Spyro returns to save the Dragon Realms from the evil Dark Gems! Well, actually they're more a purple-ish mauve.
Universal sure love Spyro. The Game Boy Advance has had around four separate Spyro titles published for it, while the GameCube has had two, including this newest one, A Hero's Tail. In A Hero's Tail, Spyro needs to hunt around the Dragon Realms for the evil Dark Gems, which suck the life out of the land that surrounds them. These gems have been planted by the mysterious (but evil!) dragon, Red, who was banished from the Realms long ago. Along for the ride are four of Spyro's allies -- Hunter the Cheetah, Sgt. Byrd the rocket-propelled Penguin, and Sparx the Dragonfly, who return from previous adventures, as well as Blink the Mole, who is appearing for the first time. Phew, where do they get these creative names?
Graphics have improved greatly since Enter the Dragonfly, but let's be fair -- it wasn't too difficult to improve on that game. In fact, gaping in awe at the fact that the ever-greedy Moneybags has decent facial features and recognizable characteristics only goes to remind me how visually awful Enter the Dragonfly was. The levels are varied and large, and the game's hook -- destroying the Dark Gems in the levels -- causes some clever effects. As each Dark Gem is affecting the surrounding landscape, when you destroy one, all of the area near the gem will slowly restore to its former glory. Broken bridges will reconstruct, barren fields will spring back to life with flowers, frozen waterfalls will thaw and flood empty lakes, and the evil purple goop coming from the gems will disappear. It's a cleverly used progression mechanic, as it feels as though you're actually doing something as opposed to just amassing a huge amount of generic objects.
Nonetheless, you'll still be collecting objects throughout the game. Fortunately, it's not as insane as searching for at least seven hundred gems in each level to get 100% completion. Gems are now used as currency for buying powerups from Moneybags, rather than counting towards your percentage, which comes as a great relief. There are only two different types of items that you're searching for -- Dragon Eggs, which unlock concept art, mini-games and the like, and Light Gems, which are used to power up special gadgets and unlock specific doors to secret areas. These are earned by completing various tasks (such as breaking down hidden walls or reactivating switches), or by completing assorted mini-games.
One surprising thing about A Hero's Tail is the difficulty of the mini-games. For a game that is kid-oriented, the mini-games seem to be incredibly tough. While I'd love to see young kids get trained on games nearing the difficulty of Contra (toughens 'em up!), the fact is that they may simply get frustrated and not bother with them at all. It is possible to finish the main game without playing all the mini-games, but it just seems to be strange that if you die repeatedly at a boss, you get help, whereas if you're having trouble with a mini-game, you don't.
Although the game boasts five playable characters, this feature is a bit misleading. While you can play as the other characters, they're only available in mini-games, or in the case of Hunter, specific sections of the game. Don't expect to be able to run around with each character in the overworld. However, this is not a bad thing. This is Spyro's game after all, and having the option to play as the other characters in mini-games does liven things up a bit.
Another surprise is the game's script. In a stunning turn of events, the game is actually amusing and well-written. When you have the Professor asking Spyro if he needs to be collecting Power Stars, Red Coins, Jigsaw Pieces ...or was it Crates?, you can't help but grin. The characters have personality, with the caffeine-hyped fairy that gives you Electric Power and the bombardier-like Sgt. Byrd coming off as my personal favourites. One strange thing about the script, though, is the backstory behind the villainous Red. Throughout the game, most characters purposely avoid giving Spyro any information on Red, but it never seems to be explained why. Is Red Spyro's father? His great uncle? His cleverly disguised long-lost Aunt Hilda? What's the deal?
Mostly, control in A Hero's Tail is good. Spyro is fairly responsive, but I still find that gliding and ground pounding are awkward, a problem I've always had with Spyro games. Aside from Sparx, whose levels play like a shoot-em-up that goes out of the camera (think Iridion), all of the other characters control fairly similarly. Sgt. Byrd is easier to control in the air than on land, where he waddles very slowly, so you'll want to rocket around his levels with him.
Overall, Spyro: A Hero's Tail is a pleasant surprise. The game itself doesn't break any new ground in the realm of 3D platforming, but it is fun and an entertaining chapter in the Spyro series. While not the best 3D platformer on the market, it is definitely a massive improvement from Enter the Dragonfly and will provide gamers with some good fun.