This is my very first Playstation game review! Originally, I was going to just have adventure games for N64. Then I added Mortal Kombat. So now I'm expanding my horizons even further...I'm so proud of me!
Overall: An absolutely adorable game! The jewel tones in this incredible, amazing game rank it head, shoulders, and pancreas above the rest. But I'll comment on the graphics in another section...It's a joy to play, I can't say that enough. I'll add some cheats on this page later...like how to beat various levels, and procuring 100 lives. Needless to say (so why am I saying it?), it involves pressing a WHOLE lotta buttons.
Graphics: Uh. Just gaw-geous, luv. The little pastel worlds are like tiny bon-bons. The sparkle and shimmer of jewels, the various dragon species (Artisans, Peace Keepers, Magic Crafters, Beast Makers, and Dream Weavers) are just striking, in the way the game makes them all physically related, yet still unique. Just beautiful. And the fairies! But rent and judge for yourself...
Sound System: Firey breath, waterfalls, and fairies' kisses all in lovely stereo-quality sound. And the character of Spyro is voiced by the same guy who does the Taco Bell dog! He also provides the voices of many other dragons in the game. Yo quero Spyro, muchacho!
Abilities: Trotting (he walks like Pepe le Peu--how cute!), running, gliding for short distances and flaming. Not complicated. A lot of the game relies on split-second timing and narrow escapes, so a plethory of moves is unnecessary. One nit: For some reason, the game included a "roll" ability, which I found totally unnecessary. There is no place in the game that requires this ability, and the fingering is difficult to grasp. The "roll" is an added annoyance. I can't tell you how many times I've accidentally rolled right off cliffs, into enemies, and splashed into water fountains (water is hazardous to Spyro's health). Better to have included a "backing up" ability than this annoying "roll".
Difficulty: It's a children's game: need I say more? It took Sally only a week to beat it--and she had taken a two-day break! However, to get the treasure horde of Gnasty Gnorc, you have to get EVERY LAST item in the game. All jewels, all enemies, EVERYTHING. I own the game, but still haven't bought a saving cartridge (or whatever the hell you call it), for Spyro (I used it for MedEvil), so fully mastering the game is still a pipe dream. But I shall conquer! Bwah-ha-ha!
Final Review: This is a definate must-buy for anyone. The quality speaks for itself. It's a Slash-fest, my friend. A beautiful, well-made game, a joy to play, and a treat to watch others play, especially if they're better than you.
New! Sally has finally achieved 100% in the game, and got Gnasty's Loot. The Tree Tops section of the Beast Makers, and part of the Dream Weaver's area had her stumped, but after practicing her Supercharge a bit, she has finally beaten the entire game. After all the blood, sweat and tears, the end is pretty damn cool! Gnasty's Treasure Hoard is one huge flight level (no time limit though), with all sorts of gems scattered about and hidden, and not one of them is less than 10 gems. You have to chase after ghosts (like the little guys holding the eggs), and when you catch them you get keys that enable you to go up even higher. It's a marvelous time-waster of a world. You can literally just fly around in there for hours (provided you don't fall off a cliff and kill yourself...there are no butterflies in the Gnasty's Loot world). You can get about 2000 gems total in that one shot, after which you get to leave and watch the end credits of the game to see basically the same shit, only in an aerial view. It's worth it.