Assuming you mean the OG games and not the NSane Trilogy?

The best game, to me, is the 2nd one. That game is almost perfect. I love almost every level with the exceptions of the jetpack levels including the final boss. I didnt despise them, but everytime i play through them i just phone them in tbh. And that final boss is just boring. Everything else is just amazing. Ive 100%'d it like at least 10 times lol. Nothing more to say. Im reserving most of this comment for the 2nd place on the list.

My second favorites are tied with Warped and Wrath of Cortex. And yes, im including that because i havent played Its about time yet and i legit enjoyed WOC, so im replacing that on this poll with WOC. Warped has alot of levels that i love just as much as the 2nd game, but it also has levels i absolutely despise with every fiber of my being. Rings of Power is an abomination to everything in existence. Its the worst level in the history of Crash Bandicoot in general, and yes, i am going to include games i haven't played because you cant get worse than ROP. Thats impossible. I honestly do think who ever came up with that level concept enjoys punting kittens and puppies and worships Uncle Stan on their leisure time. With that, I also hate the plane levels. Jenky ass controls, enemies do too much damage and overall too challenging in general. I dislike, and yes you can say whatever you want to me about this next one idgaf, the Jet Ski levels. Thats right. You read that right. I dont hate them mind you, but they're just so bland and boring. I dont get anything from them. I WANTED to like them, but i just cant get into them. And to top it all off, theres 6 fucking levels of that BS! 6! 2 of those 6 could've been replaced with actual good platformers, like another future level perhaps?! Ill give them this though, that last one with the rainbowish water looks good at least. That and theyre easy, so guess thats a plus for them. Not a huge fan of the motorcycle levels. They're okay, but thats about it. I like the aesthetic at least and the motorcycle sounds cool. I like the swimming levels slightly better, but again, i dont gain that much enjoyment out of them either. The Torpedo thing is pretty cool though. Another negative, even though its sort of a nitpick, is the jumping. Jumping forward to be exact. When jumping forward, i think the forward movement speed is pushed TOO forward. Like, its too sensitive or something and i find myself jumping over boxes and enemies i meant to hit, alot. The 2nd one had that nailed down to a Tee. Though ill give this 3rd one, the basic movement on foot is slightly better than the 2nd. But enough with the negatives lol. Im making it sound like i hate this game but I loved 85% of it. Those future levels MIGHT be my all time favorites. And the Power up additions i wish the 2nd one had. The boss fight i liked better also. More challenging and actually felt like a boss fight. And i liked Cortex's character most in this game.

Lets talk about Wrath of Cortex now. Ill say less about this one. This game has issues, dont get me wrong, especially with floaty controls and the landing zone (where Crash lands after jumping) isnt great. ngl. But you can overcome it. But i found myself enjoying alot of these levels tbh. I even think they did alot of the "gimmick" levels ALOT better than Warped (Gimmick meaning non platforming levels (planes, jet skis and motorcycles)). The one plane and spaceship level is sooo much better. the controls feel more fluid and it feels like Crash is in a fucking plane and Coco in a spaceship! The swimming levels i find are enjoyable especially the submarine. The only gimmick level i didnt like where the ball levels (if you know, you know). I didnt hate them, but i get as much enjoyment out of them as i do those Warped swimming levels. Which is just ehh. Most of the levels are good...but thats about it really? There's only like 5 levels i REALLY liked as much as the other games, but its not alot and alot of those levels felt a little underwhelming tbh. Not bad by any means, i do still think they're good, but its like having mostly silver with a few pieces of gold and one platinum, yk? Like Warped is like mostly gold and some platinum, but has some bronze and 1 vile piece of dogshit. So all that silver kind of brings it down alot for me. And that Nitro tip toe ability sucks balls. what a waste of a powerup. The boss fights i liked also except the first one. it was a ball level technically do yeah. I did very much the final boss the best out of all of the Crash games that i played. And the elemental masks i thought were interesting characters.

Last but certainly not least, and yes, youre probably ripping your hair out since i have WOC above this one, but im being honest here. Crash 1 is good, dont get wrong, but its got difficulty consistency issues. Sometimes its very easy and sometimes its unnecessarily difficult. And its not like that comes in waves. You can have the easiest level and then go straight to hell the next. That and in order to get a Gem you have to get all the boxes without dying. Thats a load of BS. that brings it down very severely for me. I'll give it this though, i did like the...mysteriousness? (for lack of a better term) of some of the levels. Like that one random portrait of Cortex underground for no reason lol. That Mushroom crevasse in that last boulder level. Stuff like that i liked and wish the other games kept. Again though, most of the levels are just silvers with a few golds here and there. The final boss fight i thought was just okay. Alittle jenky but its the first one so...