Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly [GC]

While it's brand new to GameCube, Spyro the Dragon games is a series that's been well established on the PlayStation. So, part of publisher Universal Interactive's thinking is to perhaps bring Spyro the Dragon: Enter the Dragonfly to a whole new audience. This is a noble effort, but Enter the Dragonfly is nearly identical in every manner possible to its predecessors. It's got cute, likeable Spyro, the levels are filled with easy-to-collect gems, enemies and enough space to create a feeling of exploration. Additionally, it's filled with lots of relatively clever mini-games to steal your valuable time. And since nothing was ever dislikeable about Spyro, these are all good things.

However, much like Universal's Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex, Enter the Dragonfly is essentially a replica game, a side step or a lateral move rather than a pace forward. Even if you haven't played the series before, the gameplay is shows itself to be rooted in the years past. It must also face up to the likes of other popular franchises such as Nintendo's Super Mario Sunshine, which is a platformer that continues to grow in complexity.

If you've played Spryo before and want more of the same, Enter the Dragonfly is suitable. However, if you're looking for something more sophisticated, complex and representative of a next-generation platformer like Mario, you're barking up the wrong tree. As well, it should be of concern to you if you're thinking of picking up the GameCube version, because the visuals are plagued with an highly erratic framerate. This is not the debut Spyro deserved on a Nintendo platform.

The Facts

• Spyro's first appearance on a Nintendo home console
• Dynamic dragon-breath lets you spray foes with fire, ice, electricity, and even bubbles
• Over 25 huge 3D levels for Spyro to explore
• Unique weather effects such as tornadoes, monsoons, snow, and rainbows diversify environments
• Classic Spyro gameplay offers up platform jumping, numerous obstacles, item collection, and mini-games
• Search for over 100 dragonflies and gems
• Foil the evil Ripto's plans by saving the dragonflies and restoring order to the Dragon Realms
• Soar through worlds number of vehicles including tanks, UFOs, and planes
• No progressive scan support
• No Dolby Pro Logic II support

Gameplay If you haven't played any of the three Spyro the Dragon games on PlayStation, then you have missed one of the more charming, classy and well-rounded platformers. Originally designed and created by Insomniac Games, the Spyro series brought new little essentials to platform games, including a looser, more free-roaming camera, gems that could be magnetically collected and a substantial and likeable supporting cast of characters. The result was an incredibly likeable franchise platformer that spanned three games on the PlayStation and sold millions of copies.

Now that Universal Interactive has taken full control of both the Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon series, the current-generation versions of these series have maintained the games, more or less, right in line with the previous ones. That is to say, very little has changed; very little is new. If you have played the previous titles, you have essentially played this one, too. If you haven't, well you're probably a few years too late to be charmed by the gameplay style, because it's been done before.

Spryo: Enter the Dragonfly is something you can pick up and play for a while, set down for days or even weeks, return to, and continue playing. You might say it is like peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese sandwiches; it's the comfort food of videogames. You won't be shocked or surprised by any of it, but it's good fun if you just need something light and easy to play.