Cortex Strikes Back is actually a favorite among fans due to its perfect difficulty level. Its controls are great and it doesn't have any wonky mechanics. Overall, it's definitely the easiest game from the original trilogy and is generally considered to be the best of the classic Crash games.
The development of Crash Bandicoot spanned a total of 18 months. It was released in North America on September 9, 1996, and in Europe on November 8, 1996.