Spyro’s not just from Skylanders. The little purple dragon’s video games were a big deal on the original Playstation. That was two decades ago though. Our field team at E3 had a chance to play the upcoming Spyro Reignited Trilogy and it seems pretty magical. I used to watch my friend Nick play the original Spyro at his house after school. It was a captivating mess of fire-breathing and cartoon wonderment, a slightly more earnest alternative to Crash Bandicoot’s slapstick. I can still remember the purple-blues of Ice Cavern and and the way that Nestor and the other dragons stood on their back legs. This was funny because Spyro didn’t do it, but it also made them feel regal and important. Remasters are always a tricky thing, and I’m often skeptical of them. Adding extra foliage and particle effects can be distracting, especially since I’m a sucker for early 3-D jagged textures. But Spyro Reignited’s color palette is as vibrant as the original. It looks like it keeps that whimsical feel I remember. I never really got to play Spyro—Nick hogged the controller—but this might be a good chance to finally play when it releases on September 21st.