100%PlayStation

My favorite PS1 title & 3D platformer. It's one of the earliest games I can recall playing. Seriously defined my childhood. Absolutely amazing levels and aesthetic.

70%Xbox Series X/S

84%, solid game! Aged well considering there is only two attacks.
Plenty of nostalgia

100%Xbox Series X/S

like my 4th or 5th replay across both versions

80%Nintendo Switch

fuck you gnasty gnorc

75%PC

72.6(I)

90%PC

Very nostalgic game. It has aged well and is still a ton of fun. And the Reignited Trilogy is by far the best way to play it.

95%Emulated

My first time ever playing Spyro was this year (2024). Honestly even now this game was incredible! It's a wonderfully simple platformer in the best way. It doesn't over complicate things. It's a collectathon which usually I despise but it was set up in such a way that it was simple to continue on and I didn't feel pressured to 100% or to force playing. You can save at each Dragon which is amazing for people with lives outside of gaming. Definitley understand why this is still a franchise, I just hope the other games are half as good as this one.

If you are thinking of playing this one, do so ASAP!!!

55%PlayStation

By 1998, the PlayStation had already carved out a notable market share in that generation's console wars, and a large part of that was due to its de facto mascot, Crash Bandicoot. Debuting two years prior, the iconic marsupial already had two critically and commercially successful titles and would release the third of the trilogy later in the year. But while Crash was consolidating his position as a PS1 icon at the time, another was just beginning. Just a few months prior, now long-time Sony collaborators Insomniac Games would release what was then only their 2nd title, Spyro the Dragon. And unlike their debut, Spyro would go on to be their first major success, spawning 2 sequels on the PS1, a handful of later handheld and cross-gen titles, and, most importantly (as he's remembered to this day), a second memorable mascot for Sony's first console.

Of course, this being the late 90s, it was more likely than not that any new game releasing was to be of the 3D (and, particularly, 3D platformer) variety, and Spyro certainly isn't alone in that regard. However, even 4 years after the console's debut, the PS1 didn't have the definitive 3D platformer you might expect from such a successful console. Spyro the Dragon, then, was that title, and looking back, it's not hard to see why. Visually, the game is exceptional; its bright and captivating worlds are inviting to this day and particularly impressive for the console it released on; there are some PS2 games that don't match the visuals of Spyro's debut. Each world is a vibrant mix of pastel and rich colors, which offer a feast for the eyes and all the more incentive to explore the levels—the game's skyboxes are particularly noteworthy. And its rendering system, part of what made the game look so good, was largely influential on its contemporaries. Spyro was, for all intents and purposes, the system's first breakthrough 3D platform title.

While its visuals were revolutionary at the time, its gameplay offered a lot more of what would be referred to as a typical platformer/collectathon experience, and a decent one at that. Each area of the game is broken up into hub worlds and main levels, and plenty of them feature well-crafted and stylistically designed worlds. It's a pretty easy game to pick up and play, and it's got plenty of charm to get players engaged right off the bat. One of the best inclusions are the flight levels, which create an arcade-like atmosphere where you have to destroy obstacles with a certain time limit; although there's only a few and the challenge is rather low, it's a great diversion from the main gameplay, and optimizing your route is very satisfying. This satisfaction doesn't exactly translate over to the main gameplay mode, however. As nice as the visuals of Spyro are, the core game is relatively generic and doesn't do much to distinguish itself from many of its genre's contemporaries. You're equipped with a glide, a headbutt, and fire breath, and despite the attempt at diversifying enemy types, the game plays basically the same way from start to finish. It's a relatively short game, even to 120%, but that doesn't stop it from feeling repetitive towards the latter half of the game.

Spyro The Dragon is generally considered to be a beginner-friendly platformer, and while that is certainly appreciable, there are moments when it can go a bit too far towards the pedestrian. The boss fights in this game are consistently the worst levels in the game—so much so that you might not even realize some are boss fights—and they trend worse as the game goes on. The final boss fight is particularly bad and is easily the least enjoyable level in the game. Games can certainly be less difficult while still being rewarding, but a large portion of Spyro isn't nuanced enough to pull this off. In fact, one could say the real difficulty of this title is dealing with the poorly implemented camera and slippery controls. This game was released with Dualshock support, so it's all the more questionable why the camera controls are relegated to R2 and L2 instead of the right joystick. You can also use the D-pad, but neither feels great—turns are wide, platform edges are sometimes inconsistent, and the camera is a bit too slow to stay behind you and follow your movement.

It's possible that one of the reasons Spyro has remained so ever-present in the gaming nostalgia zone is because it was likely the first game many very young players had the ability to beat. And for that alone, Spyro should be commended and will live in the hearts and minds of everyone who remembers it fondly from their childhood. Even though the game doesn't really offer too much unique beyond its visual appeal, it's certainly not the worst game of its era to go back to, and it offers an okay amount of fun beyond its nostalgic pull. If you're willing to put up with some mundane gameplay and out-of-date controls, or if you're interested in gaming history, Spyro the Dragon is certainly worth a try.

60%PlayStation 4

6/10 - 🟢

70%PlayStation 5

Solid 3D platformer, it’s fun, makes me want to try the others

85%PC

The levels are very nice to play and they have this sort of simple, but difficult vibe to them. Since the bosses are quite easy, the game gave me more of a collect-a-thon vibe and I loved it. Didnt actually encounter anything bad in this one, just a great experience overall.

100%PlayStation

I've played this game on and off throughout my whole life. Pure perfection. No bloat, no fluff, no lulls (except maybe one or two of the Beast Makers levels).
Stewart Copeland is a GOD amongst men for his work on these soundtracks

80%PC

The years have been kind to Insomniac's classic Spyro the Dragon, ageing incredibly gracefully next to its opposing PS1 catalogue. It's a game whose simplicity has become a part of its indelible, timeless charm. I ended up with a smirk on my face the whole way, not just because of its carefree comedy and constant fourth wall breaking but it's entire presentation. It's beautifully rendered in this remake.

A truly good time and a massively influential title.

8/10.

(Played on Steam Deck OLED at 800p60fps using Medium settings with 12-15w total power draw and 3-4hrs battery life.)

70%Nintendo Switch

A fun platformer that still holds up

Good
- very concise and smooth controls and movement
- platforming is unique. Fast pace areas that make it feel a bit like sonic, and slower segments where you glide around, giving you a nice sense of space
- the remake graphics are a phenomenal upgrade
- the different designs of each area was unique
- the gameplay revolving charge attack and fire was simple, but fit for some mindless fun
- killing random little creatures to regain health is kinda funny
- the game might be a little simple for a main series today, but during that time, this was great
- enemy animations are funny. Gives a bit of life to the simple atmosphere
- the bits of voice acting is not bad. If only they spun more of a narrative around it.

Bad
- the game is a bit on the easy side
- they could've done a little bit more with the narrative and dialogue. The ending was very abrupt. Gnasty Gnorc didn't even say anytning.

70%PlayStation

good early 3d platformer. this was the original spyro i played the most as a kid so this is by far what im most familiar with, but i'm more excited to play the sequels and see more of the series personality shine though

80%PC

I played this on the Reignighted trilogy and I must say, I am glad I did. I grew up with Spyro 3 and never played this or Ripto's rage before. The platforming was good and I especially liked how easy it is to collect all of the gems and dragons using the guidebook. I achieved 120% on the completion screen. I was surprised that moneybags wasn't here yet but I guess the introduce him in Ripto's Rage. Great game, but I suspect it will only get better from here.

80%Emulated

Spyro es el mejor dragón del mundo

95%Xbox One

I still think one of the greatest mysteries of my life was wondering why I never played a real Spyro game until a few days ago. I was nostalgic too it just from watching it on YouTube, and when the remake trilogy released I knew I would enjoy it. It only took 6 years for me to actually play it and my lord I wish I did it sooner this game is so fun. It’s so good I got 120% just because, I’m never inclined to 100% anything but this one really was different for me it’s so amazing. I must give props to the remake as well for being beautiful and making me wish Toys For Bob actually prospered. This game feels like a childhood classic I get to experience 6 years after I was originally was intending to play it.

70%PC

7.5 / 10

90%Xbox One

My first play through in any game of the Spyro series. I missed the boat with the original PlayStation trilogy back in the day. Loved every minute of this, real quality in the platforming and gliding/flying mechanics. Loads of collectibles and things to unlock to get the game beyond 100%.
I think the only thing I could possibly mark it down on was the difficulty level. It wasn’t overly challenging and fairly easy.

70%PlayStation

My first foray into the first game of the PS1 trilogy.

It was okay.
Pales in comparison to the third game, Year of the Dragon.

On to Spyro 2 (also my first time playing that one)!

90%PlayStation

This is one of those games that strikes a nostalgic core for me, but at least I could write a 10-page essay on why I love this game.

In a nutshell, what I love about it most is how it grabs your nostalgia. The enemies are all bigger than you and their reactions to your presence leave a lasting impact, the music is unique and fantastic, and the level design makes great use of the core gameplay; gliding.

Sure, it's very easy once you know what to do and it's pretty short, but it's an experience that makes you feel like you're playing it for longer. A classic platformer.

[Also the PS4 Remaster is surprisingly an excellent version as well. I might actually prefer it over the original, which is no small feat. Although, they do kinda make some missteps in the Magic Crafters World that are annoying, but other than that, it's a very solid version.]

BEST PART: Peace Keepers World

WORST PART: Jacques' Level & Icy Flight

75%PC

I had a fun time 100% this game. I still prefer crash but spyro has a place in my heart.

95%PlayStation 4

Gameplay 3.5/4 can be a bit simple but is often really enjoyable with platforming and collecting
Story 2/2 charming
Visuals 2/2 great style and great character design
Audio 2/2 great music and sound effects and voice acting

Highly recommend 100% completion for the gameplay

70%PlayStation

THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE JP VERSION

Having never played the original outside of when I was a VERY little kid, I didn't remember much about this game/ I had heard that the JP version of this is a terrible port of the original that messes up a lot of things in regards to the game.

Having basically no reference of the original game when playing this I can only imagine how much better it is. The camera is abysmal in this version. It forced me to hold my controller as if it was a fight stick, needing to have for fingers on the face buttons at all time because trying to use claw grip made my finger hurt. You don't need to use the dodge rolls basically ever so no need for having fingers on the triggers. The camera movement on the triggers is also basically useless because you need to have full control of the face buttons at all times and playing with a fight stick grip is much easier than a normal grip.

Overall it is a good game, but I can only imagine the original is a much better game on its own. I did still have fun playing this though when I wasn't hindered by the camera and controls.

70%PC

Spyro the Dragon | Spyro Reignited Trilogy Version | Bewertung
Story 1/2
Gameplay 2/2
Grafik 2/2
Charaktere 0/2
Sound / Musik 2/2

Bewertung zuletzt editiert am: 23.05.2022

90%PlayStation

The first of the lovely classic trilogy.

60%PlayStation

Fun beginning to the Spyro series. The first game is great but fails to compare to its next installments.

100%PlayStation

Game of my childhood, back then I could not speak english at all but I have finished the game even though I could not understand xD

80%PlayStation 4

𝗦𝗽𝘆𝗿𝗼 was a short game with full completion taking just over six hours total but is packed with fun from the very start.

The graphics of the remake is absolutely stunning and the gameplay still feels great to this day, the levels are alot of fun and tricky to figure out but thankfully we live in an era where the internet is very easy to access. obtaining 120% is fast and the game gives you a checklist to allow you to know what you are missing and by clicking in one of the analogue sticks, it'll guide you to any missing gems.

90%PlayStation

Fun, beautiful, and nostalgic. This was one of the best games I had as a kid growing up.

75%PC

Fun game

60%PlayStation

Spyro The Dragon
• Second time playing
• Earliest video game memory

80%PlayStation

8/10

75%PlayStation

Gran juego de plataformas. Algo repetitivo al final

90%PlayStation

Alternative
05/01/2021
6h00min
90%

70%PlayStation

Beloved platformer from the PS1. I had never played any spyro games before so I was excited to see why everyone loves it so much and I have to agree that this game is good. The variety of the levels is great and I love that the hub for each world is kind of like a level in its own right, the cast of enemies is fun to see and beat, ramming through a line of goons never gets old, but I find the tribesmen enemies to be a little sus in todays age. The only thing I didn't like was any jump involving the hyper dash, its very unclear at what time you should let go of charge and jump but maybe this is just me being a fool. Easy game to beat but not an absolute cake walk so its still satisfying to finish a level and its eye opening to see just how much was copied from this game by others, a lot of devs owe spyro a drink.

50%PlayStation 4

Not worth a playthrough, to be honest.

90%Emulated

Experiencing Spyro the Dragon for the very first time nearly 25 years after its original release, it is absolutely no surprise to me why this game and its titular character became as beloved as they are today. This is easily one of the most fun and straightforward collect-a-thon platformers I have ever played, and I like to think I have plenty of experience with this genre.

The level design here holds up tremendously well. It's shocking to see how much they managed to do with what feels like very limited resources. While the realms themselves aren't the most visually impressive, it all works out because of their excellent geography. Everything feels tailor-made for Spyro and his abilities. This game rewards your curiosity as well as your understanding of its core mechanics. It wants you to explore and try things out, and this really is no hardship given how interesting and inviting the universe of Spyro is as a whole.

While I do appreciate a lot of the open-endedness of it, there are a few downsides to Spyro's design philosophy. My initial thought going through these areas was that players could easily lead themselves into becoming hopelessly lost with the collectibles should they leave a level without getting everything in one go. This ultimately wasn't a problem for me since I remained pretty diligent with my exploration and the placement of the items never felt cheesy or deliberately mean-spirited. Still, there's a distinct lack of transparency in some places that could cause some unwanted frustration, such as Stone Hill having Gems scattered throughout an area that looks like it would be out of bounds at first, but that ends up just being littered with invisible walls instead.

I'm not too crazy about the way this game controls, but I can definitely admit this is 100% my modern gamer mindset speaking. Had I grown up playing Spyro (like I grew up playing Crash, for example) I probably wouldn't bat an eye at how wonky and stiff some of it feels. The gliding could be a little more satisfying, though. Too many times I fell into the abyss because of what felt like a minuscule height difference that made me miss a platform. But the camera is by far this thing's biggest detractor. Even its best settings won't be able to save you from some awkward situations every now and then. Regardless, Spyro is very fun to control and he feels quite on par with the challenges the game throws at you. This, however, could also be attributed to another one of this game's negative aspects.

The enemies in Spyro are pitiful and pose basically no threat to you unless you are getting swarmed or you're just unfamiliar with their attack patterns. This does not take away from their incredibly charming and diverse designs, though. I particularly enjoyed the weirdos in the Peace Keepers area who would flash me their asses after running away in fear. Those guys have got it figured out.

The bosses are also, unfortunately, pretty pathetic too. I can't remember a single thing about them, be it their battles or their designs. That final showdown against Gnasty Gnorc was EXCEPTIONALLY bad. A couple of drawn-out chase sequences that end after a uniquely awful platforming section. I could not believe that after all that I went through, my journey culminated in such a wet noodle of a boss fight. And that's after all those dragons talked such a big game about what a (g)nasty fucking cunt Gnasty Gnorc was! That dude managed to encapsulate an entire legion of dragons in crystal, why the hell is he running away from Spyro of all people?! Maybe the bosses felt so underwhelming to me because the main challenge of Spyro truly stems from the exploration and the collect-a-thon aspects of it, but if so, I would rather just not have entire levels named after and dedicated towards fighting someone that's less threatening to me than the freaking water.

Nonetheless, I had a blast with this game. The dragons either give very direct and useful advice or make some lighthearted joke that Spyro sarcastically responds to, which made me appreciate this game's sense of humor quite a bit. The soundtrack was somewhat of a hit or miss for me, but Spyro's nasaly voice was an easy 10 out of 10. And even after finishing the game, I'm still undecided on the Flight levels. I can't really tell if I hate them or if I love them, to be honest. But it was kinda cool planning out my routes like a true speedrunner.

70%Xbox One

Certified Hood Classic but I'm not 4 anymore so not as incredible. I 120% it tho

90%PlayStation

Incredibly tightly designed and enjoyable game. Doesn't have the bloat of it's successors and holds up amazingly

100%PlayStation 4

Spyro the Dragon is absolutely one of my favorite PSX Generation of games, and the revamp of graphics made the "Awesome" experience that I had a child, made this game better. If I could give this game an 11/10 I would in a heartbeat. They didn't change anything from the original release other then a graphical overhaul, to make it feel like you were actually playing it on the newer console. They didn't change really all that much that made the game itself back on PSX (I'll be honest I didn't complete it back in the day but what i did in the game still held a spot in my heart)

80%PlayStation

So amazing! such nostalgia!

80%PlayStation

Nice game to play in the background - not much story, so no need to focus hard. Puzzles, enemies and bosses are all pretty easy, including the final boss. Only tricky bits were some of the timed flying levels.

80%PlayStation 4

120% ending

100%Nintendo Switch

I ADORED this game! I remembered enjoying it in my childhood and it was as fun as I remembered. I love the updated graphics and voice work and it was all so gorgeous and enjoyable! Will def replay many times.

80%Nintendo Switch

A really fun platformer.

80%PlayStation 4

Fun, nostalgic experience.

100%Xbox One

All time favourite, never get bored of it.

80%Nintendo Switch

Nostalgic, great remaster.