Spyro—The Dragon News Network—[A mirror of the OG Site].
Spyro is one of those games that never truly leaves you. Over your lifetime, you forget countless childhood mascots and memories, but Spyro, you never forget.
The original site in its entirety has been preserved! The site role-plays as the in-universe Dragon News Network. You can click around and see interviews, while on every page, the network sings praises of Spyro for saving the day. It’s also a nice way to look back at a time to when the web was still in its infancy.
That really got me thinking though. I started to really reminisce on my favorite platformer and what it truly meant to me.
Spyro was my first platformer, and truly, my first foray into gaming in general.
>> Spyro the Dragon—Lofty Castle
The game’s levels are beautiful. Due to the limitations at the time, they unintentionally captured the essence of liminal spaces. For those of you out of the-know—Liminal spaces are surreal, often empty places of transition that may also have some sort of nostalgic appeal. This definition is basically how I’d define the game in general.
The worlds were basically just islands with skyboxes that inspired awe and wonder. The color design choices were masterfully picked and I have to tell you about the music.
The music was entirely created by Stewart Copeland! A generation-defining drummer that is best known for playing in his band—The Police.
What a composer to grab for your platformer.
Much like the rest of the game, the music grabs your attention with interesting rhythms and melodies that again—can only be described as nostalgic and maybe even liminal.
Check out the music for the level above: Lofty Castle.
This is one of those games that I revisit quite frequently, just to feel the emotions it evokes in me. If you haven’t played, please do. The graphics are obviously older, but the level of charm they carry, instead works in their favor, and easily warrants your time.
If you missed the link to the mirrored website, check it out here http://dnn.darkspyro.net/
/squawk <~
by untitled_operator