragon did something similar a year later of turning Gems into Gnorcs? Also the story behind this game inspiring other games such as Mario64 is facinating. The pitch to create a 3D platformer to Nintendo was first by Argonaut Games. Then Nintendo went cold in relations and beat them to the punch by one year with the idea they pitched. Explains why there's still mushroom kingdom assets in Croc.

[@sable_nova]

Croc! I was playing so much Crash and Spyro, I never got the chance to finish this gem. Sweet video. Takes me back!

[@benjaminwinkler1035]

What a legend, even if croc lost the poll he still brings it

[@pinkius]

On 38:26, I think that having that jazzy and fun music in a dark and scary villian's castle is like playing "Careless Whisper" on a funeral.

[@mattn561]

This game gave me my love of depressing melancholic atmosphere. The game over screen felt like you failed everyone and the light was dying out. Looking at the distant dark skybox while the music played felt like I was looking at a dying abandoned world in shadow. Loved it

[@sboy1024]

Huh I played this game a ton as a kid and am also quite fond of that aesthetic. Don't really recall the game over screen (or much about the game really) might have to boot it up and check it out again.

[@wiceorc5105]

Why are you saying croc was depressing or melancholic? It is opposite of depressing and melancholic. It´s hard for me to imagine people who see this world upside down like from a mirror.

[@bewsket]

i had the very similar impression especially with night and sunset levels, but not depressing, just melancholic. The skyboxes always played with our imagination with worlds unreachable and conveyed some kind of emotion.

[@Japhet_]

@@wiceorc5105no but ironically he’s right . As much as I love this game it has this depressing sad vibe to it , it’s probably because of the sad music and the vapid voids in the background and the dark skyboxes. Also there’s no real dialogue and the enemies seem lifeless

[@wiceorc5105]

@@Japhet_ No it doesnt, but you're propably differently emotionally attached. You propably didnt play croc in the early 2000 on pc when it was new. It was zero sadness. I think your opinion of sadness comes from how you were then in early 2000s. you propably bullied people who liked croc and now you feel sorry for because you saw your actions were not righteous.

[@mvickers03]

Got yourself a sub. Thanks for not having an annoying narrating voice. Love the format. Great content. Excellent game.

[@zakarylorrain7422]

The ice level skybox might be foreshadowing honestly. The next world is a desert world I saw a cactus, their is a castle level which you might be seeing in the distance and not sure about the mushrooms.

[@austinwiebe3801]

I get what you're saying but the things seen in the skybox are all around you, meaning that the ice world would be inside the desert world lol. Perhaps it was intentional; perhaps not. Regardless, doesn't make much sense.

[@samgerdes4962]

omg Josh thanks so much for this one! I still listen to the music of this game today, such a good OST!

[@GenuineExtalia]

Croc was my first platformer and gotta agree with Josh. It is an amazing experience if you're inexperienced. But, even to this day I absolutely adore how Croc looks as a game. The starry sky in distance (when appropriate) and the music is just... it's good! For what it does have, and for my deep nostalgia aswell, Croc will be in my memories always.

[@Naridar8784]

24:15 Being knocked off doesn't depend on the distance from the enemy. It depends on whether you're moving or not: in a (fairly large) range, if you're moving when the enemy stomps, you fall. If you stand still, the enemy could stomp right above you and you would keep hanging. The game doesn't tell you this, and it took a LOT of experimentation and grey hairs to find out.

[@thevarietypacksnaxx405]

Idk why but this guys retrospectives are uniquely amazing

[@misterkefir]

Agreed. There is some kind of charm to them that you won't get anywhere else. Good stuff.

[@SamuelKeelerWoW]

You are very good at understanding the thought that went into game desgin. Not just looking at was the game good, but understanding why the developers made the descions they made. Keep it up! These videos are fantatsic!

[@MrVilla124]

What a game this was. I spent countless hours playing this as a kid!

[@LukeZalvino]

The audio and visual sensory stimulation in this game are S tier

[@Laszlo5897]

If I remember correctly, this game was supposed to come out before Mario64, but then it didn't, which greatly altered the game's reception.

[@TheOsitoRocks]

Ummm Do you have a source for that claim? The dates dont add up.

[@_-Lx-_]

@@TheOsitoRocks Look it up, there's videos covering it, IIRC the devs wanted to make a Yoshi game exploring the new third dimension but Nintendo then turned them down and *allegedly* "borrowed" a handful of code and ideas for Mario 64. The devs had to retool a lot of things and ended up releasing the game late, they intended for it to be the first proper 3D Platformer but it ended up coming out after competition had already arrived. So when Josh says about the game being derivative and inspired of others it's quite possibly incorrect, though maybe the devs added some ideas later in development but the majority was their own thinking.

[@Volfur2251]

@@TheOsitoRocks Actually the prototype release of croc came out years before mario64 and is actually what inspired its creation in the first place and even used the camera system from croc in the process

[@Tetrige]

This game was tough as shit back in the day as a kid. These videos are great, Josh! I look forward to them every week.

[@dronessential]

I played a lot of this as a kid. I remember imagining what it's like to visit all those far off landscapes that can be seen in the background of various levels :)

[@swearingbear3183]

And here I thought nobody else played this game and I somehow manifested it into existence. What a good childhood I had.

[@kewldude23xx]

You're absolutely right , this game was an amalgamation of ideas from other games . I completed the game 100% and I did enjoy playing it but I never played the second game because I predicted it would be more of the same either from the previous game or other games

[@187Streak]

Its fascinating how this man drops 3 hour long edited videos in a month, while for some other channels I have to wait 2 months for a 10 min video.

[@JoshStrifePlays]

I've got the main mmo channel, this retro channel and the twitch streams, and thanks to the patreon / twitch sub support, I'm able to put all my focus into making content :)

[@ninochaosdrache3189]

@@JoshStrifePlays Don't you feel some kind of burnout, when you do nothing else than analysing games?

[@AngelFluff723]

@@ninochaosdrache3189 probably, same as everyone does at work. Probably helps he actually enjoys his job!

[@MrZarnach]

Soviet?

[@_XR40_]

@@MrZarnach Isn't a _soviet_ a Russian napkin?

[@boazplays7239]

Your comment about single-use early secrets (the looking behind you at the start of the level), and that reminds me of Pokemon. There was one or two trash cans in the franchise that has something in it, but every Pokemon player has learned to check EVERY TRASH CAN IN THE GAME just in case.

[@trillz90]

I am literally laughing out loud due to how I said to myself “he has to mention something about how amazing the theme song is” right as I clicked on the video. Thankfully, I was not let down. 😂

[@Danimal4114]

Just discovered this channel and I have to say, I love your way of presenting! A hit right in the nostalgia every time and all the frustration/glee that it entails! Your doing good work and you just got a new subscriber!

[@Gokkee]

Mhmm croc is such a gem :) Not the best, flashiest or most nostalgic gem, but a treasure from a different time :) Croc 2 is just awesome in exactly the same way :D

[@thoughtsauce7225]

I love your reviews man. I think you really take the time to understand each game you play extremely thoroughly. Which in turn makes each consecutive review better because you’re able to draw on your knowledge and experience on prior games to deliver a unique and highly intelligent video. There’s a lot of pseudo-intelligent reviewers who try to make essays to make themselves seem smarter than they truly are. Yours sincerely shows your natural genius. Cannot get enough.

[@RelentlessOhiox]

I loved the darkish feeling in this game. The music is fantastic too. I remember getting this for Christmas in 97. I put quite a bit of time into it.

[@griffya8364]

Absolutely loved Croc 1 & 2 as a kid. Favourite thing to do was ground pound off a cliff just to hear "Wahey, WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH". I remember entering some compeition thing for the Beano where they gave away a Croc lunchbox and keyring plushie for the second game. Great vid though, as always!

[@ndSpaz]

The thing I like about this game is the thing it has over it's contemporaries. The atmosphere.

[@Colak01]

This video unlocked a very old memory for me and I want to share for nostalgia reasons. Back in 1999, I got my first PC, and slowly discovered the local pirated game market(we didn't know they were pirated copies tbh) I remember seeing this game and begging mum to buy it, had no idea on platforming elements or what the game is, just liked the "green dragon" on the cover art. Up until 99, I only knew NES games. I installed the game with much anticipation(Game didn't require any kind of crack and just run). I pressed space and/or enter to go the main menu and started the game. The image of Initial screen where you look to a road and several gems are burned to my head. Because, for some unknown reason, game had no keybinds for keyboard(Learned this much later). I pressed every key in the keyboard and found that "." and "," keys work for strafe left and right, and I cannot do anything else. I remember being disappointed a lot but haven't given up just there. No lie, I wasted for about 3 hours to figure out how to move croc(I spoke no English and anything but the start game in the menu meant nothing for me :) ) With much frustration I closed the game. I've tried almost every day, with no luck on what to do. After some time later, I lend the game to my cousin. About a month later, when they visited, with much excitement this time, he shouted something translated to " I FIGURED IT OUT THE CROC GAME, YOU HAVE TO SET KEYS TO MOVES" and showed me the "options" menu and key binding options. After that It was like magic, I played this game every day. Checking out the walkthrough today, it took me almost a week to pass to the point where people pass under an hour :) I was bad at playing but It did not matter for me, It was fun as hell. I remember being stuck on the ladybug boss and again my cousin figured out that you need to jump on his belly(We knew no English and there wasn't any internet access or any kind of guide or walkthrough accessible for us, back then, finishing games were commendable feats among the kids :) ). Finally with the cousin's help, I remember finishing the final stage and finishing the game. I can't remember what happened to that game, probably bartered it with another game, but the memory and music stuck with me. I personally want to thank you Josh, for this nostalgia trip.

[@rodneyabrett]

I played this one when it was released. I was in college at the time. Surprisingly ahead of its time and strangely addicting. One of the first 3d platformers on the Playstation. They were very creative with the limited polycount. Characters all look really appealing.

[@TheVRSofa]

This game was my childhood. i was about 6 or 7 when i played, loved this video dude. earned a sub from me!

[@Blobby90]

I never actually played Croc 1 but I loved Croc 2. The squid boss in the sequel was so fun

[@nikovbn839]

4:02 this music... Oh, memories :D I played the hell out of Croc 2 when I was a smol Gamer :D I love it to death

[@Audiojack_]

It seems like a very programmer-driven game, suffering a bit from the "look at this cool thing I wrote today"-syndrome. Brilliant engine and very versatile mechanics, but the game makes rather limited use of everything.

croc needs a remaster

[@ducklabsgaming4676]

It was.

[@ducklabsgaming4676]

@ Be careful what you wish for :)

[@Japhet_]

There’s a remake on the way .

[@mafiousbj]

Damn....it's amazing how the brain keeps thing hidden and suddenly the slightest trigger makes a flood of memories come back! As soon as that intro movie and menu music started playing all my memories of this game and the hours spent on it (on PC since I didn't own "modern" consoles back then, just a NES) came pouring back into my brain. Thanks for the nostalgia trip! Even as a kid I knew this game was nothing special in the grand scheme of things but it was what I had and I enjoyed it immensely!

[@franciscobrisolladeoliveir9596]

Jesus Christ, this game was a huge part of my childhood. Shame it doesn't seem to have aged so gracefully but still, I'm so thankful for this little game

[@IamaPERSON]

Congrats on the heart

[@AronHallan]

You played pretty much the same games from my childhood, can't wait to hear your take on Tekken3, i think it still holds up today, it's still a pretty good game.

[@fenrissilverfang8419]

Aaaah I remember this! If you liked it as a jump and run I really recommend having a look at pandemonium as well cause the first one was pretty neat but also a little hidden quite unusual gem of a game simply called 'Spider: The video game' which ... is pretty damn unique in terms of setting and has some pretty fun design choices. Not perfect for sure, but something i still fondly remember for its atmosphere and also pretty banger soundtrack.

[@JasoniusRexington]

I'll tell you this, Josh Strife Hayes, as fascinating, immersive, and thought-provoking as fictional worlds can be, oftentimes the human side of the story, the chronicle of making this strange jumble of lights our brains somehow recognize as a "reality not our own," and the creative minds behind such worlds. Man, I am agog that Croc has a connection to Otherland! I loved that series. Thank you for investigating and providing all of these amazing stories, not just of the games themselves, but the stories about the humans that created these worlds. Whether the game is good or not, sometimes the story of how a game is made can equal or exceed this threshold.

[@sketchy-gio]

Interesting thing not mentioned, but knowing that there's a lot of format similarities with Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (which would have been this Croc's immediate predecessor had it been a Yoshi game). 1. Yoshi's island has a map screen that is extremely similar to the one in Croc (except it's just one big island that rotates). 2. Collecting all the collectibles in a world (a score of 100 on each level) would unlock an Extra 2 stages for that world. Also while not the same pitch, or noises as Yoshi, they feel like they are in the same vein but would have been altered. Pretty cool to see how features would have gotten re-adapted.

[@minmogrovingstrongandhealthy]

What Nintendo did was basically stolen the prototype and reused the engine and basically most things into Mario64 and bunch of other games ... this company on top of being cancelled never got paid for their time while working at Nintendo. This was a low tier team and they hogged everything off to a more known team for better sales. "this game was made by - insert famous devs names here - " typical gimmick ... There is not a single Mario or Zelda game in general that is original in any way, all of them are rip offs of something else ... And same can be said for every other Nintendo game too. Overpriced ripoffs.

[@captainmega6310]

@@minmogrovingstrongandhealthy Idk sounds like cap

[@TH3CAMGUY]

At 42:20 "Croc wears a backback because Lara Croft wears one" honestly as a kid I just assumed that's where he puts his gems. Perhaps he stores them somewhere else though? 🤔

[@catierambles]

"What direction do you think this is referring to?" Me looking at the giant yellow L "Left." "It's pointing to the right, so it must mean right, right?" "No, it means left." "It's actually left." "....."

[@nocberry7797]

I also said left, but i questioned if the developers had a left-right weakness in the same moment xD

[@TheHankScorpio]

To counter your thoughts on the Skybox in world 2 (around 28:00), to me everything in the skybox is present in the 4 worlds; plants from the forest world 1, maybe stonehenge is ice blocks from Ice World 2 (bit of a stretch but ice is hard to silouhette), a sort of Cactus looking plant from the desert world 3, and the medieval architecture from the Castle in world 4. It's been a while since I played Croc, but I can see other skybox designs used in other levels, however that also may make my idea wrong seeing as this specific skybox appears in the other worlds (aside from sky colour changes that seem to occur).

[@gjits5307]

For some reason this game was installed on the single classroom computer in my 5th grade classroom. Needless to say, on rainy "indoor recess" days it was a very hot commodity. Who got to use it was left to the social order of 11 year olds. Thankfully, this was long enough ago that only 8 or 10 people were willing to play video games in front of their peers, risking being called a "geek" or "nerd" Even so, I'd be surprised if anyone got more than a couple hours of playtime over the school year. Lunch recess was out of the classroom, so this was strictly limited to 15 minute recess and only on rainy days. I wonder which teacher or district IT guy installed it, why, and whether they knew they were creating one of *those* video game memories for a handful of 11 year olds. In the kid prison that is school, it really felt like we were free in a way that wandering around a fenced in playground didn't.

[@YesOkayButWhy]

💚

[@timalk2097]

Similarly when I was a kid my parents bought me my 1st ever PC and this game came installed on it. Good memories ❤

[@codysnowden231]

Seeing this for some reason made the game "Gex" pop back into existence in my brain 😂 couldn't even tell you which one because I'm sure there have been many. But man I loved that game as a kid

[@KeiGambit]

This game was my childhood, literally. Shit took me like 5 years to complete!