There were many great games that were released for the original PlayStation during the mid to late 90’s. It was also a time period where the genre of platform gaming started evolving from 2D side scrolling action into 3D landscapes and adventures. While there were many games that were very popular in the 90’s Spyro the Dragon was definitely one of the best PlayStation had to offer.  Spyro the Dragon was developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer in 1998.  The idea and concept for this game was original because the setting for this title occurs in a fictional realm known as the Artisan Realm which is one of the five in the Dragon Kingdom.

The game starts with a live broadcast in the Artisan Realm were a dragon is interviewed.  However, the dragon insults the main antagonist Gnasty Gnorc who lives in a seperate realm by himself.  Gnorc gets offended and uses a magic spell and captures most of the dragons in the realm with the exception of Spyro.  In this game the player is charged with the task of rescuing the other dragons and restoring the realm back to normal.  The idea that Gnorc lives in a sixth realm by himself would indicate that he was a threat not only to the Artisan Realm but also the Peace Keepers, Magic Crafters, Beast Makers, and the Dream Weaver realm as well.

Just like platform titles the plot is very basic and does not involve a devious plot from a villain who is focused on world domination.  Some people may argue that Gnorc motives revolved mainly around revenge when in reality he felt resented. Either way, the developers was able to create an adventurous title that featured excellent gameplay and a basic plot that allows players to easily understand the game itself. Shortly after its initial release GameSpot scored Spyro the Dragon in the eight point bracket out of ten.  Also, IGN scored the game in the nine point bracket due to many factors including its creativity and innovative gameplay.  As good as this title was the series would improve during the release of the second installment entitled “Spyro Year of the Dragon”  in the year 2000.