Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!/Gateway to Glimmer (PS1, 1999)
Graphics-8.5 Sound-7.5 Control-7.5/6.5** Challenge-7/8?* Story-6
Level Design-8 Frustration-7/8* Fun-8/7* Originality-6
Overall Score-7.5
*Getting 100%
**During boss fights 2 and 3
+
Added mini-map (shows the basic layout in 2D TD view+your position+the current level's exit portal and current side quest NPC but not level entrances nor ability NPCs in hub areas (can talk to Elora and have her teleport you to an unplayed level in the current hub area though (except for in the last area for some reason but it's smaller)), can be toggled on/off)
Platform Adventure elements (gain some new and permanent abilities with which to reach new parts of previously visited areas (need to buy them with gems here): climbing, underwater swimming and charging/boosting (can swim on surfaces by default here) as well as charging into/out of water (TR1/Soul Reaver), headbash - ground stomp; still partially non-linear (hub areas with several level entrances open at once, can exit a partially finished level to go unlock more hub areas and levels, can at most get access to 6 regular levels at once here), the levels are a bit less linear overall, can exit levels at any point with your collecting progress saved (except for the glowing spheres progress which resets), can replay beaten levels - can only enter them from one spot though)
Some control improvements (added dynamic movement with analog support (can walk slowly near platform edges now - Mario 64, can jump while charging here, turning is somewhat tighter although it's also fairly easy to turn instead of circle around if you rotate the stick too quickly)
Improved camera (quick turn with L+R, faster (I think) but still somewhat slow to turn with your avatar when set to Active)
Each level now has a power up which you can activate for that level by collecting the glowing spheres (by beating enemies) and moving through its power up gate (temporary flight - similar to the bonus levels but inside the regular levels, springs, temporary invincibility - lets you walk on lava, supercharge (like the boost pads in Spyro 1), freeze attack which lets you use enemies as platforms (Metroid), temporary upgraded flame=long range fireball, fireball+extended flight combo; can move through each gate over and over to keep picking one up)
Many added side quests/mini-games inside levels (for getting the green orbs; some good: flight+spitting rocks at enemies one, the hockey game even if a bit drawn out, manta ray taming and race training - basically the flight bonus levels underwater except the rings pop up suddenly, monkey catching and flag thief chasing (latter is similar to chasing the spirit in OoT); some decent: bomb curling and UFO hunting (longer flight+fireball power-up), some are kinda slow and easy like the lizard shooting in level 1/glimmer or the fish feeding in level 2/idol springs - or they're just another search mission (Colossus green statues); some OK: the lightning ball replacement/thief catching is kinda drawn out since the thieves only appear when you move away from a segment and the thieves are easy to catch),
Glide jumps (Magical Taluluto Kun (MD)?) now have an added hop/"hover" at the end of them here - can still drop quickly downwards but still not use this as a stomp to attack or trigger switches (instead you use the headbash)
Can press all shoulder buttons to make Sparx (the fly mascot/HP display) point towards the nearest treasure (can help with getting those last gems you might've missed for example, seems to work best if the treasure is around the same position as you are vertically?)
Various possible sequence breaks via an unintended double jump (hold charge without pressing a direction in mid-air before you start falling for a bit and you'll go upwards a little bit, can also use it to bounce off of certain enemies and high into the air but this is much harder to pull off)
Basic quest log/journal (shows collecting percentages+number of gems out of the total number per level and if you've gotten the other items for any visited levels, doesn't show previous dialogue)
Better bosses (multiple phases and decent challenge, still few though, pretty innovative final boss fight (you both chase orbs dropped periodically by an ally and the one who gets 3 receives a temporary power-up corresponding to the color of the last one picked up (for Spyro: red=fireball, green=volley shot, blue=super charge) and it has three forms - would've been great if not for the control/camera issue also present during the second boss)
Some good puzzles (later super charge puzzles (similar to rolling puzzles in Wario Land 2) - these don't get as hard as in Spyro 1?, plant seeds to grow platforms in Zephyr by spitting them into soil spots - shooting the platforms or talking to the professor cancels them and gives back the seed (decent evolution of a similar thing in OoT/Mickey Mania), shoot out of sight enemy with a turret (volley shot, breeze harbor); and some decent ones: temporarily frozen enemies as platforms in cloud temple, cracked wall and gliding from on top of the castle hub area, door+platforming in first hub area, fireball timing puzzles - aquaria towers/underwater 1, )
Optional vibration/rumble
The flight-based bonus levels return and now incorporate charge running as well (time limited, you'll crash if you land in water)
Some nice effects (ice, rain) and better lighting/texturing/shading overall)
Skippable cutscenes and hints from the rescued dragons (can also speed up text on a per paragraph basis, some charming cutscenes when entering and exiting levels here)
Pretty good art direction (looks a bit like a Looney Tunes cartoon)
Very good animation and good visual variation
Great draw distance (achieved by gradually lowering the detail level the further away something is)
Partially destructible environment (various doors and walls)
The reward for 100% completion seems lame (64 orbs+10k gems needed for a permanent long range fireball shot/superflame) however it can be used in a new game+ on the same memory card as well
Running tackle attack/charge returns - can also be used to turn more quickly
Many hidden items
Decent voice acting (all NPCs are voiced?)
Skill points reward=epilogue chapter in the guidebook showing a bit of what happened after the events of the game)
+/-
Frequent checkpoints and you can save your collection progress anywhere (1 slot per game though (and only 3 per card), shows current level and overall completion percentage; the game also auto-saves when entering or exiting a level)
Still uses extra lives+unlimited continues
Can't attack NPCs
Can't jump on enemies to attack them except for with the stomp move
The game pulls gems and other items towards Spyro when passing them - seems slightly more reliable maybe but the range could've been longer to cover items in pots destroyed with the flame attack (for better flow)
Some forced collecting to be able to progress (100 here and there as key gating - not a big deal, 500 gems to buy underwater swimming and then to lower a wall - not too bad and you can skip the wall, 900 in total in the second hub area - fine if you had collected more than ~40% of the gems up until then, ~4000 in total which is also 40% of all gems) and some added items (1 talisman per level until the last hub area - easy to get, 2-3 green orbs per level and a few in the hub areas as well as one per flight bonus level - needed as they unlock some doors as well as the final boss (need 40/64 to get to him) and the Dragon Shores area (post-game area w/ some mini-games - 55/64 orbs+8k/10k gems needed), 10+ spirit particles/glowing spheres per level - to unlock a level's power up (see above),
Some animal cruelty (the neutral creatures are also the ones that drop HP)
Unusual health bar returns (colored dragonfly mascot following you around),
NPC dialogue cuts out the music completely (a semi-fade would've been better)
No traditional shops to unlock (for power ups or 1-ups)
Only two permanent attack types (getting 100% replaces the flame with the long range fireball)
No enemies in hub areas here besides the neutral creatures that drop HP
Mandatory boss battles here (were mostly skippable in 1)
Shorter animation (during which you lose control) when some enemies squish you but not for others
Can jump while running but stairs are often placed in such a way that you'll just run into them and ruin your flow if you try
Few and minor framerate drops
Many pits in later levels
Can't accelerate nor decelerate during flight
When falling into lethal liquids you still get a short time window where you can jump out of water without dying (lava instantly hurts but makes you bounce upwards)
The recurring thieves with eggs quest from Spyro 1 is gone but there's a similar quest in one level
Level transitions aren't as seamless here but you get intro cutscenes for every level instead
Missing some of the more interesting puzzles and enemies seen in spyro 1: make enemies break metal boxes with their cannons in the second area, enemies that trigger timed platforms, wizards that raise platforms to avoid you and block your path)
You never grow into a big dragon here either
No super charge/faster running via boost pads here (single power up-gates only)
Some of the power-ups aren't quite as fully explored as the supercharge/boost pads in Spyro 1 - difficulty options or a couple of optional challenge levels could've helped here
Redbook music (tracks fade out and restart, no dynamic transitions afaict)
-
Some control/interface issues (steering while running gets weird during the second boss fight, if you just tap the charge button then a jump during it won't register (a problem during the second save the villagers quest), no right analog stick support - released after Ape Escape and the controller had existed for 1.5 years, still can't move while using the FP free-look/aim mode (it's smooth but the top speed when rotating isn't quite fast enough), turning the camera is still kinda slow and sometimes doesn't work if you're near a wall - turning controls are also still reversed (L=clockwise turn and vice versa) and it can't be changed unless you emulate, jumping is still a bit slower than running, most stair climbing is a bit slow since you still get stunned for a bit from charging even into short walls (which could've sped up the climbing), seemingly pointless inconsistency in which enemies and pots you can and can't tackle/shoot at times), no button config meaning you can't map the hop at the end of a glide jump to a shoulder button (it's mapped to triangle while jump is cross), it takes ~20 seconds to load a game (have to quit to the main menu first or if in a level, exit it), can't charge/boost while surface swimming)
Some trial & error (part of the stealth segment in cloud temple, second save the villagers quest in badlands - need to memorize the order in which you beat the dinosaurs, kamikaze attacks from some enemies (skelos badlands), the step on colored blocks in the right order "puzzle" in level 2/idol springs, you're not told about all the objectives when first entering a flight bonus level and there are still no course maps in them, can get stuck and have to exit the level if you go behind a mini windmill in one spot in hurricos/the factory level, super charge puzzles though only the one in the farm is a bit annoying, a few very tight jumps)
Spirit particle/glowing sphere collection progress resets (on that note the game also replays the scene where you get a level's talisman even if you already have it)
Some dead space and dead ends (Colossus beginning, ) plus some padding in that various gems are too far off the main path of a level
Some tedious parts (the alchemist escort segment - would've been fine if you could either zoom out the camera more or the guy didn't take such a stupid path through the area, the cow herding part is too drawn out, some backtracking if you miss a jump in a high spot, easy and somewhat slow feed the leopard part, second boss fight gets a bit drawn out since you can't hit it twice in a row and sometimes can't get a good angle to bounce things into him)
No strafe/roll move here - makes combat simpler
Sometimes lame rewards for opening locked chests (just some gems, true for one of the harder super charge puzzles)
NPCs sometimes give useless hints
Some annoying music (Colossus level, intro to the Breeze Harbor track, Magma Cone's repeated "om nom" sample, Ripto's Arena)
Some scripting oddities (can't talk to some earlier side quest NPCs whose quests you've finished (a bit awkward) and some others repeat their dialogue as if you never beat their quest (hurricos), can't place the electric gate opening diodes in any way you want in Hurricos/factory level though it doesn't matter much, can only talk to one of the ice builders after freeing them to make them help you progress in the first ice level)
A few generic or even somewhat ugly characters (Elora up close looks a bit weird, a few other creatures)
Can't use some enemies and objects that look flat as platforms (frozen ice builders in the first ice level)
Somewhat weak impact from your standard fire breath attack (the attack itself, not the effect on enemies and objects)
Some difficulty spikes (crystal popcorn/whack-a-mole variation race vs. Hunter, second save the villagers quest)
Notes:
-Skill point achievements: https://spyro.fandom.com/wiki/Skill_Points
-Got 87% completion
-PocketStation and JP ver. info: http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/spyro-2-riptos-rage/
Bugs:
-The buttons behind the windmill in the factory level can become auto-pressed (slowing down the large fan platforms) if you take an alternate route through the level?
Level Design-8 Frustration-7/8* Fun-8/7* Originality-6
Overall Score-7.5
*Getting 100%
**During boss fights 2 and 3
+
Added mini-map (shows the basic layout in 2D TD view+your position+the current level's exit portal and current side quest NPC but not level entrances nor ability NPCs in hub areas (can talk to Elora and have her teleport you to an unplayed level in the current hub area though (except for in the last area for some reason but it's smaller)), can be toggled on/off)
Platform Adventure elements (gain some new and permanent abilities with which to reach new parts of previously visited areas (need to buy them with gems here): climbing, underwater swimming and charging/boosting (can swim on surfaces by default here) as well as charging into/out of water (TR1/Soul Reaver), headbash - ground stomp; still partially non-linear (hub areas with several level entrances open at once, can exit a partially finished level to go unlock more hub areas and levels, can at most get access to 6 regular levels at once here), the levels are a bit less linear overall, can exit levels at any point with your collecting progress saved (except for the glowing spheres progress which resets), can replay beaten levels - can only enter them from one spot though)
Some control improvements (added dynamic movement with analog support (can walk slowly near platform edges now - Mario 64, can jump while charging here, turning is somewhat tighter although it's also fairly easy to turn instead of circle around if you rotate the stick too quickly)
Improved camera (quick turn with L+R, faster (I think) but still somewhat slow to turn with your avatar when set to Active)
Each level now has a power up which you can activate for that level by collecting the glowing spheres (by beating enemies) and moving through its power up gate (temporary flight - similar to the bonus levels but inside the regular levels, springs, temporary invincibility - lets you walk on lava, supercharge (like the boost pads in Spyro 1), freeze attack which lets you use enemies as platforms (Metroid), temporary upgraded flame=long range fireball, fireball+extended flight combo; can move through each gate over and over to keep picking one up)
Many added side quests/mini-games inside levels (for getting the green orbs; some good: flight+spitting rocks at enemies one, the hockey game even if a bit drawn out, manta ray taming and race training - basically the flight bonus levels underwater except the rings pop up suddenly, monkey catching and flag thief chasing (latter is similar to chasing the spirit in OoT); some decent: bomb curling and UFO hunting (longer flight+fireball power-up), some are kinda slow and easy like the lizard shooting in level 1/glimmer or the fish feeding in level 2/idol springs - or they're just another search mission (Colossus green statues); some OK: the lightning ball replacement/thief catching is kinda drawn out since the thieves only appear when you move away from a segment and the thieves are easy to catch),
Glide jumps (Magical Taluluto Kun (MD)?) now have an added hop/"hover" at the end of them here - can still drop quickly downwards but still not use this as a stomp to attack or trigger switches (instead you use the headbash)
Can press all shoulder buttons to make Sparx (the fly mascot/HP display) point towards the nearest treasure (can help with getting those last gems you might've missed for example, seems to work best if the treasure is around the same position as you are vertically?)
Various possible sequence breaks via an unintended double jump (hold charge without pressing a direction in mid-air before you start falling for a bit and you'll go upwards a little bit, can also use it to bounce off of certain enemies and high into the air but this is much harder to pull off)
Basic quest log/journal (shows collecting percentages+number of gems out of the total number per level and if you've gotten the other items for any visited levels, doesn't show previous dialogue)
Better bosses (multiple phases and decent challenge, still few though, pretty innovative final boss fight (you both chase orbs dropped periodically by an ally and the one who gets 3 receives a temporary power-up corresponding to the color of the last one picked up (for Spyro: red=fireball, green=volley shot, blue=super charge) and it has three forms - would've been great if not for the control/camera issue also present during the second boss)
Some good puzzles (later super charge puzzles (similar to rolling puzzles in Wario Land 2) - these don't get as hard as in Spyro 1?, plant seeds to grow platforms in Zephyr by spitting them into soil spots - shooting the platforms or talking to the professor cancels them and gives back the seed (decent evolution of a similar thing in OoT/Mickey Mania), shoot out of sight enemy with a turret (volley shot, breeze harbor); and some decent ones: temporarily frozen enemies as platforms in cloud temple, cracked wall and gliding from on top of the castle hub area, door+platforming in first hub area, fireball timing puzzles - aquaria towers/underwater 1, )
Optional vibration/rumble
The flight-based bonus levels return and now incorporate charge running as well (time limited, you'll crash if you land in water)
Some nice effects (ice, rain) and better lighting/texturing/shading overall)
Skippable cutscenes and hints from the rescued dragons (can also speed up text on a per paragraph basis, some charming cutscenes when entering and exiting levels here)
Pretty good art direction (looks a bit like a Looney Tunes cartoon)
Very good animation and good visual variation
Great draw distance (achieved by gradually lowering the detail level the further away something is)
Partially destructible environment (various doors and walls)
The reward for 100% completion seems lame (64 orbs+10k gems needed for a permanent long range fireball shot/superflame) however it can be used in a new game+ on the same memory card as well
Running tackle attack/charge returns - can also be used to turn more quickly
Many hidden items
Decent voice acting (all NPCs are voiced?)
Skill points reward=epilogue chapter in the guidebook showing a bit of what happened after the events of the game)
+/-
Frequent checkpoints and you can save your collection progress anywhere (1 slot per game though (and only 3 per card), shows current level and overall completion percentage; the game also auto-saves when entering or exiting a level)
Still uses extra lives+unlimited continues
Can't attack NPCs
Can't jump on enemies to attack them except for with the stomp move
The game pulls gems and other items towards Spyro when passing them - seems slightly more reliable maybe but the range could've been longer to cover items in pots destroyed with the flame attack (for better flow)
Some forced collecting to be able to progress (100 here and there as key gating - not a big deal, 500 gems to buy underwater swimming and then to lower a wall - not too bad and you can skip the wall, 900 in total in the second hub area - fine if you had collected more than ~40% of the gems up until then, ~4000 in total which is also 40% of all gems) and some added items (1 talisman per level until the last hub area - easy to get, 2-3 green orbs per level and a few in the hub areas as well as one per flight bonus level - needed as they unlock some doors as well as the final boss (need 40/64 to get to him) and the Dragon Shores area (post-game area w/ some mini-games - 55/64 orbs+8k/10k gems needed), 10+ spirit particles/glowing spheres per level - to unlock a level's power up (see above),
Some animal cruelty (the neutral creatures are also the ones that drop HP)
Unusual health bar returns (colored dragonfly mascot following you around),
NPC dialogue cuts out the music completely (a semi-fade would've been better)
No traditional shops to unlock (for power ups or 1-ups)
Only two permanent attack types (getting 100% replaces the flame with the long range fireball)
No enemies in hub areas here besides the neutral creatures that drop HP
Mandatory boss battles here (were mostly skippable in 1)
Shorter animation (during which you lose control) when some enemies squish you but not for others
Can jump while running but stairs are often placed in such a way that you'll just run into them and ruin your flow if you try
Few and minor framerate drops
Many pits in later levels
Can't accelerate nor decelerate during flight
When falling into lethal liquids you still get a short time window where you can jump out of water without dying (lava instantly hurts but makes you bounce upwards)
The recurring thieves with eggs quest from Spyro 1 is gone but there's a similar quest in one level
Level transitions aren't as seamless here but you get intro cutscenes for every level instead
Missing some of the more interesting puzzles and enemies seen in spyro 1: make enemies break metal boxes with their cannons in the second area, enemies that trigger timed platforms, wizards that raise platforms to avoid you and block your path)
You never grow into a big dragon here either
No super charge/faster running via boost pads here (single power up-gates only)
Some of the power-ups aren't quite as fully explored as the supercharge/boost pads in Spyro 1 - difficulty options or a couple of optional challenge levels could've helped here
Redbook music (tracks fade out and restart, no dynamic transitions afaict)
-
Some control/interface issues (steering while running gets weird during the second boss fight, if you just tap the charge button then a jump during it won't register (a problem during the second save the villagers quest), no right analog stick support - released after Ape Escape and the controller had existed for 1.5 years, still can't move while using the FP free-look/aim mode (it's smooth but the top speed when rotating isn't quite fast enough), turning the camera is still kinda slow and sometimes doesn't work if you're near a wall - turning controls are also still reversed (L=clockwise turn and vice versa) and it can't be changed unless you emulate, jumping is still a bit slower than running, most stair climbing is a bit slow since you still get stunned for a bit from charging even into short walls (which could've sped up the climbing), seemingly pointless inconsistency in which enemies and pots you can and can't tackle/shoot at times), no button config meaning you can't map the hop at the end of a glide jump to a shoulder button (it's mapped to triangle while jump is cross), it takes ~20 seconds to load a game (have to quit to the main menu first or if in a level, exit it), can't charge/boost while surface swimming)
Some trial & error (part of the stealth segment in cloud temple, second save the villagers quest in badlands - need to memorize the order in which you beat the dinosaurs, kamikaze attacks from some enemies (skelos badlands), the step on colored blocks in the right order "puzzle" in level 2/idol springs, you're not told about all the objectives when first entering a flight bonus level and there are still no course maps in them, can get stuck and have to exit the level if you go behind a mini windmill in one spot in hurricos/the factory level, super charge puzzles though only the one in the farm is a bit annoying, a few very tight jumps)
Spirit particle/glowing sphere collection progress resets (on that note the game also replays the scene where you get a level's talisman even if you already have it)
Some dead space and dead ends (Colossus beginning, ) plus some padding in that various gems are too far off the main path of a level
Some tedious parts (the alchemist escort segment - would've been fine if you could either zoom out the camera more or the guy didn't take such a stupid path through the area, the cow herding part is too drawn out, some backtracking if you miss a jump in a high spot, easy and somewhat slow feed the leopard part, second boss fight gets a bit drawn out since you can't hit it twice in a row and sometimes can't get a good angle to bounce things into him)
No strafe/roll move here - makes combat simpler
Sometimes lame rewards for opening locked chests (just some gems, true for one of the harder super charge puzzles)
NPCs sometimes give useless hints
Some annoying music (Colossus level, intro to the Breeze Harbor track, Magma Cone's repeated "om nom" sample, Ripto's Arena)
Some scripting oddities (can't talk to some earlier side quest NPCs whose quests you've finished (a bit awkward) and some others repeat their dialogue as if you never beat their quest (hurricos), can't place the electric gate opening diodes in any way you want in Hurricos/factory level though it doesn't matter much, can only talk to one of the ice builders after freeing them to make them help you progress in the first ice level)
A few generic or even somewhat ugly characters (Elora up close looks a bit weird, a few other creatures)
Can't use some enemies and objects that look flat as platforms (frozen ice builders in the first ice level)
Somewhat weak impact from your standard fire breath attack (the attack itself, not the effect on enemies and objects)
Some difficulty spikes (crystal popcorn/whack-a-mole variation race vs. Hunter, second save the villagers quest)
Notes:
-Skill point achievements: https://spyro.fandom.com/wiki/Skill_Points
-Got 87% completion
-PocketStation and JP ver. info: http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/spyro-2-riptos-rage/
Bugs:
-The buttons behind the windmill in the factory level can become auto-pressed (slowing down the large fan platforms) if you take an alternate route through the level?