Croc Legend of the Gobbos Review

Back in the PlayStation days, I was more focused on roleplaying games, so I skipped over Croc: Legend of the Gobbos (1997) and its sequel. A mascot 3D platformer, I thought, was a flooded market and I had turn-based battles to grind. But these days, I’m much more in the mood for a 3D platformer, so I was eager to check out the Croc Legend of the Gobbos (2025) remaster.

As part of this remaster, the controls have been updated to be modern (I believe the original had “tank” controls), and the camera is fully controllable. Neither the original PlayStation nor the Sega Saturn had dual analog sticks at the time, so I can definitely assume the camera was frustrating.

The graphics have, obviously, been updated to take the literal edge off of things, but older fans of the game might not see a difference because of those rose-tinted spectacles. They look fine, and honestly, it’s not like you want ray-tracing or fancy effects. You can swap between the older and brand new graphics at the literal press of a button, so feel free to compare at your leisure if you pick this up.

Speaking of Croc’s controls, I lost count of the number of times that I pressed jump a second time only to stomp into lava or a bottomless pit. The original game didn’t have a double jump, but I’m so used to it being a feature in games that I kept forgetting that I’d just go straight down. Other than my messing up, things are decent enough. Side-stepping is still something that you can do, but I didn’t encounter a situation that required it with the modern controls.

I have to admit that I didn’t really enjoy my time with Croc, despite genuinely looking forward to it. However, if you enjoyed it back in the 1990s, then I see no reason you won’t still like the game itself. I quickly decided that I would judge the overall package rather than what I thought of the game itself, with its short levels and oddly shaped enemy hitboxes.

Outside of the game, there is an absolute treasure trove of extras and bonus features: you can listen to the soundtrack (both new and old), watch a Japanese commercial, read the production bible for the unproduced cartoon, and even read the original bible created for the game! There are interviews to watch and test levels that you can play, too, giving you an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at everything.

One glaring omission, however, is that there is no manual. You can see the controls at the press of a button, but if you want to know the story behind this weird lizard abducting Croc’s fuzzy foster family, then you’ll have to check out a scan on the Internet Archive. Or read through the bible, of course, but since the game has so much of everything else, it’s just weird that there are no manuals when Croc originally released on three platforms.

As a remaster, Croc Legend of the Gobbos goes above and beyond with more than just a new coat of polygons. Fans will love to revisit all 45 levels, and tons of extras just make this a much more attractive purchase. If you missed Croc the first time around, just beware that mechanically, it’s still a product of the 90s, so don’t expect more than that.