And what better game to start of my reviewing blog than with Spyro the Dragon for the PS1. Why this game you ask, when there’s probably a dozen websites out there with reviews of this game? It’s simple. Spyro the dragon was one of my first ever video games and the first one I bought myself. It’s a game that I feel sums up the PS1 and the wealth of games that used to be available rather than the onslaught of FPS’s that are flooding the market now.
Yes, Spyro was released when games were for everyone. Not when you could be categorised into what kind of player you were by what console you owned as, judging by available games, the Wii is for kids and the PS3 and Xbox360 are for serious hardcore gamers who live in their rooms staring at a screen for 48 hours at a time while blowing some soldiers head off. Can you guess that I’m not an FPS player lol.
Anywho, back to Spyro. The game itself was everything I like in a game. It was an easy premise with simple controls. After all, it doesn’t require too much brain power to travel the land, collecting gems and torching the bad guys. Yet in places it could be downright difficult. Kudos to anyone that managed to get that dragon on Haunted Tower (you know the one) without using a cheat guide, or find the first ever flight level in the Artisan home world.
There was a back story to the game so you knew why the character was doing what he was: All the dragons had been turned to crystal and it was up to Spyro to save them. True it was simple, but it didn’t need anymore. It provided you with enough motivation that as you were gliding between platforms and barrelling into bad guys you knew what your end goal was.
Lets also look at the game itself, the graphics were wonderfully colourful and suited the nature of the game. While looking slightly dated now perhaps, they were right on the mark at the time the game was released. The worlds were imaginative, my favourite being the Magic Casters worlds, and had themes running throughout all the sub levels of each home world. Not to mention that the bad guys, while the majority being Gnorcs, were all different enough depending on what world you were in.
The game also did very well what hardly any games even attempt to do nowadays and that is to appeal to both a male and female audience. If the pink layout and title hasn’t given it away yet, I am in fact female and find that now, if I don’t want a game about cooking then I’m pretty much screwed. But Spyro appealed to everyone. Here you had a dragon flaming enemies with help from fairies, fireflies and a little man with his own balloon (who demanded you complete something before he’d take you anywhere, but we’ll let that slide because eventually they would take you where you wanted to go). There was nothing overly girly or cutesy about the game, yet at the same time, it wasn’t some dark apocalyptic world or made out in hues of blue and black. And it did appeal to everyone. Speak to any gamer who owned a PS1 and they will probably have played, and more importantly enjoyed, Spyro the Dragon when it was first released. Indeed it was a game that I have played over and over again to the point that where it once took me a couple of weeks to finish, I can now do the whole game in one sitting, taking no more than a few hours. I suppose that the replay ability of the game is another thing in it’s favour as it is a rare game that you find you can play again and again.
Spyro is one of the gaming greats that don’t come along too often. 12 years after it was released and I find myself constantly referencing it on my University course due to it’s relevance. It’s one of those games that hit every nail right on the head and did it in such a charming way that Spyro had become one of the great gaming icons, up there with Mario and Pikachu.
Well that was a good way to not work on my university project lol. At least it’s given me something to work towards. Keep your eyes peeled for another one of a kind review by me coming shortly. While I don’t yet know what I’ll base it on, I’m currently thinking one of the Final Fantasy series will probably be my next one….but which one ^_~
See you soon
Archer
