Tag Archives: Spyro the Dragon

Spyro 2: Gateway to Glimmer (PlayStation)

Spyro 2

Developer(s) – Insomniac Games

Publisher(s) – Sony Computer Entertainment

Artist – Charles Zembillas

Producer(s) – Grady Hunt

PEGI – 7

Developed as the sequel to the immensely successful Spyro The Dragon, Spyro 2: Gateway To Glimmer, or Ripto’s Rage as it was known across the pond, was like its predecessor. Released to universal acclaim by critics and gamers alike sold over 200,000 copies in the UK alone at the time. Although I have since re-assessed my opinion of which game is the best in the original Spyro trilogy, Spyro 2 remains a decisive improvement over the first game for many reasons. And still remains a classic of the original PlayStation. 

Graphics – 8/10

In terms of the technical side of the graphics, there hadn’t been a great deal of improvement made over the first. The textures and sprites for Spyro remain pretty much the same. However, in terms of the conceptual design, there were massive improvements made. The game is set in a number of diverse different areas governed by different species across each of the hub worlds. It also breaks away from the first game in the respect that it’s no longer confined to the medieval fantasy setting. But there is also scenery reminiscent of science fiction, the Scottish highlands, and Polynesian culture. 

Gameplay – 9.5/10

The most notable improvement between the first and second games, however, is undoubtedly in the gameplay. Boasting more side quests and more to explore across each level throughout, gave the game a lot more of a sense of purpose and enjoyment. Though there may be fewer bosses than in the previous game, the challenge that comes with them. Especially the second boss Gulp. The game also introduces us to Moneybags. A rich devious bear who Spyro must pay at certain points to progress through levels. Giving the idea of collecting treasure that much more meaning. The concept also leads to a very satisfying outcome at the end of the game. 

Controls – 10/10

The game’s control scheme is identical to that of the first game. Playing out like the type of 3D platformer the likes of Croc, Tomb Raider, and Blasto should’ve been made to play out like. The one massive improvement the developers made to the controls, however, was the ability to hover during a flight in order to gain a touch more momentum at the end of a glide to reach far-away ledges. It’s similar to how Insomniac games would add the sideways jump mechanics to the Ratchet & Clank. It’s a simple mechanic that provides a significant improvement over the previous game.

Lifespan – 8/10

The average time it takes to beat the game 100% is 8 hours. Which was higher than the average back when the 3D platformer genre was still in its relative infancy. It lasts there around the same amount of time as the first game. Something that would eventually be improved slightly with the third game. But overall, it provides a satisfyingly long gaming experience. 

Storyline – 7/10

In the sequel, Spyro, looking to go on holiday to Dragon Shores, is instead transported to the world of Avalar by three of its inhabitants. The professor, a fawn named Elora, and a cheetah named Hunter. They brought him into Avalar to fight Ripto. An evil tyrant who has invaded Avalar and brought evil and destruction throughout the land. Spyro resolves to defeat Ripto and bring peace back to Avalar. With more characters involved this time around, it definitely adds more to the story in terms of depth. But Spyro was also given a lot more of an impulsive attitude as well. This helped to add to the humor and make him more of a likable hero. Especially when he shows his compassionate side to characters like Elora. Of course, Moneybags also adds to the story in multiple ways as well; mostly for the better. 

Originality – 8/10

The most original element of this game is its diversity in scenery design; it’s the aspect that truly helped to break the mold early on and give the world of Spyro The Dragon a lot more depth than what was established in the first game. Even more so than the gameplay improvement because again, more or less the same gameplay principles apply as what they did in the original Spyro; travel and collect items to advance the game. Although gameplay elements would be expanded on even further with the third game, the diversity in level design would remain intact in Spyro 3, but the second is where that would stem from. 

Happii

Overall, Spyro 2, whilst not my favorite of the original trilogy, is still every bit as fun to play today as it was to play back in 1999. It provides one of the most memorable gameplay experiences of the fifth generation, and I’m personally happy that it got the remaster it deserved because it needed to be brought to a more modern audience. 

Score

50.5/60

8/10 (Very Good)

Spyro the Dragon (PlayStation)

Spyro The Dragon

Developer(s) – Insomniac Games

Publisher(s) – Sony Computer Entertainment

Artist – Charles Zembillas

Producer – Mike Cerny

PEGI – 3

Back when the PlayStation was first released, the control scheme seemed to be a cause for concern. When it came to developing 3D platformers for the system. That is until Spyro the Dragon came along. Not only it is symbolic to me of a time when Sony finally got the formula right, but it’s also a very enjoyable title. And it still stands out as one of the better games on the system.

Graphics – 9/10

When I was growing up, the medieval era and dragons always captivated my imagination. So it seemed to me that the first Spyro game would be right up my alley. And I wasn’t disappointed. Its medieval settings (as well as an array of other different kinds of settings) and its level of graphical detail were absolutely astounding for the time. After playing Super Mario 64, I was astonished to see another superbly designed in-game world. Which was just as big as the one in the Nintendo 64 classic. If not bigger. Although the conceptual design falls slightly short of that of Super Mario 64, it was still a very good effort from Insomniac Games in terms of presentation. I’m also actually pretty sure that this was the first game I played that featured multiple overworlds.

Gameplay – 8/10

Overall, the first Spyro was a very decent experience. I liked it for its amount of variety in gameplay. In addition to the standard 3D platforming exploration elements, there are also stages that feature flying challenges that I particularly enjoyed. To me, those sequences not only make the game stand out greatly among other 3D platformers for the time. But they also provide a very stern challenge. There is also a small incentive for completing the game to 100% in the form of an alternative ending. But that was somewhat commonplace for the time. And the truth is told, is now considered non-canonical to the rest of the series. This makes it somewhat redundant in the long run.

Controls – 9/10

For the most part, the controls are fine. The only problem I had with them concerned the various degrees of speed the character can move and the issues surrounding it. When the character moves normally, it can be fairly slow and gameplay can be somewhat hampered by it in turn. But when the character is dashing, it sometimes makes moving Spyro around a little bit difficult, as it can be easy to bump into a lot of things along the way. But what needs to be kept in mind is that this was one of Sony’s first decent 3D platforming games. As such, it was going to be a case of trial and error when it came to controls, as there were a lot of issues to be addressed at the time. But overall, Insomniac handled things more than well enough.

Lifespan – 8/10

For an early PlayStation game, this was fairly long. It may not have been on the same level as Final Fantasy VII, but 100% completion would take in excess of 7 to 8 hours, which was fairly long for the time. The longer a game can be made to last, the better. Nowadays, that may seem like a fraction of what quite a few games of today can deliver, but I was left wanting for nothing after I finished this game when I was a kid. It still makes for a very fulfilling experience to this day; being aware of the game’s historical importance and what impact it subsequently had on Sony only makes the experience evermore enthralling.

Storyline – 6/10

This is where the game falls down a little bit for me. As with a lot of video game stories for the time, it is somewhat basic. Insomniac had a bit of a way to go before they would eventually expand on this area in other installments. The story follows a young purple dragon called Spyro, who lives among a colony of dragons.

During a television interview (bizarrely), one of the dragons insults the game’s main villain, Gnasty Gnorc, who then becomes enraged and decides to use his magic to turn all the dragons into crystals. Spyro escapes his wrath and sets out on a journey to find and free the imprisoned dragons and defeat Gnasty Gnorc. The best thing about this story is its element of humor; in lieu of the Insomniac tradition, it would seem. It’s been seen all throughout the Ratchet & Clank series, but it’s interesting to see where it all stemmed from.

Originality – 8/10

Even though this game was heavily based on Super Mario 64, and there is overwhelming evidence to suggest that Sony and Insomniac Games were influenced by Nintendo’s success, the developers did add quite a lot of flair to Spyro the Dragon and indeed made the overall concept their own. It had many different gameplay elements, which made it fairly unique in its own right. One Super Mario 64 element they did improve on was the flying mechanics, as it could sometimes be pretty difficult to control Mario in the air when he was equipped with the wing cap, but with the free-flying sequences of Spyro, it was all down to the player’s individual skill.

Happii

In summary, I believe Spyro The Dragon is a game that should be owned by anyone who has either a PlayStation, 1 through 4. If not, it’s definitely worth downloading from the PlayStation Network, as it is very much worth playing through. It’s an excellent experience, and it paved the way for the series to reach for the skies; just like Spyro himself.

Score

48/60

8/10 (Very Good)