Whether it’s a rail shooter, a boxing match, a ride on a skateboard, shooting sharks from the back of a manta ray, a 2D side scrolling platformer, an overhead Gauntlet-style runaround, or even a Doom-like first-person romp, SYOTD just keeps throwing surprises, new experiences, and different gameplay styles at you. SYOTD, however, gets you just familiar enough with each character then switches you to true retro-gaming madness.

Each has unique moves and styles of gameplay.Īt this point I couldn’t help but think most games would get drawn into a repetitious switching between characters. abominable snowman), and finally a space monkey. Then, to add variety, you rescue four different playable characters: a kickin’ kangaroo, a flying penguin with rocket launchers, a large yeti (i.e. Sure, you control Spyro - jumping, floating, and shooting fire as he grabs gems and rescues eggs. However, this makes describing the gameplay an exercise in futility. Innovation, in the case of Spyro: Year of the Dragon (SYOTD), does not come from redefining the platform game genre, but adding so many different styles of gameplay that it is almost as inventive. With so many 3D platform games on the market, ranging from great to horrible, it is hard to make one stand out. Even i when they're on the easy side, there's no denying how fun and impressive-looking they are. Insomniac's Spyro games have consistently been well-made. In one, Spyro can hop on a skateboard and bust out moves and combos on ramps and half-pipes. This sequel packs plenty of mini-games, too. 'Since most of the time Spyro and the critters do not exist in the same areas, there's no confusion about which character you should be playing at any point in the game, said Ted Price, president of developer Insomniac. And you won't have to worry about backtracking with multiple characters like you did in a certain ape-riddled N64 adventure. The game now has a variety of characters to use-each with its own homeland and unique abilities-who help Spyro achieve certain objectives.

Year of the Dragon still has the cartoony 3D action we've come to know and love, except with some additions to the gameplay. It's the newest in a line of impressive Spyro the Dragon games.

Spyro year of the dragon