Spyro the Dragon Comes to Life With Interactive Play

Spyro the Dragon has returned to the video game scene to save the world, and he's brought a group of friends to help. In his latest installment, the little fire-breathing dragon and the rest of the gang come to life in Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure.

Over the years there have been many attempts at integrating toys with video games. While some were more successful than others, they all strived towards a common goal; to entertain players with the merging of the latest video game technologies and traditional toys. Skylanders follows in these products' footsteps by integrating a collectable set of toy characters that are required to play the video game.

The Story?

In Skylanders, we find that the world is in great danger, and we (the players) are the Portal Masters - the ones to set things right. Embarking on this quest to save Skylander, Spyro along with his friends make use of their unique and special abilities to make progress through the game's levels.

How is the game played?

As each character does have unique abilities, using different characters throughout the game is required. The starter pack which is required for play, includes the portal device - which allows characters to enter the game, and three figures - Spyro himself, and his two friends Gill Grunt and Trigger Happy. A character appears on screen once its figure has been placed upon the portal. When a challenge arises that requires the skills of another character, figures on the portal are then exchanged. Stumble upon an area that requires a figure that isn't yet owned, and the real challenge begins.

Is the game really a game, or just a gimmick?

The bottom line is that Skylanders is an addictively fun game to play. Both the single player mode and the cooperative mode aren't overly difficult for younger gamers, but are challenging enough for older gamers to enjoy as well. There is plenty of action to do in the game world, then add the fact that obtaining and collecting additional figures to unlock other levels and missions is necessary, and you have a whole new level of play. This is especially true when the search begins for the hard to find and exclusively released figures. With the holiday season just around the corner, the starter set itself and these additional figures are sure disappear from store shelves very quickly.

Skylanders: Spyro's Adventures is available for the PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, 3DS, and mobile devices, and is rated E for Everyone. Actual play experience may contain cartoon violence and will vary by platform.