Before he was a member of the Skylanders universe, Spyro the Dragon was one of Sony’s leading lights, the plucky protagonist of a trilogy of PlayStation-exclusive platformers developed by Insomniac Games (now perhaps better known for Ratchet & Clank and Marvel’s Spider-Man). Nostalgic fans have remained fond of those old adventures, and so two decades since the first game, Skylanders creator Toys for Bob has released this collection of remasters.
I was eight years old when the first Spyro game came out, and my siblings and I played all three over and over again. When I loaded up the first of these remasters it felt so familiar – in the layout of the levels and the precise placement of items within, in the music and sounds and voice acting (despite the fact that Spyro here is voiced throughout by Tom Kenny, who originally only starred in the second and third games) – that my brain was tricked into believing that this was how Spyro had looked all along.
Of course, the original PlayStation was not capable of such beauty. Where once Spyro ran over flat green ground, now the gems he must collect are nestled in shifting blades of grass. Blocky ideas of buildings have become fully realised, and objects throw shadows. The worlds are still bright and colourful, but far richer.
Best of all are the dragons that Spyro rescues from statues in the first game, redesigned and infused with far more personality than they ever had before. Other characters have also been fleshed out; Sheila the Kangaroo, for example, has gained red hair in bunches, a jacket, and mascara. Rumblings on Reddit suggest that some fans are already unhappy with these aesthetic additions and they won’t match up with every nostalgic player’s imagination, but the overall visual style is coherent and consistent with the original playful tone.
Spyro the Dragon is unashamedly family friendly. Cartoonish baddies disappear in a puff of smoke, the writing and humour are aimed squarely at kids and the basic tasks of getting through the levels and defeating the occasional boss are never too challenging. And yet, Spyro the Dragon was one of the first games that sent me to the internet for a walkthrough to find and defeat that last pesky dragon. There are plenty of secrets for players to discover (or rediscover), and the expansion of skill points to all three games rewards the kind of playfulness that has one idly flaming the potted plants dotted about the level only to realise the developers knew you might try that.
This collection makes the trilogy feel more unified than it originally was, allowing some moves to be used across all three games where they weren’t before, such as the ability to direct Spyro’s dragonfly companion Sparx towards the nearest gem. But it also highlights the differences, from the small – such as Spyro’s inability to swim or hover in the first game – to the big.
Where Spyro the Dragon was all about reviving dragons from statues, Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage! added non-player characters who offered an imaginative variety of tasks such as spitting rocks at lizards or leading baby turtles to safety. Spyro: Year of the Dragon introduced other playable characters with unique abilities and their own levels to navigate, such as Sheila with her double jump, or Sgt James Byrd, the penguin armed with rocket launchers.
But one consistent factor is how Spyro moves through these wonderfully varied worlds. He uses his wings to glide from platform to platform, only capable of proper flight in special time attack levels. But for the most part he runs, horns down, with streaks of light emphasising his speed, his pattering feet throwing up puffs of smoke. Whether he is chasing down a taunting egg thief, charging through a row of treasure chests while Sparx darts to gather the gems, or simply retreading familiar ground, it feels just as joyful now as it did 20 years ago.
Spyro Reignited Trilogy is available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One; £29.99.
