If you're just looking for what the fastest version is, it's US 1.0, which is a regular cartridge.

What's changed in the later versions? This doesn't include obvious regional changes like language.

US 1.1 (Any US multi-game pack that N-Tranced was a part of)

• Monkey bar/hang rail glitch is fixed. This is a skip that allows for floating indefinitely off the end of hang rails.

• Magma Mania: There is now a metal bouncy crate under the copter pack crate. This metal bouncy crate can actually be broken once in the helicopter, however it does not increment the box counter. The copter crate has also been raised.

• Now It's Istanbul: The box formation after the first checkpoint has changed. The top reinforced crate has changed into a normal crate, and the ? crate has been moved to the bottom of the stack. Roughly the same any% strat can be done here. For time trial attempts (non-RTA), this level is faster here because the 2 crate is closer to where Crash will be sliding.

EU 1.0 (Regular Cartridge)

• Same as US 1.0.

EU 1.1 (Any EU multi-game pack that N-Tranced was a part of)

• Same changes as US 1.1.

JP

• Same changes US 1.1 and EU 1.1 have.

• Globe Trottin': The hint box at the beginning is absent.

• 18 gems are required to access world 5. Additionally, to access N. Tropy, 21 gems (not including the coloured gems) and 21 gold relics are required. Avoid running Beat N. Tropy on this version :^)