Jump to content

Nina Cortex

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Jinnai (talk | contribs) at 00:13, 22 September 2009 (→Critical reception). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Nina Cortex
'Crash Bandicoot' character
File:Nina Cortex.jpg
Nina Cortex as she appears in Crash: Mind over Mutant
First gameCrash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage and Spyro Orange: The Cortex Conspiracy (2004)
Created byTraveller's Tales

Nina Cortex (ニーナ・コルテックス, Nīna Korutekkusu) is a fictional video game character and secondary antagonist of the Crash Bandicoot series of video games. In the series, Nina is depicted as the niece of the main antagonist of the series, Doctor Neo Cortex. She sometimes aids her uncle in his quest for world domination, though they have had a recent falling-out due to a failed plot headed by her and Cortex's boss Uka Uka.

Nina was originally created as a playable character in Crash Nitro Kart before developmental duties of the game were transferred to Vicarious Visions. Nina is voiced by Susan Silo in Crash Twinsanity,[1] by Amy Gross from Crash Tag Team Racing onwards[2][3] and by Debi Derryberry in the Nintendo DS version of Crash of the Titans. In the Japanese version of the series, she is voiced by Satomi Kōrogi in Crash Twinsanity and by Chihiro Kusaka in Crash Tag Team Racing. Nina's introduction in Crash Twinsanity was met favorably by reviewers.

Conception and creation

File:NinaTwinsanity.jpg
Nina Cortex was originally depicted wearing a white lab coat.

Nina Cortex was originally created by Traveller's Tales as a playable character in Crash Nitro Kart before development duties of the game were transferred to Vicarious Visions.[4] During her conception it was undecided whether she would be Neo Cortex's daughter or niece, hence the deliberate discrepencies regarding her relationship with Cortex in Crash Twinsanity.[4] Her appearance was based on one of the designers working at Traveller's Tales.[4] An early design of her depicted her wearing a white lab coat similar to Neo Cortex's.[4]

Characteristics

Personality

Nina is known to be more ambitious and egotistical than her uncle;[5] even Aku Aku believes that Nina is "a lot smarter than Cortex ever could be."[6] Despite her self-admittedly antisocial demeanor,[7] she is said to have a love for animals.[8]

Outward appearance

Nina's most distinguishing features are her spring-loaded steel bionic hands, which were given to her by her uncle Doctor Cortex.[5] Nina stands about four feet and eleven inches (1.5 meters) and weighs 110 pounds (50 kilograms).[9]

Plot overview

When Nina Cortex started to show signs of a kind heart, Doctor Cortex modified her arms with bionic parts and enrolled her in Madame Amberly's Private Academy, which he himself attended as a child. She doesn't see her uncle again until the Evil Twins threaten the existence of the Wumpa Islands in Crash Twinsanity, during which Doctor Cortex sneaks her out of the school to assist him in defeating the Evil Twins. When Crash, Cortex and Nina travel to the Tenth Dimension, Nina is kidnapped by the feral Evil Crash and taken to his house for a tea party, where Cortex soon rescues Nina.[10] She later helps in defeating the Evil Twins by destroying the power sources of their Deathbot.

In Crash of the Titans, when Cortex fails to dispose of Crash Bandicoot, Nina is called upon by Uka Uka to replace her uncle as the main antagonist of the story. In the Nintendo DS version of the game, Nina attempts to take over Cortex's plot on her own accord when she realizes that she's merely a henchman. When Crash confronts her inside the Doominator, Nina boards her giant Arachnina Titan and battles Crash, only to lose. When the Doominator is disabled, she is rescued from the falling contraption by Doctor Cortex, who reveals that he is proud that she betrayed him,[11] but proceeds to drop her off at his public school as punishment for doing so, as seen in Crash: Mind over Mutant. When she is eventually visited by Crash and Aku Aku, she angrily accuses Crash of ruining her life and refuses to help them stop Cortex's ongoing plot. When Crash and Aku Aku get desperate, she forces the two to kiss each other and save her science fair project.[12] She then uses the said project to determine the location of Crunch and Brio, who are at the Sludge's Junkyard.[13]

Other appearances in the series

In Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage and Spyro Orange: The Cortex Conspiracy, Nina is recruited by Doctor Cortex to kidnap Coco Bandicoot and the Professor.[14] When Spyro and Crash arrive to save Coco and the Professor, Nina chases down Crash, only to soon be captured in a cage.

Nina is a playable character in Crash Tag Team Racing, in which she aids Doctor Cortex and N. Gin in trying to take over Von Clutch's MotorWorld.

Cultural impact

Nina's introduction in Crash Twinsanity was met with a positive response among critics. James B. Pringle of IGN said that Nina "almost steals the show with her sassy skip and her Bionic Commando-like extension arm" and admitted that he "actually wouldn't mind seeing more of Nina in the future."[15] Nick Valentino of GameZone praised her as "an inventive character", a "very welcome addition to the series" and "one of the many highlights this game has to offer". He also compared her bionic arms to Bionic Commando.[16] However, Tracy Erickson of Pocket Gamer considered the segments of the Nintendo DS version of Crash of the Titans in which Nina was the playable character "void of any substantial pacing" and described them as "contrived stages relying on tired platform mechanics".[17]

References

  1. ^ "Crash Twinsanity for PlayStation 2 - Technical Information, Game Information, Technical Support - GameSpot". GameSpot. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
  2. ^ "Crash Tag Team Racing for PlayStation 2 - Technical Information, Game Information, Technical Support - GameSpot". GameSpot. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
  3. ^ "Crash of the Titans for Wii - Technical Information, Game Information, Technical Support - GameSpot". GameSpot. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
  4. ^ a b c d SpaceCat (2005-01-07). "SpaceCat's Topic Regarding Unused Ideas". Crash Mania. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
  5. ^ a b "Welcome to Crash Village". Sierra Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
  6. ^ Radical Entertainment (2007-10-04). Crash of the Titans (Wii). Sierra Entertainment. Level/area: Episode 7: The Blizzard of Claws. Aku Aku: This isn't good, Crash. Nina's a lot smarter than Cortex ever could be.
  7. ^ Radical Entertainment. Crash Tag Team Racing (Multiplatform). Sierra Entertainment. Level/area: Race. Nina Cortex: Who says it's not fun being antisocial?
  8. ^ SpaceCat (2005-03-05). "SpaceCat's Topic Regarding Unused Ideas". Crash Mania. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
  9. ^ Amaze Entertainment. Crash of the Titans (Nintendo DS). Sierra Entertainment. Level/area: Nina Cortex profile.
  10. ^ Traveller's Tales. Crash Twinsanity (Multiplatform). Sony Computer Entertainment America. Level/area: Bandicoot Pursuit. Doctor Neo Cortex: There they are. Let her go! Take me instead! (Evil Crash chases Cortex down)
  11. ^ Radical Entertainment (2007-10-04). Crash of the Titans (Wii). Sierra Entertainment. Level/area: Episode 20: Revengeance 2 — The Revengicide. Why did you rescue me? I betrayed you, took over your evil plan... then failed. / Doctor Neo Cortex: Oh, Nina. Betraying me is the most vile, evil thing you could've ever done! You're a skank. I'm... just so proud of you right now. / Nina Cortex: Hooray!
  12. ^ Radical Entertainment (2008-10-07). Crash: Mind over Mutant (Multiplatform). Activision. Level/area: Forbidden Love. Aku Aku: Please, Nina! We'll do anything! / Nina Cortex: Anything? Really... / Aku Aku: (sighs) Yes. / Nina Cortex: Kiss. / Aku Aku: What?! / Nina Cortex: Yeah. Kiss. Right now. It will amuse me.
  13. ^ Radical Entertainment (2008-10-07). Crash: Mind over Mutant (Multiplatform). Activision. Level/area: Evil Public School. Nina Cortex: Uncle Cortex made up with his old lab partner, N. Brio. / Aku Aku: N. Brio?! / Nina Cortex: Uncie Cortex talks some big game, but N. Brio's the guy who actually built everything. And luckily for you, my science project thingy tells me exactly where he is. Now, run along to the other side of the island. I've got new evil plans to start.
  14. ^ Vicarious Visions (2004-06-03). Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage (Game Boy Advance). Vivendi Universal Games. Doctor Neo Cortex: Enough! I have someone better in mind who can get the job done. Niiinaaa!!! / Nina Cortex: Yay! Nina wants to play! / Doctor Neo Cortex: Niece, I have a very important job for you... / (Later) Spyro the Dragon: Blinky! What's up? / Blinky: Spyro! Crash! Nina has kidnapped the Professor and Coco!
  15. ^ James B. Pringle (2004-10-05). "IGN: Crash Twinsanity Review". IGN. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
  16. ^ Nick Valentino (2004-10-08). "Crash Twinsanity Review - Xbox". GameZone. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
  17. ^ Tracy Erickson (2007-10-10). "DS review, Crash of the Titans, Pocket Gamer". Pocket Gamer. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Nina_Cortex&oldid=315399536"