Doctor Neo Cortex
Encyclopedia
Doctor Neo Periwinkle Cortex, often referred to as "Doctor Cortex" or simply "Cortex", is a video game character and the main antagonist
of the Crash Bandicoot series of video games. His name is a play on the term neocortex
, an area of the brain
. In the series, Cortex is depicted as a mad scientist
who seeks to achieve world domination as an act of vengeance for the ridicule he has suffered in the past. Hoping to achieve this by mutating the local animals into his soldiers, he eventually creates Crash Bandicoot
, the titular character of the series, but soon rejects him as unworthy of being in his army and removes him from his castle. As Cortex's actions endanger the sanctity of the islands the games are set in, Cortex's plans for world domination are often hampered by Crash along with other characters. Crash's constant interference has made eliminating Crash one of Cortex's top priorities along with world domination.
Cortex was created by Andy Gavin
and Jason Rubin, and was originally designed by Charles Zembillas. Critical reception of Cortex has been mostly positive, with much of the praise going to his portrayal in Crash Twinsanity. The character's reception before and after the game, however, has been mixed.
" near Universal Interactive Studios. Gavin came up with the idea of an "evil genius villain with a big head" who was "all about his attitude and his minions". Rubin, having become fond of the animated television series Pinky and the Brain
, imagined a "more manevolent Brain" with minions resembling the weasel characters in Who Framed Roger Rabbit
. After Gavin performed a "silly villain voice" depicting the attitude in mind for the character, the villain's name, Doctor Neo Cortex, was instantly formulated. Gavin and Rubin described Cortex to character designer Charles Zembillas as "[having] a huge head but a tiny body, he’s a mad scientist, and he dresses a bit like a Nazi
from the Jetsons
". Jason Rubin owns the original sketches of Cortex by Zembillas. Because Cortex's game model was unable to walk properly due to the short length of his legs, the character was kept stationary in much of his appearances. Cortex is voiced by Brendan O'Brien
in the first Crash Bandicoot game, by Clancy Brown
from Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
up to Crash Nitro Kart and by Lex Lang
from Crash Twinsanity
onwards. In the Japanese versions of the games, he is voiced by Shōzō Iizuka
up to Crash Tag Team Racing
and by Yōsuke Akimoto
in Crash Boom Bang!
. In a flashback to Cortex's childhood in Crash Twinsanity, he is voiced by Debi Derryberry
in the English version of the game and by Noriko Suzuki
in the Japanese version.
Cortex's main motivation for conquering the world stems from extensive ridicule he had suffered in the past. He is also talked into world domination plots by his overseer Uka Uka, whom Cortex formerly feared to the point that he got down on his hands and knees in his presence. Overtime, this fear of Uka Uka would disappear, leading to Cortex opposing his own replacement in Crash of the Titans and eventually revolting against him in Crash: Mind over Mutant, citing a desire to "run this operation [...] again" as justification for his actions. Cortex has been described as having an ego "the size of a hot air balloon". His egomania often blinds him to others' hatred of him to the point where he delusively believes that he is in fact loved by everyone, including those he considers his enemies. While he frequently declares himself to be aesthetically attractive, he has displayed self-conscious behavior about his physical appearance on at least one occasion. In addition, he dislikes personal habits that he deems disgusting, and once went as far as placing a bounty on someone who ate sandwiches while going to the bathroom.
Cortex was once described as having a "huge head and bright yellow skin" by a minor character in Crash Tag Team Racing. His most distinguishing feature is the large N located on his forehead, the origin of which is unknown. However, in the back of the Prima Strategy Guide for Crash Team Racing, it states that the N was tattooed on his head by his childhood bullies. The N stands for nerd. Cortex is near-bald with the exception of a few areas on his head; Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin humorously explained that Cortex only uses Rogaine
on those select areas. The hair that he does have is black (blue in recent installments) and frazzled. In much of his appearances, Cortex is dressed in a white lab coat, black underclothes and matching gloves and boots (yellow in earlier games and reddish-brown in later appearances). Cortex stands 1.6 meters (about five feet and three inches) and weighs 59 kilograms (130 pounds).
s Victor and Moritz. It is implied in Crash Tag Team Racing that Cortex served in the Da Nang Air Base
during the Vietnam War
. As an adult, Cortex was ridiculed by the scientific community for his outlandish (yet nearly workable) theories, and became motivated by the desire to silence his opposition. In Crash Twinsanity, it is implied that his mother currently works at a burlesque
house.
Preceding the events of Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, Cortex began laboring over a genetically-advanced superweapon that'll supposedly wipe Crash Bandicoot off the face of the Earth forever. The project is kept a secret until it is inadvertedly revealed by N. Gin and N. Tropy during a bad guy convention
inside Cortex's new space station. He claims that the superweapon is unbelievably strong, but it is still missing a power source. He soon decides to use the Elementals as the power source, which successfully bring the secret weapon, Crunch Bandicoot, to life. When Crunch fails to defeat Crash, Cortex tries to explain himself to Uka Uka, but soon finds himself dodging Uka Uka's subsequent energy blast, which hits a vital part of the space station. During the resulting critical overload, Uka Uka and Doctor Cortex flee into an escape pod
, which lands in the frozen wastes of Antarctica, stranding them both on a large sheet of ice
. In Crash Twinsanity, Cortex ambushes Coco, disguises himself as her, and lures Crash over to the bay
where he attempts to eliminate Crash with the forty-foot-tall Mecha-Bandicoot piloted by Doctor N. Gin, which Crash easily disposes of. Angered, Cortex viciously attacks Crash in an underground cavern, his rage only calmed with the discovery of a Power Crystal. When two mutated parrots named the Evil Twins suddenly appear and announce their plans to destroy Crash's island and devastate Earth, Crash and Cortex temporarily team up to destroy these two upstarts with the aid of the Psychetron, a machine that'll allow them to travel between the infinite dimensions. However, it soon becomes apparent that the Evil Twins are from Cortex's past. Recruiting his niece, Nina Cortex, the trio set out to stop the Evil Twins, with Cortex also aiming to steal their vast treasure. After finally confronting and defeating the Evil Twins, Cortex returns to the Iceberg Lab, where he attempts to dispose of Crash with the Psychetron. Unfortunately for him, the Psychetron malfunctions, sending Cortex into Crash's mind.
In Crash of the Titans, Cortex kidnaps Coco and Aku Aku (Crash rescues Aku Aku), and proceeds to steal a large quantity of Mojo from an ancient temple, planning to use it to create an army of "Titans", which will aid him in the construction of a giant robot dubbed "The Doominator". He then attempts to eliminate Crash with the aid of his patented Yuktopus, but fails to do so. Heading back to his base, Cortex is lambasted by Uka Uka for failing to kill Crash, and is replaced by Nina Cortex. Inactive for much of the game, Cortex is denied the opportunity to watch his Doominator in action. At the end of the game, Cortex rescues Nina from the collapsing Doominator, and praises Nina for betraying him, as it is the vilest thing she could've ever done, although he still decides to "spank [her] stupid" for it. At that moment, Cortex vows to be more villainous and horrible in the future. In Crash: Mind over Mutant, Cortex drops Nina off at the Evil Public School (which he apparently owns) as punishment for her betrayal, then reconciles with his old colleague Nitrus Brio to invent the NV, a personal digital assistant that controls whoever uses it by transmitting negative Mojo, unwillingly supplied by Uka Uka through the use of a milking machine. He later engages in a fight with Crash inside his new Space Head space station, empowering himself with the use of N. Brio's original mutagen formula. Upon losing the fight, Cortex throws a tantrum, causing the Space Head to plummet towards Earth. Returning to normal, he escapes the Space Head in a smaller shuttle with an unnamed Znu.
to destroy both Crash and Spyro, but he ends up defeated by their nemeses. Doctor Cortex is a playable character in Crash Tag Team Racing
. In the game's story, Cortex attempts to win the deed to Von Clutch's MotorWorld and use it as a new base of operations. When Crash wins the deed to the park, Cortex liquifies Willie Wumpa Cheeks (the park's mascot) and is about to kill Crash when Crash retaliates by throwing a live chicken
into the rotor of Cortex's death machine, causing it to malfunction. Cortex is also a playable character in Crash Boom Bang!, in which he attempts to steal the Viscount's map and find the Super Big Power Crystal himself. When Cortex and the Viscount struggle for the possession of the map, it tears into four pieces. Cortex sends his Lab Assistants to find the pieces before anyone else can, but he is unsuccessful in the search.
s produced by the now-defunct Resaurus. For Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, Resaurus produced a "Dr. Neo Cortex" figure bundled with a laser gun, a Wumpa Fruit and a Crystal as seen in the game.
once compared Cortex to Doctor Eggman
of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, speculating that they "probably graduated from the same evil medical school" and remarked that "they look like brothers." Mark Cooke of Game Revolution
praised Clancy Brown's vocal performance as Cortex in Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back as "hilarious" and "satirical", while Joseph Boutilier of Netjak felt that "Cortex often sounds pretty hokey," and that "somewhere Cortex's dialogue goes wrong."
Doctor Cortex's portrayal in Crash Twinsanity was singled out for praise among reviewers. James B. Pringle of IGN
noted that the game "shows a side of the evil doctor that we haven't seen before" and, while describing the game's dialogue as "solid," said that "Cortex is the one you want to keep listening to." Ryan Davis
of GameSpot analyzed "Cortex's constant creeping and sniveling" as "a great showcase of the kinds of neuroses that might cause one to gain an interest in evil science," and added that "the strained grandeur of Cortex's speech" was the most "accomplished" voice work in the game. Gordy Wheeler of Worth Playing considered Cortex "having abuse heaped on him like a classic Warner Brothers
character" to be "the most fun part of this game," and went on to heavily praise Lex Lang's vocal performance, writing that "just about all of the game's best lines come from Cortex, and his voice actor brings it home solidly. He may be on the way to being my favorite mad scientist ever and that's a heck of a feat. Someone get his voice actor into another role RIGHT NOW. I want more of him." Brent Soboleski of TeamXbox
believed that Cortex was "probably the best and most entertaining character of the game since players get a completely different look at his personality this time through," and felt that he was "very funny and his sarcasm and evil attitude are a perfect match for his personality." Nick Valentino of GameZone
felt that "the biggest laughs, believe it or not, come from Doctor Neo Cortex who comes off as nutty in the best possible way. He’s filled with witty observations and often pokes fun of his past encounters with Crash." He later remarked that "the twisted Doctor is one hilarious bloke and his dialogue just makes him all the more likeable."
Doctor Cortex's reception was more mixed in later games. In a review of Crash Tag Team Racing, Rob Byron of AceGamez noted that Cortex "has taken a slightly dopier, camper representation than his predecessors, which gives him a more lovable feel." Mitch Youngblood of Gaming Trend, in a review for Crash of the Titans, negatively described Cortex as "an over-amped drama queen cranked up to an 11." GameDaily
ranked Doctor Cortex number twenty-three on their list of Top 25 Evil Masterminds of All Time article, stating "His twisted Wario
-like hair, his pointy goatee and that big N stamped in the middle of his forehead makes him look like pure evil."
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
of the Crash Bandicoot series of video games. His name is a play on the term neocortex
Neocortex
The neocortex , also called the neopallium and isocortex , is a part of the brain of mammals. It is the outer layer of the cerebral hemispheres, and made up of six layers, labelled I to VI...
, an area of the brain
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
. In the series, Cortex is depicted as a mad scientist
Mad scientist
A mad scientist is a stock character of popular fiction, specifically science fiction. The mad scientist may be villainous or antagonistic, benign or neutral, and whether insane, eccentric, or simply bumbling, mad scientists often work with fictional technology in order to forward their schemes, if...
who seeks to achieve world domination as an act of vengeance for the ridicule he has suffered in the past. Hoping to achieve this by mutating the local animals into his soldiers, he eventually creates Crash Bandicoot
Crash Bandicoot (character)
Crash Bandicoot, or simply Crash, is a video game character and the primary protagonist of the Crash Bandicoot series of video games. Introduced in the 1996 video game Crash Bandicoot, Crash is an Eastern Barred Bandicoot that was genetically enhanced by the series antagonist Doctor Neo Cortex and...
, the titular character of the series, but soon rejects him as unworthy of being in his army and removes him from his castle. As Cortex's actions endanger the sanctity of the islands the games are set in, Cortex's plans for world domination are often hampered by Crash along with other characters. Crash's constant interference has made eliminating Crash one of Cortex's top priorities along with world domination.
Cortex was created by Andy Gavin
Andy Gavin
Andy Gavin is a programmer notable for co-founding the video game company Naughty Dog with childhood friend Jason Rubin in 1986. Naughty Dog's games are known for their combination of exceptional technology, great graphics, and polished gameplay...
and Jason Rubin, and was originally designed by Charles Zembillas. Critical reception of Cortex has been mostly positive, with much of the praise going to his portrayal in Crash Twinsanity. The character's reception before and after the game, however, has been mixed.
Design and characteristics
The idea for Cortex was conceived while Andy Gavin, Jason Rubin, Dave Baggett and Mark Cerny were eating "mediocre ItalianItalian cuisine
Italian cuisine has developed through centuries of social and political changes, with roots as far back as the 4th century BCE. Italian cuisine in itself takes heavy influences, including Etruscan, ancient Greek, ancient Roman, Byzantine, Jewish and Arab cuisines...
" near Universal Interactive Studios. Gavin came up with the idea of an "evil genius villain with a big head" who was "all about his attitude and his minions". Rubin, having become fond of the animated television series Pinky and the Brain
Pinky and the Brain
Pinky and the Brain is an American animated television series.The characters Pinky and the Brain first appeared in 1993 as a recurring segment on the show Animaniacs...
, imagined a "more manevolent Brain" with minions resembling the weasel characters in Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 American fantasy-comedy-noir film directed by Robert Zemeckis and released by Touchstone Pictures. The film combines live action and animation, and is based on Gary K. Wolf's novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, which depicts a world in which cartoon characters...
. After Gavin performed a "silly villain voice" depicting the attitude in mind for the character, the villain's name, Doctor Neo Cortex, was instantly formulated. Gavin and Rubin described Cortex to character designer Charles Zembillas as "[having] a huge head but a tiny body, he’s a mad scientist, and he dresses a bit like a Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
from the Jetsons
The Jetsons
The Jetsons is a animated American sitcom that was produced by Hanna-Barbera, originally airing in prime-time from 1962–1963 and again from 1985–1987...
". Jason Rubin owns the original sketches of Cortex by Zembillas. Because Cortex's game model was unable to walk properly due to the short length of his legs, the character was kept stationary in much of his appearances. Cortex is voiced by Brendan O'Brien
Brendan O'Brien (voice actor)
Brendan O'Brien is an American voice actor who is best known for providing voices for the Crash Bandicoot video games during the Naughty Dog years...
in the first Crash Bandicoot game, by Clancy Brown
Clancy Brown
Clarence J. "Clancy" Brown III is an American actor and voice actor. He is known for his roles in live action as The Kurgan in the cult classic film Highlander, Byron Hadley in the award-winning The Shawshank Redemption, Brother Justin Crowe in HBO's critically acclaimed Carnivàle, and Career...
from Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back is a platform video game published by Sony Computer Entertainment, produced by Universal Interactive Studios and developed by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation...
up to Crash Nitro Kart and by Lex Lang
Lex Lang
Walter Alexis "Lex" Lang is a two-time Emmy Award–winning American voice actor, producer and entrepreneur. He is the cofounder of The Love Planet Foundation, a non-profit organization which creates educational materials for children on the importance of recycling, world water awareness, and the...
from Crash Twinsanity
Crash Twinsanity
Crash Twinsanity is an platform video game published by Vivendi Universal Games and developed by Traveller's Tales, for the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox. It was released in North America on October 1, 2004, in Europe on October 8, 2004 and in Japan on November 9, 2004...
onwards. In the Japanese versions of the games, he is voiced by Shōzō Iizuka
Shozo Iizuka
is a male Japanese voice actor from Fukushima Prefecture who is affiliated with Sigma Seven. He graduated from the fine arts department of Nihon University....
up to Crash Tag Team Racing
Crash Tag Team Racing
Crash Tag Team Racing is a racing video game published by Sierra Entertainment and developed by Vancouver-based Radical Entertainment for the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox and PlayStation Portable. A Nintendo DS version, which was to be developed by Sensory Sweep Studios rather than...
and by Yōsuke Akimoto
Yosuke Akimoto
is a Japanese actor and voice actor from Tokyo. He is currently attached to Mausu Promotion. He is a graduate of the Hosei University business school.-Television animation:*Agatha Christie's Great Detectives Poirot and Marple *Angel Heart...
in Crash Boom Bang!
Crash Boom Bang!
Crash Boom Bang! is a party game developed by Dimps and published by Sierra Entertainment for the Nintendo DS. It was released in Japan on July 20, 2006, in North America on October 10, 2006, in Europe on October 27, 2006, and in Australia on November 2, 2006...
. In a flashback to Cortex's childhood in Crash Twinsanity, he is voiced by Debi Derryberry
Debi Derryberry
Debi Derryberry is an American voice actress, singer, composer and kids' entertainer who won an American Anime Award.-History:...
in the English version of the game and by Noriko Suzuki
Noriko Suzuki
' is a Japanese seiyū from Saitama Prefecture affiliated with Kenyū Office .-Television animation:*Emma - A Victorian Romance...
in the Japanese version.
Cortex's main motivation for conquering the world stems from extensive ridicule he had suffered in the past. He is also talked into world domination plots by his overseer Uka Uka, whom Cortex formerly feared to the point that he got down on his hands and knees in his presence. Overtime, this fear of Uka Uka would disappear, leading to Cortex opposing his own replacement in Crash of the Titans and eventually revolting against him in Crash: Mind over Mutant, citing a desire to "run this operation [...] again" as justification for his actions. Cortex has been described as having an ego "the size of a hot air balloon". His egomania often blinds him to others' hatred of him to the point where he delusively believes that he is in fact loved by everyone, including those he considers his enemies. While he frequently declares himself to be aesthetically attractive, he has displayed self-conscious behavior about his physical appearance on at least one occasion. In addition, he dislikes personal habits that he deems disgusting, and once went as far as placing a bounty on someone who ate sandwiches while going to the bathroom.
Cortex was once described as having a "huge head and bright yellow skin" by a minor character in Crash Tag Team Racing. His most distinguishing feature is the large N located on his forehead, the origin of which is unknown. However, in the back of the Prima Strategy Guide for Crash Team Racing, it states that the N was tattooed on his head by his childhood bullies. The N stands for nerd. Cortex is near-bald with the exception of a few areas on his head; Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin humorously explained that Cortex only uses Rogaine
Minoxidil
Minoxidil is an antihypertensive vasodilator medication which also slows or stops hair loss and promotes hair regrowth. Now off-patent, it is available over-the-counter for the treatment of androgenic alopecia. Minoxidil must be used indefinitely for continued support of existing hair follicles and...
on those select areas. The hair that he does have is black (blue in recent installments) and frazzled. In much of his appearances, Cortex is dressed in a white lab coat, black underclothes and matching gloves and boots (yellow in earlier games and reddish-brown in later appearances). Cortex stands 1.6 meters (about five feet and three inches) and weighs 59 kilograms (130 pounds).
Background
Cortex's full birth name is given as "Neo Periwinkle Cortex". As a child, Neo Cortex was a classmate of Doctor N. Gin and Doctor Nitrus Brio in Madame Amberly's Private Academy. It was here that Cortex began constructing the Evolvo-Ray, which he would use to create an army of super-animals. Due to the incomplete nature of the Evolvo-Ray, a test run results in the disappearance of Cortex's pet parrotParrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
s Victor and Moritz. It is implied in Crash Tag Team Racing that Cortex served in the Da Nang Air Base
Da Nang Air Base
Da Nang Air Base was a Republic of Vietnam Air Force facility. The United States used it as a major base during the Vietnam War , stationing Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine units there...
during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. As an adult, Cortex was ridiculed by the scientific community for his outlandish (yet nearly workable) theories, and became motivated by the desire to silence his opposition. In Crash Twinsanity, it is implied that his mother currently works at a burlesque
Burlesque
Burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects...
house.
Main series
In most of the Main series, Cortex has served as the main villan. In Crash Bandicoot, Cortex begins using the Evolvo-Ray to create a mutated army of animals that will aid him in his quest for world domination, which he calls the "Cortex Commandos". When Crash Bandicoot escapes from his castle, he prepares to experiment on a female bandicoot named Tawna. However, he is soon confronted and defeated by Crash, who gets away with Tawna on Cortex's airship. In Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, Cortex lands in a cavern where he discovers a large Crystal that he believes will aid him in controlling the world. However, he soon learns that 25 smaller Crystals are needed alongside this "Master Crystal" if his new "Cortex Vortex" device is going to work. To remedy this situation, Cortex abducts Crash Bandicoot a year later and fools him into believing that he is working to save the world from an upcoming solar flux by gathering the Crystals. Cortex is later forced to flee when Coco Bandicoot discovers Cortex's real plan and reveals it to Crash. When the ruins of his space station crash into Earth and release his boss Uka Uka in Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped, Cortex takes part in Uka Uka's plan to gather the Crystals in their original places in time by using Doctor Nefarious Tropy's Time-Twisting Machine. When Tropy is defeated, the Time-Twisting Machine implodes on itself, trapping Cortex, Tropy and Uka Uka in a strange time prison.Preceding the events of Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, Cortex began laboring over a genetically-advanced superweapon that'll supposedly wipe Crash Bandicoot off the face of the Earth forever. The project is kept a secret until it is inadvertedly revealed by N. Gin and N. Tropy during a bad guy convention
Convention (meeting)
A convention, in the sense of a meeting, is a gathering of individuals who meet at an arranged place and time in order to discuss or engage in some common interest. The most common conventions are based upon industry, profession, and fandom...
inside Cortex's new space station. He claims that the superweapon is unbelievably strong, but it is still missing a power source. He soon decides to use the Elementals as the power source, which successfully bring the secret weapon, Crunch Bandicoot, to life. When Crunch fails to defeat Crash, Cortex tries to explain himself to Uka Uka, but soon finds himself dodging Uka Uka's subsequent energy blast, which hits a vital part of the space station. During the resulting critical overload, Uka Uka and Doctor Cortex flee into an escape pod
Escape pod
An escape pod is a capsule or craft used to escape a vessel in an emergency, usually only big enough for one person. An escape ship is a larger, more complete craft also used for the same purpose...
, which lands in the frozen wastes of Antarctica, stranding them both on a large sheet of ice
Ice
Ice is water frozen into the solid state. Usually ice is the phase known as ice Ih, which is the most abundant of the varying solid phases on the Earth's surface. It can appear transparent or opaque bluish-white color, depending on the presence of impurities or air inclusions...
. In Crash Twinsanity, Cortex ambushes Coco, disguises himself as her, and lures Crash over to the bay
Bay
A bay is an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. Bays also exist as an inlet in a lake or pond. A large bay may be called a gulf, a sea, a sound, or a bight...
where he attempts to eliminate Crash with the forty-foot-tall Mecha-Bandicoot piloted by Doctor N. Gin, which Crash easily disposes of. Angered, Cortex viciously attacks Crash in an underground cavern, his rage only calmed with the discovery of a Power Crystal. When two mutated parrots named the Evil Twins suddenly appear and announce their plans to destroy Crash's island and devastate Earth, Crash and Cortex temporarily team up to destroy these two upstarts with the aid of the Psychetron, a machine that'll allow them to travel between the infinite dimensions. However, it soon becomes apparent that the Evil Twins are from Cortex's past. Recruiting his niece, Nina Cortex, the trio set out to stop the Evil Twins, with Cortex also aiming to steal their vast treasure. After finally confronting and defeating the Evil Twins, Cortex returns to the Iceberg Lab, where he attempts to dispose of Crash with the Psychetron. Unfortunately for him, the Psychetron malfunctions, sending Cortex into Crash's mind.
In Crash of the Titans, Cortex kidnaps Coco and Aku Aku (Crash rescues Aku Aku), and proceeds to steal a large quantity of Mojo from an ancient temple, planning to use it to create an army of "Titans", which will aid him in the construction of a giant robot dubbed "The Doominator". He then attempts to eliminate Crash with the aid of his patented Yuktopus, but fails to do so. Heading back to his base, Cortex is lambasted by Uka Uka for failing to kill Crash, and is replaced by Nina Cortex. Inactive for much of the game, Cortex is denied the opportunity to watch his Doominator in action. At the end of the game, Cortex rescues Nina from the collapsing Doominator, and praises Nina for betraying him, as it is the vilest thing she could've ever done, although he still decides to "spank [her] stupid" for it. At that moment, Cortex vows to be more villainous and horrible in the future. In Crash: Mind over Mutant, Cortex drops Nina off at the Evil Public School (which he apparently owns) as punishment for her betrayal, then reconciles with his old colleague Nitrus Brio to invent the NV, a personal digital assistant that controls whoever uses it by transmitting negative Mojo, unwillingly supplied by Uka Uka through the use of a milking machine. He later engages in a fight with Crash inside his new Space Head space station, empowering himself with the use of N. Brio's original mutagen formula. Upon losing the fight, Cortex throws a tantrum, causing the Space Head to plummet towards Earth. Returning to normal, he escapes the Space Head in a smaller shuttle with an unnamed Znu.
Other appearances in the series
Doctor Cortex appears as a playable character in Crash Team Racing and Crash Bash. The epilogue of Crash Team Racing states that Cortex went back to scientific research and discovered a new element in the periodic table, which he named "Cortexrulestheworldium". In Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure, Cortex tries to conquer the world by shrinking it to the size of a grapefruit with his new Planetary Minimizer. In the game's climax, he is fused with the game's three other bosses by the malfunctioning Planetary Minimizer, forming a creature known as Mega-Mix. Mega-Mix chases Crash down the space station's hall but is unsuccessful in catching him, and the creature ends up trapped in the space station as it explodes. Although Cortex does not appear in the story of Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced, he is a playable character in the game's two-player mode if it is linked up to Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure. Cortex is a playable character in Crash Nitro Kart as well. In the game's story, Cortex is abducted along with N. Gin and Tiny, and is forced to compete in Emperor Velo's Galaxy Circuit. When Velo is defeated and rendered useless as a ruler, Cortex uses Velo's scepter to return to Earth, but is instead transported to Terra, where Tiny gains the respect of the citizens (much to Cortex's utter annoyance). In Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage, Cortex teams up with Ripto, a villain from the Spyro the Dragon seriesSpyro the Dragon (series)
Spyro the Dragon is a platform and action game series starring the video game character Spyro, which was originally published by Sony Computer Entertainment and developed by Insomniac Games for the PlayStation....
to destroy both Crash and Spyro, but he ends up defeated by their nemeses. Doctor Cortex is a playable character in Crash Tag Team Racing
Crash Tag Team Racing
Crash Tag Team Racing is a racing video game published by Sierra Entertainment and developed by Vancouver-based Radical Entertainment for the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox and PlayStation Portable. A Nintendo DS version, which was to be developed by Sensory Sweep Studios rather than...
. In the game's story, Cortex attempts to win the deed to Von Clutch's MotorWorld and use it as a new base of operations. When Crash wins the deed to the park, Cortex liquifies Willie Wumpa Cheeks (the park's mascot) and is about to kill Crash when Crash retaliates by throwing a live chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
into the rotor of Cortex's death machine, causing it to malfunction. Cortex is also a playable character in Crash Boom Bang!, in which he attempts to steal the Viscount's map and find the Super Big Power Crystal himself. When Cortex and the Viscount struggle for the possession of the map, it tears into four pieces. Cortex sends his Lab Assistants to find the pieces before anyone else can, but he is unsuccessful in the search.
Merchandise
Cortex has been featured in a series of Crash Bandicoot action figureAction figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
s produced by the now-defunct Resaurus. For Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, Resaurus produced a "Dr. Neo Cortex" figure bundled with a laser gun, a Wumpa Fruit and a Crystal as seen in the game.
Critical reception
John Scalzo of Gaming TargetGaming Target
Gaming Target is a website covering video games and gaming culture that was founded on February 17, 1999 by Matt Swider.-History:When it launched in 1999, Gaming Target focused solely on the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color...
once compared Cortex to Doctor Eggman
Doctor Eggman
, also known by his alias , is a fictional video game character, the main antagonist of the Sonic the Hedgehog series created by Sega. Dr. Eggman is a rotund, mad scientist with an IQ of 300 who plans to conquer the world in order to build his Eggman Empire and is the archenemy of Sonic the Hedgehog...
of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, speculating that they "probably graduated from the same evil medical school" and remarked that "they look like brothers." Mark Cooke of Game Revolution
Game Revolution
Game Revolution or GR is a gaming website created in 1996. Based in Berkeley, California, the site includes reviews, previews, a gaming download area, cheats, and a merchandise store, as well as webcomics, screenshots, and videos...
praised Clancy Brown's vocal performance as Cortex in Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back as "hilarious" and "satirical", while Joseph Boutilier of Netjak felt that "Cortex often sounds pretty hokey," and that "somewhere Cortex's dialogue goes wrong."
Doctor Cortex's portrayal in Crash Twinsanity was singled out for praise among reviewers. James B. Pringle of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
noted that the game "shows a side of the evil doctor that we haven't seen before" and, while describing the game's dialogue as "solid," said that "Cortex is the one you want to keep listening to." Ryan Davis
Ryan Davis
Ryan Davis may refer to:*Ryan J. Davis , American theater director, writer, political consultant and progressive activist*Ryan Davis , English rugby union player...
of GameSpot analyzed "Cortex's constant creeping and sniveling" as "a great showcase of the kinds of neuroses that might cause one to gain an interest in evil science," and added that "the strained grandeur of Cortex's speech" was the most "accomplished" voice work in the game. Gordy Wheeler of Worth Playing considered Cortex "having abuse heaped on him like a classic Warner Brothers
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
character" to be "the most fun part of this game," and went on to heavily praise Lex Lang's vocal performance, writing that "just about all of the game's best lines come from Cortex, and his voice actor brings it home solidly. He may be on the way to being my favorite mad scientist ever and that's a heck of a feat. Someone get his voice actor into another role RIGHT NOW. I want more of him." Brent Soboleski of TeamXbox
TeamXbox
TeamXbox is a gaming media web site dedicated to Microsoft's Xbox and Xbox 360 platforms. While the majority of content is Xbox and Xbox 360 related, the site occasionally covers general technology and other video game news....
believed that Cortex was "probably the best and most entertaining character of the game since players get a completely different look at his personality this time through," and felt that he was "very funny and his sarcasm and evil attitude are a perfect match for his personality." Nick Valentino of GameZone
GameZone
GameZone is an American multiplatform video game website. GameZone's daily coverage includes reviews, previews, news, hints & cheats, and editorials. Additionally, GameZone offers downloads, a child-targeted website and in association with GameStop, hosts GZGameShop, an online retailer...
felt that "the biggest laughs, believe it or not, come from Doctor Neo Cortex who comes off as nutty in the best possible way. He’s filled with witty observations and often pokes fun of his past encounters with Crash." He later remarked that "the twisted Doctor is one hilarious bloke and his dialogue just makes him all the more likeable."
Doctor Cortex's reception was more mixed in later games. In a review of Crash Tag Team Racing, Rob Byron of AceGamez noted that Cortex "has taken a slightly dopier, camper representation than his predecessors, which gives him a more lovable feel." Mitch Youngblood of Gaming Trend, in a review for Crash of the Titans, negatively described Cortex as "an over-amped drama queen cranked up to an 11." GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
ranked Doctor Cortex number twenty-three on their list of Top 25 Evil Masterminds of All Time article, stating "His twisted Wario
Wario
is a fictional character in Nintendo's Mario series. The character was designed as another antagonist to Mario , and first appeared in the 1992 Game Boy title Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins as the main antagonist and final boss...
-like hair, his pointy goatee and that big N stamped in the middle of his forehead makes him look like pure evil."
External links
- Doctor Neo Cortex on Crash Bandicoot Wiki at Wikia