Spyro: Season of Ice

Spyro: Season of Ice brought the beloved little dragon Spyro from his PlayStation adventures to the Game Boy Advance, turning his story into a platforming quest to rescue dragons who had been frozen by the spell of the evil sorceress Ripto Rita, as she tried to steal the magic of the Dragon Realms for her own goals. The game was created by Digital Eclipse, a studio that specialized in bringing console franchises to the handheld format.

Unlike its 3D source material, Season of Ice is a classic side-scrolling 2D platformer, in which Spyro moves through a series of themed worlds, collects gems, flies through short sections, and defeats opponents using fiery breath and a charged headbutt that can even break through tougher enemies. Along the way he also visits smaller minigames and bonus sections, meant to add variety to the otherwise straightforward progression through each world and give players a break from pure action between stage challenges. The level design alternates faster action passages with slower platforming puzzles, matching the traditional layout of the genre on the GBA and offering players regular rewards in the form of new areas and further characters to free. The graphics rely on bright colors and simple, clear backgrounds, while the music continues the lighthearted, fairy-tale tone that Spyro carried even on the big consoles.

Reactions to the game were mixed, since the transition from 3D to 2D required a different pace of play, and the game bore the marks of having been made as an accompanying spin-off rather than a main series entry, yet it still found its own audience among GBA owners who were just discovering Spyro's world. Today, Season of Ice is seen as a pleasant, undemanding platformer for younger players and Spyro fans who want to see how the little dragon coped with the move to a pocket console, and as a typical example of a lighthearted title aimed at the platform's youngest player base.

Why play: For younger players and Spyro fans curious how the little dragon coped with the move to a pocket console, it's a pleasant, undemanding platformer, even though it doesn't hold a candle to the series' faithful 3D entries.