The next generation of video game consoles is right around the corner, but that won’t stop the last gen from going out with a bang. Reviving one of its most beloved game franchises — as well as the advertising concept behind it — Activision recruited the help of one of music’s biggest stars to bring back Crash Bandicoot in the trailer for the new game, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. Atlanta rapper Quavo of the group Migos looks like he’s having a ball in the ad as he trades rhymes with a Crash Bandicoot mascot outside a shoe store.
The concept is updated from the original Crash Bandicoot trailers which featured an actor in a Crash mascot suit — complete with a hole in the middle for his face to poke out and make the whole thing even more tongue-in-cheek — trash-talking Nintendo’s ever-popular mascot Mario as the then-new PlayStation first launched. Of course, since then, Mario has only become more popular while Crash faded into semi-obscurity, but the anthropomorphic marsupial apparently remains enough of a cultural touchstone for the millennial generation to warrant a feature from Quavo (who admittedly does features with just about everybody).
Quavo isn’t the first rap star to help bring back a beloved franchise. Two years ago, Crash’s fellow PlayStation mascot Spyro the Dragon starred in a remastered release of his own original trilogy, announced with the help of Snoop Dogg. At this rate, we can only hope that the next PS1 hero to return is the one best known for his own crafty rhymes: Parappa The Rappa.
With the game dropping October 2, there’s still — ahem — time to pre-order it at the official website for some wild, retro in-game character skins.
Watch the trailer for Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time featuring Quavo above.
