Cancelled Crash vs Spyro Racing Discovered in Xbox Dev Kit

Remnants of a once-planned crossover kart racing game titled Crash vs Spyro Racing were recently unearthed inside an original Xbox devkit. The discovery highlights another intriguing collaborative project between the iconic PlayStation mascots tragically cancelled before release.

Both Crash Bandicoot and Spyro revolutionised 3D platformers on PlayStation in the 1990s as critical and commercial smashes. But after transitioning to third party status, both series suffered declining quality and attempted edgier reboots in the 2000s before going dormant.

Prototype FMV and Audio Found on Dumped Xbox Development Hardware

Australian YouTuber Modern Vintage Gamer revealed Crash vs Spyro Racing prototype footage found on a dumped Xbox devkit hard drive. It shows a generic racer on a generic track, identifiable only by signature Crash and Spyro crate and sound effects. A rough FMV also spotlights the two franchises’ characters together.

The game would have marked the iconic purple dragon’s debut in the kart racing genre before his eventual appearance in Nitro Kart on Game Boy Advance and Crash Team Racing remake DLC. Commenters expressed excitement over what could have been had this ambitious crossover reached completion.

Unfortunately, cancellations of highly anticipated projects still occur all too often in gaming. Titles can resurface in unlikely ways years later thanks to preservation efforts. Both of the legendary characters likely had other lost games during their dormant periods.

The reignited trilogy only just passed 10 million sales earlier this month during it’s 25th Anniversary celebrations. This statement shows the developers that there’s life in the old dragon yet!

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But the success of their respective recent revivals offers hope for the historic mascots’ futures. Their legacies seem poised to continue evolving. Recently there were whispers in the gaming community about Spyro joining Crash Team Rumble. These rumours turned out to be somewhat true as the dragon’s famous villain Ripto ended up joining the roster instead.

While we can only speculate on what Crash vs Spyro Racing may have offered, its remnants provoke bittersweet nostalgia. The imaginative premise reflects the exciting crossover potential of gaming’s early 3D pioneers. Though never realised, its aspirational vision lives on through passionate fans who won’t let bold ideas fade away fully.