Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back — Crash Bandicoot throws Dr. Neo Cortex from his airship into a cave filled with glowing crystals. Convinced that they have enormous power, the doctor takes one of the crystals and returns to his laboratory. A year later, Cortex and his new assistant Dr. N. Jin build an upgraded, crystal-powered space station, the Cortex Vortex, in space. Jin reports that they need 25 more crystals to reach the station's maximum power, and they don't have a single operative left on Earth. Cortex then comes up with a plan to get Crash to get the crystals for him.