To appreciate this HD remaster, it helps to understand the time it was released. Arriving in 1997 on PS1, making it a relatively early release for the system, its main competition was the original Crash Bandicoot. While a decent enough platformer, Crash’s corridor-like nature made it feel far more linear than the platform games N64 owners were enjoying, including the genre-defining Super Mario 64. It seems developer Argonaut were looking to one-up Naughty Dog with Croc, offering something with more freedom. 1996’s Tomb Raider also appears to be an influence, with one of the bigger selling points being Croc’s large range of moves, such as swimming. He is a crocodile, after all.
But there was another genre standout waiting in the wings – 1998’s Spyro the Dragon, which went on to deliver the full free-roaming experience once believed the PS1 was incapable of.
Croc falls into a strange place between the two; more open than Crash, but far more restrictive than Spyro. You could also argue that 1999’s Ape Escape topped the lot. In short, the PS1 platformer scene was fast moving, and this arrived around the time Nintendo had just shown the world how a 3D platformer should look and feel, leading to imitators. Croc, however, was far more successful than most, both commercially and critically. The SEGA Saturn version was particularly admired, helping to fill the void made by the cancelled Sonic Xtreme, and showing off what the console could do with a talented team behind it – with Croc coming from the masterminds behind the Super Nintendo’s Star Fox.
Now we’re in the right headspace, what do we have here? Croc: Legend of the Gobbos isn’t a remake, but rather a relatively straightforward HD remaster. It has a modern control scheme (the original had tank controls, hence the Tomb Raider comparison) and the textures are now razor sharp, with the resolution bumped to 4K. New lighting effects have been implemented – most noticeable when near lava – and it’s possible to toggle between old and new textures via the pause menu. The HD makeover makes the world appropriately cartoon like, but also oddly sterile at the same time. If you’re expecting environmental features such as fuzzy grass textures, you’re in for disappointment. Underwater sections are particularly sparse; featureless expanses with just 2-3 enemies swimming in circles. What we wouldn’t give for a few strands of seaweed.
Croc himself remains uncharismatic yet oddly likeable; a quintessentially British hero who’s more daring than cocky, and never in your face. No annoying catchphrases, just the occasional “wahoo” and “ker-splat!”
Largely, then, it’s just as it was in 1997. Croc was always something made around the constraints of the PS1 (and, presumably, the Saturn) which results in quite a basic experience. Instead of large free-roaming worlds, you’re ushered from one walled-in boxy location to the next, with stages being formed from several rooms stitched together. Every area has a door, and often you’ll need to complete a platforming challenge to reach a key, then return to the past room to unlock it and progress. Moving platforms are a focal point, crumbling, vanishing, shifting in different directions, et al. You’ll also spend a lot of time breaking boxes with Croc’s ground pound, with their tail swipe frustratingly reserved for combat.
The goal of each stage is to find and free the imprisoned fuzzy Gobbos, some of which are hidden in said boxes, and there are also five coloured gems to find that unlock a bonus area located next to the stage’s exit – marked with a gong Croc can tail whip.
Most stages take around five minutes to complete, using boss battles, underwater areas, and bonus mini-games to induce variety. Over the course of the adventure, Croc travels from his woodland home to ice and desert worlds, before descending into the castle belonging to villain Baron Dante. Battles against boss characters are laughable nowadays, mostly involving dodging a single attack before retaliating when they gloat or catch their breath. There’s an achievement/trophy for defeating every boss without taking a hit, which is within easy grasp due to their predictable attack patterns.
Croc’s difficulty level is nevertheless well pitched, and ultimately is the game’s saving grace, as it does feel rather basic by today’s standards. The final levels are appropriately tricky, introducing small platforms that move in different directions and with spikes on their underside. Frustrating moments throughout are also few. Occasionally, an enemy will respawn on top of Croc, with enemies reappearing after 10 seconds or so, and one climbing section took several attempts due to a flying enemy repeatedly knocking Croc into a bottomless abyss. Other than that, it remains quite enjoyable. There’s nothing sinister lurking under its colourful exterior – it’s easy to pick up, and trying to free as many Gobbos as possible is compelling. It doesn’t overstay its welcome either, bowing out after around 5 hours.
This re-release should please any fans of the original, preserving the experience while bringing it up to more modern standards – at least in terms of visuals and controls. It also includes a gallery packed with extras; far more than other recent re-releases. In addition to developer interviews and concept art, you’ll also find TV commercials, merchandise images, magazine scans (GamesMaster represent!) and even a guide to crocheting your own Croc. It’s a neat assortment of artifacts.
But…this re-release is almost exclusively for those who have been longing for Croc to make a comeback. Platforming veterans unfamiliar will likely wonder what all the fuss is about, as it’s an oddly claustrophobic experience for the most part, merely leading players from one walled-off room to the next. Fine for 1997, but not so much in 2025. Unless becoming hooked on trying to find every Gobbo to achieve 100% completion, it probably won’t appeal to today’s audience of platformer fans. If viewed for preservation purposes though, it fares much better – it takes the original and makes it far easier to control while adding a new coat of paint. Expect nothing more and you won’t be disappointed.
Argonaut Games’ Croc Legend of Gobbos is out 2nd April on all formats. Converted by Titanium Studios.