• Tag Archives PlayStation

  • Spyro the Dragon (PlayStation

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

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    Spyro the Dragon is a 3D platform game released for the PlayStation in 1998. You play the role of a small purple dragon named Spyro and must travel through various worlds in order to save other dragons. You must also save your home from the main antagonist of the game, Gnasty Gnorc.

    Spyro had a number of abilities that gave the game a lot of variety, including breathing fire, flying, charging and more. Besides, who doesn’t want to control a dragon? The levels were large and added an open world feel to the game. In addition to the primary goals of saving your home and rescuing dragons, there were a variety of other challenges as well.

    This game got almost universally positive reviews. The graphics were excellent for the time as were the sound and music. The level/world design was excellent as well. Not only were they large as mentioned above but each world was also quite unique. The most important aspect, the game play itself, was on point as well and even the character design was very good.

    I was never a huge fan of the 3D platformer genre and I would prefer a more serious game. By that I don’t mean harder or more complex, just something with more “realism” that felt more like a Dungeons and Dragons game. Still, it was an excellent game and if you like cutesy 3D platformer type games then this is definitely the game for you.

    Spyro the Dragon was hugely successful, ultimately selling over 5 million copies worldwide. A number of sequels were produced, including two more games for the PlayStation including Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage! and Spyro: Year of the Dragon. Afterwards, the series continued on other platforms with different developers. These games include Spyro: Season of Ice (Game Boy Advance), Spyro 2: Season of Flame (Game Boy Advance), Spyro: Enter the Dragon (PlayStation 2, GameCube), Spyro: Attack of the Rhynocs (Game Boy Advance), Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto’s Rampage and Spyro Orange: The Cortex Conspiracy (Game Boy Advance), Spyro: A Hero’s Tail (GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox), and Spyro: Shadow Legacy (Nintendo DS). After this, the original trilogy was rebooted on a variety of platforms including the Xbox, Nintendo DS, GameCube, Wii, PS2, PS3, Xbox, and Xbox 360. However, these games, while not bad, were not really as good as the originals. Finally, there was the Spyro Reignited Trilogy. This was a remaster of the original trilogy for the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Windows.

    Most of these games are at least ok but some are better than others. The original trilogy is by far the best and the remastered trilogy is a good substitute, especially if you are looking for upgraded graphics. In general, the originals are not hard to find or too expensive and Spyro Reignited is even easier to find, especially since it includes all three games. All of them can be picked up pretty easily and reasonable prices on eBay for example. The originals can of course be emulated as well. In any case, any 3D platform fan should give the original Spyro a try as it is one of the best.


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  • Ape Escape (PlayStation)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

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    Ape Escape is a 3D platform game for the PlayStation that was released in 1999. This style of game was popularized by Mario 64 and the Tomb Raider series. I remember when I first saw this game I thought it was a new game in the Donkey Kong franchise but it turns out not to be the case. Besides, that would make more sense on a Nintendo system.

    In any case, Ape Escape is the first game in a whole new franchise and is widely considered to be one of the best games on the PlayStation and perhaps THE best 3D platform game on that system. Like most 3D platform games, this one is played form the third person. The plot is pretty simple and straightforward which is really best for this type of game. You play the roll of a boy capturing escaped apes across time, preventing them from doing things that rewrite history. The control system at the time was considered fairly unique. It made use of both analog sticks with one controlling movement and the other controlling the various objects that you could use. The various objects, vehicles and time periods make for a fairly diverse game.

    Reviews were almost entirely positive. The graphics and sound are excellent for the time, the control scheme, as mentioned above, was unique but intuitive and easy to use, and there was tons of variety. The only real complaint was minor criticism of some of the voice acting which is hardly worth mentioning. The game would be just as good without any voice acting at all. I was never big on 3D platform games like this but if you are, then this is definitely one to play.

    There have been tons of sequels, spin-offs, re-releases and related games up until today. While there are party games and other spin-offs, the best games are probably the main series that continued tih Ape Escape 2 for the PS2 in 2001 and Ape Escape 3 for the PS2 in 2005. The original Ape Escape was originally released only for the PlayStation (PS1) but it is available with some enhancements for the PS4 and PS5 via PlayStation Plus. Otherwise, if you are looking for an original copy, it shouldn’t be too hard to find one as this was a big selling game. Emulation is also always an option.


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  • Bloody Roar 2 (PlayStation)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

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    Bloody Roar 2, which was subtitled either Bringer of the New Age or The New Breed depending on which localization you are talking about, is an arcade 3D fighting game that was also ported to the PlayStation. The arcade version was released in 1998 and the PlayStation version followed a year later in 1999. As is obvious from the title, it was the sequel to Bloody Roar.

    As far as fighting games go, I think Bloody Roar 2 would qualify as above average. It got mixed but mostly positive reviews at the time it was released. It was a modest improvement over the original, had excellent graphics and looked quite good on the PlayStation, and had a complex fighting system. Sound and music weren’t quite as good but weren’t terrible either. Above all, it had at least a modicum of originality. In terms of play style, in most closely resembles games like Tekken and Fighting Vipers.

    Bloody Roar 2: The New Breed (as it is called in the U.S.) features a total of eleven playable characters. Each character has a unique beast forms with moves and special moves that match that beast. These creatures are called “zoanthropes” and the plot of the game involves a supposed zoanthrope terrorist organization. However, things aren’t quite as they seem and the supposed Zoanthrope Liberation Front is really organized by others. Initially, you fight as a human but when a special meter fills up you are able to transform into a beast, increasing the number of moves at your disposal.

    For fighting game fans, this one is at least worth trying. However, other than the original arcade and PlayStation versions, I don’t think there have been any other releases. If you want to try it, you’ll have to track down an original PlayStation copy (or arcade machine if you prefer though that’s probably harder) or be content with using emulation.


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