Preston Ward Condra Ranks All 101 Spyro 1-3 Levels

by Preston Ward Condra

A project I made when I was 15 years old, during my sophomore year in High School in September 2009. I critiqued and ranked every single level from Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage and Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon in, one consolidated project from worst to best. It doesn't matter if you agree with my opinion or not. All that matters, is that this ended up getting finished.

50. 53: Dark Hollow

Here is a level that much like of what I stated in the past in of the countdown with a few other Spyro 1 levels that appeared in this section of the countdown, just misses out on the level being ranked any higher on my countdown is because of how more unique, fun and more in-depth in terms of gameplay design would be in of the main levels from Spyro 2 and 3 for the Spyro PS1 Trilogy. Dark Hollow is no exception of this and despite that of being easily overshadowed by the more unique and more designed levels there are in terms from the later Spyro games in this classic franchise causing me to rank it lower a notch in the countdown, Dark Hollow was a fun level overall and never boring and too simple in such to get tired for compared to that of other earlier levels of such from Spyro 1. Great level.

One notable gameplay I loved from Dark Hollow and why of such I find it to be by far my favorite beginning level of such from Spyro 1 is, how the level set the standard of normal and fun gameplay elements of Dark Hollow appeared in of the level and later appearing in of future levels of such with the series such as finding a lost key and opening it like so with a locked treasure chest located randomly of the level and battling against enemies blocking your attacks with fire and having to take them out with your regular charge attacks. It was nice for a level that of so for Dark Hollow to follow around with main gameplay mechanics that became a fun and stable concept that would follow in Spyro 2 and 3 levels and followed well fitting the series well and what makes it special in terms of gameplay design.

I loved the presentation of this level and haven't this countdown be ranked fully only on presentation, Dark Hollow would be ranked much higher in so for the countdown. I love the clam and soft music and style in of Dark Hollow and another reason proving well in of the Spyro games that Stewart Copeland is a gaming god for creating work well to gaming.

So with this of how great Dark Hollow is, why do I have the level even missing out in of the Top 50 of levels in the countdown? Like I stated earlier, in compared to the more unique gameplay design there would be in of the future in most of the Spyro 2 and 3 levels of this classic franchise, Dark Hollow is overshadowed of so by this compared as the level itself is easy and straightforward to get through in terms of game design overall to the series and I can understand that as such that it's only a level from Spyro 1 but, a level is a level overall and I hate to probably act so unfair of this but, I hope people that read my write-up sections in for levels of my countdown, understand well and why with my rankings for most of the levels in part of the countdown.

Dark Hollow was a great level overall and if it wasn't for that of the more once again already stated unique and more flawless of problems there would be in of the remaining of such levels to rank in of the countdown, I would have Dark Hollow ranked higher in the countdown but due to the overall series of levels in total of the countdown, I have to take Dark Hollow down a slight notch out of the top half section of levels out of the countdown. However, this does not make Dark Hollow a bad level by any means. Dark Hollow was a great level from start to finish and a level that is great and well to my early childhood as a gamer growing up.