I don't think that there is a single TRUE gamer who doesn't know who Spyro the Dragon is. But truth is, I wasn't a true gamer, and not until this moment did I know who Spyro the Dragon is, or should I say... WAS.
For you see, Spyro had descended down a horrible and torturous path ever since he joined the Skylanders back in 2011, although this trade off in my opinion was for the better because Skylanders was a more fun and interesting game with many more characters to enjoy besides just one.
In fact, I had played Skylanders when I was just 5 years old. My older brother, 12 at the time, let me play his game, and I had enjoyed it a lot before our Dad came home and started pouring that funny drink in his glass.
Regardless, Spyro had always been a character in that game that evaded my interests due to his rather lacklustre and boring design as opposed to the much better designed characters such as: Boomer, Cobra Cadabra, Hoot Loops, Lightning Rod, and many others.
So imagine my surprise when I found out that Spyro was not only a more relevant character than the ones I had mentioned above, but in fact had his own series of video games. Surely I was the one surprised to answer that question right there. But before I begin, I find it fitting that I describe a few things about this Spyro character and the games he came from.
The first Spyro the Dragon video game was released all the way back in 1998. I can imagine it's hard to believe video games even existing that far back, however what I am saying is no lie, Spyro is in fact 20 years old at this point. For an even more unbelievable statement, the game was released on the Playstation 1. Incredible, isn't it? Before doing this research I didn't even know there was a Playstation before the Playstation 3.
This original video game seemed to me to be a great success for the people of the time at least. It was so good in fact that there was a sequel produced just a year later called Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! Which featured a villain called Ripto. I can only image the surprise and glee on the faces of gamers when that game had reached shelves across America and other places that weren't America. It was what was called the Spyro Golden Age at that point in history, where Spyro was almost like a god among the gamer-verse. However this blissful time was soon not to last.
While the third Spyro game was considered the best at that point, tragedy soon struck. Insomniac Games, those blessed men whom Spyro had been crafted by, pulled a most dishonourable outrage and abandoned their crowning jewel of success. At first it seemed more like a joke than some sort of realistic announcement that would be made by men of such stature, however it was soon realized to be no joke, but the grim reality of life.
The new hurt the hearts of Americans perhaps even worse than another even that happened in 2001. However no matter how heart shattering the news was, the actions that transpire after the fact were even more criminal and heinous than anyone could've predicted. For Spyro was not allowed to rest a peaceful sleep like many had hoped, but as if some sort of decayed corpse risen from the grave, more games were made under his name, as if the devils and vampires of hell had only one wish, and that was to tarnish the glorious name of the angelic Spyro.
The next years were miserable and like a sick joke or perhaps an alternate timeline where the worst deeds imaginable to mankind. Lest I invoke the demons which produced such abominable excuses for 'entertainment', I shall dare not speak of the games by their given name. I may be young and unknowing in some fields, however I have the decency and know-how to hold back from such wicked curses.
Moving ahead some years, those creatures who had continued the Spyro name had found him to be not a profitable as his name once held, and being such beasts as to care only for the market value of a person, ignoring all other virtuous qualities, decided to rebrand and attempt a new path for the defiled poor dragon.
These Legend of Spyro games did lend some credence to his name however, as the notion of a Spyro in high regard was nothing but a myth at this point, and perhaps through their black hearts even those monstrous beasts could tell that Spyro needed to be slaughtered. For next they put him out in the open, like a sacrificial lamb, in front of the Skylanders who easily overshadowed and dominated Spyro, driving him into irrelevancy... presumed to be dead.
However, Spyro had escaped somehow. I don't know when, how, or even why but I do know he did, and this leads me to why I wrote this in the first place. For I, by chance, one day heard a knocking at my door. Coming to it I found this young dragon, starving and alone. He wanted nothing more than a warm place to stay. Foolishly, I did not recognize this character at the time. However, I did recognize him from the Skylanders, and set about my research.
Therefore I know now what must be done, for this poor and shamed dragon has walked a wearing and abusive road. It is far better to let it die than to let it live while it suffers, both physically and under a tarnished name and reputation. I have drawn my blade for this sacred night, and soon... Spyro will sleep in peace eternally.