Spyro the Dragon (Japan / Asia / Shokai Genteiban)
PlayStation
🇯🇵
Reviewed in 1999
86
Ad
✪ Reviewed on July 23, 2023
80
Spyro the Dragon is an exceptional quality Insomniac Games PS1 3D platformer. The little purple dragon traverses varied magical worlds with sumptuous movement freedom. Enchanting art direction, memorable Stewart Copeland soundtrack. One of PS1's finest 3D platformers.
Your verdict
Category
Platformer1 player3+
Description
Original Insomniac 3D platformer, where dragonet Spyro frees his statue-frozen elders across five realms of the dragon world. Created by Insomniac Games and Sony Computer Entertainment, released in 1998 in the United States, Australia, Asia, Europe and Japan with Shokai Genteiban edition under the Spyro the Dragon title. Over thirty open-exploration 3D worlds, dragonet with horn charge, glide and fire breath, over eighty dragons to free and Stewart Copeland orchestral soundtrack. Multi-regional edition with Shokai Genteiban under the Spyro the Dragon title.
The Japanese version of the first Spyro, markedly rarer than the Western editions in a market where this American mascot made little headway, including a Shokai Genteiban limited edition. These Japanese releases appeal to collectors of the dragon's regional and first-print variants. Their local scarcity supports a value noticeably above the PAL and American versions.
A cult cover
Standing proud, the little purple dragon with golden horns sizes up a colorful kingdom threatened by Gnasty Gnorc: the Western cover plays the heroic mascot and the promise of an open world. Vivid hues and a conquering stance convey the hero's energy and carefree spirit. Likeable and clear, it launched one of the great faces of the PlayStation stable.
Is Spyro the Dragon still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 1998 on PS1, Insomniac Games' project lays the foundations of the colourful and accessible 3D platformer with astonishing mastery. The little dragon crosses open worlds full of collectibles, the breath and headbutt system stays limpid and the warm pastel art direction has not aged. The camera and jumping demand real patience, and the PS1 version loses a touch of finesse compared to recent remasters. Recommended today for families, for 3D platformer fans and for Insomniac Games nostalgics curious about the studio before Ratchet defined its later identity globally.
