Story

Cortex's latest plan to enslave the planet's populace has failed, thanks to the efforts of Crash Bandicoot. Though he's managed to escape, his Cortex Vortex finds itself plummeting back to Earth at great speed. When it finally hits the ground, the impact destroys a jungle temple, thereby unleashing an evil, undetermined presence...

Meanwhile, Crash is joined by his sister Coco and Aku Aku in taking a well-deserved break. Peace doesn't last long as the same sinister force soars through the air above them, chuckling maliciously. Aku Aku shows concern, because he knows what's going on. After everyone runs for shelter, Aku Aku explains that they just witnessed the escape of his evil twin brother, Uka Uka. Eons ago, Aku Aku trapped his brother underground to protect the world from his malice. Now that he's free once again, there is no time to lose - he must be stopped. Aku Aku relies on Crash and Coco to help him.

Surprises don't end there, as Uka Uka later meets up with none other than Cortex. It seems that all this time, Cortex has been taking instructions from Uka Uka, who is none pleased at his lackey's inability to take over the planet for him. Cortex lost both the Earth's Crystals and its Gems, meaning that they're left without a power source to enslave the planet. Kneeling down before his master, Cortex tries to talk his way out of it, to no avail. Luckily for him, Uka Uka decides that his unexpected release warrants Cortex a third chance. He wants to make sure Cortex finally gets it done right, so he hired an old friend to help them with his plan: Dr. Nefarious Tropy, master of time. N. Tropy has devised a diabolical machine called the Time Twister, which they will use to retrieve the Crystals from different points in the timeline, now that they're lost in the present.

Learning of this, Aku Aku tells Crash and Coco that the only way to stop the evil trio is to use the Time Twister themselves and retrieve the Crystals before Cortex's minions do so. Things won't be easy, though, as Cortex has already begun using the device to rewrite history in his favour.