Crocs Really Can Jump!
HIGH An excellent upgrade of a beloved PS1 classic!
LOW A bit too faithful to the decades-old original.
WTF One boss is a merger of a lizard and a cactus?!
It was 1997 when Croc: Legend of the Gobbos made waves as one of the most noteworthy 3D platformers on Sony’s PlayStation 1 console. As a member of the “gamers-in-midlife-crisis” category, I actually have memories of playing the original release back in the day, though Croc 2 pulled me in more — and fingers crossed that one gets a revamp too! Now, almost three decades after the fact, the little light-green crocodile that likes to exclaim “Ker splat!” when doing a tailwhip is back with an improved control scheme, the same selection of awesome tunes, tons of behind-the-scenes content, and… the same discouragingly high difficulty.
So, those who are old enough or retro enough to already be familiar with Croc know what to expect from the remaster — it’s the exact same game, save for the removal of tank controls that have been replaced with a far more intuitive control scheme. This time around, Croc actually goes where we point the analog stick — a crazy concept back in 1997!
As for newcomers, Croc: Legend of the Gobbos Remastered features the titular character who aids the tribe of Gobbos (small furry creatures who raised him as their own) by standing in the way of Baron Dante’s evil plans to conquer all of Forest Island. To do so, Croc has to complete a handful of jumping-challenge oriented stages spaced across four distinctive biomes.
Croc: Remastered’s presentation is fitting given the setting — the cute, colorful theme immediately put me in a good mood, and I also cherished that all of the extra content is unlocked from the get-go. Players can freely inspect a hefty opus of developer video interviews, sketches of the potential (but never realized) Croc TV show, listen to the soundtrack, or check what types of merchandise and other promotional material were produced to bolster the original release. As a result, even those who come across Croc for the first time will instantly get a good sense of how big a deal the game was back in ’97. More importantly, they will also find out why it remains beloved to this day.
In my opinion, Croc: Legend of the Gobbos is one worthy of being called a classic — it’s not just an old title that gets a free pass due to being a member of a dying breed. Even in 2025 (albeit, thanks to the greatly improved and modernized control scheme) controlling Croc is infectiously entertaining.
Clearing chains of increasingly-difficult platforming sections is satisfying due to the healthy amount of challenge present throughout, and there’s a varied scope of enemies, too. Some move in obvious patrolling routes (like bees and worms) while others hold their ground and wait for Croc to make the mistake of landing just in front of them – then they fire a magic blast!
Similar to the ‘rings’ system in Sonic the Hedgehog, Croc can carry up to 100 diamonds in his backpack, and if he gets hit, they spill in all directions. He might not get them all back, but he can grab at least a few before they disappear forever. Of course, getting struck while no diamonds are on Croc’s person will result in loss of a life, but collecting 100 more diamonds grants us another chance. Croc can also scour the levels to find extra lives, although they do tend to remain well hidden.
While Croc has a lot going for it, especially for those who can enjoy the games of previous generations, it’s not a total home run. For instance, most of the bosses are far too simple to be memorable, and a good chunk of the later levels rest on a “trial-and-error” philosophy, practically forcing the player to fail once or twice before finally making it through — though to be fair, none of the levels overstay their welcome.
It’s also worth noting that for a game ostensibly created with younger audiences in mind, the set of challenges needed to unlock the ‘real’ ending is far too much. During the endgame, the final pickup of the stage is usually locked inside an elaborate challenge map that must be completed as fast as possible, and we are only given a single try to do so. If we do not reach the goal in time, we cannot attempt the challenge again unless we opt to replay the entire level from scratch. Needless to say, this puts an immense amount of pressure on the player as the final levels are no joke. Thankfully, completing these gauntlets is not necessary to roll credits.
In addition, Croc‘s four biomes don’t merely introduce a new color coating – they all come with fundamental characteristics and ‘flavors’, making exploring them a joy. For instance, the snowy levels make controlling Croc much more difficult due to slippery, frozen surfaces, while the last biome (by far the best one, in my opinion) hides the most diverse set of stages, adding ‘haunted castle’ ideas into the mix beautifully.
All in all, Croc: Remastered is a lovingly crafted, updated version of a high-quality 3D platformer that should please players even without the nostalgia factor. While there are no gameplay changes or new levels, the phrase “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it” holds true here.
Rating: 8 out of 10
Disclosures: This game was developed by Argonaut Games and published by Titanium Studios. It is currently available on Switch, PS4/5, XBO/X/S, and PC. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the Switch Lite. Approximately 5 hours of play were devoted to the game, and it was completed 100%. This is a single-player-only title.
Parents: This game has received an E rating by the ESRB and contains Mild Fantasy Violence. Croc: Legend of the Gobbos was definitely made to attract younger players, but some of its challenges are quite… challenging. It’s pretty standard platforming hop-and-bop stuff except for the steep difficulty at times.
Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available.
Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: There is no written or recorded dialogue in this game — all characters are anthropomorphic animals who communicate via pointing and physical contact.
Remappable Controls: This game offers a controller diagram, but the controls cannot be altered. The control scheme is very intuitive, though, with the analog sticks controlling movement and the camera, and the face buttons are for jumping and attacking.
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I loved N64 platformers back in the day and never got to experience ps1 platformers, but when I gave the Spiro remaster trilogy a try, it just felt extremely dated. To be clear, I have little doubt it played fine in its day, but I just feel like game design has evolved too far for me to enjoy these retro remasters.