Spyro the Dragon Retrospective Review
By: Nik S
Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Distributor/Advising: Universal Interactive Studios
Platform: PlayStation
Released: September 9, 1998 (NA), October 1998 (EU)
When the PlayStation released in North America in 1995 it was quite a big deal. There was now a large jump in console graphics and a whole new third dimension to explore. Though platformers had always been a large part of video games, they really needed to upgrade the formula if they wanted to survive in this new generation. So instead of becoming a "go right" simulator, many games were becoming known as "collectathons" where players had to explore every inch of the map to find different collectibles to either unlock new worlds, get upgrades, or receive something special after defeating the last boss.
Back around 1996 a new developer, known as Insomniac Games, just released their first game Disruptor. While it received praise from fans and critics alike, it was never financially successful. Though not selling well, it was able to allow Insomniac to be noticed by Universal Interactive Studios who encouraged the team to continue creating new projects. One of the team's artists, Craig Stitt, had come up with an idea for a game centered around a dragon, Spyro. The game was originally going to have a much darker tone, but changed early on in the game's development. Other changes happened to be Spyro's color which was originally green, but changed it because they were afraid he would be hard to see in grassy worlds. They were advised again by Universal to go with mass market appeal and go with the PlayStation's ever growing library.
Spyro's journey begins when he and a couple of dragons in the Artisan World are being interviewed by a news team. It's a way to open up and explain how many gems there are to collect and that there's five realms with so many dragons within each one. When the interviewer asks their opinion on Gnasty Gnorc who lives in his own sixth dimension and can turn gems into monsters; one dragon responds that he is an ugly, simple minded creature who poses no threat to the Dragon Kingdom. Unbeknownst to the dragons, Gnorc happens to be watching the interview and and turns all the dragons into crystals. Spyro, being the shortest of the dragons, is able to avoid the attack and takes it upon himself to free his fellow dragons and take down Gnasty Gnorc.
The graphics haven't aged gracefully over the past twenty years. All things have a sharp edge look to them, like they were made out of clay and they weren't sure how to make hands. That being said, it really does give the game a slight charm to it. The backgrounds can look a little bland at times, but players will be more focused on what's in the foreground as the level design is what really helped to set Spyro apart from his competitors.
The gameplay of Spyro is rather basic, at least compared to the more complex controls games are given now. Players will take control of the title character, Spyro, and are able to move freely about the map. Spyro has two main attacks: breathing fire and charging at his enemies. Each enemy Spyro comes across can be beaten with either one of his attacks, for example if an enemy is wearing metal Spyro needs to charge at them. Charging is more suitable for taking out smaller enemies and those with armor, while fire is used for larger enemies. Certain chests can only be broken through his two attacks, depending on what they're made out of. Some chests need special requirements in order to open, like a key.
Spyro can also glide (and fly in special stages) for a short period of time. If players jump normally, then hit the jump button again at the peak of their jump, they'll be able to slowly descend into a glide. Though this can help Spyro get around the map quickly and access hard to reach areas, it can sometimes be a little awkward to control properly. If players accidentally bump Spyro into the side of a wall or just tap the side of the cliff they're trying to land on, he'll exit the glide and plummet into the ground or void below.
Spyro also has camera controls though the camera will primarily focus on being behind the character. Players can use the L2 and R2 to rotate the camera, or press triangle to go into an almost first person mode and look around from right behind Spyro's head. The camera isn't exactly the best, as it can get stuck on objects easily, turn way too slow, and can really feel clunky while you're trying to move around.
Along with Spyro is his dragonfly friend Sparx, who acts as the health meter. Taking damage will cause spark to change colors (gold, blue, green) and can recover from eating butterflies that appear from attacking small animals. In addition to being a health bar, Sparx also picks up any gems or various drops that are near Spyro.
As mentioned earlier, there are different worlds that Spyro has to visit and make his way to Gnorc (Artisan World, Peace Keepers, Magic Crafters, Beast Makers, Dream Weavers, and Junkyard World). Each world has a variety of levels, one being a flying level where you have to destroy all your targets within the allotted time. To progress to the next world, Spyro must speak with a balloonist to see how much of a certain treasure he needs in order to advance. Most worlds have dragons scattered in them, and all Spyro needs to do is touch them in order to free them. Also in each level are Gnorc's monsters, and defeating them on your first playthrough of the level a gem with the second time being a point towards an extra life. In some levels there are also these blue robed bandits that are carrying dragon eggs, but these villains will run when they see Spyro. If players are able to collect all the gems, dragon eggs, and the dragons they will be able to get an alternative ending after beating Gnorc.
The music was composed and produced by Stewart Copeland, the drummer from the Police. Copeland wrote the compositions by playing the early version of the games various levels to get a feel for the overall atmosphere. The music has a slight progressive rock-theme to them, and even had a slight influence in Copeland's other works like The Amanda Show.
While some things in the game feel dated, like the graphics and controls, it's still a fun experience for all ages to play. There's a reason why this game has been held in the limelight all these years, it just has this magical charm to it. If it's your first time playing it, or if you're replaying it for the 40th time to get ready for the HD remake, then you're going to have an absolute blast.
Check out these other great reviews
Kingdom Hearts Retrospective
Another Wolfcop
The False Number One
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Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Distributor/Advising: Universal Interactive Studios
Platform: PlayStation
Released: September 9, 1998 (NA), October 1998 (EU)
When the PlayStation released in North America in 1995 it was quite a big deal. There was now a large jump in console graphics and a whole new third dimension to explore. Though platformers had always been a large part of video games, they really needed to upgrade the formula if they wanted to survive in this new generation. So instead of becoming a "go right" simulator, many games were becoming known as "collectathons" where players had to explore every inch of the map to find different collectibles to either unlock new worlds, get upgrades, or receive something special after defeating the last boss.
Back around 1996 a new developer, known as Insomniac Games, just released their first game Disruptor. While it received praise from fans and critics alike, it was never financially successful. Though not selling well, it was able to allow Insomniac to be noticed by Universal Interactive Studios who encouraged the team to continue creating new projects. One of the team's artists, Craig Stitt, had come up with an idea for a game centered around a dragon, Spyro. The game was originally going to have a much darker tone, but changed early on in the game's development. Other changes happened to be Spyro's color which was originally green, but changed it because they were afraid he would be hard to see in grassy worlds. They were advised again by Universal to go with mass market appeal and go with the PlayStation's ever growing library.
Spyro's journey begins when he and a couple of dragons in the Artisan World are being interviewed by a news team. It's a way to open up and explain how many gems there are to collect and that there's five realms with so many dragons within each one. When the interviewer asks their opinion on Gnasty Gnorc who lives in his own sixth dimension and can turn gems into monsters; one dragon responds that he is an ugly, simple minded creature who poses no threat to the Dragon Kingdom. Unbeknownst to the dragons, Gnorc happens to be watching the interview and and turns all the dragons into crystals. Spyro, being the shortest of the dragons, is able to avoid the attack and takes it upon himself to free his fellow dragons and take down Gnasty Gnorc.
The graphics haven't aged gracefully over the past twenty years. All things have a sharp edge look to them, like they were made out of clay and they weren't sure how to make hands. That being said, it really does give the game a slight charm to it. The backgrounds can look a little bland at times, but players will be more focused on what's in the foreground as the level design is what really helped to set Spyro apart from his competitors.
The gameplay of Spyro is rather basic, at least compared to the more complex controls games are given now. Players will take control of the title character, Spyro, and are able to move freely about the map. Spyro has two main attacks: breathing fire and charging at his enemies. Each enemy Spyro comes across can be beaten with either one of his attacks, for example if an enemy is wearing metal Spyro needs to charge at them. Charging is more suitable for taking out smaller enemies and those with armor, while fire is used for larger enemies. Certain chests can only be broken through his two attacks, depending on what they're made out of. Some chests need special requirements in order to open, like a key.
Spyro can also glide (and fly in special stages) for a short period of time. If players jump normally, then hit the jump button again at the peak of their jump, they'll be able to slowly descend into a glide. Though this can help Spyro get around the map quickly and access hard to reach areas, it can sometimes be a little awkward to control properly. If players accidentally bump Spyro into the side of a wall or just tap the side of the cliff they're trying to land on, he'll exit the glide and plummet into the ground or void below.
Spyro also has camera controls though the camera will primarily focus on being behind the character. Players can use the L2 and R2 to rotate the camera, or press triangle to go into an almost first person mode and look around from right behind Spyro's head. The camera isn't exactly the best, as it can get stuck on objects easily, turn way too slow, and can really feel clunky while you're trying to move around.
Along with Spyro is his dragonfly friend Sparx, who acts as the health meter. Taking damage will cause spark to change colors (gold, blue, green) and can recover from eating butterflies that appear from attacking small animals. In addition to being a health bar, Sparx also picks up any gems or various drops that are near Spyro.
As mentioned earlier, there are different worlds that Spyro has to visit and make his way to Gnorc (Artisan World, Peace Keepers, Magic Crafters, Beast Makers, Dream Weavers, and Junkyard World). Each world has a variety of levels, one being a flying level where you have to destroy all your targets within the allotted time. To progress to the next world, Spyro must speak with a balloonist to see how much of a certain treasure he needs in order to advance. Most worlds have dragons scattered in them, and all Spyro needs to do is touch them in order to free them. Also in each level are Gnorc's monsters, and defeating them on your first playthrough of the level a gem with the second time being a point towards an extra life. In some levels there are also these blue robed bandits that are carrying dragon eggs, but these villains will run when they see Spyro. If players are able to collect all the gems, dragon eggs, and the dragons they will be able to get an alternative ending after beating Gnorc.
The music was composed and produced by Stewart Copeland, the drummer from the Police. Copeland wrote the compositions by playing the early version of the games various levels to get a feel for the overall atmosphere. The music has a slight progressive rock-theme to them, and even had a slight influence in Copeland's other works like The Amanda Show.
While some things in the game feel dated, like the graphics and controls, it's still a fun experience for all ages to play. There's a reason why this game has been held in the limelight all these years, it just has this magical charm to it. If it's your first time playing it, or if you're replaying it for the 40th time to get ready for the HD remake, then you're going to have an absolute blast.
Check out these other great reviews
Kingdom Hearts Retrospective
Another Wolfcop
The False Number One
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