The original game, Spyro the Dragon (1998), helped turn the character into an icon for the PlayStation (alongside Naughty Dog's Crash Bandicoot) and was soon followed up by two equally beloved sequels: Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! (1999) and Spyro: Year of the Dragon (2000). The pivot paid off, with Spyro becoming a critical darling in 1998 and a hit during the holidays. But it didn't begin that way Spyro was originally dark and mature, primarily influenced by Dragonheart, but the direction was later changed to appeal to a younger audience. Insomniac Games' little purple dragon was ultimately a great departure from the developer's first game, Disruptor. While there were many of those cartoonish beasts, few can boast a history as successful and strange as the hero we all know and love: Spyro the Dragon. The debut of the PlayStation in 1994 led to the arrival of CDs as viable software vessels and helped trigger the war of animal mascots. The '90s were one of the most important eras in gaming.
