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Spyro: The Dragon (Sony PlayStation 1, 1998)
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£20.00
+ £3.00 postage
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Yes, it's taken some time, but there's finally a proficient, fully 3D platform game for the PlayStation. It's impossible to escape not mentioning the last attempt at this, SISA's Blasto, so let's get that out of the way right here in the beginning: Insomniac's Spyro the Dragon excels over Blasto in every way imaginable. It has better graphics, a far more useable camera setup, tighter control, it isn't incredibly difficult, and is much, much more fun. Spyro lives in a brightly hued realm of magic much like that of a Disney cartoon, except without the severe toothaches that would provide. It appears that the dragons had been talking trash about the evil Gnasty Gnorc on TV, so, in retaliation, he casts a spell that imprisons them all in crystal. As the one dragon that must have come up under the spell's height/weight requirement, you travel the six worlds - which, incidentally, have six levels each - freeing the dragons and claiming stolen treasure and dragon eggs as you go. The gameplay in most levels of Spyro the Dragon is much like that of any other 3D platform game you've ever played, but this time you get a few extra moves beyond the standard. As a dragon, you can breathe fire, charge enemies using your horns, and glide with your short, stubby little wings. There are several flying levels too, which are similar to the arcade game Prop Cycle, save for having to pedal. In them, Spyro must collect a number of different items before the time limit expires, with each of the items providing him with an extra few seconds to grab all the rest with. Each of the worlds has a balloonist who will take Spyro to the next once a requirement has been met, such as freeing five dragons, collecting 2000 gems, and so on. Once to a new stage, the balloonist will always be willing to take you back. There's a lot to like about this game. The soundtrack, done by The Police's Stewart Copeland, is wonderfully atmospheric. The graphics are fantastic, with their dynamic lighting effects, a near-complete lack of pop-up, and well-designed great-looking characters. The level design is also exceptional, providing nice big worlds for you to roam around in and get enveloped into. This is really the first title to ever successfully pull off the whole video game adaptation of a cartoon world, and we all know there's been plenty of tries. On the play side, the level of control is excellent. It's supersmooth even without the analog pad, and a dream with it, especially when charging or gliding. Spyro also has the best camera setup since Rare's Banjo-Kazooie on the Nintendo 64. It begins with an intelligent chase perspective (which can be set to either passive or active modes) - the R2 and L2 buttons move your overall view left or right, and the triangle button is a tight behind-the-back look control. With all of these working in conjunction, the camera problems found in most 3D games are almost entirely gone in Spyro. Unlike Banjo-Kazooie, it's easy to tell how many items you're missing, both within a given level and all the worlds, through the use of the inventory screen. This is especially useful because accessing the game's bonus level requires that you free every single dragon and reclaim every bit of stolen treasure and egg, and it'd just be impossible without it. The only things that take away from the gameplay experience are that the levels begin to feel a lRead full review
Spryo: The Dragon is the first game in Insomniac's incredibly popular series based around the young dragon who must rid the world of evil. In this first installment, Spyro must journey through five mysterious fantasy worlds to free his sealed Dragon breathren and defeat the cruel Gnasty Gnorc. For me, personally the first game is the best. I used to play it endlessly as a child and I bought it again recently since going through a nostalgia phase reminded just how much fun I had with this game in the past. For a game of it's time, Spyro is very imaginative and a rather unique series. A timeless classic in the adventure/platform games of the PS1 and a game that has undoubtedly remained popular even after the advances of video games over time. Of course compared to the graphics of modern games it would appear sub-par but for it's time they were quite remarkable and provide an enriching and imaginative world bound to delight players. The gameplay, as with most platformers is simple enough to grasp but there are still some head-scratchers in there to ensure the game isn't too easy. Despite it's simplicity this game is among the best, full of huge, colourful landscapes and some rather unique opponents. The game contains many items to collect, dragons to free and hidden areas to discover providing a lengthy gaming experience so you won't be finished too fast. So, the short version is this, Spyro is an immensely entertaining and fun platformer, suitable for any age and bound to provide players with an enjoyable challenge here and there but an on the whole relaxing playing experience. Whether you want to relive your favourite game from childhood or want to introduce your kids to some good old fashioned video games, I highly recommend Spyro: The DragonRead full review
A classic 3D platformer from a bygone era, and the start of something special. Whilst the polygonal graphics have aged a lot in over 2 decades, the artstyle is ever charming. If you liked games with charming characters and whimsical worlds (such as Super Mario 64 or Banjo-Kazooie) you'll love this (and especially the remakes that came out that year).
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Seriously, one of the best IF not best title from Playstation 1. Bought for my friend as she did not have a copy and the remake is not up with the standarts sadly. Still have mine after all these years. Recommend to anyone who loves 3d platformers that are not overly difficult and have big variety in levels.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Despite arriving a little late, the games were in great condition. Both played really well. Happy.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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