8 Video Game Reboots That Failed TWICE
2. Spyro the Dragon
Whilst Spyro was never considered Sony’s mascot, it is interesting to consider how the company relied on him following the success of the original PS1 game. From 1998 to 2008 there was at least one Spyro game every single year.
In order to try and refresh interest in the franchise, Sony greenlit a rebooted universe with a broader cinematic adventure style and a host of known actors in major roles. The result was The Legend of Spyro, a bland button-masher with unfortunately limited combat choices considering they were the core of the experience.
Amazingly, and thankfully for the studios, each entry in the Legend trilogy sold progressively better despite the fact that the series never really evolved into anything other than simply passable. Spyro: The Legend of Middling Review Scores was also due to a motion picture tie-in that got the kibosh, leaving the series looking for new direction.
That direction was the stroke of genius Toys for Bob’s toys-to-life Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure, a combination platform game and action figure line. Whilst it was retrospectively only for a few years, interest in Skylanders burned bright, reportedly earning $500m in the US in its first 14 months.
Therefore Spyro’s second reboot is definitely the biggest success on this list from a sales perspective but the harm it did to Spyro as a brand was clear to see. He went from having his name in the title of the first game to simply being an “also ran” of the dozens of Skylander figures. Whilst mascot platformers were going to generally struggle during his period, Spyro’s association with Skylanders stopped the little guy from spreading his own wings and at least trying something of his own.
It would take the Skylanders craze burning out and the success of the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy for Spyro to finally get a chance to shine again in a remake of his original adventures.