Doctor Nitrus Brio

Doctor Nitrus Brio (also known as N. Brio, or simply Brio) is a scientist who formerly worked under Dr. Neo Cortex. Brio's loyalty has fluctuated throughout the series, working on his own accord in Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, with Doctor Nefarious Tropy in Crash Twinsanity, and even returning to Cortex's side in Crash: Mind Over Mutant. His name is a play on the word "embryo" (a fact that he himself alludes to in Crash: Mind Over Mutant).

Pre-Series History
Like most of the characters in the series, Brio's age is uncertain, though a piece of Crash Twinsanity concept art suggests that Brio is the same age as Cortex and N. Gin. As a child, Nitrus Brio was a classmate of Neo Cortex and N. Gin in Madame Amberly's Academy of Evil. Brio is responsible for taking Neo's faulty prototype Evolvo-Ray and refining it into a fully functional weapon. However, his lack of self-esteem allowed Doctor Cortex to take full credit for the creation.

Along with Cortex, Brio made up the other half of the Cortex Commandos before setting up base in the Wumpa Archipelago.

Crash Bandicoot
At the start of the series, Brio acts as an assistant to Cortex. While he is somewhat loyal, he has his doubts over whether Cortex's plans can actually work. Brio acts as the penultimate boss of the first game, drinking a potion and transforming himself into a hulking monstrosity to combat Crash. When defeated, he accidentally sets the castle on fire. When he wakes up, he decides to go up against Cortex who didn't give any credit to Brio all these years. In the non-canon ending, it was revealed he worked as a bartender prior to this game.

Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
Nitrus Brio reappeared one year later in the form of a hologram when Crash got his first gem, attempting to convince Crash Bandicoot to save the world by gathering the Gems he needs to destroy Cortex's space station instead of the Crystals that Cortex needs to control the Earth, threatening to destroy Crash if he keeps gathering the crystals. When Crash continues to gather Crystals, Brio recruits Ripper Roo and creates the Komodo Brothers and Tiny Tiger to assassinate Crash and keep him from gathering the Crystals for Cortex. Brio finally manages to convince Crash to gather the 42 Gems needed for the laser to be operational, and gives him the honor of activating the weapon, destroying Cortex's space station. He appears to have doubted that Crash would find all the gems, as in the 100% ending, he says, "You have acquired all of the Gems! Incredible! Heheheheheh! Crystals are not the only means of harnessing planetary energy. Heheheheheh! The Gems have that ability as well, and with them, I can destroy the Cortex Vortex... forever! Heheheheheheh! Let me warp you to my completed laser installation, hm..."

Crash Bash
In Crash Bash, Brio is surprisingly called by Uka Uka to fight on the Evil side in the battle against Aku Aku's Good side. Similar to Cortex, he uses a blue ray gun to stun his opponents. He has the same characteristics of Cortex. In the Crate Crush levels He has a very powerful throw, a high jump, fast run, but weak laser. His battle cry is an old laugh that was also heard in the Disney films Fun and Fancy Free and Aladdin. In the tank mini games he has a green laser that bounces off walls. And also like Cortex in the pogo stick and the polar mini games he has a jetpack.

Crash Twinsanity
In Crash Twinsanity, Brio teams up with Doctor Nefarious Tropy to defeat Cortex and gain the Evil Twins' Treasure. He appears alongside Tropy in a boss fight, immediately following Crash's escape from N. Gin's battleship, in which Brio (after being instructed by N. Tropy to "get changed") drinks a potion to transform himself into a large, green frog-like monster. While in this form, he bounces around on the iceberg trying to squash Crash. He then appears (in his human form) alongside N. Tropy and N. Gin again in the Evil Twins' fortress, claiming the Twins' treasure for themselves. However, they are thwarted by Spyro the Dragon, who had been trapped in the Twins' vault, when he breathes fire on them.

Crash: Mind Over Mutant
Brio reunites with Neo Cortex once more in Crash: Mind Over Mutant, in which he aids in the development of the NV, a personal digital assistant that can control both mutants and bandicoots. He uses recycled parts from the Sludge Junkyard to mass-produce NVs and create a new space station for Doctor Cortex. Throughout the game, he claims to be the inventor of numerous things, including recycling, and also claims to have an interest in falconry and "classical" cheeses. He is found in the junkyard with a brainwashed Crunch Bandicoot by Crash and Aku Aku, who are then attacked by Crunch under Brio's orders. When Crunch is broken free from the NV's control, Brio is forced to reveal the whereabouts of Uka Uka, who is acting as the source of the negative mojo needed to control those wearing NVs. He is then told to leave the island. He reluctantly complies, but promises the trio that it wasn't the end.

Personality
Brio is a shy and meek man, which serves as a contrast to Doctor Cortex's megalomania. He has never had people respect him or take him seriously (a fact he laments in Crash: Mind Over Mutant), resulting in a low self-esteem. It is this weakness that originally caused him to join Doctor Cortex in his plot for world domination. However, it is also this weakness that allowed Cortex take the full credit for an invention that Brio was more responsible for attaining any sort of effectiveness, resulting in the development of intense inner-contempt and jealousy of Cortex on Brio's behalf. The most notable examples of Cortex stealing from Brio was the first functional Evolvo-Ray, which Brio did not actually create, but perfected its original faulty design into a more effective weapon. This betrayal on Cortex's part is a continuing source of disdain for Brio and is the prime motive for his abandonment of Cortex following the events of Crash Bandicoot.

As a way of making up for his mistake of allowing Cortex to take credit for his inventions in the past, Brio has developed a notable level of self delusion, as he cites himself as being the actual inventor of the Evolvo-Ray (Even though he only perfected it). This worsens even further where he constantly, almost impulsively reminds anyone in his presence of his inventions, even crediting himself with several other things that he couldn't possibly have created, like recycling, slinkies as well as claiming to have written a bible.

In the earlier games, he stuttered and occasionally laughed like a madman whenever he spoke. This could be a result of the bolts in his head, or too many failed potions. In the game Crash Bash, these talking mannerisms are taken to a new level when, instead of stuttering or laughing, he would babble on nonsensically, nobody being able to understand him. Crash Bash is the only game in which this "nonsense speaking" is heard or used.

In the N. Sane Trilogy, his personality in the first game is more solidified. He now acts like a bumbling but cautious assistant with incredibly eccentric mannerisms, a strong stutter, and much more manic laughter.

Role in the Series
Coming soon...