Spyro the Dragon (PS) Review

Well, I thought this week I'd go for something more classic. Until I get some more emulated games and play them for a while, I'm just going through my small collection of games. And since I own the Collector's Edition of the Spyro series, I thought Spyro the Dragon for the Playstation would be fun to review.

Summary:

Alright, so, Spyro is a pretty simple game to understand. Basically Spyro is THE smallest dragon in all the damn kindgom. (Seriously, everyone else is like five times his height. What the hell?!) Anyway, Gnasty Gnorc gets pissed at the dragons because they diss him, calling him ugly, and because he hates dragons in general. So, what's a badass guy like Gnasty do to them? Turns them to crystal statues. So epic. Big baddy like Gnasty turns the big bad dragons to SPARKLY CRYSTAL STATUES.

Anyway, Spyro is the only one not frozen so naturally he has to go save everyone and prove that he's all that to all the other big dragons.

Graphics: 6/10

Even for it's day and age, Spyro was a colorful game with interesting worlds to explore. However, in comparison to other Playstation games, the blocky colors in some areas have yet to be desired. It's mostly the water and the foggy areas that get me. They are SO clunky-looking compared to the rest of the scenery. (Then again, Spyro can swim, so it's best to avoid the ugly water/acid anyway.)

Gameplay: 8/10

To be honest, despite the fact that each world is practically just a re-hash of the one before it, it's pretty fun to play. The enemies are all unique to their own world, and they're very funny. Just the noises they make when you hit them is HILARIOUS. Otherwise, it's pretty much kill homeworld enemies, pick up gems/extras, then find portals. Rinse, lather, repeat. Kind of boring but it's still fun in my opinion.

Mechanics: 7/10

Spyro's controls are pretty simple. I'm sure a kid could pick this game up and play it no problem. However, sometimes it's a little picky. Sometimes when gliding, if you don't get the perfect amount of air, you won't make it and fall to your doom. And getting higher jumping (holding down the X button) sometimes doesn't want to work the way you want it. Other than that, it's not that bad.

Characters/Plot: 9/10

Spyro and his health meter--I mean dragonfly--Sparx aren't THE most interesting characters on the earth. Spyro's your typical spunky hero and Sparx is the typical quiet sidekick. (Unlike Navi from LoZ: OoT. Damn she never shuts up!) The other dragons sometimes have fun things to say, so that's somewhat of a plus.

On the other hand, the enemies are just funny, hilarious, and sometimes just quirky. Awkward noises when hit + weird looks +atmosphere of the world they belong to = laughing hysterically. My favorites are the bulls and their awkward grunt, the jesters in the DreamWeaver world and their 'D'oh!', and Toasty the first main boss you can fight. I mean, come on, he's a sheep on stilts diguised at a pumpkin reaper. Now THAT's inventive!

Difficulty: Easy

Yeah, Spyro is a pretty easy game. Any difficulty that comes from this game is either just overlooking something simple or making a dumb mistake. (I make those A LOT.)

Replay Value: 9/10

Kind of high, right? Well, even if it's a little on the simple side, trying to find all the dragons in some levels is a little hard. And even though I beat this game 100% in one day, I still like playing it. Just seeing all the awkward enemies and their funny noises is worth it.

Overall score: 7/10

Still a good game, even if it's a bit outdated now. It's a good classic for kids and a nostalgic trip down memory lane for older players.