The polar bear cub Crash rides in Crash Bandicoot 2 is Polar. Polar appears in the snowy stages of Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, where Crash can mount him and use his speed to cross icy paths and leap over hazards.
Polar is one of the memorable animal companions in the original Crash trilogy. His gameplay sections are different from ordinary platforming: instead of simply running and jumping as Crash, the player guides a fast-moving bear across frozen landscapes, often using jumps to clear gaps and obstacles. Polar also appears as a character in later Crash games.
Players sometimes confuse Polar with Pura, the tiger associated with Crash Bandicoot: Warped. Pura is ridden during the Great Wall stages in the third game, while Polar is the bear companion linked most strongly with Crash Bandicoot 2. Penta Penguin is another snowy character, but he is a racer and is not the cub Crash rides in Cortex Strikes Back.