- “MWAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!”
- —Dr. Neo Cortex‘s official catchphrase
Doctor Neo Periwinkle Cortex is a professional scientist born in Peoria, Illinois, and is the main antagonist of the Crash Bandicoot series. He is Crash Bandicoot's arch-nemesis and creator, and has been seen throughout the series with colleagues such as Dr. Nitrus Brio, Dr. N-Gin, Dr. Nefarious Tropy, and his master, Uka Uka; animal henchmen such as Tiny Tiger and Dingodile, and his niece Nina Cortex.
In Skylanders: Imaginators, Neo Cortex is one of the Tech Senseis and now trains Imaginators who belong to the Sorcerer Battle Class. He is available with Crash (who is a Brawler Sensei of the Life element) in the Crash Edition Starter Pack for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 (though they're both playable on other consoles), alongside the original components of the regular starter pack: King Pen, Golden Queen, and a Fire Creation Crystal. He and Crash are also available in the Thumpin' Wumpa Islands Adventure Pack for those who want to buy them separately.
Background
Biography
A wormhole has opened in Skylands and the great Aku Aku appears! He comes to announce the once-in-two-decades Synchronization Celebration -- it is the time when all the worlds align perfectly. All the inhabitants of Wumpa Island are having a huge party in the Wumpa Islands and want to invite the Skylanders. But Dr. Neo Cortex has created a sinister machine to harness this incredible energy for his own evil purposes, only to watch it go completely haywire. Now Dr. Neo Cortex must partner with Crash Bandicoot to stop the machine before Wumpa Islands are completely shaken apart!
Story
In the Thumpin' Wumpa Islands Adventure Pack, Dr. Neo Cortex had planned an evil scheme for 20 years to create an army of unstoppable minions using the rhythmic energies of the Synchronization Celebration that took place on the Island. However his Cortex Matrix Chamber was hijacked by his minion Fake Crash, causing an explosion that sent Cortex rocketing towards the island beach. He is then forced to partner with his nemesis, Crash Bandicoot, and the Skylanders to stop Fake Crash from destroying Wumpa Island with bad rhythms. After Fake Crash's defeat, Cortex was dismayed that his Cortex Matrix Chamber was turned into a docile music box by Mags and was last seen glaring angrily at Crash.
Relationships
Crash Bandicoot
As his original creator, Cortex holds a deep hatred for Crash Bandicoot. Whenever Cortex tries to take over the world, Crash always steps in and saves the day, which deeply irritates Cortex.
However, now that they're Skylanders, the scientist and the marsupial are now on much friendlier terms with one another, even though they are often annoyed at each other's personal antics.
Uka Uka
Uka Uka is Cortex's boss and the brother to Aku Aku. Uka Uka is always angry at Cortex and his constant failure to take over the world.
Gameplay
Stats
These are the starting and maximum Statistics for this Skylander in the Skylanders games.
- Health: ???
- Speed: ??
- Armor: ??
- Critical Hit: ??
- Elemental Power: ??
Warning: These stats are not used in any of the Skylander games. They are only listed for completeness reasons.
- Strength: 260
- Defense: 120
- Agility: 200
- Luck: 220
Abilities
Basic Abilities These abilities are available from the start of the game. |
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Blaster Beam | Mask the Pain |
Wanted: Dead or Up High
Rehabilita-Laser
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Primary Ability Press Attack 1 to shoot enemies with the blaster pistol. |
Secondary Ability Press Attack 2 to damage and push back nearby enemies. |
Price: 4000
Hold Attack 1 to transform the gun into a staff and release to knock nearby enemies up. Keep pressing Attack 1 to shoot the knocked up enemies and keep them up there.
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Basic Upgrades Skylanders can buy new abilities from Persephone/Power Pods. | |||||||
What's Mine is Yours | Hoverboard | Multi-Mine | Mask Horray-Aid | ||||
Price: 500 Press Attack 3 to throw a mine. Mines will try to launch enemies towards other mines. |
Price: 700 Hold Attack 3 to ride a hoverboard and knock enemies around before it explodes. |
Price: 900 Press Attack 3 to throw a mine that launches another mine upon landing. |
Price: 1200 Press Attack 2 to block projectiles during Uka Uka's attack. |
Gadgets Galore |
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N. Tropy's Slow Mo Flow | Insane Bolt | Blaster Fracture | ||
Price: 1700 Hold Attack 2 and release to place an N. Tropy Staff which damages enemies on impact and slows enemies in an area for a while. |
Price: 2200 Shooting while N. Tropy's staff is active makes the device shoot sparks randomly in the area. |
Price: 3000 Being struck by an Insane Bolt powers up the Blaster Beam. Laser shots split into multiple projectiles for a short time. Insane Bolts try to land nearby until a boost is granted! |
Wonderful Wizardry |
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Boo Uka Boo Uka! | Mask in the Mirror | You Do That Voodoo | ||
Price: 1700 Press Attack 2 to damage and push back enemies in a line straight ahead. Projectiles in the way are destroyed. |
Price: 2200 Uka Uka now defends the area for a short time when a projectile is successfully blocked. Uka Uka also now explodes projectiles when he blocks them, dealing damage in the area around the deflection. |
Price: 3000 Hold Attack 2 to control Uka Uka and knock enemies around all over the battlefield. |
Quotes
Story Quotes
- "At last! 20 years of meticulous planning, preparations and machinations have all built to this single moment! The fathomless rhythmic energies of Wumpa Island itself shall power my Cortex Matrix Chamber and create an unstoppable army of loyal minions! And this time, none of my stupid henchmen will be around to ruin it for me! MWAHAHAHAHA!"
- "What have you done to my beautiful machine?!"
Battle Cries
- "MWAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!" - official catchphrase
- "Let's get those Imaginators ready for total world domi- I mean, awesomely heroic do-gooding! And stuff." - Sensei Training Bonus
- "And when you want to put your mind to learning some Secret Sorcerer Techniques, you just say so!" - Secret Technique Bonus
- "If you're looking to make your Imaginators more powerful, you have come to the right place!" - Unused Sensei Training Bonus quote[1]
- "And I of course possess a highly classified, supremely secret, scientifically approached, technique just for Sorcerers!" - Unused Secret Technique Bonus quote
- "How do you like them apples?"
- "Another win for Cortex!
- "Do you want to see power?!" - Sky-Chi (Rehabilita-Laser)
- The tables have turned!" - Sky-Chi (Rehabilita-Laser)
- "You never had a chance!" - End of Sky-Chi
- "Patience is not my virtue."
- "The doctor is in!"
- "Can't stop progress!"
- "I'm back, baby!"
- "You can hear me growing smarter!" - when checking stats
- "Ooh, Who knew you could improve on perfection."
See Also
Gallery
Trivia
- Cortex and Boom Bloom are the only Senseis to not have a weapon from their battle classes. While Cortex can turn his weapon into a staff, he mainly wields a gun.
- Unlike Boom Bloom however, Cortex's unlockable weapon is not for the battle class he is in, but is instead for the Quickshot battle class.
- Cortex is the first Skylander to be human, though because of his original series' art style, he does not appear to be one.
- His name is a pun on neocortex, the largest part of the brain.
- Just as with Crash, characters in Thumpin' Wumpa Islands will have custom dialogue if you play as Cortex. In his case, they will act untrustworthy towards him (rightfully), believing he is the cause of the problem in some way.
- He and Crash are two of the characters to also act as Adventure Pack figures, adding Thumpin' Wumpa Islands to the game. The others include Wild Storm, adding Cursed Tiki Temple, and Ro-Bow, adding Lost Imaginite Mines.
- Despite being the only Guest Star who is able to talk freely, like the other Guest Stars, he does not have a catchphrase.
- Cortex is the second villain who did not appear in Trap Team to have a Skylander figurine (The first is Hammer Slam Bowser).
- Unlike Hammer Slam Bowser and Turbo Charge Donkey Kong who are only playable on Nintendo consoles, he and Crash Bandicoot are the first and only guest characters that can be played on any gaming console.
- On his figure he has white sleeves. However, in-game he has black sleeves.
- In his artwork and on his figure, his gun is completely silver-colored. However, in-game only the muzzle of the gun is silver while the body is red and yellow.
- During a Grind Challenge, he slides only on his left foot.
- The name of Cortex's first "Gadgets Galore" ability, "N. Tropy's Slow Mo Flow", is a reference to Dr. N. Tropy, an ally of Cortex, and the self-proclaimed "Master of Time", who debuted in Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped. This was possibly meant to be a foreshadowing to the release of the game Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy (which is a 3-in-1 remastered version of the first three Crash Bandicoot games)
- So far Dr. Neo Cortex and Dr. Krankcase are the only playable characters labeled as doctors.
- The promo artwork of the Skylander version of Cortex was used for the concepts of Cortex's Castle in Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled. [2]
- He and Crash are the only Senseis not featured in Skylanders Creator. Despite that, their unique parts can still be unlocked through timed chests.
- One of Cortex's Wonderful Wizardry upgrades "Mask in the Mirror" is perhaps a play on the Michael Jackson song Man in the Mirror.
- His Soul Gem ability's name is a play on "Wanted: Dead or Alive".
References
- ↑ Skylanders Imaginators: All Cortex voice lines
- ↑ Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled, Scrapbook, Pages 33 and 34