Spyro is one of those game characters that everyone in the gaming world will know about, even if they have never played the game. Although he isn't as famous as a certain "it's-a-me" plumber character, he is still recognised as being a gaming legend.
Spryo: Year of the Dragon is the third in the Spyro series and it doesn't disappoint at all. There is nothing particularly unfamiliar here - Spyro is followed by his dragonfly buddy Sparx, Spyro collects gems and eggs, Spyro breathes fire, runs, glides and flies. Is this a bad thing, though? Not at all. You start off in a main 'world', with different portals leading off to different worlds. These portals are unlocked by collecting a certain number of eggs which are found in all the worlds or by giving a certain number of gems to Mr. Money Bags. Eggs can be collected by finding them or earning them as rewards for completing tasks or doing well in mini-games such as a wicked skating boarding game. When Spyro has collected the required number of eggs he can then defeat the boss and move onto the next main 'world'.
In some of the worlds you can play as different characters with their own abilities. There is an Australian kangaroo called Sheila who can double jump and kick enemies. There is also Sergeant Bird who has rocket launchers and can fly for as long as he wants. There is also a monkey and a big yeti, of whom I forget the names of (apologies!).
For a Playstation game, Spyro looks superb in all ways, has great voice acting and a interesting story line. Year of the Dragon really is a classic platformer and you can't miss out on one of Spyro's best games.
