3D platformer games have always been somewhat known for having fun and exciting boss fights, with many highlights being Bowser from Super Mario 64, Grunty from Banjo-Kazooie, and Dr. Neo Cortex from Crash Bandicoot. But the Spyro series also contains its fair share of fun and exciting boss fights as well, with plenty of big baddies for the purple dragon to face off through the course of the franchise.
It certainly has all been good for the series, of course, with some of Spyro's foes being less than formidable. Here are some of the very best, and also worst bosses that Spyro has fought throughout the original games, and here's hoping that the next Spyro game learns from past titles and ups the ante for boss fights.
Buzz (Spyro: Year of the Dragon)
The first boss fight in the third Spyro game is also one of the game's best, with it feeling like a step-up from the previous game's first boss fights. With the fight taking place on a platform surrounded by lava, Buzz himself moves fast, attacks aggressively, and also looks quite frightening. For new players, it's understandable to feel a bit intimidated while facing off against Buzz. He certainly is a tougher first boss fight than Crush, and feels like a proper fight. With all of that aside, Buzz is still a very simple boss. Compared to later bosses in the game, Buzz is quite easy but the level's music, arena, and his visual appearance elevate the boss fight above most of the rest.
Gnasty Gnorc (Spyro the Dragon)
It's unfortunate to state, but the first game's final boss, Gnasty Gnorc, is a huge letdown. Hyped up as the big, bad, final boss throughout the whole game, when Spyro finally reaches the level entitled "Gnasty Gnorc," they are greeted with a big old coward. The first segment of this boss fight consists of chasing down two rather hard-to-catch thieves, who each hold keys that eventually unlock the door to Gnasty. When Spyro finally reaches him, instead of fighting, Gnasty instead makes a run for it.
From then on, most of the remaining boss fight is simply chasing after Gnasty Gnorc, and torching him with the flame attack when he stops. While this boss fight will certainly challenge the player's platforming skills, it doesn't feel particularly satisfying. In total, Gnasty Gnorc only takes two hits from the player before being defeated. So while Gnasty isn't necessarily the worst final boss, it certainly is one of the most disappointing.
Crush (Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage)
Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage fixes all of the problems that the first game had with its boss fights. Whereas the first game's boss fights mostly consisted of chasing down regular enemies with one or two extra hit points, the sequel actually delivered real fights with foes that actually felt menacing. The game delivers a great first boss fight right off the bat with Crush. One major improvement that the second and third Spyro games make over the first game's bosses is actually giving the bosses some characterization by introducing them before the boss fight. The second Spyro game does this the best with Crush, Gulp, and Ripto all having a major presence throughout the world of Avalar, with Crush being a great first fight.
Jacques (Spyro the Dragon)
The first entry into the Spyro series, Spyro the Dragon, is known by fans as having notoriously easy and simple boss fights. Many other bosses in the game including Blowhard and Toasty are just as painfully easy and boring, but they at least have the excuse of being earlier within the game. Jacques--the fifth boss-- comes near the end of the game, and as a result feels more insulting. Only taking three hits in total, this jack-in-the-box creature spends most of his time running away from the player and occasionally flings presents in their direction.
Gulp (Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage)
As already stated, it feels like Insomniac really hit its stride with the series' boss fights in Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage, and Gulp is the perfect example of it. Whereas the first game's bosses any sort of challenge, Gulp makes up for it by offering the hardest fight in the entire series. In fact, Gulp's fight may very well be the hardest segment out of any Spyro game, with the boss offering a huge amount of challenge. The boss's challenge comes from his wide array of attacks, high health bar, and ability to steal Spyro's weaponry and use it against him. He can even steal chickens from Spyro, allowing to regenerate health if the player isn't careful. The boss fight gets more and more hectic as it progresses, and makes for a true test of the player's skills. Because of this, Gulp is one of the best boss fights out of all of the Spyro series.
Chinese Fire Dragons (Spyro: Year of the Dragon)
While this boss fight has a couple of things going for it—Fireworks Factory is one of the coolest locations from any Spyro game, and the flying/fireball combo power-up that is used here is an exciting one—this fight is probably the worst in all of the Spyro games. Tedious is the name of the game here: in this fight, Spyro must chase down two dragons, and shoot fireballs at them as they fly in pre-determined patterns while occasionally firing back. The entire fight adds up to one incredibly frustrating and lengthy fight that can go on forever, making it one of the worst boss fights in the series.
Ripto (Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage)
Ripto is by far and large the best boss out of all of the Spyro series. While he may not be especially intimidating, Ripto's character oozes charm and personality not found in most of the series' other foes. There's a reason that Ripto kept returning in future games for the series (those of which will remain unnamed), and is now known as the most iconic villain from the series; unlike Gnasty Gnorc or The Sorceress who both felt incredibly one-note, Ripto had a ton of personality. He and his minions show up throughout the game, causing mayhem for Spyro and his friends which help to successfully build up to the final confrontation with him at the end of the game.
The Spyro series has plenty of great boss fights, and also some not-so-great ones. With a brand-new Spyro game likely on the horizon following the Reignited Trilogy's massive success, fans can hope that the series will learn from what did and didn't work with its past boss fights, and create something truly special in the series' next entry.
Spyro Reignited Trilogy is available now for PC, Playstation 4, Switch, and Xbox One.