Well, the catch is you have to smash every crate in the level without dying.

If you smash all the crates, you score a perfect.

To collect a gem, you must destroy every single crate in a level and get to the end without losing a life.

First off, you can only save when you either complete a bonus round (which can only be access one time in each level) or when you collect a gem for destroying every crate in the level

every future Crash Bandicoot game let you get the gem even if you die as long as you break all the crates

I'm all for destroying every crate, but I think you should be able to lose a life and still get the gem.

If you bust all the crates and you die on your way to the end, you should get the gem.