Software:Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!

From HandWiki
Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!
North American cover art
Developer(s)Insomniac Games
Publisher(s)Sony Computer Entertainment
Producer(s)Grady Hunt
Artist(s)Charles Zembillas
Composer(s)Stewart Copeland
SeriesSpyro
Platform(s)PlayStation
Release
  • NA: November 2, 1999
  • EU: November 5, 1999
Genre(s)Platformer
Mode(s)Single-player

Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!, known as Spyro 2: Gateway to Glimmer in PAL regions, is a 1999 platform game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. It is the second game in the main Spyro series. A remake was released as part of the Spyro Reignited Trilogy in 2018.

Gameplay

Upon completing a level, a character will present Spyro with a talisman, which must be gained in order to progress.

Players control Spyro the Dragon as he fights against various enemies and obstacles using his flame breath, charge attack, and glide abilities. His health is indicated by the color of his dragonfly partner, Sparx, who can replenish his health by eating butterflies. Bottled butterflies will both completely restore Sparx's health and give Spyro an extra life. The game is split up into three main hub worlds containing portals to various realms. In order to progress through the first two hub worlds, the player must acquire a talisman from each realm, which is awarded for reaching the end of the level, before facing the boss of each world. Each level also contains a certain number of orbs, which can be earned by completing secondary tasks for particular NPCs, such as lighting a series of lamps or protecting characters from attacks. These orbs are required for opening some of the portals to certain levels, as well as progressing through the third hub world. Gems gathered throughout the game are required to pay fees Moneybags charges in order to progress through the game. As well as opening portals or granting access to certain areas, Moneybags also teaches Spyro three brand new abilities over the course of the game. Swimming lets Spyro dive underwater to reach submerged treasure and hidden tunnels, climbing lets Spyro climb up certain surfaces, and the headbash lets Spyro perform an overhead smashing attack which can break rocks and certain cages. In addition, each level has a power-up gate, activated after defeating a specific number of enemies in a level, which grants Spyro a temporary super-ability. The power-up can grant invulnerability or the abilities to fly, supercharge, super flame, breathe ice, or super jump to reach high up areas.

Characters and setting

The only characters from the original game to return as main characters in this game are Spyro, the game's protagonist, and Sparx, his dragonfly sidekick. Sparx functions as the player's health meter, and assists the player in gathering gems. This game introduces new characters into the Spyro series, many of whom would appear in later games. Both Hunter and Moneybags make recurring appearances in the series, while Ripto would make more series appearances than any other antagonist, making him the key villain of the original series. The dragons of the previous installment have been replaced with an entirely new cast of characters, including fauns, satyrs, anthropomorphic animals, and robotic businessmen, among others.

The world of Avalar is divided into three realms: the Summer Forest, the Autumn Plains, and the Winter Tundra. In every realm, there is a castle that, during the course of the storyline, is captured by Ripto. Each realm features a number of different worlds, a speedway world, and a dungeon in which Ripto or his minions are hiding.

Plot

A few years after the defeat of Gnasty Gnorc, Spyro the Dragon and his dragonfly partner, Sparx, having had enough with the continuous raining in Artisans, decide to take a vacation to Dragon Shores. Upon going through the portal, however, Spyro instead ends up in Glimmer, one of the many realms of the fantasy land of Avalar, having been summoned there by Elora the Faun, Hunter the Cheetah, and the Professor. They explain that one week prior, they were experimenting with a large portal device when they inadvertently summoned an angry, iron-fisted warlock known as Ripto, along with his minions Crush and Gulp. Pleased to find himself in a world without dragons, whom he views as pests, Ripto decided to conquer Avalar, prompting Elora and the others to deactivate the portal by scattering the mystical orbs powering it all across the realm. As Ripto and his henchmen leave to retrieve the orbs, Elora gets the idea to summon a dragon to fight against him, thus leading to Spyro's situation. After getting stranded in Avalar as a result of Ripto destroying the portal he came in through, Spyro agrees to help fight against him.

During his quest, Spyro must travel through the various realms of Avalar and help the inhabitants with certain problems they are facing in order to receive their realm's talisman, which Spyro must use to undo Ripto's tyranny. He must also collect the orbs scattered across Avalar to empower portals and other various devices or spells, as well as gems to pay off the sleazy elitist bear, Moneybags for certain favors. Hunter the Cheetah helps out Spyro on certain missions with his athletic abilities, and the Professor does the same using his intellect.

After collecting six talismans in Summer Forest, Spyro fights and defeats Crush, forcing Ripto and Gulp to retreat. The young dragon chases them to Autumn Plains, where he collects eight more talismans and vanquishes Gulp. Then, Ripto seemingly falls to his demise, and Elora and her friends repay Spyro by returning to Winter Tundra and reactivating the portal device to send him to Dragon Shores. However, Ripto reveals himself to be alive and steals the power crystal that was meant to power the portal, using it to create a new magic scepter (since Gulp ate the original in the intro). After collecting enough orbs, Spyro is able to confront Ripto; the warlock ironically perishes in a lake of lava which he himself created. With peace returned to Avalar, Elora and the others return all the gems that Moneybags had extorted from Spyro to fix the portal device, allowing him to take his long-awaited vacation to Dragon Shores.

The game's epilogue, which is unlocked by completing the Skill Points list in the Guidebook, reveals what happened to various friends and enemies that Spyro encountered in Avalar, as well as moments such as Spyro and Elora missing their chance to kiss, Crush being taught by the Professor how to spell, and a list of dummied enemies that didn't make it into the game. In the end, Spyro returns to the Dragon Realm, with Hunter joining him, setting the stage for the next game.

Development

The sequel to Spyro the Dragon was tentatively titled Spyro the Dragon 2 during its pre-production phase.[citation needed] The music for Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! was composed by Stewart Copeland and was engineered and co-produced by Jeff Seitz. The character Spyro is voiced by Tom Kenny, replacing Carlos Alazraqui from the first game, while additional voices are provided by Kenny, Gregg Berger, Melissa Disney, Milton James, Mary Linda Phillips and Marcelo Tubert. The game's sound effects were created by Mike Gollom, Harry Woolway and Ron Horwitz of Universal Sound Studios. The game was officially announced at 1999 E3 convention in Los Angeles, CA; it was later released in North America on November 2, 1999.[1] Sony Computer Entertainment of America director of product development Ami Blaire stated, "Spyro 2 isn't just another sequel. Players will surely be lured by Spyro's playful antics, but they'll experience gameplay that's more challenging and more fun then ever before."[2]

Re-releases

The game became available for download on the European PlayStation Network on July 26, 2007,[citation needed] before its predecessor was released to the same market. Less than a week later, however, it was removed because the Colossus and Idol Springs levels failed to load. On April 17, 2008, it was released on the Japanese PlayStation Store. On May 7, 2009, the game became available for download from the North American PlayStation Store and a corrected version was re-released on the European PlayStation Store on December 12, 2012, although as the NTSC version instead of PAL.[3] Spyro 2, alongside its predecessor and sequel, received a remastered release with updated visuals on November 13, 2018 as part of the Spyro Reignited Trilogy compilation for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. This compilation retains the game's North American name, Ripto's Rage!, as opposed to the title used for the original European and Australasian release, Gateway to Glimmer.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings87%[4]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarStarStar[5]
EGM8.625/10[7][lower-alpha 1]
Famitsu30/40[8]
Game Informer8.75/10[9]
GameFan(R.M.) 93%[10]
(T.R.) 90%[11]
83%[12][lower-alpha 2]
GameRevolutionB+[13]
GameSpot8.6/10[14]
IGN8.8/10[15]
Next GenerationStarStarStar[16]
OPM (US)StarStarStarStarHalf star[17]
The Cincinnati EnquirerStarStarStarHalf star[18]
The Sydney Morning HeraldStarStarStarStarHalf star[19]

The game received favorable reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[4] However, Chris Kramer of NextGen said that the game "feels like a kids' title, but it has more meat to it than the first, and the cute graphics may make your girlfriend finally stop cooing over those damn Pokémon."[16] In Japan, where the game was ported for release under the name Spyro X Sparx: Tondemo Tours (スパイロ×スパークス トンでもツアーズ, Supairo × Supākusu Tondemo Tsuāzu) on March 16, 2000, Famitsu gave it a score of 30 out of 40.[8] GamePro said of the game, "If you simply loved the first Spyro, or are very intrigued by the second, you can't go wrong with Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage. Once you get over its cute exterior, you'll find an excellent platform action/adventure game ripe with the goods that make gaming great."[20][lower-alpha 3]

The game received a "Gold" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[21] indicating sales of at least 200,000 units in the UK.[22]

As of June 30, 2007, the game sold more than 3.4 million units.[23]

Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! received nominations for "Console Children's/Family Title of the Year", "Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction", and "Outstanding Achievement in Animation" during the AIAS' 3rd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; they were ultimately awarded to Pokémon Snap (Children's/Family) and Final Fantasy VIII (Art Direction, Animation).[24][25]

Notes

  1. ↑ In Electronic Gaming Monthly's review of the game, one critic gave it 9/10, and the rest gave it each a score of 8.5/10.
  2. ↑ In GameFan's viewpoint of the game, three critics gave it each a score of 90, 78, and 81.
  3. ↑ GamePro gave the game two 5/5 scores for graphics and sound, and two 4.5/5 scores for control and fun factor.

References

  1. ↑ IGN staff (November 2, 1999). "Spyro 2 Ships to Stores Today". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/11/03/spyro-2-ships-to-stores-today. 
  2. ↑ Perry, Douglass C. (September 1, 1999). "Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage (Preview)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/09/02/spyro-2-riptos-rage-2. 
  3. ↑ Ashraf, Jawad (2012-12-07). "Spyro the Dragon returns to PSN next week!". PlayStation Blog. https://blog.playstation.com/archive/2012/12/07/spyro-the-dragon-returns-to-psn-next-week/. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! for PlayStation". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamerankings.com/ps/198753-spyro-2-riptos-rage/index.html. 
  5. ↑ Nguyen, Cal. "Spyro (2): Ripto's Rage [sic - Review"]. All Media Network. http://allgame.com/game.php?id=20416&tab=review. 
  6. ↑ D'Aprile, Jason (November 12, 1999). "Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage". CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/Consoles/Sony/Spyro2/. 
  7. ↑ Smith, Shawn; Davidson, John; Johnston, Chris; Chou, Che (December 1999). "Spyro 2 [Ripto's Rage!"]. Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (125): 279. https://retrocdn.net/images/6/6d/EGM_US_125.pdf. Retrieved June 11, 2022. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "スパイロ×スパークス トンでもツアーズ" (in ja). Famitsu (Enterbrain). https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=11694&redirect=no. Retrieved June 11, 2022. 
  9. ↑ McNamara, Andy; Fitzloff, Jay; Reiner, Andrew (December 1999). "Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (80). http://gameinformer.com/reviews/review_detail.cfm?ITEM_ID=4365. Retrieved June 11, 2022. 
  10. ↑ Mears, Rick (November 3, 1999). "REVIEW for Spyro 2 [Ripto's Rage!"]. Shinno Media. http://gamefan.com/repre.asp?g=1125&t=r. 
  11. ↑ Rodriguez, Tyrone "Cerberus" (December 1999). "Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!". GameFan (Shinno Media) 7 (12): 44. https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_7_Issue_12/page/n45/mode/2up. Retrieved June 11, 2022. 
  12. ↑ Weitzner, Jason "Fury"; Ngo, George "Eggo"; Mylonas, Eric "ECM" (December 1999). "Spyro (2) [sic"]. GameFan (Shinno Media) 7 (12): 17. https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_7_Issue_12/page/n17/mode/2up. Retrieved June 11, 2022. 
  13. ↑ Dr. Moo (November 1999). "Spyro 2 [Ripto's Rage! Review"]. CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/34058-spyro-2-review. 
  14. ↑ Fielder, Joe (November 2, 1999). "Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage Review". Red Ventures. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/spyro-2-riptos-rage-review/1900-2558133/. 
  15. ↑ Perry, Douglass C. (November 18, 1999). "Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/11/19/spyro-2-riptos-rage. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Kramer, Chris (December 1999). "Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage". NextGen (Imagine Media) (60): 112. https://archive.org/details/NextGen60Dec1999/page/n113/mode/2up. Retrieved June 11, 2022. 
  17. ↑ Rybicki, Joe (December 1999). "Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis) 3 (3): 128. https://archive.org/details/Official_US_PlayStation_Magazine_Volume_3_Issue_3_1999-12_Ziff_Davis_US/page/n123/mode/2up. Retrieved June 11, 2022. 
  18. ↑ Braxton-Brown, Justin (1999). "Spyro the Dragon continues to blow smoke at evil thugs". The Cincinnati Enquirer (Gannett Company). http://www.cincinnati.com/freetime/games/reviews/spyro2.html. 
  19. ↑ Clarke, Stuart (December 4, 1999). "Spyro Gateway to Glimmer Review". The Sydney Morning Herald (Fairfax Media). http://www.smh.com.au/icon/9912/04/games2.html. 
  20. ↑ The Rookie (December 1999). "Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!". GamePro (IDG) (135): 162–63. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_135_December_1999_U/page/n155/mode/2up. Retrieved June 11, 2022. 
  21. ↑ "ELSPA Sales Awards: Gold". http://www.elspa.com/?i=3943. 
  22. ↑ Caoili, Eric (November 26, 2008). "ELSPA: Wii Fit, Mario Kart Reach Diamond Status In UK". Informa. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/pc/elspa-i-wii-fit-mario-kart-i-reach-diamond-status-in-uk. 
  23. ↑ Pham, Alex (November 26, 2007). "The independent imagination". Archived from the original on May 3, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190503144413/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-nov-26-fi-insomniac26-story.html. Retrieved December 20, 2023. 
  24. ↑ "Third Interactive Achievement Awards: Console". http://www.interactive.org/iaa/finalists_console.html. 
  25. ↑ "Third Interactive Achievement Awards: Craft Award". http://www.interactive.org/iaa/finalists_craft.html. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.





Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:Spyro_2:_Ripto%27s_Rage!&oldid=790632"