Spyro: A Hero's Tail

 PlayStation 2
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 83 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 54 out of 83
  2. Mixed: 25 out of 83
  3. Negative: 4 out of 83
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  1. Inesdg
    Nov 27, 2006
    7
    I used to play this game, it was one of my first platformer.... there is a lot to do, and the game is very long(30 hrs) but the storyline is not very funny I wanted to finish the game but was a bit boring, the bosses are so easy the a little kid could fight them and win at the first try, instead the sergent Byrd 's minigames are very diffciult to pass on.... buy it only if you are a I used to play this game, it was one of my first platformer.... there is a lot to do, and the game is very long(30 hrs) but the storyline is not very funny I wanted to finish the game but was a bit boring, the bosses are so easy the a little kid could fight them and win at the first try, instead the sergent Byrd 's minigames are very diffciult to pass on.... buy it only if you are a fan of spyro!… Expand
  2. SuperAquaLuigi
    Mar 4, 2017
    7
    (Note: I consider a 7 to be a positive score, unlike Metacritic.) This game, while not without issues, was fun overall. It had some nice music, good controls, good humor, good level design, and good graphics. I also liked the other characters. Hunter is great, Blink is fun, if a little slow, and I actually prefer Sgt. Byrd in this game over Year of the Dragon. If I had some complaints, the(Note: I consider a 7 to be a positive score, unlike Metacritic.) This game, while not without issues, was fun overall. It had some nice music, good controls, good humor, good level design, and good graphics. I also liked the other characters. Hunter is great, Blink is fun, if a little slow, and I actually prefer Sgt. Byrd in this game over Year of the Dragon. If I had some complaints, the bosses are nothing to write home about, the shop isn't helpful in telling you which upgrades are permanent or temporary (the gem x2 power-up is a rip-off!), and the last stretch of the game drags on too long, sacrificing open level design for a linear path.… Expand
  3. Harry210
    Nov 23, 2010
    7
    It's pretty obvious when you fight simple bosses, the enemies barely move and the gameplay is simple, if smooth, that Spyro: A Hero's Tail is a game designed at the younger market of gamers. The graphics are nice and colourful but the voice acting is above average and character dialog is so basic. The game play will feel familiar to anyone who's played a Spyro game: You play as Spyro theIt's pretty obvious when you fight simple bosses, the enemies barely move and the gameplay is simple, if smooth, that Spyro: A Hero's Tail is a game designed at the younger market of gamers. The graphics are nice and colourful but the voice acting is above average and character dialog is so basic. The game play will feel familiar to anyone who's played a Spyro game: You play as Spyro the dragon and have a selection of abilites like the Horn dash or Fire/Electric/Water/Ice breath to defeat your enemies who most of the time just stand in one spot waiting to die. Along the levels, you collect gems which can be used to buy things in Moneybags shop like lockpicks to open locked chests or a butterfly jar which restores your guardian, Sparx's health. To progress though the game, Spyro must collect light gems to power up the professor's gadgets so he can gain access to a new area or smash dark gems located throughout the non-linear landscape to bring down the dark barrier and fight a boss. Traditional platformer obstacles in this game apply which include switches to horn dive to activate machinery or open doors and jumping over deadly pitfalls to reach the end of the level. The game progresses in an non-linear way so your not limited to one path and you don't have to get all the light gems or dragon eggs to complete the game but you do need to smash all of the dark gems. Spyro can power the Professor's gadgets that give Spyro temporarily invicibility or a more stronger horn dash, with power gems to transverse through areas that arent reachable. In some sections, Spyro can even use the ball gadget to roll through the environment. Despite the voice acting sounding quite poor, the composed soundtrack is great especially the boss battles. Spyro can gain abilities along the way like the horn dive and pole spin. Spyro's breath abilites add a touch of puzzle solving to the game in which he has 4 breath elements to choose from. Fire which can be used normally to defeat unarmored and organic enemies or light up furnaces, Electric which can be used to power some machinery and defeat robotic enemies, Water which can stun enemies and use it to turn water wheels and operate platforms and Ice, which can freeze spouting water jets and then used as poles to swing over pits or freeze enemies. In certain parts of the game, you can control one of Spyro's friends in a specific challenge to compete for a light gem or dragon egg. These playable characters are Hunter, Blink the Mole, Sgt Byrd and Sparx and each character has a few levels to beat which have different game play styles like Blinks levels resemble a Third Person Shooter platformer while Sgt Byrd's and Sparx's levels resemble a flying game. What is annoying is that you have to do these levels twice to get the dragon egg first, then the light gem: The level only changes in difficulty. There are some annoying things in this game in which the games camera sometimes goes where you don't want it to go, restricting your view and sometimes even if you undershoot a jump just a little bit, Spyro doesn't grab on to the ledge and just falls to his death. Also, the bosses are quite easy to beat. However, Spyro: A Hero's Tail is a decent platformer that will definatly appeal to young gamers but not hardcore platfomer gamers.… Expand
  4. fijiboy
    May 5, 2014
    6
    this is not what spyro used to be, and I thought I would hate this game, but I actually enjoyed surprisingly enough. the first three were much better, but this one kind of does its own thing in a fairly pleasant way. its a bit messy but it has a great charm to it. the bosses are fun and the main villain is actually pretty good. I'm surprised that this game was as good as it was and wasthis is not what spyro used to be, and I thought I would hate this game, but I actually enjoyed surprisingly enough. the first three were much better, but this one kind of does its own thing in a fairly pleasant way. its a bit messy but it has a great charm to it. the bosses are fun and the main villain is actually pretty good. I'm surprised that this game was as good as it was and was pleasantly surprised after thinking this game would be complete dog crap.… Expand
  5. ashketchum
    Jun 22, 2017
    6
    As many others have already stated, A Hero's Tail isn't a bad game. But it isn't really a good game either. It's a game that, whilst entertaining, offers very little to surpass just enough. This is in terms of literally everything: the controls, sound, visuals, gameplay and so on. The gameplay itself is quite simplistic, but perhaps to a fault. I personally have not played many SpyroAs many others have already stated, A Hero's Tail isn't a bad game. But it isn't really a good game either. It's a game that, whilst entertaining, offers very little to surpass just enough. This is in terms of literally everything: the controls, sound, visuals, gameplay and so on. The gameplay itself is quite simplistic, but perhaps to a fault. I personally have not played many Spyro games, but even I feel like I've played this all before elsewhere.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

58
#58 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2004
91
#91 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2004

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
60

Mixed or average reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 16
  3. Negative: 4 out of 16
  1. GMR Magazine
    50
    The bottom line is that if you're going to have an easy-to-play game that doesn't even attempt to push the genre in any meaningful manner, at least feature characters that 8-year-olds won't be too embarrassed to be caught playing as. [Dec 2004, p.126]
  2. IGN
    70
    A definite improvement over "Enter the Dragonfly." It’s a solid, albeit simple and slightly unimaginative platformer.
    Read full review
  3. Game Informer
    65
    Essentially the video game equivalent of sleeping with your eyes open. [Nov 2004, p.149]
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