Top 10 Best Spyro the Dragon Games

The original trilogy is clearly better than any Spyro games that came afterward. But what makes Year of the Dragon better than the original and Gateway to Glimmer (Ripto's Rage for you NTSCers)? Better level design, much tighter controls (hover is a godsend), and actual functional boss battles than the original (cast your mind back to the original boss battles: very unimpressive). Plus, there is much more variety than in Gateway to Glimmer (all the extra challenges and bigger levels).

It pays homage to the previous Spyro games (Super Bonus World inspired by Gnasty's Loot) and improves upon them in every way.

Possibly my favorite game of all time. This game just oozes nostalgia, but it's not just the childhood memories that make this a great game. The graphics at the time were brilliant. The characters were lovable. The levels were outstanding.

There was so much to do, from the story and quests to riddles and following the chimes of a hidden bouncing orb. The bosses were actually fun. The soundtrack and visual surroundings just seem to bring a level of comfort only this game can achieve. Outstanding.

Well, this is the first Spyro game I ever played, and man! Was I amazed! I did love it! Really! This game was the best of all games at the time (FF7 is one of the best of the time, but I was a kid, so for my age at that time, this game was perfect!)

The first game was truly magical. The levels were beautiful, and they really combined well with the music and the sound effects to give the game this real mystical atmosphere. And there are no annoying sidekicks - just you and your dragonfly. No stupid cheetahs.

It makes for a calm sort of isolation that combines with the atmosphere of the game to really give a sense of wonder. Amazing game!

The Legend of Spyro trilogy has been a bit of a mixed bag for me. Yes, it incorporated beat-em-up elements that would later be used for Skylanders, but the combat was just repetitive, with very few satisfying moves and randomly-generated names for the enemies - at least, for A New Beginning and The Eternal Night.

Then, Dawn of the Dragon came and made me change my mind. For the first time in the series, you can fly around freely, with no restrictions. Cynder has been given a ton of character development as well. The graphics have also received a massive upgrade, which is like something you'll see in a later 7th-generation game. It's just awesome.

Plus, the song that plays in the credits is very heartfelt and a good sendoff to the trilogy. See you in Skylanders and the Reignited Trilogy, Spyro.

Amazing game. Some of the mini-games were so-so, but the main gameplay was to die for, and the graphics and score were amazing. My personal favorite.

I remember when my dad got this and The Eternal Night for me on the PS2. I barely ever played The Eternal Night, but I would honestly play this. Every. Single. Day!

Amazing game. To be honest, my favorite Spyro game tied with Year of the Dragon. Very nostalgic. My favorite game of all time.

Eternal Night is the only game in history that ever made me cry! Not even The Walking Dead prevailed to make it happen! And am I the only one that gets this unexplainable feeling in the chest whenever I listen to this broken soul?

Personally, this game was the turning point of the new series. It is dark, emotional, and highly engaging.

I personally don't get how this is below The Eternal Night. I liked both, but The Eternal Night was kind of broken compared to this and Dawn of the Dragon. It took longer to load, it's way too hard for its intended audience, the controls weren't as good, etc. It's just my opinion, though.

The first Spyro game with the legendary type of storyline and a magnificently developed character. And not to mention a foe who isn't really a foe. And the comic relief that Sparx manages all the time.

The whole game is made so lovely, with a perfect flow and a feeling of both wanting and not wanting to reach the end.

I highly enjoyed this game. The fact that you can use other breathing powers and fly is enticing. I just wish I wouldn't have had a mean brother who smashed the system with the game inside. This game or the original are my choices, but I'm old-fashioned.

I just thought Spyro looked a bit ugly. Other than that, this game is fun.

Not too bad if you play the GameCube version on the Dolphin emulator.

I'd say it counts as a Spyro game a little bit, maybe even the second one would, but after that, Spyro's role in it sort of died. This game was fun and new, though, but after that, the Skylanders series went downhill, becoming more of a "try to get more characters than Pokémon does and jack up a profit" vs. "new, inventive game that happens to get big money."

I want that game! It's totally awesome! You can change your character at any moment! And there are new characters you have never seen before!

Former Insomniac Games developer Mike Stout worked on it.

It wasn't that bad. It was a little difficult to navigate, but it had a great concept for free roam.

I really like the Spyro the Dragon GBA trilogy. I wonder why Season of Flame was never released in Japan like its predecessor, Spyro: Season of Ice.

Since it wasn't released in Japan like Spyro: Season of Ice, I say Nintendo should publish this in Japan.

This isn't my favorite Spyro, but I feel it's too low on the list and should definitely be above the new Spyros, which were pretty painful to play. I did like the crossover in this game, especially when played with Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage. It was a cool twist on two great series!

A fun minigame that, while not the best in the series, deserves to be higher on the list, as one of my fellow voters pointed out. I spent a lot of time playing it as a kid and, when viewed under the eyes of a minigame collection, it still holds up pretty well, in my opinion.