#(which clearly highlights the difference between Spyro and Ripto which is great!)

[sage-nebula]

I haven’t played any of the Spyro games in years (the one I most recently played was Ripto’s Rage, and that was back in . . . 2012, I think?). This is especially true for the original, which I barely remember from my childhood. As a result, playing through them (and again, especially the first and I imagine the third), and particularly 100% clearing everything is like rediscovering them, which has led me to have some Thoughts™ as I go through, and now some appreciation for some of the subtle storytelling that Insomniac pulled off with the first game.

You see, when I first started the game, I found myself wondering why some of the older dragons that Spyro freed didn’t go take care of Gnasty Gnorc themselves. Most of them were cheering Spyro on and encouraging him to keep doing his best, which is great, but they (by their own admission, half the time) are much older, bigger, more powerful, and more experienced than he is, so it would make more sense for them to at least try to take down Gnasty before Spyro has to go that far.

Well, now that I’m in Gnasty’s Gnexus, I have my answer. Some of the older dragons that Spyro freed DID try to go after Gnasty, and when they did, they got themselves re-crystallized (which Spyro even lampshades after you free the first re-captured dragon, saying, “Didn’t I already free you?”). Just like at the start of the game, while the older dragons are more powerful and experienced than Spyro is, they’re too big to avoid Gnasty’s spell, which leads to them being frozen again almost immediately. Spyro, meanwhile, is just small enough to not get hit, so he can move through Gnasty’s Gnexus (as with all the other worlds) freely.

(Another nice tidbit about Spyro’s size: While this isn’t true on the second level in Gnasty’s Gnexus, for the first one, Gnorc Cove, none of the enemies can see Spyro as he approaches because all of the barrels and crates around are too big for them to notice him. Therefore, most of the time they won’t attack first, even when they’d have a clear advantage with TNT barrels and the like. It’s another nod to how Spyro’s size is what saves him, and was maybe designed like that as a reminder from Insomniac to the player about why it is that the bigger dragons get recaptured again, while Spyro himself is able to roam free, particularly since you have to go through the levels in Gnasty’s Gnexus in order, versus being able to choose which one to do at your leisure as you could in all the other worlds.) 

Aside from that, there are other little things I’ve picked up on and noticed as well, such as the fact that Spyro is a baby boy, baby. Part of him coming across this way is due to some of his snarkiness being toned down (the dialogue is the same, but since they re-recorded all the audio the delivery is different, with it sounding more genuine and less sarcastic than in the original, which is a bit of a bummer but fine enough as it is), but part of it is also just due to his facial expressions and the fact that he’s so small and still learning!! In Magic Crafters, for instance, one of the dragons you free tells Spyro that the speedways are explicitly designed to teach Spyro how to fly, and he’s like, “Learn to fly, got it.” Like, that’s why he can’t fly, and can only glide! It’s because he hasn’t quite mastered his wings yet! He doesn’t have the endurance yet!! He’s baby!!! Also, in the very beginning of the game, while the one dragon (I can’t remember his name) is giving the interview that sets Gnasty Gnorc off in the first place, you see Spyro in the background playing by chasing sheep around. Like he’s not paying attention to the interview, he’s just playing! Just having a good time!! Romping around, scaring some sheep!! BABYYY.

Another cool thing that the Reignited trilogy especially brings out is the fact that each world really does house a specific subset of dragons. Artisans is, well, artisans; they’re artists, musicians, crafters. Peacekeepers are soldiers, Magic Crafters are magicians, Beast Makers are beast tamers (and I suppose they might make beasts but I don’t think we really see that since they spend their time captured) who live in a swamp, and Dream Weavers are dream magicians who live in the clouds. All of the dragons are distinct in manner of speech, style, and what it is they do. And not only is the Artisans world the starting world, but we also see that Spyro was romping around chasing sheep there in the very beginning. Considering you have to prove to the balloonist that you’re ready to go to each new world by completing certain challenges, it’s safe to say that young dragons probably don’t move between the worlds as they please . . . which means that Spyro is an Artisan dragon. He’s an artist!! A little baby artist!!! Gonna make some sculptures of scorched sheep!! BABY!!! 

It’s funny, because as a kid what I loved most about Spyro (aside from the obvious that he’s a dragon---although, come to think of it, it’s highly likely Spyro was what made me interested in dragons in the first place, hm) was that he was so cool, and I do still love his cool, snarky side. I think his pose on the Ripto’s Rage cover is the coolest and best looking one. But now, as an adult, I look at him and just see this little snarky baby artist dragon and I just want to cuddle him to pieces. Like he’s still going to burn down everything around him, but while he’s still off to destroy people, now he’s my little baby off to destroy people, and I couldn’t be prouder.

Anyway. Back to the game.