Crash Team Rumble will be the latest installment in the long-running Crash Bandicoot video game series, and is set to release some time in 2023. This new game will feature 4v4 team-based competition as characters from the long list of previous Crash Bandicoot games fight to capture more Wumpa Fruit than the opposing team.

Each playable character is planned to have their own set of skills that make them completely unique from each other. The gaming franchise has a slew of colorful characters to choose from, and any of them can make it onto Crash Team Rumble’s roster. Here are ten of the characters who absolutely need to be playable.

N. Gin

N. Gin is a technological genius who works under the evil Dr. Cortex. He specializes in building magnificent mechs and other machines, which could translate nicely into special abilities for Crash Team Rumble. Whether it be driving one of his flying mechs or sending out drones, there’s a lot of creativity to be had with someone who specializes in robotics.

N. Gin has been a major character in the games since Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, has been Cortex’s right-hand man since replacing Nitrus Brio after the events of the first game, and is often used as a central antagonist for Coco. He’s such an important staple of the franchise that it would be surprising not to see him appear on the roster.

Ripper Roo

Ripper Roo is a crazy kangaroo in a straightjacket who likes blowing stuff up. What could be more fun than that? He hasn’t been playable a whole lot, but Crash has faced off against him in boss fights a handful of times. Crash Team Rumble could be his time to shine.

Obviously, his in-game ability would likely incorporate hopping onto high platforms and leaving explosive TNT and Nitro boxes behind. A game like this could use a good AOE-based character, and Ripper Roo would be the perfect fit.

Koala Kong

For a character who’s all about raw strength and throwing heavy objects, look no further than the brute known as Koala Kong. He’s a dimwitted henchman of Cortex who has been used as a boss fight for Crash to take down and has even been playable a few times. He’s a koala who is absolutely jacked, which is just plain hilarious.

For special abilities for Crash Team Rumble, his strength would have to come into play, whether it be throwing boulders, moving platforms, or packing one heck of a punch. Tanks are a staple of games like this, and Koala Kong is the ideal marsupial for the job.

Papu Papu

Papu Papu was seen more during the early years of the Crash Bandicoot series, and has strictly been used as a boss fight. He’s the first boss Crash has ever faced, making him pretty iconic. He’s the leader of the native tribe on N. Sanity Island, making him a fairly important figure in-world as well. He’s undoubtedly deserving of a spot on the game’s roster.

He’s been known to squash foes with his tribal staff and even drive race cars, but an interesting ability that could give him a unique edge compared to other bruisers is to summon his tribesmen to do his bidding. Between bashing the opposing team with his staff and sending in his minions, he could be a genuinely fun character to play as.

Nitros Oxide

For those looking to play as a speedier character, Nitros Oxide is ideal. Oxide is an alien who loves to race. He was the primary antagonist of Crash Team Racing and its remake, as well as Crash Bash. He’s also a playable racer in Crash Nitro Kart.

Oxide is an obvious choice for a speed-based character in Crash Team Rumble. It’s safe to say he’d never leave his spaceship-race car hybrid vehicle during the gameplay. If he is used in the new game, his speed might be vital for retrieving Wumpa Fruit faster than the opposing team.

Tiny Tiger

Out of all of Cortex’s mutated animal minions, Tiny Tiger makes the most appearances throughout the Crash Bandicoot series, so he’s likely a shoo-in to be on the roster for the upcoming game. Similar to Koala Kong, Tiny is a bit of a brute who uses his strength during combat. However, he is much more animalistic. He’s been known to rampage and act significantly more bestial; using his teeth and claws. During fights against him, he’s also shown his impressive jumping ability as well.

His vicious and chaotic behavior could lead to him being extremely fun to play as in Crash Team Rumble. As for his abilities, he’d probably excel at dealing raw damage to opponents, but it all depends on how the game will actually play when more it releases or more information on it is shared.

Crunch Bandicoot

Crunch was originally a villain created by Dr. Cortex to destroy Crash, but eventually had a change of heart after Crash put the beat-down on him enough times and his eyes were opened to the horrible things Cortex wanted him to do. He has since been a brother-type character to Crash and Coco, and has been a helpful member of Team Bandicoot in the fight against evil since. 

He’s another strength-based character who has even hosted weight-lifting minigames. However, he is a cyborg bandicoot who has also used the power of the Elementals, so there are plenty of ways to make him differ from the other strength-based powerhouses. He hasn’t been used as much in the more recent games, so he’s certainly due for a comeback.

Nina Cortex

Nina is Dr. Neo Cortex’s niece and might be just as evil, if not more. She studies at the Academy of Evil but is an intelligent enough genius she probably doesn’t need much schooling. We’ve seen her build giant mechs and become one of Coco Bandicoot’s most fierce rivals. 

When she was younger, her uncle replaced her hands with bionic ones that she can use to crush objects and extend to great lengths to be used as grappling hooks. That’s exactly what her unique abilities could play off of in Crash Team Rumble. She could use her bionic, extending hands to swing around the map to scoop up Wumpa Fruit.

Komodo Brothers

Komodo Joe and Komodo Moe are genetically engineered komodo dragons that have been unfortunately underused in the series. They’ve been featured as a boss fight a couple of times (as well as Joe being a boss on his own in Crash Team Racing) and have just mostly been used as background cameos since. They’re a fun duo of characters who are proficient with swords and have proved themselves to be formidable foes. Joe is the quicker and more agile of the two while Moe is all about strength.

They’d make for a unique duo character in Crash Team Rumble, similar to the Ice Climbers in the Super Smash Bros. series. From spinning attacks to sword-throwing, there’s a number of abilities they could bring to the table to aid their team.

Pinstripe Potoroo

Another underutilized character in the Crash Bandicoot games is Pinstripe Potoroo. He was mutated by Cortex’s Evolvo-Ray to serve as his bodyguard. However, Cortex doesn’t seem to need his bodyguard as he’s only made a small handful of appearances throughout the series. Pinstripe is a parody of Scarface, and even uses a similar Tommy gun in his attempts to take down Crash. 

Shooting a Tommy gun may be a rather simple ability for a game like Crash Team Rumble, but it’s not a bad one. There’s some merit to having someone with a solid long-range ability on your team. Plus, he’s a fun, silly character that would be nice to see in the series again.