Cortex Castle - Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time Wiki Guide - IGN (2023)

This page is a walkthrough for the Cortex Castle level in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time. It will guide you step-by-step to break every crate and earn every Gem, including helping you find the Hidden Gem location.

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Checkpoint 1

Here we are, back in Cortex Castle! And trust us, it’s not any easier than it was in 1996’s The Lab. To begin, pick up Lani-Loli and use his ability to smash the boxes in the starting area. As you probably noticed, this also flips in blockers that get in the way of the laser emitters, allowing you to pass through safely. For the gap, you’ll need to be a master of flipping the lasers away to start your jump, and then flip the platforms in for your landing. Once you cross the gap, you’ll be at the next Checkpoint.

Checkpoint 2

At this point you should have 8 boxes.

Jump right over the gap and flip the lasers away. Stand on the bottom of the laser array, then wait for the first platform to float down before jumping out and flipping it in. You’ll want to jump and flip in the next platform before you hit the lasers at the top.

Jump through the next laser and onto the platform with Lani-Loli, then grab the? Box as you jump to the next platform you flip in. Ride it to the right and flip in an Inferno Box to bounce on alongside a Golden Wumpa Box. Now move left to land on a platform as it rises up. At the top, bump the Box from below, then use Lani-Loli to jump through the two lasers to the next Checkpoint.

Checkpoint 3

You should now have 13 boxes.

Head up the hallway and smash the two boxes behind Kupuna-Wa, then use Slowdown to get past the spiked discs flying across the floor. In the hallway ahead, use Slowdown again so that you can safely run up to and Spin the Cortex Shredder, a lab assistant on a literal rocket sled. In the room after, use Slowdown to jump on top of a spiked disc and smash a Golden Wumpa Box above in the middle of the room.

In the next section, use Slowdown to bounce on the Nitro and hit the Golden Wumpa Box above, then take out the Inferno and? Boxes on the right. Use Slowdown to jump up the spiked discs, but be careful because the second one is a lot closer than it looks! Smash the? Box at the top, then head down the walkway and use Slowdown around the corner to take out two more Cortex Shredders (the last in the level, oddly enough!).

In the next section, wait for a spiked disk to appear, use Slowdown to get onto it, then turn it off and wait until you get close to the top to use it again and jump off. Smash the Inferno Box and the Locked Boxes at the top, then step onto the Bonus Round platform.

Bonus Round

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To begin, grab Kupuna-Wa and then bounce on the Nitro ahead with Slowdown active to safely remove it. Next bounce across the next two Nitros spawned in by the! Box to reach an upper area corner with more Nitros. Use Slowdown again to safely blow them up, then grab the Golden Wumpa Box. Jump off the left edge with Slowdown and spring high into a Double Jump off the new Nitros to open up the round below. Use a delayed Double Jump to get down there.

The row of Nitro Boxes here all spring up in unison. While it looks like you can smash all the boxes underneath them with Slowdown, it’s honestly far too much trouble to attempt. You should instead Spin the closest Nitro Box and retreat to a safe distance.

With the Nitros exploded, keep an eye on the green Buzzer up top: wait for the upper area to be clear, then use a Sliding Double Jump to get up top and get the? Box above, before standing far right to stay safe of future shots when time runs out. Now activate Slowdown and run right across the Arrow Boxes with Bouncing Iron Boxes, ignoring the Locked Boxes as you go.

Once you get to the end, jump up to bump the Nitro, then jump over the Buzzer’s shot and bounce on the two Golden Wumpa Boxes. Look for the? Box below and Spin it, landing on a small wooden platform below it. Jump left to get two Golden Wumpa Boxes and! Boxes, which will spawn in some Nitros. Use Slowdown to bounce across all of them to the end of the Bonus Round where the five Golden Wumpa Boxes are.

But you’re not done yet! Wait for the Buzzer nearby to stop firing, then activate Slowdown and use a Sliding Double Jump to return to the bouncing Iron Boxes. Use Slowdown again to slip under them, then Belly Flop through the Locked Boxes to land safely below. Hop across the wooden platform and the Green! Box with Sliding Double Jumps to reach the end and bank your winnings. This will get you Wumpa Gem #1!

Checkpoint 4

Now you should have 63 boxes.

Back in the main level, you’ll need to cross three spiked discs with Slowdown. This is more difficult than it looks because your Slowdown does not last long enough for it to be done all willy-nilly. You’ll want to time the activation of Slowdown such that, as you jump across the discs, they’ll be aligned diagonally. This allows you to hop across them as quickly as possible, making the final jump to the end much more comfortable.

Once you make it to the other side, hit the Checkpoint Box!

Checkpoint 5

You should now have 64 boxes.

Pick up ‘Akano right after the Checkpoint, then Dark Spin right across the TNT Boxes and over the Nitro. Land to the right of it and face ahead to the final new enemy in the game: the Errant Knight. Much like the Shield Assistants from Crash 2, these guys will repel you with their shields, but the knights will also attack with their swords. You’ll need to knock them back with ‘Akano’s Dark Spin, to the point where they fall off the ledge. Approach them quickly though, or else they’ll stand their ground.

Once he’s gone, bounce the two Boxes where he was standing, then Dark Spin over the Nitro Boxes to several more boxes (don’t forget to trip the TNT!). Dark Spin over to the next area with an Errant Knight, where you’ll have to be careful not to Dark Spin across the boxes in the middle or else you’ll risk blowing up the TNTs below! Once you knock the Errant Knight away, take out the boxes in the middle of the area, then Dark Spin over the Nitros and bounce the TNTs, from which you can Double Jump across to safety.

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Before you hit the Checkpoint Box, Double Jump over to the lone TNT and use it to get to the line of boxes above the laser beams. To get back, either leave the right-most? Box until last to help bounce back to the Checkpoint, or land on the right-hand laser beam emitter and then jump back from there. Hit the Checkpoint Box to get Wumpa Gem #2!

Checkpoint 6

Now you should have 93 boxes.

Pick up Ika-Ika as you head right, then Belly Flop the boxes on the floor before flipping gravity to bounce the boxes on the ceiling. Flip back down and hop onto the platform, then quickly use Ika-Ika to flip around to the bottom of it. As it begins to pass through the lasers above, flip around back to the top of the platform and then jump left to the two boxes, acquiring an Aku Aku.

When the platform gets close to the next set of lasers, Double Jump up and flip gravity to fall up to it and then flip back to land on it. From there jump right to a new safe area. Smash the various boxes on the floor and ceiling, then from the ceiling Double Jump over the vertical lasers before flipping down to where the? Box is.

Up ahead is an obstacle that may take a bit to figure out how it works: you have three spiked disc launchers, and up ahead are lasers that force you to flip from the ceiling to the floor and back again. Making things more difficult are laser walls that you have to jump over.

Here’s how you get through here. First, flip up onto the ceiling and run across to the first laser wall. Wait for the next spiked disc to pass by, then use a Crouching Double Jump to get over both the disc and the lasers at the same time! Run forward a bit and flip back down onto the floor, then repeat this move to get over the next wall. Repeat this one final time on the ceiling, then jump over the spiked disc receiver and out to safety.

As you head forward along the walkway, you’ll encounter the final timeline event that lowers the drawbridge ahead. In the room at the end, bounce on the TNT Boxes to your left to smash the boxes above, then once the TNTs blow up, hit the Checkpoint Box ahead.

Checkpoint 7

You should now have 130 boxes.

Head right and pick up Lani-Loli and immediately flip the obstacles ahead. As the lasers lower down, Double Jump up and land on the left-most emitter, then jump onto the platform that rises up. Jump right to grab ‘Akano, then activate Dark Spin and Double Jump through the gap in the lasers on your right. As you go through you’ll pick up Kupuna-Wa. Quickly activate Slowdown and fall through the spiked discs.

Smash the? box down here and then face the next obstacle. Here, you need to grab Ika-Ika and use two very well-timed gravity flips to zig-zag around the lasers. Remember that momentum is very much in play here: the faster Crash falls, the longer it will take him to stop and fall in the opposite direction after you flip gravity. Make it to the other side to reach the next Checkpoint.

Checkpoint 8

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At this point you should have 132 boxes.

This is the final gauntlet, and where you really Here, pick up ‘Akano and Dark Spin over to the TNT Boxes. Land on them, then jump and Dark Spin over to Kupuna-Wa and quickly activate Slowdown. This lets you bounce on the two Nitro Boxes and get Ika-Ika: flip gravity to wall up and grab Lani-Loli, where gravity will automatically flip back to normal. Flip along the platforms, and fast, because the laser wall will now move!

Now for the really tricky part. Grab ‘Akano next to the second platform and Dark Spin to above the TNT Box. Disable Dark Spin, land on the TNT, and spring high and Dark Spin left. Slip past the laser wall, then Double Jump so that you can glide right onto a higher TNT Box. Land on it, then use a Sliding Double Jump to Dark Spin to a Box with the Hidden Gem on top! Move next to the laser wall on your right, and you’ll land safely on a walkway with the final Checkpoint Box!

Checkpoint 9

Now, you should at this point have at least 140 boxes.

The final stretch! Grab Ika-Ika, then use his powers to get to the moving platform with a Golden Wumpa on top. The platform starts moving right when you step on it, so you’ll have to jump and flip the lasers away again in order to pass by safely. As you approach the Buzzer shooting the area ahead, wait for the right gap to jump ahead of the platform, grab the two Golden Wumpa Fruit for Wumpa Gem #3, and pick up ‘Akano as you fall onto the TNT Boxes.

From here, use a Sliding Double Jump to reach another TNT Box which you can use to bounce on another TNT that’s part of a row of them. The platform should slide in on the left by now: Double Jump over and grab another Golden Wumpa Box as the TNTs blow up, landing on the platform.

Ride the platform right, then Slide under the lasers and Double Jump up to collect Kupuna-Wa. Land back on the platform, then wait for the moment you can activate Slowdown and jump through the bouncing Iron Boxes. Fall down onto the platform and quickly jump right and pick up Ika-Ika: flip gravity to fall up and grab Kupuna-Wa again, then quickly activate Slowdown so that you can quickly Slide through the Nitro Boxes.

On the other side, grab ‘Akano and fall onto the platform. Before it sinks too far, quickly jump and Dark Double Jump to rise as high as possible and grab Lani-Loli: when you do, flip the lasers out to land on another platform. Jump off it to collect Ika-Ika and then flip gravity twice so that you go around the top of the laser wall, collect the Golden Wumpa Fruit, and land safely at the end! Hit the Green! Box, get your Box Gem, and breath a HUGE sigh of relief! Well done!

N.Verted Hidden Gem

The N.Verted Hidden Gem is located at Checkpoint 5, where you get a view out of the castle and first pick up ‘Akano. Dark Spin left to the square of four TNT Boxes, making sure to land on the upper left one. Now, spring high off the upper-right TNT Box into a Dark Double Jump to get incredibly high: you’ll want to move all the way to the right to grab the Hidden Gem directly above the Checkpoint Box up the wall.