"Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back" had positive reviews from critics. Many believed it to be better than the previous game. Others liked the graphics, control and music of the game. Some critics did not like the trail-and-error gameplay, not too many different levels, easy boss levels and the lack of innovation. The game became one of the best-selling PlayStation video games of all-time. In Japan, it sold more copies than the first "Crash Bandicoot" game, with 800,000 sold as of April 1998.