#01 - Spyro: Year of the Dragon (PS1)
As guessed by Green_Sky
When I was coming up for my list of top 50 games, there were quite a few contenders for who was going to be on the top spot (basically any of the top 5 really). But when it came down to it, only one series of games shaped my gaming tastes, remains fully playable to this day (and still gets regularly played by me), evokes fantastic feelings of nostalgia whenever I think about it and basically are my favourite games ever. And of that series, one game stands out head and shoulders above the rest.
Yep, those genuises at Insomniac Games outdid themselves with Spyro: Year of the Dragon to create - in my mind - what is the closest we've ever seen to gaming perfection. Not only did it take the fantastic foundation of the previous 2 Spyro games - collecting, gliding, swimming, toasting bad guys and all the other stuff that I've come to love from Spyro, but they added so many new features to make the experience one of the best you can have on the PS1. We now had icy levels with mini-games like cat-hockey and protecting figure skaters; skateboarding levels chasing down rhynocs and pulling tricks; much improved swimming levels; anything I could think of as a child was a level in Spyro:
But there's so much more to this game, I'm having trouble putting it all into words haha. There is an absolutely masterful soundtrack by a god among video-game soundtrack makers, Stewart Copeland. Featuring literally perfect themes for every level, fitting with tone and feel of the level, you could not ask for a better soundtrack. Then there's the colour pallette which - as I hope you've seen from all the screenshots - is vibrant and beautiful. While the 3D models may not have held up too well to this day, I would have to say that the game still looks stunning by any standards - again, because of the vibrant use of colour and just generally beautiful environments that littered the game. Then there's the humour - if there's one thing Insomniac knows, it's how to make me laugh. Whether it's being insulted by Moneybags or running into 'Tara Croft', the game never takes itself too seriously:
And I've been saving this one for last because I have a lovely picture to go with it but: the new cast of characters. Instead of controlling Spyro the whole game, there's actually 4 new characters + Sparx that are controllable throughout Spyro's adventure, which literally add a whole new dynamic to the game. You can run around assault courses gunning down Rhynocs as the excitable Agent 9, or batter them over the head in boxing arenas using the gentlemanly Bentley's club. These new characters just made the game feel complete, and they were an absolutely great addition. Basically, I could talk to anyone about Spyro: Year of the Dragon for weeks, but who has the time? Definitely the most perfect, nostalgic and brilliant game I've ever played. Thank you, Insomniac Games.
