Headscratchers / Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back

• If N. Brio wants Crash to get the gems instead of the crystals and has deployed his minions to hinder Crash from collecting crystals, why are they more prevalent on the alternate routes which only contain gems and/or boxes that earn you a gem?
• If N. Gin says that all 25 Slave Crystals are scattered on the surface, why are the final five on board the Cortex Vortex (as confirmed by this promotional flyer)? And for that matter, if the final five are on the Cortex Vortex, why is Night Fight a level in it when it's a jungle level?
• This game had too much of an elaborate location for the Crystals and Gems, could have a hidden character positioned them?
  • Not unless A Wizard Did It. These are floating crystals, not your average buried-in-the-earth precious stones. Besides, who says someone put them there?
    • Over time I speculated that someone who "knows" Crash positioned them. Outside of Cortex because that would be too easy.
• Are the bears that chase you in "Un-Bearable" supposed to be Polar's parents?
  • Not likely; there are three bears. If they are supposed to be Polar's parents, what role is the third one supposed to have?
    • Mommy, daddy and their friendly neighbour that comes to see mommy when daddy is at work.
• Why oh why did Crash help Cortex by collecting the crystals for him, even before Cortex pulled the "I'm trying to save the world" deceit?
  • Adding to that, why did Coco travel back in time to help Crash get the crystals and gems even faster, knowing her past self was working frantically to expose Cortex's scheme, and Brio's revenge would lead to the release of Uka Uka?
• Why does Cortex laugh in the Game Over screen? His Unwitting Pawn just died. The game over screen only makes sense if you lose all lives in the battle against him.