#inpressions

So in my downtime from recording I’ve been playing some other games, most recent of which was the Spyro Reignited Trilogy. Specifically the Spyro 2 part, which is actually the game I have the least nostalgia towards. (Played 1 and 3 as a kid, I didn’t play 2 until I was a teenager) Just got done 100%-ing the entire first world.  Overall, I think there are aspects that remake does better, and things the original did better. But I’m really enjoying the remake so far.  So, positives and negatives. Positives: -The controls. I was worried controls based on a pre-analogue PS1 game would have issues, but Spyro controls like a dream. On land anyway.  -Controlling the camera with the right stick. I know this is standard in games now, but in the original you had to use L1 and R1 to rotate the camera. This is a VAST improvement.  -Cassandra Lee Morris as Elora. AMAZING. I’m biased because she’s probably my second favourite voice actress after Laura Bailey, but I seriously never want to go back to PS1 Elora now.  -As weird as it is that Hunter’s original VA is actually IN the remake but... not as Hunter, I actually prefer Robbie Daymond’s Hunter to the original. He sounds a lot more genuinely friendly than unintentionally condescending. And he plays him more like a “lovable idiot” than just plain idiot.  -I like Moneybags’ new VA more than the original one from 2 as well. (Not sure if it’s up there with his Spyro 3 voice though) -Actually, pretty much all the new voices are great. I like the ultra-calm voices the Colossus Monks have now, compared to their weird voices from the original.  -Speaking of Colossus VAs, the final Monk’s dialogue is actually consistent with the subtitles now! (Originally he said “kill” while the subs said “torch”) -I love the hockey posters in Colossus. Adds more character to the world.  -The turtle NPCs in Sunny Beach actually look like turtles now, rather than nondescript Muppets.  -OH MY GOSH SUPERFLAME SPYRO LOOKS SO FREAKING COOL NOW!!! (The underwater version of its shots look better now too) -The hockey skill point is far less frustrating. (Mixed on this though, see negatives) -For some reason, a bunch of aesthetic changes to the Crush fight: a MUCH more unique arena, Crush actually looking menacing, and the new attack visuals, make the boss fight far more memorable than it originally was. (At least to me. Always found the original Crush fight pretty boring. Here the actual fight is the same but it’s got a lot more personality) And now some negatives. These are things I feel the original did better, split into major and minor.  Major Negatives: -When you die, there’s a loading screen before you respawn. It’s not too long, but the original PS1 games didn’t do this.  -While the land camera is great, the underwater camera is a bit weird, and it’s easy to get it stuck on things. Tip: don’t move the right stick underwater. The camera automatically centres on you while you’re moving with the left.  -The AI on the opponent in Colossus hockey is kind of a joke now. He used to be super-aggressive the moment you got the puck, now he just goes back to his goal and tries to play defence.  -For the “Get the Lightning Stones from the Thieves” side mission in Hurricos, no alarm sounds to warn you when new thieves spawn. Also, only one thief seems to be active at a time.  -Biggest gripe: in the “Turtle Soup” side missions in Sunny Beach, the camera doesn’t shift to an overhead view, making the minigame a lot harder than it should be for all the wrong reasons.  Minor Nitpicks: -Gems don’t cascade into your total between levels. -Camera is a bit too zoomed-in in the speedways. -The bonus Orb challenge in speedways no longer have a “Challenge Completed: Orb Awarded” results screen. Instead, they auto-restart the speedway.

Wow...who knew that Butch Hartman was not only an incredible artist and cartoon creator but also a good voice actor too!