"A Great Game, that ads at Least a little Innovation to the Series"

I have always been in love with Spyro. Since the very beginning when he was, ''Just Another Platformer'' to most people, I played and loved the game. I still go back and play the original every few months just to get my Spyro feel back. When I first heard about this game, I was excited, yet nervous. Could this game as good as the console versions? Would it ruin the great(or not so great to some people) rep of the Spyro series? Well, I was actually surprised at how good this game turned out. It keeps the feel of the console games, while adding new aspects to the game play.

Graphics: 10/10
The Graphics in S:SoF are wonderful. They animate smoothly, and they seem to be completely seamless. I am not a graphics person normally, but this is as close to eye candy you will get on the GBA. The enemies, and breath effects are all well done.

Game Play: 8/10
The designers seemed to emphasize more on the graphics then they did on the game play in this game. But I have to say, the puzzles and mini games are a LOT different then the ones you would see in the consoles, and the variations of them give you quite a different feel to the game. The secondary characters, namely Sheila and Agent 9, are a breath of fresh air. Their game play is completely different then what I was expecting. Playing as Agent 9 is EXACTLY like playing an old 2D shooter game, giving the game an old school feel to it. And Sheila's game is a bit different, as you have to move on 3D squares. It is a bit confusing at first, but once you get it, it is rather deep, as you have to strategize on what direction you want to go. It is almost like playing a 3D board game. Just because of these side levels, the game deserves a good game play score.

Control: 5/10
The one thing that really hits this game is the control, while it is not exactly bad, it could have been a lot better. The control is responsive at times, but at other times, it has a bit of a lag. And Spyro has so many moves, you will use parts of the GBA you usually dont use to do all of them. It adds a bit too much thinking to the game. It also makes some of the mini games close to impossible. What also hinders this, is some horrible camera angles. Most of the time you can not see where you are jumping to, so you die needlessly many, many times.

Music: 10/10
The music is gorgeous. It fits every mood, and every level perfectly. For example, there is a level with leprechauns, and the music there is Irish sounding. Totally perfect for the mood. It is upbeat, jazzy, and what you would expect of Spyro games. While some may not like it, I personally find it a great soundtrack, as everything fits together seamlessly.

All in All: 8/10
While I have blasted this game in this review, I have a tendency to be rather pessimistic. There are a LOT of high and redeeming points in this game, as well as the low points. If you have a GBA, and even remotely like the Spyro or platform games, this if definitely for you. It seems to be a bit more challenging then it console predecessors, but it is a fun experience nonetheless.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/21/03, Updated 02/21/03