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(improving. reading manual as we speak (mostly to help with names). todo: levels & perhaps general expansion)
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{{Wikipedia}}
'''''Spyro the Dragon''''' is the first and titular game of the ''[[Spyro (series)|Spyro]]'' series. It was first released for the [[PlayStation]] in 1998 and was re-released on the [[PlayStation Store]] in 2007. Since its release, ''Spyro the Dragon'' received two sequels, ''[[Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!]]'' and ''[[Spyro: Year of the Dragon]]''. A remake of ''Spyro the Dragon'' and both of its sequels were done for ''[[Spyro Reignited Trilogy]]''.
'''''Spyro the Dragon''''' is the first and titular game of the ''[[Spyro (series)|Spyro]]'' series. It was first released for the [[PlayStation]] in 1998 and was re-released on the [[PlayStation Store]] in 2007.


==Story==
==Story==
In the [[Dragon Realms]], the elder dragons, [[Astor]] and [[Lindar]], are being interviewed for a video documentary about their world. Meanwhile, the main antagonist, [[Gnasty Gnorc]] is watching the show. Long ago, Gnasty Gnorc detested the [[dragon]] families and their shiny jewelry and caused problems among them, so they banished him the dragon junkyard.<ref>''Spyro the Dragon'' manual, page 6.</ref> During the show, a dragon calls Gnasty Gnorc simple-minded, a non-threat, and ugly. This angers Gnasty Gnorc, who casts a large magic spell to encase every [[dragon]] into a crystal. He also makes a potion to turn the radiant [[gem]]s into [[Gnorc]] soldiers to help him invade the [[Homeworld|Dragon World]]s and steal their treasure.
In the [[Dragon Realms]], the elder dragons, [[Astor]] and [[Lindar]], are being interviewed for a video documentary about their world. Meanwhile, the main antagonist, [[Gnasty Gnorc]] is watching the show. Long ago, Gnasty Gnorc detested the [[dragon]] families and their shiny jewelry and caused problems among them, so they banished him the dragon junkyard.<ref>''Spyro the Dragon'' manual, page 6.</ref> During the show, a dragon calls Gnasty Gnorc simple-minded, a non-threat, and ugly. This angers Gnasty Gnorc, who casts a large magic spell to encase every [[dragon]] into a crystal, making them [[Dragon Statue]]s. He also makes a potion to turn the radiant gems into [[Gnorc]] soldiers to help him invade the [[Homeworld|Dragon World]]s and steal their treasure.


A young dragon named [[Spyro the Dragon|Spyro]] was not hit by Gnasty Gnorc's spell (he was shown chasing [[sheep]] in the documentary). Aided by his dragonfly companion, [[Sparx the Dragon|Sparx]], Spyro eagerly starts his adventure to free the dragons and battle Gnasty Gnorc. Throughout his adventure, Spyro receives advice from the dragons that he frees.
A young dragon named [[Spyro the Dragon|Spyro]] was not hit by Gnasty Gnorc's spell (he was shown chasing [[sheep]] in the documentary). Aided by his dragonfly companion, [[Sparx the Dragonfly|Sparx]], Spyro eagerly starts his adventure to free the dragons and battle Gnasty Gnorc. Throughout his adventure, Spyro receives advice from the dragons that he frees.


After traveling through the first five Dragon Worlds, Spyro reaches the Dragon junkyard, which Gnasty Gnorc renamed to [[Gnasty's World]]. At the end, Spyro confronts Gnasty Gnorc and manages to defeat him, putting an end to Gnasty Gnorc's plot.
After traveling through the first five Dragon Worlds, Spyro reaches the Dragon junkyard, which Gnasty Gnorc renamed to [[Gnasty's World]]. At the end, Spyro confronts Gnasty Gnorc and manages to defeat him, putting an end to Gnasty Gnorc's plot.


==Gameplay==
==Gameplay==
Each world in ''Spyro the Dragon'' is organized into separate realms, with a central level serving as a hub and with gateways leading to other levels within the world. The player is free to roam about and explore each level at will, defeating opponents, releasing the realm's imprisoned dragons, and recovering the dragons' treasure in the process. When the player has finished a level, a "Return Home" portal located somewhere in that level will return them to the base hub of that world and, once they have freed enough dragons or collected enough treasure, the player can travel to the next world by locating and talking to a balloonist located somewhere in the hub.
Each world is organized into separate realms, with a central level serving as a hub and portals leading to other levels within the world. The levels take place in a fully 3D environment, allowing the player to have complete control over Spyro's movements. When Spyro reaches the end of a level, he can jump into the "Return Home" portal to return to the hub world. When Spyro has freed enough dragons or collected enough treasure, he can access the next world by talking to the nearby [[Balloonist]] in the hub world.


Each level has a few [[Dragon Statue]], each containing an imprisoned dragon. Spyro can free the dragon simply by touching the statue. Once the dragon is freed, it provides some advice to Spyro. The statue's pedestal then becomes a save point and a checkpoint. There are a total of 80 Dragon Statues.
Every level has a few [[Dragon Statue]]s, each containing an imprisoned dragon. Spyro can free the dragon simply by touching the statue. Once the dragon is freed, it briefly talks to Spyro before disappearing. The statue's pedestal then becomes a save point and a checkpoint with the Red Fairy. There are a total of 80 Dragon Statues.


As typical of any dragon, Spyro's two main abilities are breathing fire, and gliding long distances through the air with his wings; Spyro also has the ability to charge across open terrain and smash through enemies with the horns on his head. Each level is designed to incorporate Spyro's gliding ability, featuring large gaps too large to jump normally, accompanied by higher terrain nearby from which to jump off of and glide the distance to safety. In some levels, there are also whirl-winds which launch Spyro to a set distance upwards in the air, and allow him to glide much farther. Spyro cannot swim, so if he falls in the water, he quickly starts to sink and gradually loses hit points. If he is quick enough, Spyro can jump back on land. Spyro sinks when he loses all of his health.  
Spyro's two main abilities is breathing fire and gliding long distances in the air. Spyro can also perform a charge attack, where he headbutts into enemies using his horns. He can also break objects such as treasure chests this way. Each level is designed to incorporate Spyro's gliding ability, especially large gaps can only be crossed if Spyro jumps off higher terrain and starts to glide across. Some levels have small whirlwinds that launch Spyro a certain distance into the air, allowing him to reach higher areas or glide farther. Spyro cannot swim, so if he falls in the water, he quickly starts to sink and gradually loses hit points. If he is quick enough, Spyro can jump back on land. If Spyro loses all of his ha he loses all of his health.  


In addition, later levels also feature stripes of hill marked with glowing arrows, known as "supercharge ramps". When the player charges down a supercharge ramp, Spyro's dash speed increases significantly, which can be used to defeat powerful enemies or smash through certain walls. In some cases, the supercharge ramp can be combined to an upwards slope, allowing Spyro to make a high-speed jump and cross gaps too large even for a normal jump and glide.
Later levels also feature stripes of hill marked with glowing arrows, known as [[supercharge ramp]]s. When Spyro goes down a supercharge ramp, his speed increases significantly, allowing him to defeat powerful enemies or smash through certain walls. In some cases, the supercharge ramp can be combined to an upwards slope, allowing Spyro to peform a high-speed jump and cross very wide gaps.


Throughout the game, Spyro is accompanied by a small dragonfly named Sparx. Aside from helping Spyro collect nearby gems, Sparx also functions as a sort of living health meter. If Spyro is not accompanied by Sparx, he is instantly defeated after one hit. Whenever Spyro is hit by an attack, Sparx changes color to reflect Spyro's weakened condition; if Spyro takes enough damage, Sparx disappears entirely, and Spyro will lose a life if injured again. Spyro can recover Sparx's health by killing [[fodder]]. By doing so, a [[butterfly]] comes out, and Sparx eats it and regain a hit point. Sparx can take up to three hits before being defeated, and his color indicates how many health points Spyro has left: yellow represents full health, blue represents two hits remaining, and green represents one hit remaining.
Throughout the game, Spyro is accompanied by a small dragonfly named Sparx. Aside from helping Spyro collect nearby [[jewel]]s, Sparx allows Spyro to take a few more hits. If Spyro is not accompanied by Sparx, he is instantly defeated after one hit. If Spyro accompanied by Sparx and takes damage from an enemy or obstacle, Sparx changes color to reflect Spyro's weakened condition. Sparx can take up to three hits before being defeated, and his color indicates how many health points Spyro has left: yellow represents full health, blue represents two hits remaining, and green represents one hit remaining. Sparx can regain a hit point if Spyro defeats a [[fodder]], causing a [[butterfly]] to come out for Sparx to eat.


==Characters==
==Characters==
===Main characters===
*[[Spyro the Dragon]]: The main and titular character of the game, Spyro goes on an adventure to rescue his friends and defeat Gnasty Gnorc.
*[[Spyro the Dragon]]: The main and titular character of the game, Spyro goes on an adventure to rescue his friends and defeat Gnasty Gnorc.
*[[Sparx the Dragonfly]]: Sparx is the best friend and protector of Spyro, and he allows Spyro to withstand a few more hits.
*[[Sparx the Dragonfly]]: Sparx is the best friend and protector of Spyro, and he allows Spyro to withstand a few more hits.
*[[Dragon]]s: The main species and residents of Dragon World. Several dragons provide helpful advice to Spyro after he frees them from their crystal.
*[[Dragon]]s: The main species and residents of Dragon World. Several dragons provide helpful advice to Spyro after he frees them from their crystal.
*[[Fairy|Fairies]]: For each dragon freed, a fairy appears at the pedestal. By going to a fairy, Spyro is given the option to save his game progress. In some levels, purple fairies kiss Spyro to improve his flame breath. In some levels, a few fairies prevent Spyro from falling into a pit by lifting him back on the ground.  
*[[Red Fairy]]: She appears at every pedestal where Spyro freed a dragon from its statue. Spyro has the option to either save his game progress or replay the dragon's message.
*[[Balloonist]]s: They allow Spyro to travel between two Dragon Worlds.


===Enemies===
===Enemies===
Gnorcs of varying types comprise the majority of Spyro's foes. While Spyro can defeat most enemies with a single attack, many enemies are invulnerable to one form of attack of another; as described to the player by various released dragons, many enemies sport metal shields or plate armor which renders them impervious to Spyro's flame attack (but can be easily defeated with a charge attack), whereas large enemies remain unaffected by Spyro's charge attack, but are vulnerable to Spyro's flame. Less often, an enemy may be both large in size and metal-armored, rendering it invulnerable to all of Spyro's attacks -- although it will generally be possible to defeat the enemy by a different means.
Most of the enemies are various types of [[Gnorc]]s. Spyro can defeat the weaker enemies by attacking them directly. Most of the enemies are invulnerable to a certain attack—enemies who carry a metal shield or wear plate armor are protected by Spyro's flames. They can usually be defeated from Spyro's [[charge attack]]. Contrarily, larger enemies can be defeated by Spyro's flame but not a charge attack. Few enemies are both large and metal-armored, protecting them from both of Spyro's attacks.
 
===Species===
*[[Fairy|Fairies]]: In some levels, purple fairies kiss Spyro to improve his flame breath. In a few levels, there are fairies that prevent Spyro from falling into a pit, by lifting him back up on the ground.
*[[Fodder]]: While not enemies, fodder are various animals that Spyro can defeat to release a butterfly, which restores Sparx's health by a hit point. If Spyro is alone, he can defeat a fodder to release Sparx. Fodder consist of various animals, including sheep, frogs, chickens, rabbits, rats, bats, and lizards. There are also mushrooms, which are the only fodder that are not an animal, and Goat Sheep, which are the only fodder that are hybrid animals.


===Bosses===
===Bosses===
Each world is overseen by an enemy boss, placed in charge of the Gnorcs in the area.  While the portal to the boss's level is located near the Balloonist in each world, the player is not, in fact, required to confront and defeat the boss first.  Rather, it is the Balloonist who sets the condition for traveling to the next world, and if Spyro has released enough dragons, collected enough treasure (or so on), the player may proceed to the next world without having to defeat the world's boss first.
Each world is overseen by an boss, who was put in charge of the Gnorcs in the area.  While the portal to the boss's level is located near the Balloonist in each world, the player is not, in fact, required to confront and defeat the boss first.  Rather, it is the Balloonist who sets the condition for traveling to the next world, and if Spyro has released enough dragons, collected enough treasure, the player may proceed to the next world without having to defeat the world's boss first.


* '''[[Toasty]]''', boss of the Artisan world. What appears to be a scythe-wielding scarecrow is ultimately revealed to be nothing more than a sheep in disguise.
{|class="wikitable"
* '''[[Doctor Shemp]]''', a witch doctor-like boss of the Peacekeepers' world. He wears sunglasses and thinks he's cool. He is guarded by a number of beserk charging tribal warriors whose eyesight is impaired by metal visors.
!Name
* '''[[Blowhard]]''', boss of the Magic Crafters' world, and possibly in charge of the wind wizards seen frequently throughout that world.
!Description
* '''[[Metalhead]]''', boss of the Beast Makers' world. This large metal robot is impervious to all of Spyro's attacks, and thus must be defeated by other means. Attacks include two varieties of electric rays and the hurling of the apelike Beast Maker enemies.
|-
* '''[[Jacques]]''', resembling a jack-in-the-box (after which he is named) and the boss of the Dream Weavers' world. Has a tendency to throw boxes as an attack.
|style="text-align:center"|[[Toasty]]
* '''[[Gnasty Gnorc]]''', the main antagonist and final boss. His main means of attack is firing a green light from his sceptre.
|He is the first boss and fought in Artisans. Toasty appears to be a scythe-wielding scarecrow, but after his costume is burnt, Toasty is revealed to be a sheep in disguise.
|-
|style="text-align:center"|[[Doctor Shemp]]
|A witch doctor-like boss who wears sunglasses. Doctor Shemp is the boss of Peace Keepers and the second boss. He is guarded by several tribal warriors whose eyesight is impaired by metal visors.
|-
|style="text-align:center"|[[Blowhard]]
|He is the third boss and is fought in Magic Crafters. Blowhard is a wind sorcerer with a whirlwind body and some facial features.
|-
|style="text-align:center"|[[Metalhead]]
|A large metal robot who is the boss of Beast Makers and the fourth boss overall. It attacks with electric rays and by throwing [[Armored Banana Boy]]s and [[Strongarm]]s. Metalhead is impervious to Spyro's flames and charge attack, but Spyro can defeat it by destroying two sets of pylons.
|-
|style="text-align:center"|[[Jacques]]
|The boss of Dream Weavers and the fourth boss overall, Jacques resembles a jack-in-the-box, which its name was derived from. His main attack is throwing boxes.
|-
|style="text-align:center"|[[Gnasty Gnorc]]
|The main antagonist and final boss, Gnasty Gnorc's main attack is firing a green light from his scepter.
|}


==Items==
==Items and objects==
*'''[[Gem]]s''': The hoard of the dragons' treasure, which Gnasty both ran off with and used to create enemies after he imprisoned the realm's dragons in crystal.  Gems come in varying colors and denominations, and may be found lying on the ground, hidden in treasure chests or pots, or recovered by defeating Gnorcs. There are a set number of gems in every realm, and each gem collected counts toward the player's percentage of game completion; collecting enough gems is a requirement for travelling to the realm of the Magic Crafters, as well as the final realm, Gnasty's world. There are 14,00 gems in total a vast amount obtained from Gnasty's loot and giving you an extra 20% amounting to 120%.
{|class="wikitable"
!Name
!Description
|-
|style="white-space: nowrap;text-align:center"|[[Dragon Egg]]
|They are pink eggs that are stolen by [[Thief|thieves]], and each one carries a Dragon Egg. There is a thief in most worlds and levels. Spyro is required to collect enough eggs to access Beast Makers world.
|-
|style="white-space: nowrap;text-align:center"|[[Extra Life]]
|Extra Lives are represented by silver dragon statues that are usually hidden within a blue treasure chest.
|-
|style="text-align:center"|[[Gem|Jewel]]
|Also known as treasure, jewels make up the hoard of the Dragon Treasure, which Gnasty Gnorc stole from the dragons. He used some of the treasure to create Gnorcs, although because of his sloppy personality, several jewels were scattered around the Dragon Worlds, some are found in treasure chests or pots, and some are found by defeating an enemy. Every level and world has a set number of jewels, and collecting them adds to the game's completion percentage. Spyro must collect enough jewels to access the last two worlds, Magic Crafters and Gnorc Gnexus.


**Red gems: 1 gem
There are five types of jewels, each having a different color⁠—red, green, blue, gold, and purple⁠—and denomination: 1, 2, 5, 10, and 25 respectively. Jewels with higher denominations are less common than the jewels with a lower one. There are a total of 14,000 jewels, and several of them are recovered from the bonus level, Gnasty's Loot.
**Green gems: 2 gems
|-
**Blue gems: 5 gems
|style="text-align:center"|[[Orb]]
**Gold gems: 10 gems
|If Spyro defeats an enemy more than once, it may drop an Orb. When Spyro collects twenty of them, he receives an extra life.
**Purple gems: 25 gems
|}


*'''[[Orb]]s''' and '''[[Extra Life|Extra Lives]]'''. Instead of regular gems, Gnorcs may also drop silver orbs after being defeated once.  Collecting enough of these orbs (twenty) will reward Spyro with an extra life.  Similarly, Spyro can find extra lives directly, in the form of a miniature silver dragon statue, typically hidden inside specific blue chests.
==Levels and worlds==
*'''[[Dragon Egg]]s'''. In addition to gems, blue thieves made off with several of the realm's eggs. The thieves can be found in various levels, each holding a single egg, and can be heard taunting Spyro from a distance.  Collecting enough dragon eggs is a requirement for accessing the realm of the Beast Makers, but the thieves must be chased down first.
{{rewrite|section=yes}}
There are six worlds in the game, more specifically titled Dragon Worlds, where Spyro can access other levels by entering a [[portal]]. In each level there are a certain number of jewels to collect and a few dragons to rescue. With the exception of the last world, Gnorc Gnexus, every world has five portals. There are three standard levels, a boss encounter, and a flight level.  


==Homeworlds and realms==
The first five Dragon Worlds each have a flight level (all end with the word "Flight"), and as the name suggests, the flight levels involve Spyro [[glide|gliding]] around the area, fulfilling certain tasks. Unlike the other levels, each world's flight level is not immediately accessible. Spyro can unlock access to it through various means, such as shooting a rock or solving a platform puzzle. Some dragons tell Spyro where he can find these levels. Every flight level has its own set of four or five objectives, which Spyro must complete within a short time limit. Common objectives include Spyro having to destroy barrels or treasure chests with [[flame]]s or glide through hoops or arches, which give him additional time. If Spyro crashes, drowns, or runs out of time, he loses at the level, but a dialogue shows up, allowing the player to retry the level.
There are six [[homeworld]]s where Spyro can travel to other levels, called [[realm]]s in the game, by entering a [[portal]]. In each level there are a certain number of gems to obtain and a few dragons to rescue. With the exception of Gnorc Gnexus, every Homeworld has five portals that each lead to a different realm. There are three standard levels, a boss encounter, and a flight level.  


Each homeworld has a flight level (ending with the name "Flight") that involves Spyro making use of his ability to glide. Flight levels are not immediately accessible when Spyro starts a homeworld. He can unlock them through various means, such as shooting a rock or solving a platform puzzle. Some dragons tell Spyro where he can find these levels. Flight levels require Spyro to meet four or five objectives within a short time limit. The objectives are different for each flight level, but common objectives include Spyro having to destroy barrels or treasure chests with his fiery breath or glide through hoops or arches to gain additional time. If Spyro crashes, drowns, or runs out of time, he loses at the flight level, although an on-screen option allows the player to try again.
Each time Spyro completes a task in a flight level, he receives 60 jewels. At the end, Spyro earns a total of 300 jewels. He can still retry any flight level that he has completed, although the timer counts upward rather than down, turning the flight level into a time trial. Spyro does not gain any additional jewels if he clears the flight level again (a tick is displayed in the Round Results dialogue box to indicate that the tasks were completed).


Spyro receives 60 gems for each task completed in a flight level, and a total of 300 gems by completing every task. Spyro can still retry any flight level that he has completed, although the timer counts upward rather than down, making the level a time trial, and Spyro does receive any additional gems for finishing the level again (a tick is displayed in the Round Results screen to indicate that the tasks have been completed).
'''Artisans''': The first world and the home of Spyro and the other dragons. It consists of pleasant countryside and ornate castles.
 
'''Artisans''': Spyro's home world. The Artisan dragons are tranquil and take a calmer approach to most problems. The Artisan World consists of pleasant countryside and ornate castles.
*'''Stone Hill'''
*'''Stone Hill'''
*'''Dark Hollow'''
*'''Dark Hollow'''
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*'''Twilight Harbour'''
*'''Twilight Harbour'''
*'''Gnasty Gnorc'''
*'''Gnasty Gnorc'''
*'''Gnasty's Loot''' A bonus level that can be unlocked when Spyro collects every gem and frees every dragon. The level has a flight segment, but the overall level is not a flight level. Finishing the level unlocks the secret ending.
*'''Gnasty's Loot''' A bonus level that can be unlocked when Spyro collects every jewel and frees every dragon. The level has a flight segment, but the overall level is not a flight level. Finishing the level unlocks the secret ending.
 
==Reception==
''Spyro the Dragon'' received mostly favorable reviews and became a best-seller. IGN ranked it of 9.0 out of 10, and GameSpot ranked it 8.3 out of 10. When the sequel, ''[[Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!]]'', was released, several fans thought of the first game as inferior. Reviews have criticized the easy bosses.


==External links==
==External links==
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<references/>
<references/>


{{stub}}
{{Spyro franchise}}
{{Spyro franchise}}
[[Category:Games]]
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[[Category:Console games]]
[[Category:Console games]]

Revision as of 02:40, May 7, 2020

Spyro the Dragon
Spyro the Dragon PS1 US cover.jpg
Developer(s) Insomniac Games
Publisher Sony Computer Entertainment
Release date(s) PlayStation:
USA September 10, 1998
Europe October 23, 1998[1]
Australia October 23, 1998[1]
Japan April 1, 1999[citation needed]
PlayStation Store:
USA October 25, 2007[2]
Genre(s) Platformer
Rating(s)
ESRB:ESRB E.svg - Everyone
Console(s) PlayStation
Mode(s) Single player
Input Controller (original release)

Spyro the Dragon is the first and titular game of the Spyro series. It was first released for the PlayStation in 1998 and was re-released on the PlayStation Store in 2007. Since its release, Spyro the Dragon received two sequels, Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! and Spyro: Year of the Dragon. A remake of Spyro the Dragon and both of its sequels were done for Spyro Reignited Trilogy.

Story

In the Dragon Realms, the elder dragons, Astor and Lindar, are being interviewed for a video documentary about their world. Meanwhile, the main antagonist, Gnasty Gnorc is watching the show. Long ago, Gnasty Gnorc detested the dragon families and their shiny jewelry and caused problems among them, so they banished him the dragon junkyard.[3] During the show, a dragon calls Gnasty Gnorc simple-minded, a non-threat, and ugly. This angers Gnasty Gnorc, who casts a large magic spell to encase every dragon into a crystal, making them Dragon Statues. He also makes a potion to turn the radiant gems into Gnorc soldiers to help him invade the Dragon Worlds and steal their treasure.

A young dragon named Spyro was not hit by Gnasty Gnorc's spell (he was shown chasing sheep in the documentary). Aided by his dragonfly companion, Sparx, Spyro eagerly starts his adventure to free the dragons and battle Gnasty Gnorc. Throughout his adventure, Spyro receives advice from the dragons that he frees.

After traveling through the first five Dragon Worlds, Spyro reaches the Dragon junkyard, which Gnasty Gnorc renamed to Gnasty's World. At the end, Spyro confronts Gnasty Gnorc and manages to defeat him, putting an end to Gnasty Gnorc's plot.

Gameplay

Each world is organized into separate realms, with a central level serving as a hub and portals leading to other levels within the world. The levels take place in a fully 3D environment, allowing the player to have complete control over Spyro's movements. When Spyro reaches the end of a level, he can jump into the "Return Home" portal to return to the hub world. When Spyro has freed enough dragons or collected enough treasure, he can access the next world by talking to the nearby Balloonist in the hub world.

Every level has a few Dragon Statues, each containing an imprisoned dragon. Spyro can free the dragon simply by touching the statue. Once the dragon is freed, it briefly talks to Spyro before disappearing. The statue's pedestal then becomes a save point and a checkpoint with the Red Fairy. There are a total of 80 Dragon Statues.

Spyro's two main abilities is breathing fire and gliding long distances in the air. Spyro can also perform a charge attack, where he headbutts into enemies using his horns. He can also break objects such as treasure chests this way. Each level is designed to incorporate Spyro's gliding ability, especially large gaps can only be crossed if Spyro jumps off higher terrain and starts to glide across. Some levels have small whirlwinds that launch Spyro a certain distance into the air, allowing him to reach higher areas or glide farther. Spyro cannot swim, so if he falls in the water, he quickly starts to sink and gradually loses hit points. If he is quick enough, Spyro can jump back on land. If Spyro loses all of his ha he loses all of his health.

Later levels also feature stripes of hill marked with glowing arrows, known as supercharge ramps. When Spyro goes down a supercharge ramp, his speed increases significantly, allowing him to defeat powerful enemies or smash through certain walls. In some cases, the supercharge ramp can be combined to an upwards slope, allowing Spyro to peform a high-speed jump and cross very wide gaps.

Throughout the game, Spyro is accompanied by a small dragonfly named Sparx. Aside from helping Spyro collect nearby jewels, Sparx allows Spyro to take a few more hits. If Spyro is not accompanied by Sparx, he is instantly defeated after one hit. If Spyro accompanied by Sparx and takes damage from an enemy or obstacle, Sparx changes color to reflect Spyro's weakened condition. Sparx can take up to three hits before being defeated, and his color indicates how many health points Spyro has left: yellow represents full health, blue represents two hits remaining, and green represents one hit remaining. Sparx can regain a hit point if Spyro defeats a fodder, causing a butterfly to come out for Sparx to eat.

Characters

  • Spyro the Dragon: The main and titular character of the game, Spyro goes on an adventure to rescue his friends and defeat Gnasty Gnorc.
  • Sparx the Dragonfly: Sparx is the best friend and protector of Spyro, and he allows Spyro to withstand a few more hits.
  • Dragons: The main species and residents of Dragon World. Several dragons provide helpful advice to Spyro after he frees them from their crystal.
  • Red Fairy: She appears at every pedestal where Spyro freed a dragon from its statue. Spyro has the option to either save his game progress or replay the dragon's message.
  • Balloonists: They allow Spyro to travel between two Dragon Worlds.

Enemies

Most of the enemies are various types of Gnorcs. Spyro can defeat the weaker enemies by attacking them directly. Most of the enemies are invulnerable to a certain attack—enemies who carry a metal shield or wear plate armor are protected by Spyro's flames. They can usually be defeated from Spyro's charge attack. Contrarily, larger enemies can be defeated by Spyro's flame but not a charge attack. Few enemies are both large and metal-armored, protecting them from both of Spyro's attacks.

Species

  • Fairies: In some levels, purple fairies kiss Spyro to improve his flame breath. In a few levels, there are fairies that prevent Spyro from falling into a pit, by lifting him back up on the ground.
  • Fodder: While not enemies, fodder are various animals that Spyro can defeat to release a butterfly, which restores Sparx's health by a hit point. If Spyro is alone, he can defeat a fodder to release Sparx. Fodder consist of various animals, including sheep, frogs, chickens, rabbits, rats, bats, and lizards. There are also mushrooms, which are the only fodder that are not an animal, and Goat Sheep, which are the only fodder that are hybrid animals.

Bosses

Each world is overseen by an boss, who was put in charge of the Gnorcs in the area. While the portal to the boss's level is located near the Balloonist in each world, the player is not, in fact, required to confront and defeat the boss first. Rather, it is the Balloonist who sets the condition for traveling to the next world, and if Spyro has released enough dragons, collected enough treasure, the player may proceed to the next world without having to defeat the world's boss first.

Name Description
Toasty He is the first boss and fought in Artisans. Toasty appears to be a scythe-wielding scarecrow, but after his costume is burnt, Toasty is revealed to be a sheep in disguise.
Doctor Shemp A witch doctor-like boss who wears sunglasses. Doctor Shemp is the boss of Peace Keepers and the second boss. He is guarded by several tribal warriors whose eyesight is impaired by metal visors.
Blowhard He is the third boss and is fought in Magic Crafters. Blowhard is a wind sorcerer with a whirlwind body and some facial features.
Metalhead A large metal robot who is the boss of Beast Makers and the fourth boss overall. It attacks with electric rays and by throwing Armored Banana Boys and Strongarms. Metalhead is impervious to Spyro's flames and charge attack, but Spyro can defeat it by destroying two sets of pylons.
Jacques The boss of Dream Weavers and the fourth boss overall, Jacques resembles a jack-in-the-box, which its name was derived from. His main attack is throwing boxes.
Gnasty Gnorc The main antagonist and final boss, Gnasty Gnorc's main attack is firing a green light from his scepter.

Items and objects

Name Description
Dragon Egg They are pink eggs that are stolen by thieves, and each one carries a Dragon Egg. There is a thief in most worlds and levels. Spyro is required to collect enough eggs to access Beast Makers world.
Extra Life Extra Lives are represented by silver dragon statues that are usually hidden within a blue treasure chest.
Jewel Also known as treasure, jewels make up the hoard of the Dragon Treasure, which Gnasty Gnorc stole from the dragons. He used some of the treasure to create Gnorcs, although because of his sloppy personality, several jewels were scattered around the Dragon Worlds, some are found in treasure chests or pots, and some are found by defeating an enemy. Every level and world has a set number of jewels, and collecting them adds to the game's completion percentage. Spyro must collect enough jewels to access the last two worlds, Magic Crafters and Gnorc Gnexus.

There are five types of jewels, each having a different color⁠—red, green, blue, gold, and purple⁠—and denomination: 1, 2, 5, 10, and 25 respectively. Jewels with higher denominations are less common than the jewels with a lower one. There are a total of 14,000 jewels, and several of them are recovered from the bonus level, Gnasty's Loot.

Orb If Spyro defeats an enemy more than once, it may drop an Orb. When Spyro collects twenty of them, he receives an extra life.

Levels and worlds

It has been requested that this section be rewritten.
See the Manual of Style for rewriting suggestions.

There are six worlds in the game, more specifically titled Dragon Worlds, where Spyro can access other levels by entering a portal. In each level there are a certain number of jewels to collect and a few dragons to rescue. With the exception of the last world, Gnorc Gnexus, every world has five portals. There are three standard levels, a boss encounter, and a flight level.

The first five Dragon Worlds each have a flight level (all end with the word "Flight"), and as the name suggests, the flight levels involve Spyro gliding around the area, fulfilling certain tasks. Unlike the other levels, each world's flight level is not immediately accessible. Spyro can unlock access to it through various means, such as shooting a rock or solving a platform puzzle. Some dragons tell Spyro where he can find these levels. Every flight level has its own set of four or five objectives, which Spyro must complete within a short time limit. Common objectives include Spyro having to destroy barrels or treasure chests with flames or glide through hoops or arches, which give him additional time. If Spyro crashes, drowns, or runs out of time, he loses at the level, but a dialogue shows up, allowing the player to retry the level.

Each time Spyro completes a task in a flight level, he receives 60 jewels. At the end, Spyro earns a total of 300 jewels. He can still retry any flight level that he has completed, although the timer counts upward rather than down, turning the flight level into a time trial. Spyro does not gain any additional jewels if he clears the flight level again (a tick is displayed in the Round Results dialogue box to indicate that the tasks were completed).

Artisans: The first world and the home of Spyro and the other dragons. It consists of pleasant countryside and ornate castles.

  • Stone Hill
  • Dark Hollow
  • Town Square
  • Toasty
  • Sunny Flight Trains (barrels), planes, arches, chests


Peace Keepers: The second world. Peace Keeper Dragons have a "attack first, ask questions later" attitude. Peace Keepers is a dusty desert land (with the exception of Ice Cavern) with frequent tar pits. A number of secret can be found via perilous flights round cliff faces.

  • Dry Canyon
  • Cliff Town
  • Ice Cavern
  • Doctor Shemp
  • Night Flight Rings (go through), chests, arches, lighthouses


Magic Crafters: The third world is filled with landscape that defies the laws of physics. The Magic Crafter Dragons like to use brain, not brawn to keep things in order. The scenery here is that of partially snowy mountain sides. It is here where supercharge ramps are first introduced to the game. These give Spyro a blisteringly fast and powerful charge, and can be used to glide much longer distances.

  • Alpine Ridge
  • High Caves
  • Wizard Peak
  • Blowhard
  • Crystal Flight Rings (go through), arches, planes, chests


Beast Makers: A dark swamp turned electrified battlefield. Beast Maker Dragons send others to defend them (but don't mind getting in the battle themselves). Be careful of the native wildlife and electricity loving Gnorcs.

  • Terrace Village
  • Misty Bog
  • Tree Tops
  • Metalhead
  • Wild Flight Boats, arches, chests, planes


Dream Weavers: A world of wonder and confusion. Dream Weaver Dragons are in charge of keeping and creating dreams, making for an illusion-filled world. Keep your eye out for fairies; help them, and they will return the favor. Dream Weavers consists of numerous inexplicably floating islands high in the air.

  • Dark Passage
  • Lofty Castle
  • Haunted Towers
  • Jacques
  • Icy Flight Chests, lighthouses, trains (barrels), helicopters


Gnorc Gnexus (Gnasty's World in some countries): The last homeworld and the industrial homeworld of Gnasty Gnorc. He was banished there long ago and has now turned it into his evil empire. Each level must be unlocked by completing the previous one.

  • Gnorc Cove
  • Twilight Harbour
  • Gnasty Gnorc
  • Gnasty's Loot A bonus level that can be unlocked when Spyro collects every jewel and frees every dragon. The level has a flight segment, but the overall level is not a flight level. Finishing the level unlocks the secret ending.

Reception

Spyro the Dragon received mostly favorable reviews and became a best-seller. IGN ranked it of 9.0 out of 10, and GameSpot ranked it 8.3 out of 10. When the sequel, Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!, was released, several fans thought of the first game as inferior. Reviews have criticized the easy bosses.

External links

References

  1. ↑ a b Spyro the Dragon UK website - www.spyro1.com (archived)
  2. ↑ PlayStation Store
  3. ↑ Spyro the Dragon manual, page 6.
Spyro franchise
Main games Spyro the Dragon (1998) • Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! (1999) • Spyro: Year of the Dragon (2000) • Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly (2002) • Spyro: A Hero's Tail (2004) • Spyro Reignited Trilogy (2018)
Handheld games Spyro: Season of Ice (2001) • Spyro 2: Season of Flame (2002) • Spyro: Attack of the Rhynocs (2003) • Spyro Orange: The Cortex Conspiracy (2004) • Spyro: Shadow Legacy (2005)
The Legend of Spyro series The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning (2006) • The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night (2007) • The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon (2008) • The Legend of Spyro 3D
Skylanders series Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure (2011) • Skylanders: The Machine of Doom (2011) • Skylanders: Spyro versus The Mega Monsters (2013) • Skylanders: Gill Grunt and the Curse of the Fish Master's Crown (2013) • Skylanders: Lightning Rod Faces the Cyclops Queen (2013)
• Skylanders: Cynder Confronts the Weather Wizard (2014) • Skylanders: Stump Smash Crosses the Bone Dragon (2014) • Skylanders: Return of the Dragon King • Skylanders: Eruptor Meets the Nightmare King (2015) • Skylanders: Trigger Happy Targets the Evil Kaos (2015) • Skylanders: Imaginators (2016) • Skylanders Academy (2016-2018) • Skylanders: Spyro & Friends (2016-2017)
Miscellaneous games Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage (2004) • Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled (2019) • Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! (2021) • Crash Team Rumble (2023)
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