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Running head: ACADEMIC INQUIRY: SPYRO THE DRAGON 1
Academic Inquiry: Spyro the Dragon
Joseph A. Thurmond
High Point University
ACADEMIC INQUIRY: SPYRO THE DRAGON 2
Abstract
For this academic inquiry, I have done an extensive analysis and critique of Spyro The
Dragon. Since it is one of my favorite video games from my childhood, it is only fitting to look
at it now through a more mature lens to determine if it stands the test of time and lives up to the
fond memories I have playing it in years past. To accurately do this, I was able to entirely
complete the game with 120 percent in about 12 hours, granting me a fresh, resolute perspective
on it. I have dissected the gameplay, which involves the mechanics, controls, level design, and
challenges the game poses, decided if the narrative (the plot, dialogue, etc.) is important and
integrated well, discerned if the visuals – the graphical fidelity, aesthetics, and art direction – are
pleasing, and listened closely to determine whether or not the audio (the sound effects, voice
acting, and music) is able to aurally immerse players. In the conclusion, I briefly take these
aspects into consideration and decide if Spyro The Dragon is more than the sum of its parts or
just a kids’ game at heart with nothing much to say. That is what I have attempted to answer
here, which has permanently altered my opinion of the game for better or for worse.
ACADEMIC INQUIRY: SPYRO THE DRAGON 3
Academic Inquiry: Spyro The Dragon
If you talk to any person who had or still owns the first PlayStation, they will likely
mention enjoying major hits in the late 1990s like Tomb Raider, Metal Gear Solid, or Resident
Evil. They are great games in their own rights, but what is interesting about this popular selection
of titles? They are geared with teenager and adult audiences in mind, which was the case for the
majority of the PlayStation’s library of titles in its beginning stages. This narrow focus neglected
a demographic that Nintendo was dominating at the time with the Nintendo 64: everyone. By
“everyone,” I am referring to family-friendly games that mostly attract children, but are still
appealing and fun for older players. With first-party titles like Super Mario 64, Nintendo filled
this hole in the market that Sony didn’t meet. While 1996’s Crash Bandicoot was a step in the
right direction, the company wanted to accomplish more in this area to increase the desirability
of its console (“Did You Know,” 2013).
Insomniac Games – which had created a 1996 first-person shooter called Disruptor as its
first video game – was approached by Sony to develop a family-friendly game that anyone, male
or female and young or old, would instantly love. On top of this, executive producer Mark Cerny
challenged the studio to create a 3D platformer that heavily relies on enemies interacting with the
player in various ways, something that had never been done before with this type of game (“The
Making of,” 1998). Insomniac Games went to work in 1997 and developed a game just a year
later that is still considered one of the best PlayStation titles and platformer games. It is called
Spyro The Dragon.
This game served as my entry point into the world of digital entertainment alongside
Crash Bandicoot, and while it is also something I look back on with nostalgia, Spyro The
Dragon is different. I realized a few years ago the kind of impact it had on me as a child, what it
ACADEMIC INQUIRY: SPYRO THE DRAGON 4
has inspired me to do and create, and how it has shaped several of my main interests. In an
indirect fashion, you could also say it was the originating point for my passion and pursuit to be
a video game journalist. My point in bringing up the history and my personal connection with
Spyro The Dragon is to accentuate the purpose behind my choosing of it for critical analysis.
Firstly – as of the time of this writing – it has sold over 5 million units worldwide, thanks to its
digital distribution through the PlayStation Store (“Global Total,” 2014). Therefore, it has
relevance because hundreds of thousands of gamers still adore and play it, and not only that, but
millions of younger gamers benefit from its legacy with Skylanders, too. Secondly, it is simply
one of the most influential video games on my life. There are only a handful of other titles
worthy of a game review like this from me, and Spyro The Dragon is one of them.
After playing it for about 12 hours and meeting every objective for maximum
completion, I can examine the gameplay (mechanics, level design, etc.), narrative (plot, dialogue,
etc.), visuals (graphical fidelity, aesthetics, etc.), and audio (voice acting, music, etc.) to establish
whether or not these aspects stand the test of time and fulfill their intended impacts on the player.
Afterwards, I will shortly discuss how they work together as a whole, and if – combined or
separate – convey anything meaningful or clever.
Is Spyro The Dragon reduced to ashes from a fiery, critical gaze? Or does it hold up
against the blazes of age and analysis like a steel fortress? It is time to find out.
Gameplay
One of the simplest ways to describe the gameplay is that it is inspired by Super Mario
64, and that is no mistake. Spyro The Dragon easily measures up to it, arguably surpassing it in
some areas. Players control the titular hero – a feisty purple dragon – from a third-person
ACADEMIC INQUIRY: SPYRO THE DRAGON 5
perspective with either “passive” or “active” camera control. The former loosely follows the
direction Spyro is facing in, leaving the player to command the camera with the DualShock
controller’s trigger buttons. Although this setting is a nice option and works well, I found it
impractical since the camera manually moves at a slow pace, which had me stopping several
times to see what I was doing or frantically moving around as enemies moved out of my field of
vision. On the other hand, the active camera is an outstanding work of game design. It follows
Spyro at varying speeds depending on certain control inputs, rushing to Spyro’s frontal view if
he charges with his horns or moderately keeping up with him if he trots in a circle. It also turns
and adjusts with an unbelievable fluidity, never making any jarring motions, no matter how a
player moves Spyro. Super Mario 64 did not benefit from this feature, relying on trigger controls
that quickly readjust the camera’s position instead. Although this would have been convenient to
use in Spyro The Dragon, there is rarely a need for it since the camera automatically does most
of the work. It takes Super Mario 64’s manual lock-on camera and integrates it into the game
design, signifying the clever work of Insomniac Games’ programmers.
This carves the way for making the responsive, simple combat and platforming all the
better. Spyro can charge with his horns, spit fire breath, jump, and glide short distances. While
there are other moves such as a dodging technique and “Spyro Vision” – which allows players to
look around the environment from a first-person perspective – they are rarely necessary, making
their inclusion in the control scheme somewhat extraneous. When it comes to the main moves
though, it is often not challenging to utilize them in combat or with platforming. However, just
because these things are easy does not mean this game is a tedious experience. For example,
although nearly every enemy can be killed in one hit besides bosses (they take up to three hits),
the game consistently presents new types of enemies with every new level. Their weaknesses are
ACADEMIC INQUIRY: SPYRO THE DRAGON 6
simple to spot (this enemy is susceptible to fire, this one to charging, etc.), but they all behave
differently with their attacks and movement patterns; players never know what enemies will do
at first, which makes each level slightly more unique and unfamiliar to maintain a minimal yet
constant sense of discovery. Do I breathe fire on this Gnorc, glide and charge in midair against
this wizard, or need a special ability to take down this large knight? I constantly had these short-
lived questions in my head at the beginning stages of every level, which immensely helped to
stave off boredom and repetition since there are new encounters at every corner.
The ways in which Spyro’s enemies react to his presence are brilliantly implemented to
enhance gameplay, too, something that few games did well in the 1990s. Countless platformers
have enemies that perform static motions and repeated attacks ad infinitum, but when Spyro
enters a certain field of range, enemies will acknowledge his presence with different responses.
Some will stand frozen or run away in fear, others will charge toward him with swords flailing or
shields up, and a few might taunt Spyro by making annoying sounds or even mooning him.
These gestures may seem trivial upon description, but I believe they are a distinct design choice
by Insomniac Games to add one-dimensional yet entertaining color to enemies’ personalities;
they are not merely obstacles to overcome like in most games. For instance, thieves are the
fastest opponents you run up against and hold the precious dragon eggs Spyro should rescue.
Although these opponents are neither easy nor hard to catch for more experienced gamers, they
are nevertheless extremely irritating since they incessantly mock players by laughing and
dancing when they escape your grasp. For younger players – especially for me when I was a lad
– they are the bane of their existence, and it is funny how often people will talk about the thieves
with hatred in their eyes if they played Spyro The Dragon many years ago. That is why I still
can’t help but feel a rush of pride when I catch up to thieves and knock them over or toast their
ACADEMIC INQUIRY: SPYRO THE DRAGON 7
behinds. They are but one example of how enemy interaction adds to the gameplay experience
by influencing emotion, making killing some enemies more personal and satisfying than usual.
With most platformers, jumping is the integral mechanic that must be skillfully used in a
surprising number of ways. This is not so with Spyro The Dragon. Jumping alone merely serves
as a means to climb sets of stairs, which is never involving in any sense. What it is truly for is to
reach the “top” of Spyro’s jump to effectively glide, separating this game from other platformers
of its time with the level design possibilities it opened up. The best example of this gliding
mechanic influencing level design is in the “Tree Tops” level. Even though most of the
environments are horizontal and fairly linear to navigate, this one has elements of verticality and
widely spread out platforms. Instead of level design that must always have platforms close
together, Insomniac Games was able to design many levels with places that would otherwise
seem impossible to reach, which makes the gliding mechanic a constant yet fun necessity
throughout gameplay. It also assists the free roam, open world nature of the game since some
platforms afford players the opportunity to perform a single glide to reach several locations that
have already been explored. Instead of making a one-way trip by running and jumping backward
to uncover more gems or secrets, sometimes a short glide is all that is necessary to reach far-off
locations, pointing to smart level design that helps prevent unnecessary backtracking.
ACADEMIC INQUIRY: SPYRO THE DRAGON 8
In “Tree Tops,” the supercharge move is possible as well, which allows Spyro to charge
through any enemy and jump giant chasms by running down particular ramps. This feature is
specific to a few levels only for a good reason: its primary purpose is to challenge the skills of
older players. Since the move sends Spyro careening forward like a racecar, precise timing and
movement is required to navigate to special locations that can only be reached with this move,
which actually tested my limits and reflexes in the “Tree Tops” level. However, it is never
necessary to use in a challenging fashion to make progress, which serves as a segue into what I
think is one of the game’s defining aspects as a family-friendly title.
The primary objective is to save all of the adult dragons, which have been frozen in
crystal statues by the antagonist and scattered throughout six worlds that act as hubs, each having
4-6 levels that can be accessed by portals. However, players do not have to rescue all of the
dragons. Indeed, if a player saved every single one and made it to the second-to-last world
(which has about 16 dragons), s/he could skip it entirely and go to the final boss’s world. For
younger audiences, this allows them to skip over levels they find too hard while still challenging
them enough to complete ones that match their skill levels. A certain amount of dragons must be
rescued to progress, but it is a reasonable amount that any player can meet, which encourages
natural exploration of the levels as well. But for those who want to rescue every dragon and
acquire superfluous collectables like gems and dragon eggs, Insomniac Games hid a significant
amount of these things throughout the levels, which requires players to extensively analyze
environments for dastardly clever secret areas or ways to use the basic mechanics in precise
fashions. There are even a few flying minigames where players are timed to activate/destroy
certain objects and enemies, which necessitates fast thinking (since Spyro flies so quickly) and
strategic planning (since these levels can be approached in endless ways). Therefore, anyone can
ACADEMIC INQUIRY: SPYRO THE DRAGON 9
complete Spyro The Dragon since the necessary amount of frozen dragons and platforming are
easy to complete. But by going off the beaten path, players will see the developer’s true
creativity with hidden locations, significant challenges, and a small game mode that considerably
stretch the game’s difficulty. Anyone can play it because it welcomes different playing styles,
which is why it succeeds in appealing to a broad audience.
Narrative
Two older dragons are being interviewed (with a video camera and boom, of course)
about their lives in the Dragon Worlds. One of them talks about their peaceful existence and
wonderful stash of gems, but the interviewer then asks about the villainous Gnasty Gnorc and
how it is rumored that he has found a spell to turn gems into gnorcs. The other dragon says he is
nothing to worry about, proceeding to call him “ugly” and “a simple creature.” Somehow,
Gnasty Gnorc hears these remarks and begins unleashing his minions in rage. He also
crystallizes all of the dragons with a spell for good measure, but the youngest and smallest one,
Spyro, manages to avoid it and immediately makes it his goal to destroy Gnasty Gnorc and
rescue his elders alongside his trusty dragonfly named Sparx. Afterwards, players jump right into
ACADEMIC INQUIRY: SPYRO THE DRAGON 10
the action and begin freeing dragons in the Artisan World hub area. From here on out, dragons
will talk to Spyro when he saves them by instructing on how to play the game (a peculiar and
humorous way of implementing a tutorial), offering vague hints as to how enemies can be
beaten, and telling short stories that result in funny conversations.
Beyond this, it is up to players to assume the nature and history of the game’s world.
There are different types of dragons, but what are their roles for and why? What are the origins
of this universe? Where did Gnasty Gnorc come from? Why are there only male dragons to
rescue? Where are the females? The narrative fails to answer these questions, which is
disappointing since the game’s bizarre, fantasy world is filled with all sorts of interesting
creatures and environments, making the narrative rich for expansion and exposition. Of course,
many platformers have an extremely basic plot since the gameplay is what most players only
care about. But Spyro The Dragon could have been one of the first 3D platformers to have both a
lighthearted and intriguing storyline if it had been further constructed, perhaps with the adult
dragons revealing new information through conversations or by finding collectable story tablets
that reveal more about the universe or main characters’ backstories. Interestingly enough, the
story is actually described in greater detail in the instruction manual with the dragon types being
defined, more backstory to the antagonist, and a couple other interesting facts. For example, the
“Beast Maker” dragons create living beings from raw materials in their natural habitat. Does this
mean all the dragons play god-like roles in maintaining the natural circle of life, peace, and order
in their world? More intriguing questions come from this speculation, and it is unfortunate – but
not expected – that they are not addressed.
This is not necessarily bad since this was probably intentional. Spyro The Dragon is a
family-friendly video game after all, and Insomniac Games did not design it to be taken
ACADEMIC INQUIRY: SPYRO THE DRAGON 11
seriously. There is no attempted realism or seriousness as dragons tell Spyro to push buttons to
perform moves or when you encounter laser-firing robots in the fairy tale-like, fantasy world.
Still, the nonsensical and preposterous nature of how the world presents itself through the basic
story nevertheless provides a lighthearted, amusing, and entertaining adventure, and I believe
this is what the developer intended the game to be from the start.
Despite the generic plot, does the narrative have anything to teach? Not directly, but it
does imply through its main protagonist and the overwhelming objectives he faces that size is not
a determining factor in shaping the world around him. It demonstrates that what truly matters is
how you approach anything with your outlook and attitude, which can help you overcome
intellectual or physical limitations that should hinder you. It is a trite lesson, but an important one
nonetheless. Another one that is more questionable and open to interpretation is conveyed
through Spyro’s personality, which arguably puts him on the fence between being a hero and
antihero. Besides being fearless, bold, and just plain cute, no one can deny his blatant sarcasm,
impudence, arrogance, and – when you discover he constantly plays “hooky” according to the
game manual – irresponsibility. Although intended for humor, he also kills innocent creatures
and disrespects his elders, which adds to his unintended image as a “cocky bastard” and
“entitled, little jerk,” according to Insomniac Games’ CEO Ted Price (“Giant Leap,” 2012).
These are not heroic titles, which gives an unintentional message: To be a hero, you do not have
to be a perfect, upstanding role model to do what is right. Is this good advice? Not really, but is it
realistic? Of course, so this kind of message needs to be taken into careful consideration in
regard to its value.
ACADEMIC INQUIRY: SPYRO THE DRAGON 12
Visuals
Tomb Raider, Metal Gear Solid, and Resident Evil – despite releasing around the same
time – have noticeably blocky visuals that have become increasingly dated, including famous
Nintendo hits like Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. However, even
though Spyro The Dragon shows its age as well, its aesthetics and impressive graphical fidelity
help this 15-year-old title hold strong today.
The latter consists of the character models, items, and environment, which – while still
having blocky attributes since 3D graphics were still being mastered at the time – have smooth
yet defined textures, bolstered by great lighting and shadow effects. In addition, the jarring,
uncomfortable poses and movements characters make in Resident Evil or Tomb Raider are not
evident in Spyro The Dragon. All of the characters have distinct facial expressions and fluid
body motions, which conveyed much more emotion and personality than any other 3D characters
at the time. There are also the impressive environment draw distances to note that the PlayStation
allowed Insomniac Games to implement. With their own engine and smart programmers, the
game allows players to see the entire scenery of a level with a technical marvel (again, only at
ACADEMIC INQUIRY: SPYRO THE DRAGON 13
that time) accomplished by rendering far-off places with lower polygon counts, which steadily
increase in number as Spyro moves closer to them and vice-versa. This creates a sense of grand
scale that many developers had to eliminate with fog effects to obscure distanced objects,
allowing their 3D games to run smoothly. Insomniac Games found a way around this unfortunate
design choice with one that creates a beneficial illusion, making the game seem ahead of its time.
The fact that Spyro The Dragon appears as though it is never loading should be
mentioned as well. To go to different levels, players can access them in the world hubs through
portals, which display the levels’ unique atmospheres and titles in floating, gold letters around
the top arch. Upon entering one, Spyro flies through the sky as the game counts any acquired
gems until he descends seconds later at the level’s beginning section. It is not apparent, but this
is an entire loading sequence for each level, but it appears as though the game is continually
running. This even happens during gameplay when Spyro uses magic whirlwinds to get to higher
places, which are actually purposed to load other portions of a big level. This is a commendable
feat and illusion that Spyro The Dragon has, which never breaks the sense of flow and
immersion of gameplay because the visual experience is continuous.
When it comes to the art direction and aesthetics, I never stopped to appreciate how
expertly and carefully crafted they are as a child. The art direction is of a stylized and cartoony
type that takes inspiration from whimsical representations of fantasy rather than the darker and
more serious takes on this theme (like in Lord of the Rings or Dungeons & Dragons). Vibrant,
saturated colors of the rainbow separate this title from much of the brown, dark, muted art
direction of its PlayStation brethren. The Artisan World has rolling meadows and medieval castle
architecture; the Peace Keeper World is a red and tan desert canyon filled with quicksand and
Egyptian-inspired constructions; and the Beast Maker World is a gloomy, muddy swamp that has
ACADEMIC INQUIRY: SPYRO THE DRAGON 14
a Mayan-like pyramid and primitive huts. These are only the hubs, which do not adequately
convey the astonishing diversity in the 30+ levels to explore, ranging from an industrial-like
island to an icy cavern. Due to the kind of story and world Spyro lives in, there were no limits as
to where Insomniac Games could go in this bizarre fantasy universe, which is a lasting reason
why Spyro The Dragon has a gender and age neutral appeal. Just like Disney’s classic animated
films, the game was created for all audiences to enjoy, and I can personally attest to this since my
youngest sister is enamored with it. A three-page article by Craig Stitt, one of the lead artists on
Spyro The Dragon, has already put down everything I would say about how the art direction and
aesthetics are designed to influence gameplay. The atmosphere of each level is specifically
picked to fill players with certain emotions before they even start playing, giving them an idea of
what they are about to walk into; the colors of every single surface and background in the levels
are carefully designed to contrast with platform edges so players always know where they are;
and there is always an even balance of exploring meaningful indoor and outdoor locations
throughout levels. This makes them seem larger and more complicated to explore while still
being easy to navigate due to the distinct landmarks that provide constant situational awareness.
I would not know where to begin if I were to discuss the aesthetics, such as how well the
gems are designed to stand out in any environment with their pure colors, reflective qualities,
and razor-sharp appearance. But the best demonstration to briefly discuss is the aesthetic genius
of Spyro himself and how his original incarnation is the only one that accomplishes two major
feats at once. Firstly, he can appeal to male audiences. As the mythical creature that nearly all
boys love, dragons are an automatic interest with their reptilian bodies, fiery breath, and sharp
claws and spikes. With these attributes of Spyro accentuated in his North American portrayal
ACADEMIC INQUIRY: SPYRO THE DRAGON 15
with firm, confident poses and determined facial expressions, he looks like one, bad dude, to put
it in lighter terms.
However, his Japanese counterpart portrays his cuter side, showing that he can appeal to female
audiences with his purple color scheme, small body proportions (with his wings, legs, etc.),
larger body proportions (with his eyes, head, etc.), and soft features like his belly and skin/scales.
Although both portrayals are certainly different, they are mixed together and form the Spyro that
players see in the game itself. He is both a loveable, cuddly creature and intimidating, destructive
warrior at once, allowing a wide audience to like him for either reasons or more.
ACADEMIC INQUIRY: SPYRO THE DRAGON 16
Audio
For starters, the sound effects are thorough and imaginative throughout the whole game
experience. Every kind of object, environment, and character that can elicit a sound in response
to Spyro’s actions never fails to leave anything up to the imagination. The pitter-patter of
Spyro’s feet can be heard when he charges forward and different sounds come about when he
makes contact with rock walls, glass, steel, enemies, and so forth. The glimmering hum of a
portal can be heard around its radius at different volumes, enemies can be heard around corners
before you make contact with them, and foes make all sorts of silly noises that are purposed to
amuse or irritate players. It would take pages to explain all of the sound effects that constantly
fill the air, but the main ones that involve combat or acquisition of collectables add to the
gameplay experience in a minor yet important way. For example, despite the fact that the
DualShock controller only vibrates when enemies hit Spyro, it is not needed for charging into
objects. Although haptic feedback would have been nice, ramming into a wall is followed with a
perfectly timed, succinct, and solid “thump,” and variants of this are heard when large enemies
and steel treasure chests are destroyed, delivering satisfactory aural feedback to add “oomph” to
this type of action. The buzzing sound of Sparx eating butterflies also becomes reassuring to hear
over time since this regains health, and the glass-like sound of gems “clinking” when they fall to
the ground gets players’ attention if they are out of sight, which is then followed by a pleasant,
glittering sound as Sparx collects them for Spyro. All in all, these help reinforce the on-screen
visuals that players see, allowing for greater satisfaction since the sound effects add more charm,
delightful creativity, and even humor to the gameplay experience.
The voice acting does not fare as well, but it does not falter in its quality largely in part
due to the game’s silly nature. Spyro himself has a voice that is both nasally and like that of a
ACADEMIC INQUIRY: SPYRO THE DRAGON 17
“surfer dude,” which contributes to his image of acting like a brat at times. Otherwise, it fits
because of his character design and dialogue. This is especially true for the adult dragons, which
have an unexpected assortment of voices. Some of them sound nervous and high-pitched
whereas others have gravely, low-pitched voices. The voice actors – with what little dialogue
they have for portraying all 80 dragons – also give them basic personality traits in the way they
speak, in addition to prominent inflections that can be noted at times, ranging from Southern to
British accents. All in all, the ways in which lines are delivered had me smiling and even
chuckling more often than I thought I would. Although it can be painfully forced and awkward in
some places, most of the work here is endearingly appropriate for the game’s tone.
If the sound effects and voice acting are good, then the music is outstanding. It is well
composed and perfectly fits with the outlandish, fantasy themes of Spyro The Dragon. Stewart
Copeland – the former drummer for The Police – is the mastermind behind the infectiously
catchy tunes, of which there are over 40 to be heard (“Did You Know,” 2013). This means that
new music is heard in every new level and world hub. Each song is 3 minutes on average and
dynamic enough to the point where they would play several times over in a 20-minute level and I
would not notice. The reason for this is because the tunes are upbeat and exciting, and – while
they all share much in common – are distinct in several ways. For example, almost every song
utilizes percussion, electric guitars, chimes, and electronic pianos and organs. However, a song
like “Beast Makers” has an odd chanting sound going on in the background that complements
the swampy, mystical atmosphere; “Magic Crafters” is one of the only songs with a twanging
stringed instrument, perhaps alluding to the oddities of the wizards and dragons that practice
magic in the titular world; “Dark Hollow” has one of the heaviest bass guitar lines out of any
other tune with its nighttime level; and “Toasty” is a variation of the main title song at a slower
ACADEMIC INQUIRY: SPYRO THE DRAGON 18
pace with orchestral strings. I could continue listing the differences between each song even
though they still sound similar to each other in many respects. But overall, the music is one of
the strongest instigators of bringing the game to life. I wanted to not only see what new enemies
and environments awaited me, but also what new music I would have the pleasure of hearing.
Conclusion
Spyro The Dragon walks a fine line between stale repetition and novel design with its key
aspect: gameplay. It is easy to assume that some players might find the overall experience boring
due to the simple controls, mostly unchallenging enemies, seemingly pointless collectables, and
generic plot. However, I have fully completed the game 13 years after I went through it the first
time without achieving this feat. I thought I would walk away from it with rose-tinted glasses off,
realizing that it is not one of the greatest video games I have played. To my surprise, the opposite
ACADEMIC INQUIRY: SPYRO THE DRAGON 19
is the case. In critically analyzing Spyro The Dragon, I now clearly see how and why the
gameplay, narrative, visuals, and audio work together to create an exciting, carefree adventure; it
is backed by extremely solid game mechanics and filled with wondrous vistas, brilliant
aesthetics, eccentric yet whimsical music, and more. This game is not primarily about how hard
or easy it is and what challenges it poses, but instead about the journey itself. It has discoveries
to be made and surprises to be found around every corner, and by going along for the ride as a
small purple dragon in a world of fantastical proportions, it is hard to walk away from Spyro The
Dragon without a smile on your face long after you play it.
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References
DYKGaming. (2013, Aug. 2013). Spyro – Did You Know Gaming? Feat. Caddicarus. Retrieved
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCJJHwmB9G4.
Fiorito, John and Craig Stitt (2000, May 2). Lessons in Color Theory for Spyro the Dragon.
Gamasutra. Retrieved from http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/131581/lessons_in_
color_theory_for_spyro_.php?page=3
Gameinformer. (2012, Oct. 24). Insomniac’s Giant Leap: Developing Spyro the Dragon and
Disruptor. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6DbEOT9Xxw.
0xybelis. (2011, Jan. 6). Spyro the Dragon Behind the Scenes (The Making of) (PlayStation
Underground). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg9VD1H1uWo.
(2014, April 12). Global Total as of 12th Apr 2014 (units). VGChartz. Retrieved from
http://www.vgchartz.com/game/6436/spyro-the-dragon/.