Spyro: Year of the Dragon

PlayStation

Teaches: logic, strategy, timing, memory

CTR Review

Note: see Spyro returns to Playstation in his all new sequel, Year of the Dragon. Every twelve years the Dragon Kingdom celebrates the newest batch of dragon eggs, delivered by fairies. This year, however, a "mean and spiteful" Sorceress has stolen the eggs in hopes of conquering the dragons. Kids help Spyro and his friends recover the eggs and stop the Sorceress' plan by exploring 36 "realms", each with special challenges and characters. To succeed in their mission, players make alliances with creatures like Bentley The Yeti and a flying penguin named Sgt. Byrd. These new friends come in mighty handy when it�s time to battle the Sorceress� minions. This latest rendition features new characters and moves, yet retains the feel of the original game. New, varied game play also lets players ride a skateboard, pilot a plane, and step into the boxing ring. Extravagant 3D worlds give the graphics an appealing cartoon-like feeling. Instructions within the game are written onscreen and spoken, making this version more accessible to a younger age range. Simple, intuitive controls also contribute to its overall ease of use. Testers were totally captivated by the adventure and loved zipping about the landscapes, finding secret passageways and interacting with a host of zany characters. Kids came back to this one, time and time again.