The first video game I ever played was Spyro the Dragon on my first-ever console, the original Playstation. This was back in 1998, so its been a few years. A few years, however, are like eons in the gaming industry.
Spyro has changed so much since its original release. Six games made up the original series. There have also been two franchise reboots, several spin-offs, books, and even plans for an animated movie that has since been cancelled.
I’m very loyal to the original series. Maybe it’s nostalgia, maybe it’s fear of change, but I feel that the original games are more enjoyable than the newer ones. Spyro the Dragon was followed by Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage, and Spyro: Year of the Dragon. These are, I feel, the “big ones” in the Spyro series. After these first three, the series began to go through some pretty drastic changes.
For those who may not know, Sypro is a young, purple dragon who ends up saving various worlds and defeating villains using his fire-breathing and charging abilities. After the first three games, however, new types of super-breath become available. In Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly, Spyro can unlock bubble breath, ice breath, lightning breath, and a wind shield. Previously, ice breath was only accessible in special circumstances and for short periods of time.
In many Spyro games, you can play as other characters for different levels. This concept was introduced in Spyro: Year of the Dragon in which a kangaroo named Sheila, a penguin named Sgt. James Bryd, a yeti named Bentley, and a monkey named Agent 9 became playable characters. This aspect is explored further in the second franchise reboot, Skylanders in which players buy figurines of characters, place them on a “portal” that is connected to their Wii, 3DS, or computer, and then play as that specific character.
The original Spyro series will forever be one of my favorites. I’ve played Spyro the Dragon so many times that I could probably beat it in my sleep. Well, maybe not the final level where you fight the villain, Gnasty Gnorc. No matter how many times I play that game, I still die, too many times to count, when I go up against him. The challenge is what makes it fun, though.
I strongly encourage anyone who’s never given it a shot to try out the Spyro series. They’re fun, entertaining games with interesting storylines, memorable characters, and some really catchy music.
