Operation Backlog Completion 2024

Toys for Bob’s Mysterious Tweet Sparks New Spyro Hopes

 Video games  2 Responses »  Tagged with: ,
Dec 182023
 

It’s been 5 years since the Spyro Reignited Trilogy brought the first three Spyro games back, and 15 years since the last new game in the series.

(We are rapidly approaching 20 years since the last Spyro game I played, since I never tried the Legend of Spyro games, and I don’t quite know how to feel about that.)

Despite hopes of a new Spyro game announcement for the 25th anniversary, the anniversary came and went without so much as a tease.

Spyro was added to Crash Team Rumble recently, however, which has led some fans to hope that the new assets could hint at an upcoming new Spyro game.

Now we have another shred of hope to add more fuel to the fire, as Toys for Bob, the developer of the Skylanders games and the Reignited Trilogy, shared a tweet about working with Unreal Engine 5 that has blurred screens in the background of the picture. A blurred screen doesn’t say much, but one of the screens shows enough purple to get fans whispering about Spyro and Skylanders.

Personally, I don’t quite see it yet. It does look like the right shade of purple, but nothing else in that image really screams “Spyro” at me. Nevertheless, it at least seems like they’re hinting at something in development… and I’d love for it to be a new Spyro game.

I know, I know, I should play the Spyro Reignited Trilogy and Crash Bandicoot 4 while waiting. I can’t really talk about anticipation for a new one when I’m still twiddling my thumbs about those.

Anyway, what do you think of the latest potential hints to a new Spyro game? Is Spyro 4 (or whatever they’d end up titling it) in development, or are we merely grasping at straws?

Spyro is Celebrating Its 25th Anniversary

 Video games  5 Responses »  Tagged with: ,
Sep 012023
 

We are quickly approaching the 25th anniversary of the Spyro series.

That’s right, the original Spyro the Dragon launched on September 9, 1998.

Now, I haven’t talked about the Spyro series too much here, but that’s because I played the original trilogy long before I started blogging, and the later games after the series switched developers never quite clicked with me.

I picked up the remastered collection, but haven’t played it yet due to having played the originals.

But those original three were among my favorites. I loved those games.

With the 25th anniversary fast approaching, they announced that the remastered trilogy has sold 10 million copies worldwide, a nice milestone to cross. The Spyro social media accounts also changed their profile and header pictures to reflect the 25th anniversary.

All in all, it looks like they’re serious about celebrating the 25th anniversary, so I have my fingers crossed for a new Spyro game announcement! Crash Bandicoot got a new game just a few years ago (which I still need to play), so why not Spyro?

Despite falling away from the series after the original trilogy, I’d definitely be willing to give a brand-new Spyro game a chance. Do you think they’ll announce a new game for the anniversary?

Macbat 64 is a Delightful Little 3D Platformer

 Reviews, Video games  No Responses »  Tagged with:
Dec 052022
 

Among the many games I picked up in a bundle earlier this year were three 3D platformers from the indie developer Siactro: Toree 3D, which we discussed in March, its sequel Toree 2, and Macbat 64.

(I linked to the Steam version above, but it’s also available on the Switch, as well as on the Xbox as part of a bundle.)

Since Toree 3D and Toree 2 were both level-based 3D platformers, I expected Macbat 64 to be along the same lines.

So it was to my great delight that Macbat 64 is actually more like a miniature Banjo-Kazooie homage.

While it’s still split into levels, each level is a small explorable world with items to collect to reach your goals, usually by gathering items for NPCs in exchange for other items. For example, you might need four balloons to progress, and one character will give you a balloon in exchange for coins while another will give you one if you help them with a task.

(This setup of helping characters in exchange for items to trade for the items you need reminded me a bit of Frog Detective and its sequel, actually, although they’re adventure games instead of a platformer.)

A few levels switch up the gameplay, and overall it was a fun and charming experience that called back to 3D platformers like Banjo-Kazooie despite being much simpler.

In addition to the main story, there are some bonus levels unlocked at the end of the game, along with other secrets. A couple of the bonus levels felt like homages to Silent Hill, of all things, which just made me like it more. And then there was a Christmas-themed bonus level to make it perfect for this time of year!

Macbat 64 only takes a bit over an hour to complete, but it was absolutely delightful. I also realized shortly after starting it that a 3D platformer I’ve seen advertised on Twitter lately, Super Kiwi 3D, is the newest game from the same developer, so that will definitely be one to check out in the future. In the meantime, if you like this style of platformer and want something short and charming, check out Macbat 64!

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