The original and the best (Spyro: The Dragon (PS))

Member Name: Rcalvert3

Product:	Spyro: The Dragon (PS)
Date:	11/02/09 (48 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Wonderfully stupid storyline, lasts a long time, v.cheap, good all-rounder

Disadvantages: graphics bit dodgy, if you get it secondhand, it could crash

Spyro was the first "proper" game I ever played on a playstation (being about 7 at the time), as I don't think ridge racer really counts (although that was fabulous too - another review perhaps). I must admit, I am a fan of platform games in general, and I do think that this is one of the best of them, despite the terrible chunky cluncky graphics and the fact that we never actually got into the last level of the game (you had to have found every crystal in the whole game and we were missing one and couldn't find it). When gnasty gnorc (the baddie - can't you tell with a name like that?!) is insulted by one of the big (presumably adult) dragons, he turns them all to crystal or stone or ice or something with his magic zappy staff. He also turns all the dragon's treasure into warriors. Spyro (a small purple dragon) is the only one left, and he sets off to reclaim the treasure and dragon eggs (which are held by blue-robed egg theives), and to free the other dragons. The game is then based around a number of worlds in different levels, with villains to kill, egg theives to chase, treasure to find and collect and dragons to be freed. Once you have done enough of this in one level, you can be transported to the next world by the balloonist, and finally face Gnasty Gnorc in a boss battle. In each world, there is also a flying test (as spyro cannot fly in this game, only glide), and you gain treasure depending on how well you do. I love this game, the challenges are many and varied - each new level provides you with something new to try out - look out for the "supercharges" at about level 4! In addition, the villain are ridiculous and all different from each other - my favourites are these particular black dogs, that when you breathe fire on them, they starting panting and frothing at the mouth and then try to jump on you and squash you. Plus one of the bosses is a sheep on stilts hiding in a scarecrow outfit. And all the adult dragons (who give you "advice" when you unfreeze them) have stupid voices. Its great. Plus you can now get this game for about a fiver at any pre-owned games store, and you can play it on a PS2 as well as the now truly ancient PlayStation.

Summary: An oldie but a goodie