Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure Review

It has been a while since Spyro has graced a console game. While Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure is technically a new game in the series, Spyro is really just an accessory. Speaking of accessories, if you have not already heard, Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure is a $70 game that comes with three figurines, a circular portal that you put the figure on and the game. Other figures have to be purchased in the toy department.

The concept is really quite simple. The figures don’t do anything that could not already be done in the game. Basically they are little action figures (although you can’t move their body parts) that activate when on the portal. The portal has a USB cord connected to your system that then brings that character into the game with their unique abilities. Switching between characters is as seamless as exchanging characters.

The game itself is intended for younger audiences. Older gamers will find it to be too easy and will probably get bored, but kids will eat it up. Each character has a couple basic moves and their own special abilities to choose from which can be upgrade. Parts of the world will be inaccessible unless you have a certain type of character such as water or magic. Aside from basic fighting and platforming are puzzles to solve, but nothing that is too hard for most kids.

Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure is an admittedly cute game. All of the characters are well-drawn and playful. The world is bright, colorful and lively. The one thing that I will say that annoyed the heck out of me was all of the dialogue. They have a bad habit of yapping on and on without an option to skip it. Kids may lose interest in the game with all of the talking that goes on.

Activision took what would have been a generic but cute platformer and turned it into an expensive money trap for parents. The concept is honestly pretty neat for kids. I’m surprised that it hasn’t been done before with a game like Pokemon. Imagine having a collection of Pokemon figures that you could then fight against a friend’s collection. Anyone above the age of twelve will probably get more satisfaction from more mature content, but as an interactive toy, Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure is an innovative product.