Spyro: Year of the Dragon
Encyclopedia
Spyro: Year of the Dragon is a platform game
, developed
by Insomniac Games
and published
by Sony Computer Entertainment
for the PlayStation video game console
. The game was released in North America on October 23, 2000 and in Europe on November 10, 2000. Year of the Dragon is the third installment in the Spyro series and the last Spyro game to be released for the PlayStation. The game was the last Spyro game Insomniac developed; their next title would be Ratchet & Clank
for the PlayStation 2
. This is the only Spyro game in the PlayStation library to not get released in Japan
.
Named after the animal of the Chinese zodiac
,, which was the symbol at the time of the game's release, Year of the Dragon follows the titular purple character Spyro as he travels to the "Forgotten Worlds" after 150 magical dragon eggs are stolen from the land of the dragons by an evil sorceress. Players travel across thirty different worlds gathering gems and eggs. Year of the Dragon introduced new characters and minigame
s to the series, as well as offering improved graphics and music.
Upon release, the game sold more than two million units in the United States, and received positive critical response. Reviewers noted the game built on the successful formula of its predecessors by adding more games and expansive environments. At Game Rankings
, Year of the Dragon is one of the top twenty highest-rated PlayStation games of all time. The game was followed by the multiplatform title Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly
, and was later released for download on the PlayStation Store
on May 14, 2009.
Year of the Dragon is set primarily in the third-person; its gameplay makes few deviations from that of its predecessors. The main objective of the game is to collect special dragon eggs which are scattered across 37 worlds. These eggs are hidden, or are given as rewards for completing certain tasks and levels. The worlds of Spyro are linked together by "homeworlds" or "hubs", large worlds which contain gateways to many other levels. To proceed to the next hub, the character must complete five worlds, gather a certain number of eggs, and defeat a boss. Players do not need to gather every egg to complete the main portion of the game or gain access to new levels; in fact, certain eggs can only be found by returning to the world at a later time. Gems are scattered across the worlds, hidden in crates and jars. These gems are used to bribe a bear named Moneybags to release captured "critters" and activate things which help Spyro progress through levels (Such as bridges). Gems, along with the number of eggs collected, count to the total completion percentage of the game.
For most of the game, the player controls the dragon Spyro. Spyro's health is measured by his companion, a dragonfly named Sparx; Sparx changes color and then disappears after taking progressively more damage. If the player has no Sparx, then the next hit would cause the player to lose a life and restart at the last saved checkpoint. To regenerate Sparx, small wildlife known as "fodder" can be consumed. Spyro has several abilities, including breathing fire, swimming and diving, gliding, and headbutting, which he can use to explore and combat a variety of enemies, most of which are rhinoceros-like creatures called Rhynocs. Some foes are only vulnerable to certain moves. Spyro can run into "Powerup Gates", which give him special abilities for a limited period.
Year of the Dragon introduced playable characters other than Spyro, known as "critters", which are gradually unlocked as the player proceeds through the game. Critters can be found blocking the level they are played in until released from Moneybags. Subsequently, the player plays as the character in specially marked sections of levels. Each homeworld features one world which is played through entirely by a non-Spyro character. There are a total of seven playable characters, which all have their own special moves and abilities. Sheila the Kangaroo, for example, can double jump, while Sergeant Byrd is armed with rocket launchers and can fly indefinitely.
Besides the primary quest to find dragon eggs, Year of the Dragon features an extensive set of minigame
s, which are split off from the levels into smaller zones. Some of the minigames were featured in Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!
and were subsequently expanded for Year of the Dragon, while others are entirely new to the series. These minigames are played by Spyro or the other playable characters, and include challenges in sports such as skateboarding
, boxing
, and racing, as well as puzzles and rail shooters. All minigames reward the player with an egg upon successful completion.
, and Agent 9 the space monkey. The primary antagonist of the game is The Sorceress, a tyrant who rules over the Forgotten Worlds with her forces. Aiding her is the apprentice Bianca, who attempts to hinder Spyro on his mission.
While pursuing the thief, Spyro discovers a world once inhabited by the dragons, but long abandoned and forgotten. This world is ruled by the Sorceress and her Rhynoc army; only a few creatures stand and fight against the Sorceress' rule. Spyro learns from one such inhabitant, Sheila, that when the dragons left the realm, the magic of the world began to dry up. Spyro travels through each world in the forgotten realm, acquiring aid from the local inhabitants and rescuing the dragon eggs. It is revealed that the Sorceress is seeking not the baby dragons themselves, but merely their wings to concoct a spell that can grant her immortality. Once Bianca discovers this, she feels sorry for the baby dragons, and defects to side with Spyro and his allies. Spyro eventually fights and defeats the Sorceress, and celebrations occur throughout the realm. The Sorceress survives her battle with Spyro, however, and waits for Spyro with the last of the dragon eggs. Spyro and the Sorceress battle again where the Sorceress is finally defeated; Spyro returns all the baby dragons to the Dragon Realms.
described as "invented to even out the gameplay difficulty curve for players of different abilities". The levels were made much larger than those in Spyro 2, so that more areas for minigames could be added; to prevent player confusion on where to go next, these areas were designed to load separately from the main hubs. Price stated that the addition of critters was a way to make the game more enjoyable and varied, instead of just adding more moves for Spyro. The game was named "Year of the Dragon" simply because it was released during 2000, the year of the Dragon
in the Chinese zodiac.
In previews, publications such as IGN and GameSpot noted that the graphics had been improved, and that there were many new characters and locations. The new minigames were previewed, and IGN pointed out that they offered enough complexity to back up the simple gameplay. In an interview with GameSpot, Ted Price stated that the emphasis for the title was on the new critters, but that Spyro would not be left behind in the story. Year of the Dragon also implemented crack
protection, in addition to the copy protection
previous games had contained. This helped prevent hackers from cracking the game until two months after release.
Despite the positive response the game would go on to receive, Year of the Dragon was developer Insomniac Games
' last Spyro title. In an interview, CEO Ted Price
said that the company stopped producing the games because they couldn't do anything new with the character, and that after five years of development on a single series the team wanted to do something different. Future Spyro games were produced by, among other developers, Equinox Digital Entertainment
, Eurocom
, Krome Studios
, Étranges Libellules
, and Tantalus Media.
, drummer
for the rock band The Police
. During the band's hiatus, Copeland composed several movie soundtracks, and composed the scores for the previous Spyro titles; Price stated that Copeland's offering for the third installment was his best work to date. In an interview, Copeland stated his creative process for writing the music for the Spyro series always began by playing through the levels, trying to get a feel for each world's "atmosphere". Copeland noted the challenge of writing for games was to create music that would both be interesting to listen to and complemented the gameplay; his approach was to incorporate more complicated harmonies and basslines so that the music could seem fresh for players, even after repeated listening. He complimented the compact disc
format of the PlayStation and its support for high quality audio; there were no technical constraints that stopped him from producing the sound he wanted. Copeland recorded entire orchestral scores for extra flourish when the visuals called for an expansive sound, but used more percussive and beat-driven melodies for "high-energy" moments in the game.
, and a similar score based on fifteen reviews at MetaCritic
. According to Game Rankings, Year of the Dragon is the fourteenth highest rated PlayStation game of all time. The game sold more than two million units in the United States.
GameSpot
noted that while Year of the Dragon made no significant changes to the formula of its predecessors, the combination of new playable characters, more detailed graphics, and the variety of minigames made the game worth the buy. IGN
praised the game's appeal to all ages and the polished levels, as well as the successful multi-character focus. Game Revolution
thought that while the game's premise itself was simply a rehash of previous titles, "the story that unfolds as you actually play the game is flawlessly interwoven and quite entertaining". GamePro
noted that the ability of the game to automatically drop the difficulty if players get stuck was an excellent feature. Next Generation Magazine
s Kevin Rice provided one of the most positive review in which he stated the top-notch level design, intuitive controls and excellent graphics made the title the best Spyro game to date, and arguably the best PlayStation game overall.
Stewart Copeland's score was generally well-received, though several critics sharply disagreed with the general consensus. Publications like PSXExtreme thought the music helped bring atmosphere to the varied worlds, and Allgame enthused that "Insomniac should be commended for realizing the importance of music in games; it seems to enhance the whole experience." Others, such as Joseph Parazen of Game Revolution, thought the background music sounded "identical to every other 3D, cartoony, action platformer I've ever played". Other points of praise were the voice acting and character development. Among the few complaints aside from the story included the game camera, which could be difficult to control and led to unjustified enemy attacks. Some publications warned that the game might feel too much like its predecessors, with a similar plot and objectives.
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
, developed
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
by Insomniac Games
Insomniac Games
Insomniac Games, Inc. is an American video game developer headquartered in Burbank, California. Founded in 1994, Insomniac has released titles for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3 video game consoles. It created Disruptor, the first three Spyro the Dragon games, and the Ratchet &...
and published
Video game publisher
A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer....
by Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
for the PlayStation video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
. The game was released in North America on October 23, 2000 and in Europe on November 10, 2000. Year of the Dragon is the third installment in the Spyro series and the last Spyro game to be released for the PlayStation. The game was the last Spyro game Insomniac developed; their next title would be Ratchet & Clank
Ratchet & Clank
Ratchet & Clank is a 3D platformer/shooter video game for the PlayStation 2, developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Released in 2002, it is the first game in the Ratchet & Clank series....
for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
. This is the only Spyro game in the PlayStation library to not get released in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Named after the animal of the Chinese zodiac
Chinese astrology
Chinese astrology is based on the traditional astronomy and calendars. The development of Chinese astrology is tied to that of astronomy, which came to flourish during the Han Dynasty ....
,, which was the symbol at the time of the game's release, Year of the Dragon follows the titular purple character Spyro as he travels to the "Forgotten Worlds" after 150 magical dragon eggs are stolen from the land of the dragons by an evil sorceress. Players travel across thirty different worlds gathering gems and eggs. Year of the Dragon introduced new characters and minigame
Minigame
A minigame is a short video game often contained within another video game. A minigame is always smaller or more simplistic than the game in which it is contained. Minigames are sometimes also offered separately for free to promote the main game...
s to the series, as well as offering improved graphics and music.
Upon release, the game sold more than two million units in the United States, and received positive critical response. Reviewers noted the game built on the successful formula of its predecessors by adding more games and expansive environments. At Game Rankings
Game Rankings
GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
, Year of the Dragon is one of the top twenty highest-rated PlayStation games of all time. The game was followed by the multiplatform title Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly
Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly
Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly is the fourth game in the Spyro series, developed by Check Six Games for the PlayStation 2 and Equinoxe for the Nintendo GameCube and published by Universal Interactive Studios. It is the first Spyro game for the sixth generation consoles, PlayStation 2 and GameCube, and...
, and was later released for download on the PlayStation Store
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The Store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games,...
on May 14, 2009.
Gameplay
For most of the game, the player controls the dragon Spyro. Spyro's health is measured by his companion, a dragonfly named Sparx; Sparx changes color and then disappears after taking progressively more damage. If the player has no Sparx, then the next hit would cause the player to lose a life and restart at the last saved checkpoint. To regenerate Sparx, small wildlife known as "fodder" can be consumed. Spyro has several abilities, including breathing fire, swimming and diving, gliding, and headbutting, which he can use to explore and combat a variety of enemies, most of which are rhinoceros-like creatures called Rhynocs. Some foes are only vulnerable to certain moves. Spyro can run into "Powerup Gates", which give him special abilities for a limited period.
Year of the Dragon introduced playable characters other than Spyro, known as "critters", which are gradually unlocked as the player proceeds through the game. Critters can be found blocking the level they are played in until released from Moneybags. Subsequently, the player plays as the character in specially marked sections of levels. Each homeworld features one world which is played through entirely by a non-Spyro character. There are a total of seven playable characters, which all have their own special moves and abilities. Sheila the Kangaroo, for example, can double jump, while Sergeant Byrd is armed with rocket launchers and can fly indefinitely.
Besides the primary quest to find dragon eggs, Year of the Dragon features an extensive set of minigame
Minigame
A minigame is a short video game often contained within another video game. A minigame is always smaller or more simplistic than the game in which it is contained. Minigames are sometimes also offered separately for free to promote the main game...
s, which are split off from the levels into smaller zones. Some of the minigames were featured in Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!
Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!
Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! is a video game for the PlayStation video game console. It was released in North America under this title on October 31, 1999, in Europe as Spyro 2: Gateway to Glimmer on November 5, 1999, and in Japan on March 16, 2000 as: Spyro X Sparx Tondemo Tours.Ripto's Rage is the...
and were subsequently expanded for Year of the Dragon, while others are entirely new to the series. These minigames are played by Spyro or the other playable characters, and include challenges in sports such as skateboarding
Skateboarding
Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...
, boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, and racing, as well as puzzles and rail shooters. All minigames reward the player with an egg upon successful completion.
Setting and characters
Spyro is assisted by many characters during the course of Year of the Dragon. Spyro is the game's protagonist, and Sparx is his dragonfly sidekick. Sparx functions as the player's health meter and assists the player in gathering gems; Sparx is a playable character in certain levels. Also aiding Spyro is Hunter, who teaches the player game mechanics and is a playable character at special racing levels. Four other playable characters are freed from Moneybags during the game; Sheila the Kangaroo, Sergeant Byrd the penguin, Bentley the YetiYeti
The Yeti or Abominable Snowman is an ape-like cryptid said to inhabit the Himalayan region of Nepal, and Tibet. The names Yeti and Meh-Teh are commonly used by the people indigenous to the region, and are part of their history and mythology...
, and Agent 9 the space monkey. The primary antagonist of the game is The Sorceress, a tyrant who rules over the Forgotten Worlds with her forces. Aiding her is the apprentice Bianca, who attempts to hinder Spyro on his mission.
Plot
The game opens with a celebration in the land of the dragons, where Spyro and his kin are celebrating the "Year of the Dragon", an event that occurs every twelve years when new dragon eggs are brought to the realm. During the celebration, however, a cloaked rabbit girl, Bianca, invades the Dragon Realms with an army of creatures called Rhynocs and steals all of the Dragon eggs, bringing them back to the Sorceress, who scatters the eggs throughout several worlds. The worlds are split up into four realms, all of them are named after a time of the day, and types of geography; Sunrise Springs, Midday Gardens, Evening Lake, and Midnight Mountain. Spyro, along with Sparx and Hunter, are sent down a hole to find the thieves and recover the dragon eggs.While pursuing the thief, Spyro discovers a world once inhabited by the dragons, but long abandoned and forgotten. This world is ruled by the Sorceress and her Rhynoc army; only a few creatures stand and fight against the Sorceress' rule. Spyro learns from one such inhabitant, Sheila, that when the dragons left the realm, the magic of the world began to dry up. Spyro travels through each world in the forgotten realm, acquiring aid from the local inhabitants and rescuing the dragon eggs. It is revealed that the Sorceress is seeking not the baby dragons themselves, but merely their wings to concoct a spell that can grant her immortality. Once Bianca discovers this, she feels sorry for the baby dragons, and defects to side with Spyro and his allies. Spyro eventually fights and defeats the Sorceress, and celebrations occur throughout the realm. The Sorceress survives her battle with Spyro, however, and waits for Spyro with the last of the dragon eggs. Spyro and the Sorceress battle again where the Sorceress is finally defeated; Spyro returns all the baby dragons to the Dragon Realms.
Development
Development of Spyro: Year of the Dragon spanned about ten and a half months, from November 1999 to September 2000; the development team was influenced by a host of other games, including Doom and Crash Bandicoot. Among the new features touted before the game's release was "Auto Challenge Tuning", which Insomniac CEO Ted PriceTed Price
Ted Price is the President and CEO of Insomniac Games, Inc. - an independent game developer which he founded in 1994. Since its inception the company has grown to approximately 210 people...
described as "invented to even out the gameplay difficulty curve for players of different abilities". The levels were made much larger than those in Spyro 2, so that more areas for minigames could be added; to prevent player confusion on where to go next, these areas were designed to load separately from the main hubs. Price stated that the addition of critters was a way to make the game more enjoyable and varied, instead of just adding more moves for Spyro. The game was named "Year of the Dragon" simply because it was released during 2000, the year of the Dragon
Dragon (zodiac)
The Dragon , is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar, and the only animal that is legendary...
in the Chinese zodiac.
In previews, publications such as IGN and GameSpot noted that the graphics had been improved, and that there were many new characters and locations. The new minigames were previewed, and IGN pointed out that they offered enough complexity to back up the simple gameplay. In an interview with GameSpot, Ted Price stated that the emphasis for the title was on the new critters, but that Spyro would not be left behind in the story. Year of the Dragon also implemented crack
Software cracking
Software cracking is the modification of software to remove or disable features which are considered undesirable by the person cracking the software, usually related to protection methods: copy protection, trial/demo version, serial number, hardware key, date checks, CD check or software annoyances...
protection, in addition to the copy protection
Copy protection
Copy protection, also known as content protection, copy obstruction, copy prevention and copy restriction, refer to techniques used for preventing the reproduction of software, films, music, and other media, usually for copyright reasons.- Terminology :Media corporations have always used the term...
previous games had contained. This helped prevent hackers from cracking the game until two months after release.
Despite the positive response the game would go on to receive, Year of the Dragon was developer Insomniac Games
Insomniac Games
Insomniac Games, Inc. is an American video game developer headquartered in Burbank, California. Founded in 1994, Insomniac has released titles for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3 video game consoles. It created Disruptor, the first three Spyro the Dragon games, and the Ratchet &...
' last Spyro title. In an interview, CEO Ted Price
Ted Price
Ted Price is the President and CEO of Insomniac Games, Inc. - an independent game developer which he founded in 1994. Since its inception the company has grown to approximately 210 people...
said that the company stopped producing the games because they couldn't do anything new with the character, and that after five years of development on a single series the team wanted to do something different. Future Spyro games were produced by, among other developers, Equinox Digital Entertainment
Equinox Digital Entertainment
Equinox Digital Entertainment, like Check Six Studios, was a former video game developer created for the sole task of creating and developing Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly for the Playstation 2 and Gamecube in 2002. After the game's negative critical response, the company closed....
, Eurocom
Eurocom
Eurocom is a British video game developer founded specifically to develop games for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Since then Eurocom has expanded to several other platforms including handheld game systems and most major video game consoles.The company was once famous for its arcade to console...
, Krome Studios
Krome Studios
Krome Studios is an Australian video game company. Its headquarters are in Brisbane and it previously had offices in Adelaide and Melbourne. Krome Studios is best known for their Ty the Tasmanian Tiger games and for revitalising the Spyro the Dragon series...
, Étranges Libellules
Étranges Libellules
Étranges Libellules is a French video game developer based out of Lyon, France. It was founded in 1994.-Games produced:* 2000 - Kirikou - PlayStation, PC - published by Wanado Edition...
, and Tantalus Media.
Audio
The music for Year of the Dragon was composed by Stewart CopelandStewart Copeland
Stewart Armstrong Copeland is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the band The Police. During the group's extended hiatus from the mid-1980s to 2007, he played in other bands and composed soundtracks...
, drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
for the rock band The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
. During the band's hiatus, Copeland composed several movie soundtracks, and composed the scores for the previous Spyro titles; Price stated that Copeland's offering for the third installment was his best work to date. In an interview, Copeland stated his creative process for writing the music for the Spyro series always began by playing through the levels, trying to get a feel for each world's "atmosphere". Copeland noted the challenge of writing for games was to create music that would both be interesting to listen to and complemented the gameplay; his approach was to incorporate more complicated harmonies and basslines so that the music could seem fresh for players, even after repeated listening. He complimented the compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
format of the PlayStation and its support for high quality audio; there were no technical constraints that stopped him from producing the sound he wanted. Copeland recorded entire orchestral scores for extra flourish when the visuals called for an expansive sound, but used more percussive and beat-driven melodies for "high-energy" moments in the game.
Reception
Upon release, Year of the Dragon garnered positive critical reaction, with the game receiving an average ranking of 91% at Game RankingsGame Rankings
GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
, and a similar score based on fifteen reviews at MetaCritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. According to Game Rankings, Year of the Dragon is the fourteenth highest rated PlayStation game of all time. The game sold more than two million units in the United States.
GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
noted that while Year of the Dragon made no significant changes to the formula of its predecessors, the combination of new playable characters, more detailed graphics, and the variety of minigames made the game worth the buy. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
praised the game's appeal to all ages and the polished levels, as well as the successful multi-character focus. Game Revolution
Game Revolution
Game Revolution or GR is a gaming website created in 1996. Based in Berkeley, California, the site includes reviews, previews, a gaming download area, cheats, and a merchandise store, as well as webcomics, screenshots, and videos...
thought that while the game's premise itself was simply a rehash of previous titles, "the story that unfolds as you actually play the game is flawlessly interwoven and quite entertaining". GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
noted that the ability of the game to automatically drop the difficulty if players get stuck was an excellent feature. Next Generation Magazine
Next Generation Magazine
Next Generation Magazine was a video game magazine that was made by Imagine Media publishing company . It was affiliated to and shared editorial with the UK's Edge magazine. Next Generation ran from January 1995 until January 2002. It was published by Jonathan Simpson-Bint and edited by Neil West...
s Kevin Rice provided one of the most positive review in which he stated the top-notch level design, intuitive controls and excellent graphics made the title the best Spyro game to date, and arguably the best PlayStation game overall.
Stewart Copeland's score was generally well-received, though several critics sharply disagreed with the general consensus. Publications like PSXExtreme thought the music helped bring atmosphere to the varied worlds, and Allgame enthused that "Insomniac should be commended for realizing the importance of music in games; it seems to enhance the whole experience." Others, such as Joseph Parazen of Game Revolution, thought the background music sounded "identical to every other 3D, cartoony, action platformer I've ever played". Other points of praise were the voice acting and character development. Among the few complaints aside from the story included the game camera, which could be difficult to control and led to unjustified enemy attacks. Some publications warned that the game might feel too much like its predecessors, with a similar plot and objectives.