Developer : Insomniac Games
Release date : November 10, 2000
Synopsis :
Spyro: Year of the Dragon is a 2000 platform game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. Year of the Dragon is the third installment in the Spyro series. The game was the last Spyro game Insomniac developed; their next title would be Ratchet & Clank for the PlayStation 2.
Named after the animal of the Chinese zodiac, which was the symbol at the time of the game’s release, Year of the Dragon follows the titular purple dragon Spyro as he travels to the “Forgotten Worlds” after 150 magical dragon eggs are stolen from the land of the dragons by an evil sorceress. Players travel across thirty different worlds gathering gems and eggs. Year of the Dragon introduced new characters and minigames to the series, as well as offering improved graphics and music.
By 2007, the game sold more than three million units worldwide and received critical acclaim. Reviewers noted the game built on the successful formula of its predecessors by adding new activities and expansive environments. Year of the Dragon was followed by the multiplatform title Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly, and was later re-released under the Greatest Hits label, and remade as part of the Spyro Reignited Trilogy in 2018.
The game opens in the land of the dragons, where Spyro and his kin are celebrating the “Year of the Dragon”, an event that occurs every twelve years when new dragon eggs are brought to the realm.: 1–3 During the celebration, the Sorceress’ apprentice Bianca invades the Dragon Realms with an army of rhino-based creatures called Rhynocs and steals all of the Dragon eggs. The Sorceress spreads the eggs throughout several worlds, split up into four home realms: Sunrise Spring, Midday Garden, Evening Lake, and Midnight Mountain.[3] Spyro, Sparx, and Spyro’s friend Hunter are sent down a hole to find the thieves and recover the dragon eggs.
Spyro emerges in the Forgotten Realms—lands once inhabited by the dragons, and where magic has been disappearing since their departure. These worlds are under the iron-fisted reign of the Sorceress and her Rhynoc army. Spyro meets with Shiela the Kangaroo, Sergeant Byrd the Penguin, Bentley the Yeti, and Agent 9 the Monkey who help him on his quest. Spyro travels through each world, acquiring aid from the local inhabitants and rescuing the dragon eggs. It is revealed that the Sorceress banished the dragons, not realizing they were the source of magic, and wants to use the baby dragons’ wings to concoct a spell that can grant her immortality. Once Bianca learns this, she turns against the Sorceress and helps Spyro defeat her. After the credits, the player can continue to find dragon eggs and gems to unlock the true ending, defeating the Sorceress once more for the final dragon egg. Spyro returns all of the baby dragons to the Dragon Realms. Along the journey to help Spyro recover the eggs, Hunter forms a crush on Bianca, and they begin a relationship, with Spyro and Sparx looking on in dismay.
Source : Wikipedia
