Might have better luck googling a different keyword other than 'vertex' animation. Try 'Sprite animation tutorial' - http://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-create-an-animated-pixel-art-sprite-in-adobe-photoshop--cms-20428 - http://www.manningkrull.com/pixel-art/walking.php…
The animation. I know there are 2 different forms of 3D animation, so I was trying to go for the one that allows for the most freedom. The Crash Bandicoot example is based on vertex animation which is what I want, but I couldn't find many tutorials for it.
Depending on your familiarity with animation going through the tutorial komaokc is a good start if you're completely new with it. If you're already familiar with it start to do some studies and see what's the difference in animation on Avatar versus Road Runner. They both use the same principles but in different degrees…