Five Reasons We Need The Spyro The Dragon Trilogy On PlayStation 4

The Original PlayStation Games Helped Define Open-World Platforming

You may or may not have played the original Spyro games – including Spyro 2 and Spyro: Year of the Dragon – on the PlayStation. But you should have. That's because these games helped define 3D open-world platforming for the PlayStation. "But didn't Crash do that?" you may be asking yourself. Well, Crash's levels were good, but were more about a point A-to-point B sort of design. Spyro is more open-ended with its exploration, akin to Super Mario 64 in a way.

Seeing these games come back would introduce newcomers to the wondrous platforming (and fire-breathing) style of Spyro, while celebrating this acclaimed design once more.

Hey, If Crash Can Come Back…

Some people might be wondering just where the rights to Spyro are these days. Well, that would be Activision, since it used the fire-breathing hero previously to kick-start its best-selling Skylanders franchise. (It began with Spyro's Adventure, you may recall.) And the publisher, as you may know, is hard at work on Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, with the three original PS1 games being remastered by Vicarious Visions for a release late next month.

So it's not hard to connect the dots. Sony could easily make a deal with Activision to bring back the three Spyro games sometime later this year and celebrate his legacy just as strong as Crash's. Plus, the games would be just as much fun, if not more so.

Score Another Exclusive For PlayStation 4

Sony working out a deal with Activision to bring back Spyro wouldn't just score a big win for that franchise, but also the company in general. Having every exclusive it can get its hands on for the PlayStation 4 would be a smart move, especially considering the fight that's ahead with both the Nintendo Switch and Microsoft's Project Scorpio. Sure, it's not quite a AAA title like, say, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy or God of War, but it would still draw in Sony's nostalgic crowd, and give younger players something to enjoy as well.

Having Spyro in its fold for PS4 would certainly be far more of a benefit for Sony than a drawback.

Promotions Aplenty

True, Spyro doesn't have much in common with the web-slinger, but think about it. Sony's going to be promoting that forthcoming adventure big-time alongside Marvel, and it would help to discuss the studio that's behind it – Insomniac Games. Now, even though a different team would be working on the Spyro collection, Insomniac's footprint is all over the title, and it shows in the company's design. For that matter, its release could also drum up interest in its other work, like the underappreciated (but insanely awesome) Sunset Overdrive. It never hurts to put a little promo push behind your projects – even if that means starting up other projects.

The Older Games Are Way More Fun Than the Newer Games

The original Spyro the Dragon games were a lot of fun to play, but once Sierra got its hands on the franchise (and took over development from Insomniac Games), it wandered into familiar platforming territory. Not that the games were bad, mind you – The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon is an inspired hit, even with its lacking open-world design. But games like A New Beginning and A Hero's Tail didn't seem quite as memorable as the hero's original adventures.

A return to form would be just the thing that fans would want to see, and the HD Trilogy seems like the right way to go, stopping short of developing an all-new adventure featuring the fire-breather. Plus, that could always come down the road if the trilogy is successful – like a testing ground to see if fans are still interested. And judging from the buzz with these rumors, there's a lot of interest.

We'll see what comes next month at E3. But here's hoping that Spyro comes roaring back with a vengeance!