A remake of Spyro the Dragon
The first game in the Spyro series has been completely remade from the ground up. It stars the title character, a young purple dragon named Spyro, and his dragonfly friend, Sparx, who must journey across the Dragon Kingdom to defeat Gnasty Gnorc, who has overtaken the 5 dragon Homeworlds by trapping the other dragons in crystal and turning their hoard of gems into an army of minions.
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This review contains spoilers
For personal reference more than anything else.
Second time playing through this after the first time four years ago. Got 120%.
So to start off with, there's not much of a story and I also don't really like much of the dialogue as its either just dragons you save telling you how to play the game or Spyro being what I can only assume was considered 'cool' when the original game released. I kind of love Gnasty Gnorc as an antagonist with his only motivations for his actions being him getting insulted and told he's not really a threat, its so stupid and petty and its amazing. I also didn't hear much of the game as I was listening to music while playing it, but the little I did hear was good, the music was nice and the sound effects were really good.
The gameplay is the main attraction though and I really like it, Spyro feels great to control and being able to charge, glide and breathe fire is really fun. The game is pretty easy most of the time but it doesn't feel like its the kind of easy where its just straight up boring, instead it just feels fun. The only thing that I felt even slightly negative towards was the level Haunted Towers as the gimmick of repeatedly going back to a fairy to be able to deal with certain enemies or obstacles was kind of annoying, but even then it was trying something different and I didn't exactly dislike it (it along with Tree Tops were the only two levels I needed to consult a guide on to 100% though as I couldn't remember what to do and the actual solutions were things I'd never guess).
There are a few gimmicks throughout the game and they're nothing groundbreaking but they do offer a change of pace of sorts when it comes to thinking about a level. There's also the flying levels where Spyro has to hit all of the things within the time limit and I got really into these as they went on as it was fun to learn the best order to do everything in whilst also trying not to fly into something or end up in the the water. The boss fights were there but there weren't really any that stood out to me for any particular reason.
Some scattered thoughts:
• The game is genuinely so pretty looking, the bright cartoony look of it was really working for me and the fact that a lot of the levels look different from each other was so nice.
• Although speaking of the appearance of the game, I did run into a couple of graphical issues in that in one level, the enemies in boats were at a noticeably lower framerate than the rest of the game and in a couple of levels, I had enemies pop in quite close to me.
• I appreciated being able to use a level select and get basically anywhere from anywhere through the menu and even if I didn't use it, being able to listen to either the original soundtrack or the new one is a really good addition.
• There were some levels that felt quite good to explore as they made use of not only the ground but the rooftops of buildings and nearby floating platforms, I enjoyed having an excuse to use the glide more often and it also felt quite cool being on a higher part of a level and being able to see anything I missed or somewhere that is a bit further in the distance but I could now get to.
Either way I really like this game and it was quite fun to come back to.
Second time playing through this after the first time four years ago. Got 120%.
So to start off with, there's not much of a story and I also don't really like much of the dialogue as its either just dragons you save telling you how to play the game or Spyro being what I can only assume was considered 'cool' when the original game released. I kind of love Gnasty Gnorc as an antagonist with his only motivations for his actions being him getting insulted and told he's not really a threat, its so stupid and petty and its amazing. I also didn't hear much of the game as I was listening to music while playing it, but the little I did hear was good, the music was nice and the sound effects were really good.
The gameplay is the main attraction though and I really like it, Spyro feels great to control and being able to charge, glide and breathe fire is really fun. The game is pretty easy most of the time but it doesn't feel like its the kind of easy where its just straight up boring, instead it just feels fun. The only thing that I felt even slightly negative towards was the level Haunted Towers as the gimmick of repeatedly going back to a fairy to be able to deal with certain enemies or obstacles was kind of annoying, but even then it was trying something different and I didn't exactly dislike it (it along with Tree Tops were the only two levels I needed to consult a guide on to 100% though as I couldn't remember what to do and the actual solutions were things I'd never guess).
There are a few gimmicks throughout the game and they're nothing groundbreaking but they do offer a change of pace of sorts when it comes to thinking about a level. There's also the flying levels where Spyro has to hit all of the things within the time limit and I got really into these as they went on as it was fun to learn the best order to do everything in whilst also trying not to fly into something or end up in the the water. The boss fights were there but there weren't really any that stood out to me for any particular reason.
Some scattered thoughts:
• The game is genuinely so pretty looking, the bright cartoony look of it was really working for me and the fact that a lot of the levels look different from each other was so nice.
• Although speaking of the appearance of the game, I did run into a couple of graphical issues in that in one level, the enemies in boats were at a noticeably lower framerate than the rest of the game and in a couple of levels, I had enemies pop in quite close to me.
• I appreciated being able to use a level select and get basically anywhere from anywhere through the menu and even if I didn't use it, being able to listen to either the original soundtrack or the new one is a really good addition.
• There were some levels that felt quite good to explore as they made use of not only the ground but the rooftops of buildings and nearby floating platforms, I enjoyed having an excuse to use the glide more often and it also felt quite cool being on a higher part of a level and being able to see anything I missed or somewhere that is a bit further in the distance but I could now get to.
Either way I really like this game and it was quite fun to come back to.
The Spyro Reignited Trilogy is pure nostalgia fuel. They absolutely nailed bringing those classic PS1 games back to life – the worlds look gorgeous, the controls feel much smoother, and the soundtrack still slaps. Sure, some of the charm gets lost in the visual updates, and it's easy if you played the originals a ton. But honestly, if you're craving a whimsical 3D platformer with a fire-breathing dragon, this is a must-play!
*Finished in March, no exact date
Positives
- Good Remake
- Good Gameplay and Level Design
Negatives
- Forced to get a certain number of collectibles to progress
- Final Boss is pure trash
- Good Remake
- Good Gameplay and Level Design
Negatives
- Forced to get a certain number of collectibles to progress
- Final Boss is pure trash
This is THE way to play the original Spyro. Obviously the graphics and art style are a beautiful, modernized take on the World of Dragons that still capture the spirit of the original, but even beyond that, there are quite a few improvements.
For one, you can have Sparx point you in the direction of missing gems with a simple push of the analog stick. This does WONDERS for making 100% completion more appealing to newcomers (like myself). Some might say that ruins the sense of discovery, but I think it’s pretty similar to the Shrine Meter in Breath of the Wild: it tells where to go, but not how to get there, meaning that you’ll still have to figure out the path for yourself.
The controls are a huge step up from the PS1 version. Fun fact: all modern consoles have analog sticks. That means this game uses analog control, as opposed to the janky D-pad buttons from the PS1, the latter of which is definitely not ideal for a 3D platformer. On top of that, I feel like the Supercharge works far better in this remake and is easier to control, which led to me actually completing the dreaded Tree Tops level for the first time.
One final praise: the story additions. The game still has the same excuse plot (go rescue the dragons and kick some Gnorc ass), but there’s a lot more detail this time around. Every single dragon has a unique design, which is super impressive and is one of those things that’s unnecessary, yet goes to show how much love Toys for Bob put into this project. We actually see Gnasty Gnorc watching the dragons’ interview on TV at the beginning, which explains how he knew they were shit-talking him. Gnasty Gnorc himself gets a moment of sympathy; when the dragons call him “ugly”, he gets puppy dog eyes and looks genuinely hurt by the insult, thus providing a slight bit of depth to his character that wasn’t there before. Also, his lair is filled with funny Gnorc-themed inspirational posters and love letters that he writes to himself in an effort to boost his self-esteem. Poor Gnasty Gnorc; bro just needs a hug.
I’ve got a lot more to say, but I’ll leave it at that until I review the whole trilogy. Needless to say, this is the definitive version of Spyro 1, and I highly recommend it to those who enjoy 3D platformers or simply want a chill game to play on a rainy night. Going for 100% was absolutely a fun and worthwhile endeavor.
For one, you can have Sparx point you in the direction of missing gems with a simple push of the analog stick. This does WONDERS for making 100% completion more appealing to newcomers (like myself). Some might say that ruins the sense of discovery, but I think it’s pretty similar to the Shrine Meter in Breath of the Wild: it tells where to go, but not how to get there, meaning that you’ll still have to figure out the path for yourself.
The controls are a huge step up from the PS1 version. Fun fact: all modern consoles have analog sticks. That means this game uses analog control, as opposed to the janky D-pad buttons from the PS1, the latter of which is definitely not ideal for a 3D platformer. On top of that, I feel like the Supercharge works far better in this remake and is easier to control, which led to me actually completing the dreaded Tree Tops level for the first time.
One final praise: the story additions. The game still has the same excuse plot (go rescue the dragons and kick some Gnorc ass), but there’s a lot more detail this time around. Every single dragon has a unique design, which is super impressive and is one of those things that’s unnecessary, yet goes to show how much love Toys for Bob put into this project. We actually see Gnasty Gnorc watching the dragons’ interview on TV at the beginning, which explains how he knew they were shit-talking him. Gnasty Gnorc himself gets a moment of sympathy; when the dragons call him “ugly”, he gets puppy dog eyes and looks genuinely hurt by the insult, thus providing a slight bit of depth to his character that wasn’t there before. Also, his lair is filled with funny Gnorc-themed inspirational posters and love letters that he writes to himself in an effort to boost his self-esteem. Poor Gnasty Gnorc; bro just needs a hug.
I’ve got a lot more to say, but I’ll leave it at that until I review the whole trilogy. Needless to say, this is the definitive version of Spyro 1, and I highly recommend it to those who enjoy 3D platformers or simply want a chill game to play on a rainy night. Going for 100% was absolutely a fun and worthwhile endeavor.
A question that went through my mind several times playing this was why didn’t PlayStation market Spyro as its rival to Nintendo’s Mario. To me he would have made such a better choice over Crash and, imo, his terrible first game.
Spyro the Dragon was clearly geared towards younger kids with its difficulty but sometimes simplicity isn’t a bad thing. While I prefer challenging games to easier games, it was a nice change of pace for me and I appreciated the simple yet satisfying gameplay. The only thing lacking gameplay wise were the bosses. They all felt underwhelming and I’d hardly call them “fights.”
As far as art the game is downright beautiful. The fun colors and unique characters pop in every level. However as strong as I feel positively on the visuals I feel equally negative in the music as not a single track stood out or stuck in my head.
Overall it’s a very nice game to just sit back and relax with and still fun in 2024.
My 2024 games played rankings
https://www.backloggd.com/u/DVince89/list/games-i-played-in-2024-ranked-1/
Spyro the Dragon was clearly geared towards younger kids with its difficulty but sometimes simplicity isn’t a bad thing. While I prefer challenging games to easier games, it was a nice change of pace for me and I appreciated the simple yet satisfying gameplay. The only thing lacking gameplay wise were the bosses. They all felt underwhelming and I’d hardly call them “fights.”
As far as art the game is downright beautiful. The fun colors and unique characters pop in every level. However as strong as I feel positively on the visuals I feel equally negative in the music as not a single track stood out or stuck in my head.
Overall it’s a very nice game to just sit back and relax with and still fun in 2024.
My 2024 games played rankings
https://www.backloggd.com/u/DVince89/list/games-i-played-in-2024-ranked-1/