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Both games sold very well, and Crash Bandicoot has since had a brand-new game, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. Since Crash 4 was developed & published by the same teams that made the Reignited Trilogy, fans have hope that the purple dragon will receive a new game of his own in due time. This hype might have fans itching to play games similar to Spyro in the meantime.
Updated by Updated on March 11, 2022 by Patrick Mocella: Unfortunately for Spyro fans, the tease of a new Spyro game has yet to materialize into anything substantial. Now that Microsoft has purchased Activision Blizzard, the return of the purple dragon is put further into doubt and rumors of his return have grown cold. Luckily however, there is a massive catalog of 3D platformers which have several elements of Spyro’s gameplay, design and art style. Many of these games also had homes on the PS1, they also made their way outside of Sony’s first console and competed with bandicoots, dragons and other animal mascots that dominated 90s gaming.
20 Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko
If there was ever a product of the 1990s, it was Gex the Gecko. He was one of several anthropomorphic animal mascots in the decade but while his games never quite hit the level of a Spyro The Dragon. That’s not to say Gecko’s games are bad however, as his second and third adventures are perfectly solid 3D platformers.
Gex 3: Enter The Gecko particularly has a ton of vehicle and alternate gameplay styles that will remind players of the vehicles and alternate characters from the Spyro games.
19 Rayman 2: The Great Escape
Before Ubisoft became known for blockbuster franchises like Assassin’s Creed, the undisputed mascot of the company was the utterly quirky Rayman. While his original 2D game may have got the ball rolling on the series, the franchise really started to gain momentum with Rayman 2: The Great Escape.
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Like many 3D platformers, including Spyro, players will gain new abilities as they progress through the game and collect “Lums” to make your way to the final boss. While The Great Escape has not aged as well as others on this list, it’s still a decent time for fans of this era of gaming.
18 Ape Escape
Ape Escape is without a doubt one of the most unique games on this list, mostly on the basis of its control. Unlike a lot of games from its era that, at most used, the left thumbstick on the PS1’s Dualshock controller, Ape Escape used the right thumbstick to control the gadgets in the game
Throughout the game, the player controls a boy named Spike as he captures a bunch of monkeys given increased intelligence by the villain of the game, Specter, that are running loose over history. While Ape Escape’s tone and pacing can be a bit jarring to those used to Spyro, the variety of gadgets, catchy music and number of ways to collect the game’s crucial items will remind many of the purple dragon’s classic gameplay.
17 Bugs Bunny & Taz: Time Busters
In an era filled with anthropomorphic animals, it’s only fitting that one of animation’s most iconic animals got his 3D platformer. Bugs Bunny & Taz: Time Busters released in 2000 and, like Ape Escape, has its main characters traveling through time.
While this game is much simpler in nature than others on this list, Time Busters also has a charming visual style with a good variety of stages filled with collectibles that are earned in various ways. Something that makes this game stand out though is that it is fully co-op, something rarely seen in 3D platformers of the PS1 era.
16 Sonic Adventure
The game that truly kicked off Sonic’s career in the third dimension, Sonic Adventure, for the most part, successfully brought the hedgehog into modern gaming but still managed to retain the speed that gamers fell in love with in the Genesis era.
While Sonic’s running is much faster than Spyro’s charge, it will still give gamers a taste of the speed found in the dragon’s titles. What makes Sonic Adventure more like Spyro: Year Of The Dragon in particular is how you can play as multiple characters, including Tails and Knuckles whose stages play out much differently than Sonic’s.
15 New Super Lucky’s Tale
Playful Studios’ New Super Lucky’s Tale is an enhanced version of 2017’s Super Lucky’s Tale. The game makes numerous changes from the original, including a much-needed camera fix and improvements to the level design.
New Super Lucky’s Tale is a great choice for casual players as the game doesn’t try to challenge them with an influx of enemies or challenging platforming sections. However, the game isn’t insultingly easy, as not only will some of the puzzles have players scratching their heads, but completing New Super Lucky’s Tale 100% is no easy feat.
14 The Lego Games
In 2005, Traveller’s Tales crafted an enjoyable collectathon formula with LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game that has been reused many times to great success since. The LEGO games are considered today to be a cornerstone of casual gaming, as not only are they great fun to pick up and play with a friend, but every game comes equipped with a fantastic reward system that encourages players to 100% each game, much like the Spyro series.
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The games all feature a similar gameplay style, so deciding which LEGO title to play is as simple as picking which set of characters you most want to see reimagined in brick form.
13 A Hat in Time
Gears for Breakfast’s platforming adventure A Hat in Time was initially released on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 in 2017 before coming to Nintendo Switch two years later. The game is reminiscent of the classic Banjo-Kazooie with its large, open levels filled with tons to do and collect.
A Hat In Time was fairly well-received by critics, exemplified by its Metascores, which ranged from 74 to 79 across its four releases. Praise from critics was directed towards the level and art design, along with the heartwarming character models.
12 Sackboy: A Big Adventure
LittleBigPlanet spin-off, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, was released on the PlayStation 4 and as a launch title for the PlayStation 5. The game received a warm reception from critics, achieving Metascores of 83 and 79 on the two Sony consoles respectively.
The game differents itself from the LittleBigPlanet titles by switching the 2.5D perspective for fully 3D views and movement but keeps the level variety that made the games so special. Sackboy: A Big Adventure’s vast range of playstyles and objectives helps the platformer stand out and ensures that the gameplay never becomes stale.
11 Psychonauts
The cult classic platformer, Psychonauts, was released in 2005 and differentiated itself from other titles in its genre with unique gameplay mechanics centered around the playable character’s psychic abilities; Raz can use invisibility, telekinesis, levitation, and other powers obtained throughout the game to help him on his journey.
Psychonauts is another IP, along with Spyro and Crash Bandicoot, that may spark a resurgence of the platforming genre, as Xbox Game Studios recently announced that they’re teaming up with Double Fine to release Psychonauts 2 sometime this year.
10 Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
Spyro and Crash have gone hand in hand for many years. From the PlayStation 1 games when hidden demos appeared on their counterparts discs, to the recent Crash 4 where Spyro appears as an inflatable ring and balloon float.
The N. Sane Trilogy mixes platforming with collectathon gameplay, just like Spyro. The levels are considerably more focused on platforming, but each stage has many boxes to smash for a clear gem, and some have hidden colored gems to find.
9 Yooka-Laylee
A spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie, Yooka-Laylee was met with a lukewarm reception upon release. The game wasn’t bad by any means, but it failed to live up to its high expectations. Despite this setback, Yooka-Laylee is still one of the best collectathons released in recent years.
Each level is littered with collectibles to find, such as Pagies, Ghost Quills, and Ghost Writers. The game has since received a sequel, although it featured a drastic change in playstyle. Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair plays more like Donkey Kong Country & Rayman Origins and was well-received upon release.
8 Sly Cooper And The Thievius Raccoonus
Sly Cooper mixes two of the most polar opposite genres in gaming, platforming, and stealth. Despite this contrast, it’s an absolute joy to play. The series is no walk in the park, though, as Sly can be defeated in just a single blow.
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Slipping past guards isn’t the thing that players need to be wary of, as each level has hidden clue bottles to collect. Any of the Sly Cooper games are worth a try, but the original game is still the best of the bunch.
7 Ratchet And Clank: Going Commando
Like the Sly Cooper series, all of the Ratchet and Clank games are worth playing. The series is made by Insomniac Games, the same developers as the original Spyro the Dragon trilogy, who are best known today for their work on the recent Spider-Man titles.
Ratchet and Clank’s gunplay is radically different from Spyro’s combat, but the game draws similarities with its many platforming sections and collectathon gameplay, as there are a plethora of bolts to collect in each level that can be used to purchase new weapons.
6 SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated
SpongeBob’s 6th gen cult classic was given the remaster treatment at the start of 2020. The game lets players control SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy as they try to stop Plankton and his robot minions. The levels occur in some of the show’s most iconic locations, such as Goo Lagoon, Rock Bottom, and Jellyfish fields. Battle for Bikini Bottom is remembered fondly for its excellent boss fights and open levels with much to collect.
5 Ty The Tasmanian Tiger
Ty The Tasmanian Tiger is structured similarly to both Spyro and Crash Bandicoot. The game has multiple zones, each made up of three portals that lead to its levels. Each level tasks players with collecting Thunder Eggs. These eggs are collected by completing objectives, freeing Bilbies, beating the time attack mode, or simply finding them within the level. Once 17 are collected, players can take on one of the game’s bosses before reaching a new zone.
4 Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear To The Rescue
Much like the original Spyro trilogy, Toy Story 2 pushed the PS1’s capabilities to the limit with some of the best open levels available on the console. Each level’s design was ingenious, with standard household items requiring precise platforming to traverse.
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The game’s 10 levels each contain 5 Pizza Planet tokens to collect. These tokens are usually collected by defeating mini-bosses, solving puzzles, winning races, or completing various objectives. There are also 5 boss levels in the game. The boss stages are all great fun and offer welcome variety to the movie tie-in.
3 Banjo-Kazooie
Rare isn’t just known for pioneering the FPS genre with GoldenEye. They were also a key player in the rise of collectathon games with Banjo-Kazooie on the Nintendo 64. Banjo-Kazooie has nine different worlds, each littered with collectibles. Among these collectibles are Musical Notes, Feathers, Honeycombs, and Jiggies. These Jiggies are key to completing the game as they complete portal-like puzzles that give players access to new worlds. The worlds still have some of the smartest level designs available in gaming today.
2 Jak And Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
Like many games on this list, The Precursor Legacy is not only very similar to Spyro in playstyle, but it is also a fantastic game in its own right. Like Spyro, players need to complete objectives in each stage. Furthermore, levels are littered with collectibles known as Precursor orbs. These orbs are very similar to Spyro’s gems. Jak 2 and Jak 3 are also great games, but the original game is the best fit as it focused on platforming rather than action.
1 Super Mario Odyssey
Realistically, any of Mario’s 3D adventures could have featured on this list. Super Mario 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy are all amazing games to check out as well. Odyssey tops the pile for the sheer number of moons to collect in the game.
The moons are similar to stars from the previous games, and there are a whopping 880 to collect. This makes Super Mario Odyssey not only Mario’s biggest adventure yet but also one of the most packed collectathons ever. Furthermore, Odyssey offers some of the best platforming in gaming.
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