Spyro the Dragon (PlayStation) review"It might not have aged perfectly, but it's still a fun play." |
When I first bought my PlayStation in the late 1990s, one of the neatest things about its CD technology was simply how easily I could obtain sneak peeks of games. Back in the day, I regularly purchased some PS-centric magazine featuring a monthly disc providing looks at several new releases. While most didn't really register with me, at most providing a brief diversion before eventually winding up in the trash, I do remember one disc fondly, as it contained a chunk of Spyro the Dragon.
Containing the first hub world, as well as one or two of its stages, it seemed to find its way into my system as much as whatever I was actually playing at the time. In that brief glimpse of the action, I had a blast controlling a small dragon capable of torching enemies with flame or simply bowling them over with a charging attack. The action was laid back, with the main objective being to collect all the gems scattered throughout simple, introductory levels littered with generally non-aggressive enemies. The music, composed by The Police drummer Stuart Copeland, was really nice and this game simply felt like a winner — at minimum, an acceptable substitute for any Mario games I'd be missing out on because I picked the PlayStation instead of remaining with Nintendo.
And so, I rented it once, eventually purchased the second Spyro game and didn't even think about this one until a couple years ago when I randomly snagged it and then let it collect dust until I FINALLY decided 2018 was the year I'd give it a spin. If you can say one thing about me, it's that my brain is really great at avoiding logical progression!
So, how did the latest installment of "Games Rob Played 20 Years After The Fact" turn out for me? All things considered, pretty good. It should be said that Spyro the Dragon came out in the early days of three-dimensional platforming, which means that the controls and camera aren't quite at the standards we expect today, which led to some frustrating moments. Still, the overall experience was solid.
This game has the standard "minimum plot required by law" that one expects from the average mascot platformer. While being interviewed, a dragon issues a barrage of insults directed towards a charming fellow by the name of Gnasty Gnorc, which infuriates him to the point of turning every dragon in the realm into a statue except for the youthful Spyro, who was too short for Gnorc's magic to hit. Now Spyro must travel through multiple worlds to rescue his comrades, reclaim their gems and retrieve a number of eggs from thieves.
Community review by overdrive (May 03, 2018)
Rob Hamilton is the official drunken master of review writing for Honestgamers. |
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