Spyro: A Hero's Tail

Written by Tom Clare in PS2 Game Reviews, Tuesday 2 October, 2007

Released: 2004
Developer: Eurocom
Publisher: Vivendi Universal
Genre: 3D Platformer
Platform: PS2

With the arrival of each new generation of gaming comes a whole new set of trends, as well as the odd anomaly that is difficult to predict. A gaming character/franchise can survive the risky jump to a more powerful format - Mario managed it many times, and so too did Sonic (at least for a awhile). But it would seem that two of the PSOne's most beloved figures; Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon, have become two of the PS2's biggest casualties. In an industry of increasingly picky gamers and critics, their PS2 iterations have been criticised and in some cases, outright vilified, for nothing more than leaving unchanged the gameplay that they had been so revered for only a few years previous. These days, it would seem originality is seen as being as valuable as gameplay.

Which is complete nonsense of course. That's not to say originality is not a factor - platformers like Okami and Psychonauts are elevated to a level of excellence chiefly because they're so unusual. But for a game to succeed, it needs a solid base, and in many cases, this means good, old-fashioned, tried-and-tested gameplay - something Spyro has always had in abundance. But the loss of its original developer and creator Insomniac (who have since gone on to make Ratchet & Clank and Resistance: Fall Of Man) meant that those taking over for the PS2 games (Vivendi, then Sierra for this instalment), were inheriting an ageing franchise that, without heavyweight developers, would automatically be viewed by the critics as fodder for the casual gamer. Thus, Spyro's fall from prominence was complete before he had even flamed a gnorc in anger on PlayStation2...

After a technically lacklustre but otherwise perfectly serviceable PS2 debut in Enter The Dragonfly, Spyro's 2004 follow-up, A Hero's Tail, doesn't try to reinvent the wheel though takes several notable steps in the right direction. It's among Spyro's most enjoyable adventures to date, and one of the strongest platform games on the format.

This time, the villain of the piece is the descriptively-named renegade dragon Red, and as ever, Spyro must traverse a stack of levels set across five realms, as always defeating a boss at the end of each and along the way destroying 40 Dark Crystals, locating 80 Dragon Eggs and 100 Light Gems.

Spyro's fifth console iteration remains a 3D platformer. Much as with its predecessors, the emphasis in AHT is not so much on joypad dexterity, but observation and exploration. There are few occasions where pixel-perfect jumps are required to progress, and there is no threat of running out of lives - death simply leads you back to the previous checkpoint. Spyro offers a bit of everything, but usually in small doses. You'll still have to bash and torch enemies, collect gems and utilise your abilities, but the difficulty of the core gameplay is relatively gentle. It's not as challenging as say Crash Bandicoot, but as a consequence it's highly unlikely that you'll ever throw your pad in frustration (or even reach a state of mild agitation for that matter) either; Spyro is a much more relaxed experience.

After the initial (and, I might add, wholly unnecessary) aggravation of the 'flame' and 'charge' buttons being reversed, the first noticeable improvement you'll notice is the presentation of the game. Enter The Dragonfly didn't look a whole lot better than its PSOne predecessors and to make matters worse, its overly-large levels were plagued with slow-down. No such problems for A Hero's Tail - though hardly cutting edge, it does at least look at home on a PS2, with a wide variety of settings that sport fantastic, cheerful colour schemes and a detailed, sharp and well-animated Spyro at the centre of it all. The environments are relatively simplistic though hold a certain cartoony-charm and are technically sound with virtually no glitches evident in either the scenery or the A.I.

The most notable gameplay-based departure from the last instalment is the inclusion of four playable secondary characters that can each earn a few dragon eggs and light gems to aid Spyro's cause. These include series-mainstays Hunter (finally!) and Spyro's dragonfly Sparx, who gets to do some into-the-screen shooting; the very dapper Sgt. Byrd, who was last seen in Spyro 3, and has taken over the reigns in the Speedway levels (flying around a large area shooting various targets within a time-limit), and finally a new recruit called Blink, a mole with some novel though often horrendously difficult sections whereby you must avoid a string of traps and enemies and destroy a number of dark shards (consecutively without dying) to earn the goodies. These mini-games strike the ideal balance no achieved by past Spyro games - Year Of The Dragon placed a little too much emphasis on extra characters whilst Enter The Dragonfly went to the other extreme of offering none at all. They play a role just big enough to compliment the main game, without sidetracking the dominant platform elements.

The majority of the new additions prove a positive. Levels are now accompanied by a map that not only help decipher some of the more extravagant labyrinths but also highlight areas you haven't explored, making the backtracking element rather more palatable. A more significant change is the role played by (the former Professor) Moneybags. Rather than selling one-off powers and access to new levels as in previous games, he now has a store from which he peddles a range of goods in his usual, jovially-greedy manner - from extra health-units, more powerful attacks and so on, but of greater use is the ability to teleport between his stores within realms, saving a lot of traipsing around. The shops are welcome, though Moneybags two lines of greeting start to grate very quickly, and by halfway through the game, you'll find his calls for you to 'Spend! Spend! Spend!' will be almost unbearable.

It isn't the most demanding title ever, though it will appeal to a broad spectrum of gamers. Its controls are simple and well set-out, with big and inviting landscapes that can be easily examined via a nifty (if slightly slow) movable camera, so it's easy enough to identify what path to take next, though you are often given a choice. It makes good use of Spyro's ability to glide with some uncomplicated yet satisfying platform elements and a good selection of enemies that require tackling in a number of different ways. More experienced gamers should appreciate the little touches that reward a sharp-eye - secret areas that can be discovered by charging cracked walls or gliding through waterfalls; the better the player, the better the rewards, though the subject matter remains ideal for the youngsters.

The level-design is top-notch as always; not just because of the amount of imagination and variety in evidence, but also how accomplished some of the designs are. There are shades of Tomb Raider in the Sunken Ship level as you peer around giant halls in the first-person view, looking for that elusive ledge that will help you reach a seemingly out-of-reach platform with a gem perched upon it, taunting you. Elsewhere, there are the usual bright 'n' breezy beaches complete with swimming sections, a mad mine-cart ride within a volcano, and an elaborate network of buildings high up in the clouds. The game seems very comfortable in its own skin; whatever it turns its hand to, it seems to do with total competence and at no point do the levels noticeably fall or fluctuate in quality - they're consistently good.

The game is at its absolute best when you are racking up the eggs and light gems, gaining new abilities that reveal superlative depth and design to the levels. Spyro's flame breath is complimented by three other variants that feel less of a novelty and much more of a legitimate feature than before - the electric and water ones can be used to power tools, whilst ice is useful for dispatching the enemies that the flame cannot. You are also required to switch between them a number of times to defeat the later bosses, who can prove surprisingly tricky.

One area Spyro has always excelled in is its humour. Whilst there are only a few memorably-wacky protagonists for the purple guy to meet this time around, there are still several moments that raise a smile, aided as ever by some decent voice-acting. Self-referential comedy is tackled at points; with Spyro boasting to a boss that he would simply run around them until he worked out their weaknesses - something of a series convention, and when Spyro gets squashed by a wholly-mammoth and the action switches to Hunter's perspective, he remarks that he isn't worried, as if Spyro was dead, the action would have return to the previous save-point. The music is familiar in a good way - the laid-back jingles are nicely in sync with the modestly paced action, so there are no complaints in terms of the audio.

A Hero's Tail can compete with very best platformers on the PlayStation2 in terms of the longevity and replay value it presents. It will take a good couple of weeks to complete the game, but beyond that there is a great deal of unlockable content that is worth pursuing - attaining a certain number of eggs will allow you to play as Spyro's pals Ember and Flame (who look just as impressive as the lead dragon) plus there are a number of mini-games and beautiful concept-art galleries to pour over; its refreshing for a game of this ilk to offer so much beyond completion.

Spyro: A Hero's Tail easily exceeds the minimal expectations attributed to it following the poorly-received Enter The Dragonfly and its general lack of the high-tech wizardry that has become a fashionable requirement among the more 'modern' platformers. It's a pleasant, well-designed piece of software that does so little wrong that only the truly hard of heart would fail to glean any enjoyment from it. It may be simple, it may be unoriginal, but at its nucleus Spyro: A Hero's Tail is a lengthy and fun adventure - and sometimes that's all you can ask for.

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