Overview
Where Crash ran corridors, Spyro explored worlds. Insomniac’s purple dragon roamed open environments, flaming sheep and charging through enemies while collecting gems and rescuing crystallised dragons. The colourful visuals and accessible gameplay made Spyro PlayStation’s friendliest mascot platformer.
Fast facts
- Developer: Insomniac Games.
- Publisher: Sony.
- Protagonist: Spyro.
- Companion: Sparx the dragonfly.
Gameplay design
| Element |
Implementation |
| Open worlds |
Non-linear exploration |
| Flame breath |
Primary attack |
| Charge |
Secondary attack |
| Gliding |
Extended jumps |
Sparx mechanics
| State |
Meaning |
| Gold |
Full health |
| Blue |
Two hits left |
| Green |
One hit left |
| Gone |
One more hit = death |
Collectibles
| Item |
Purpose |
| Gems |
Currency/completion |
| Dragons |
Rescue from crystal |
| Dragon eggs |
Chase thieves |
Technical achievements
| Feature |
Innovation |
| Draw distance |
LOD system |
| Colourful graphics |
Appealing aesthetic |
| Music |
Stewart Copeland score |
| World size |
Large open areas |
World structure
| Hub |
Access |
| Artisans |
Starting world |
| Peace Keepers |
Second hub |
| Magic Crafters |
Third hub |
| Beast Makers |
Fourth hub |
| Dream Weavers |
Fifth hub |
| Gnasty’s World |
Final area |
Series continuation
| Title |
Year |
| Spyro the Dragon |
1998 |
| Ripto’s Rage |
1999 |
| Year of the Dragon |
2000 |
| Reignited Trilogy |
2018 |
See also