Mascot’s are a big thing in gaming, Mario For Nintendo, Sonic For Sega, Master Chief For Xbox and so on. The PlayStation brand has never had a mascot per se, at least in the west, but at one point they had Crash Bandicoot and Spyro The Dragon as their mascots. However, times change and the rights to these games have since changed hands a few times. New owners Activision Blizzard released the Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy a little while back, and recently turned their attention to Spyro. Spyro Reignited Trilogy takes the original three PlayStation games and gives them a new coat of paint and fresh polish for a new generation.
From the moment I started playing the games I felt something special. Whereas I felt Crash Bandicoot had not aged particularly well and didn’t quite feel it lived up to the hype, I felt the opposite when it came to Spyro. I had a smile on my face the entire time I played and it all felt so natural. This was my first time playing these games and I feel I missed out not playing them the first time. Spyro The Dragon is basic compared to the later two entries, but still feels miles ahead of other 90’s platformers and even some modern ones. Collecting everything, saving all the dragons and fighting epic bosses feels great and I love that I can take this anywhere on the Switch. I feel it actually looks better in handheld mode than in TV mode, since there was a bit of blurriness in TV mode.
Spyro 2: Ripto’s Revenge and Spyro: Year of The Dragon would take things further than the first game. They included new abilities for Spyro, new enemies to fight, and new powerups. Taking the time to play each game through and see everything you can, is essential to your enjoyment of these epic games. Some may feel some of the later introductions, like skateboarding, may be the series losing its charm. I however, do not agree with that idea at all. The series maintained its high quality and kept refining what worked and adding to it in inventive ways.
This trilogy is platformer heaven for many and the only real complaint I have is that not all the content is on the cartridge and requires a hefty download. This isn’t a problem if you are going for a download only version, but it is an issue for those who prefer buying physical games.
Aside from that, I have no real complaints. All three games are here and play better than ever. They have aged wonderfully and considering I held no nostalgia for them and yet found joy in playing these, it isn’t just a nostalgic feeling that makes these great. I fully recommend checking this collection out, as you will not regret it.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided