For all the fans out there, Sierra has announced that Crash would be back with new abilities and his signature bandicoot hilarity (as well as a fully playable Coco, for the first time!). Dubbed Crash Bandicoot: Mind over Mutant, the game is developed by Radical Entertainment (Crash of the Titans, Scarface: The World is Yours, The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction) for Wii, Xbox 360, PS2, PSP and Nintendo DS. The game is expected to be made available for retail sometime during this fall.

In Crash Bandicoot: Mind over Mutant, a rejuvenated Neo Cortex is planning to take over the world one brain at a time. Cortex and N. Brio have created a new breed of evil - a strange text-messaging device that is able to do anything and, more important for the evil masterminds, it can control both mutant and bandicoot minds. So, armed with his quick-wits and lightening agility, Crash must free his friends, the titans and save the day!

"The Crash Bandicoot franchise has built a wide audience of loyal fans, appealing to both male and female gamers of all ages," said Al Simone, senior vice president, Global Marketing for Sierra Entertainment. "The Crash series remains one of the most recognizable franchises in our industry and we're excited to make this year's family-friendly title appear at the top of every gamer's wish list this holiday."

The game will come with several other new features, my favorite being Crash's ability to store monsters in his pocket upgrade them and use their powers when they are most advantageous! We'll also have a "free-romping" world, meaning that players are allowed to travel and freely explore the worlds, while Coco is, as I've said before, for the first time a fully playable character from the start. Add to all these new abilities and a counter combat system and you will understand that Sierra is preparing a Crash Bandicoot game better than those in the good old days.