Crash Bandicoot sends Doctor Neo Cortex falling from his airship into
a cavern filled with glowing crystals. Convinced that they hold
tremendous power, he takes one and gets back onto his laboratory. One
year later, Cortex and his new assistant Dr. N. Gin rebuild an upgraded,
crystal-powered Cortex Vortex in outer space; N. Gin says that they
need 25 more crystals to reach the Vortex's maximum capacity and they do
not have any of their operatives left on Earth. Cortex then devises a
plot to manipulate Crash into retrieving the crystals for him.

Meanwhile,
Crash's younger sister, Coco, has him retrieve a new battery for her
laptop, but Crash is abducted. Finding himself in an ancient Warp Room
that has access to several places all over the world, Crash meets Cortex
via his holographic projection. Cortex tells Crash that he discovered
that the upcoming alignment of the planets will create a solar flux
capable of catastrophic proportions and urges Crash to retrieve pink
power crystals through each of the Room's doors to help Cortex harness
the crystal's energy to dissipate the massive power unleashed.

Unbeknownst
to Cortex, his former assistant Dr. Nitrus Brio also appears in
hologram form and tells Crash that, scattered across the world, there
are several clear and colored gems that serve as an alternative form of
energy that Brio is planning to use against Cortex.

On his way,
while collecting crystals, Crash battles several of Cortex's former
allies; the demented Ripper Roo, the scimitar-wielding Komodo Brothers
and the ravenous Tiny Tiger...