Spyro 2: Season of Flame
Spyro recovers stolen fireflies to restore dragons' fire breath.
Released in 2002 for the Game Boy Advance, Spyro 2: Season of Flame was created by Digital Eclipse and brought out by Universal Interactive. This fifth Spyro title, following Season of Ice, earned mostly positive reviews, with many critics finding it better than the earlier game.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Digital Eclipse
- Publisher
- Universal Interactive
- Director
- Michael Mika Sr.
- Producer
- Trent Ward
- Programmer
- Pierre-Luc Tardif
- Artist
- Ryan Slemko
- Composer
- Robert Baffy; Ed Cosico
- Series
- Spyro
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
The player controls Spyro the Dragon as he travels through the Dragon Realms to recover stolen fireflies. Fireflies are found in open areas or hidden behind obstacles, and can also be earned by completing tasks for citizens. Spyro can freeze fireflies with his ice breath to collect them. Portals in the Dragon Realms transport Spyro to other worlds where he helps creatures troubled by Rhynocs; completing these tasks opens a portal back. Some portals require a certain number of rescued fireflies to access. At the start, Spyro can breathe freezing air, charge through armored enemies and containers, glide, and hover at the end of flight. Rescuing enough fireflies restores his fire breath, which can be toggled with the select button. Later, he gains the ability to headbutt and break rock formations. Special gates temporarily enhance his fire breath range, ice breath potency, or grant electric breath to recharge generators. Gems are the main collectible, scattered throughout and hidden in baskets and vases that must be broken open. Gems are used to buy services from Moneybags. Sparx the dragonfly serves as Spyro's health meter, starting with four hit points and four lives. Spyro loses a hit point each time he is harmed, and Sparx changes color accordingly; when three hit points are lost, Sparx disappears. Hit points are restored by feeding Sparx butterflies obtained from killing small animals. Special butterflies grant extra lives. Sparx can also offer advice on challenges, which can be toggled on or off from the pause menu.
Plot
After the events of Spyro: Season of Ice, Spyro returns to the Dragon Realms to find that an army of Rhynocs has stolen all the fireflies. Without the fireflies' magic, dragons cannot breathe fire, and their breath becomes icy cold, causing temperatures to drop and threatening migration. Spyro, Sparx, Bianca, and Hunter set out to find the culprit. A fairy later informs them that Ripto stole the fireflies. The group fights Ripto's minions Crush and Gulp, then confronts Ripto in a volcano and defeats him. The fireflies are released, warming the Dragon Realms.
Reception
Season of Flame received generally favorable reviews on Metacritic. Steve Steinberg of GameSpy praised its challenging and varied gameplay and colorful graphics. Anise Hollingshead of GameZone criticized the short length and sameness of minigames but called it a great family game. Craig Harris of IGN and Frank Provo of GameSpot declared it superior to its predecessor in several areas. Four-Eyed Dragon of GamePro cited tricky controls as the only negative, noting that the digital directional pad does not allow smooth diagonal movement. Ben Kosmina of Nintendo World Report found controls not improved from Season of Ice, calling gliding awkward. Game Informer said jumping portions were iffy and caused frequent deaths from misreading the view. Scott Alan Marriott of AllGame cited engaging graphics, humor, and puzzles but noted better controls and more varied objectives would help. Nintendo Power observed the same isometric perspective and style as Season of Ice. Martin Taylor of Eurogamer cited boredom as the major flaw, stating nothing makes the player want to continue. The game sold 670,000 units in the U.S. and earned $15 million by August 2006, ranking 39th highest-selling game for Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, or PlayStation Portable in that country between January 2000 and August 2006.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who directed Spyro 2: Season of Flame?
Spyro 2: Season of Flame was directed by Michael Mika Sr.
Who composed the music for Spyro 2: Season of Flame?
The music for Spyro 2: Season of Flame was composed by Robert Baffy and Ed Cosico.
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