Skylanders Spyro
It may be hasty to dive straight into Skylanders critiques with a more "controversial" character, but I feel it’s immensely vital to do so. One cannot begin a discussion on Skylanders without acknowledging its connections to THE purple dragon, Spyro.
First, a brief timeline of how this beloved 90’s mascot ended up this way.
Spyro originally starred in the Spyro the Dragon trilogy, exclusive to Sony’s Playstation from 1998 to 2000. To this day, they’re cult classics in the platformer genre. Insomniac Games knew how to craft memorable and quality experiences, making Spyro an iconic character in all of videogame history.
A few additional games were built in the early 2000’s, but none were as significant as the Legend of Spyro trilogy that began in 2006. These games completely rebooted the franchise with a darker story, action-heavy gameplay, and the introduction of Cynder (who’s next in line for review).
As a kid, I barely even knew these games existed, so I can’t tell you much about them. All I know is that public reception was wildly mixed, ranging anywhere from pleasant and accepting of the new canon, to mediocre and finding everything about the games unnecessary.
After Dawn of the Dragon in 2008, things went a little quiet for Spyro. Outside of a scrapped MMO, It wouldn’t be for another 3 years that a Spyro-related game would be fully published. Finally, In 2011 Toys for Bob (under Activision) brought the masses yet another reboot: Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure.
With the new franchise came another facelift for the purple dragon, and well… to say the old Spyro fan base was "displeased" with the change is putting it mildly. It was yet another hard reset, but one where Spyro wasn’t even the main focus (despite the name drop in the game’s title).
I’ll agree that this early marketing for Skylanders was cynical, but it’s hard to completely fault Toys for Bob for leaning on it. Launching a new IP (especially one with a toy line) can be an uphill struggle, so sprinkling in an established name is an effective way of catching people's’ attention. It’s the equivalent of posters with blurbs reading "From the director of movie X."
Fortunately, this crutch wasn’t used for long. The tacky Spyro subtitle is absent in all sequels while still allowing him to be a part of the universe.
The largest source of contention (at least from personal observation) comes from Spyro’s new design. I’ve heard it all to the point of exhaustion. "It misses the true spirit of Spyro," "He looks like a hideous gremlin/gargoyle," "He should be beat with an ugly stick," to name a few. And I’ll admit initially feeling disgusted at Spyro’s new sight myself. But after letting the design sink in and giving it some critical thought, I’ve reached a verdict that I can firmly stand behind.
If there’s one thing Skylanders Spyro does well, it’s effectively communicate that he’s built for an audience other than myself or my generation.
Redesigning an iconic character can seem ridiculous, but it’s proven to work in other franchises. Think of all the incarnations of Batman that exist to distinguish his many different TV shows or comic arcs. In recent years, SEGA has cleverly used the "Classic" and "Modern" designs of Sonic the Hedgehog to reflect which playstyle their games will use. So long as the character’s core identity is preserved (e.g. "Spyro is a sassy purple dragon"), a redesign can be a smart marketing tactic for customers to quickly identify a specific part of the franchise.
"Original" Spyro even follows this concept. The upcoming Reignited Trilogy gives Spyro a fresh look while preserving key proportions and details.
It’s easy to tell that this Spyro is meant for veteran players, while the Skylanders-style one is geared for a completely different audience.
Now, from a design standpoint, does Skylanders Spyro hold up on his own merits? Well, yes and no.
Spyro’s "pug face" (as I lovingly call it) isn’t so bad once I’m acclimated. But there’s always, always an uncanniness looming over it. "Original" Spyro has a short face, but his Skylanders iteration might be squashed a little too far. If his snout didn’t have the same depth as his eyebrows, and his eyes weren’t perfect spheres, he’d probably look less gremlin-like.
The rest of Pug Face’s design is fairly balanced. I’m even fine with the new tail comprised of pyramid-shaped scales. There is, however one detail holding it back, and it’s something that oddly took forever to put my finger on.
For whatever reason, the artists at Toys for Bob were obsessed with drawing every. Single. Scale. On Spyro’s body. And yet, other parts of him are completely smooth.
When rendered in 3D, this effect looks especially hideous. In 3D software lingo, his high-poly mesh looks like someone placed a poorly-made bump map with the intensity cranked way too high.
Worse still, his in-game model makes him look like a warty toad from a distance. Did he really need that many tiny scales crammed in?
Look back at Reignited Spyro. There are clusters of shapes to suggest that his body is scaly. Furthermore, his scales are also varied in their structure. I could go on about realism with actual reptile skin, but the differing shapes are a smart idea regardless of their accuracy. To this extent, the copy-paste job on Skylanders Spyro makes him boring to the eye.
"Pug Face" Spyro comes with multiple glaring flaws, but I don’t feel animosity for the design overall. In a single word, I think it’s "fine." I believe Spyro’s original and Reignited designs will always outshine his Skylander’s variant, but I can respect what this one stands for. If six Skylanders games are anything to gauge from, this Spyro does a great job catering to his specific audience.
It’s not a perfect design, but it’s always heartwarming to know that an old 90’s mascot can live on in newer content for a younger generation.
"Meh"
Series 2
A popular gimmick of Skylanders is to tie re-releases of old characters with the latest sequel. Their real-world figurines aren’t mandatory purchases (all previous-gen Skylanders are compatible with later titles), but they’re given an extra attack or ability in-game (known as a "Wow Pow"), as well as small visual updates to reflect the change. It’s a classic move seen in any toy line. In the case of Skylanders, the customer needs an enticement to repurchase the same toy, but not have it designed in a way that makes the older one obsolete and unappealing.
Series 2 Spyro adds simple accessories to his wings. I don’t believe there’s an in-game explanation to them, but I interpret them as metal bracers to aid Spyro during flight.
These bracers have little to do with his Wow Pow, unfortunately. Extra fireballs are added to an aerial slam attack that Spyro could already do before. It’s a shame that they don’t really communicate their purpose to the rest of his design.
Actually, I wonder if these bracers are a subtle nod to the canon of the original Spyro games. Being a young dragon, Spyro can only glide with his wings. But in the Skylanders franchise, he can effortlessly fly. Perhaps Series 2 Spyro retroactively explains this plot hole.
I could also be over-analyzing the situation, because these bracers never show up anywhere else.
I’m mostly on the fence with the face lift to Series 2 Spyro. The bracers are fine, but don’t make this Spyro better or worse than the Series 1 design.
Neutral
Mega Ram (Series 3) Spyro
It’s much easier to see what changed for Spyro’s re-release for Swap Force. His horns exaggerate into large, curved goat horns. They better tie into his Wow Pow, which drastically strengthens his ramming attacks.
Truth be told, this is my least favorite version of Skylanders Spyro. I don’t care for his regular horns being replaced with these oversized ones. I’ve also noticed that his tail spikes are larger than before - almost garishly so.
I see where the artists were going with this version of Spyro. His exaggerated features are a smart design choice in that they pop out when lined up with the other figures, but I feel they were pushed too far.
AWFUL
Palette Swaps
In traditional toy line fashion, there aren’t just re-releases of Skylanders to purchase; they also come in alternate color schemes! There’s not a whole lot to talk about (they’re literally the exact same character and toy with a different palette), but they’re worth mentioning nevertheless.
The character artists for Skylanders did their homework, because Spyro’s "Dark" form appears in the franchise.
There’s a different backstory written for this variant, but he’s functionally the same in the console games. It’s disappointing that the ball was dropped here, but considering that Dark Spyro was part of a bundle exclusive to the 3DS Spyro’s Adventure, I’m relieved that a significant character wasn’t locked behind an exorbitant $40 price tag.
The dark purple and silver color scheme works nicely on Spyro. Even though future Skylanders titles changed this to black and silver, it still looks decent.
Excellent!
Legendary Spyro, on the other hand is… eugh.
I find it more fun to talk about the origin of "Legendary" Skylanders than the actual toys themselves. I never imagined saying this, but there used to be a line of Skylander palette swaps exclusive to Toys ‘R’ Us stores. They were advertised as "stronger" and "better" than their regular counterparts in an attempt to hype their value.
The hilarious truth is that usually one stat is given a minor boost on a Legendary Skylander. The biggest reward for driving all the way to a specific store was a hideous navy blue and piss yellow figurine.
(Photo credit: ToyWiz with JD & Bebs!)
I suppose this Spyro looks better in-game? I still can’t stand the overblown highlighter yellow aesthetic.
The ultimate irony is that I do own a couple Legendary figures, but that’s for another article. Spyro’s Legendary form certainly wasn’t one I picked up.
AWFUL
Spry
There’s one last Spyro variant to talk about, and that’s of his baby ("Mini") form, Spry.
Mini Skylanders are nothing more than another collectible gimmick. They’re literally weaker than their original counterparts in combat. And yet, I couldn’t resist buying nearly all of them because of their "cuteness" factor. If nothing else, they’re great for self-imposed challenges in the games, since their lower offensive power requires more skill to successfully defeat a group of enemies and stay alive.
For Spry, I think the "pug face" works stupendously compared to regular Spyro. It has greater visual harmony with the rest of his baby-sized body. His eyes teeter between uncanny and adorable, which helps communicate a "cute yet deadly" theme in the design.
If there’s one critique I have with Spry, it’s that he definitely shouldn’t have every last scale detailed on his body. He’s just a baby, after all; most of his scales should look smoother!
There isn’t much to Mini Skylanders in general, but I’m glad they exist, especially Spry.
Excellent!
BONUS: Toy Reviews!
I know I’ve been rambling for a long time, but I’m still not done with Spyro. I own a few of the figures, and as promised I’ll be analyzing them, too!
Series 1
To be honest, I never felt that this figure was the best introduction to Skylanders’ toy line. Spyro looks incredibly stiff and bland, raising a paw in a desperate attempt to convey "action." I feel that his "gremlin" face stands out more than usual.
I suppose I can’t be too hard on Toys for Bob here. This toy was for the very first Skylanders, and I’m sure they were still finessing their 3D printer technology.
In toy form, Spyro’s thousands of scales seem less garish, though I still feel he could do with less.
There’s a minor detail I hadn’t caught on Series 1 Spyro until recently. The spines on his head all blend together into one shape, when they’re split apart in future games. I wish this fused mane still existed on Spyro’s current iteration, because I quite like it.
AWFUL
Eon’s Elite Spyro
So there’s another series of figure re-releases I neglected to mention, but only because I felt they lacked significance.
In a few words, Elite Skylanders are the opposite of Legendary Skylanders. You get a figure with a shiny metallic finish, all of their stats are three times higher than normal, but they literally don’t appear any different in-game. Oh, and their price tags were also three times higher when originally released (nearly $30 as opposed to a regular figure costing $10).
Eon’s Elite line of Skylanders was a blatant grasp for more money out of toy collection enthusiasts, going so far as to put each figure in a pristine protective case with a lenticular diorama to accompany the toy.
Because of impulsive spending habits, at one time I owned three of my favorite Skylanders as these "exclusive" figures. But they’re so overpowered in the games (even on harder difficulties) that I sold all but Spyro out of disgust. I’ve really only kept Spyro for sentimental reasons. It’s Spyro, for crying out loud!
Even if it’s of Pug Face, and even if it’s a repainted version of the ugly Series 1 figure, I can’t help but admire the way his Elite packaging makes him feel more "special."
Neutral
Series 2
I feel this Spyro’s pose better showcases his design’s potential. His pug face feels more natural and even convinces me that it’s not that bad a change from original Spyro. It’s a considerable step up from the near-constipated expression on Series 1’s figure.
This Spyro looks more playful as well, and is why it’s my favorite of the figures. It better captures Spyro’s personality.
Excellent!
Spry
True to its name, Spry’s figure is smaller than the others to reflect his Mini status. While Spry’s official artwork makes him look a little uncanny, his figure dashes all those feelings away for me.
This figure was released during Skylanders: Trap Team (the fourth game), and Toys for Bob’s improved craftsmanship is visible here. I’m impressed at how his scales and even scratches on his horns are clearly defined on such a small toy (all without drastically affecting the attached price tag).
Spry isn’t doing much as a figurine, yet he radiates that saccharine adorableness anyways.
Excellent!
