General Tips
How to play the game.

Story

CELEBRATE THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON

Every twelve years, the Dragon Kingdom celebrates its most important event: the "Year of the Dragon" Festival. Fairies deliver a new batch of dragon eggs and dragons come from all around to dance and feast until everyone drops from... eggshaustion.

The Year of the Dragon is upon us again and the fairies have brought 150 eggs to the Dragon Worlds. However, unbeknownst to the celebrating dragons, a sinister plot is about to unfold...

Far away - on the opposite side of the world - lies a kingdom long since forgotten by dragonkind. So forgotten, in fact, that even the legends about these "Forgotten Worlds" have now been forgotten.

This kingdom is ruled by a mean and spiteful Sorceress who has frankly become quite fed up with being forgotten. As she sits on her forgotten throne, the Sorceress has hatched a fiendishly evil plan. A plan to restore the fading magic to her forgotten realm. A plan to conquer the dragons once and for all. All she needs is a little help from her army of horn-nosed 'rhynocs', the cooperation of her mysterious disciple Bianca and of course, those 150 magical dragon eggs.

File Management

Saving - Spyro YOD will only make one save file no matter how much space is on the card. Within that save file is room for 3 game saves. They only way to get more saves is to use another card. You can choose to save to a different block or card while playing the game. You can play the game without a memory card but I wouldn't recommend it unless you intend to play until you finish it. If you start the game without a memory card you can insert a memory card at any time and save your game. This game will autosave each time you go to a different challenge area, level or world if you have a memory card. This game will NOT save to or load from a PS2 memory card even if you are playing it on a PS2. You can use a PS2 card to back up your save file but you need to copy it back to play.

Deleting - When you delete a file from you memory card it is gone, there is no way to get it back except for one chance to change your mind. Right after the file icon disappears press and hold all four shoulder buttons(L1,L2,R1,R2) at the same time. It may take several tries, just don't do anything else until it works. You will know it is working when all animated icons freeze then you will see the file come back. This only works on PlayStations and maybe PSOnes but it does NOT work on PS2s.

DexDrive - The InterAct DexDrive is a device that connects to your Windows PC's serial port and allows you to Read, Write and Format PlayStation Memory Cards. You can back up all your save games to you hard drive put the back on your card when you need them. This is one accessory everyone Who has a PlayStation and a PC should have.

Know Your Moves - There are many moves to master in Spyro: Year The Dragon, and practice makes perfect. Take time to practice moves in safe places while you can.

Walking - using the d-pad or analog stick you can make Spyro walk. Actually it's more of a trot. He can walk away from the camera, toward the camera and left and right. Try walking forward and then pull back suddenly. Notice that Spyro can turn on a dime.

Flame -Now hit the circle button. A nice hot spray of flame erupts from Spyro's mouth in the direction he is currently facing. This flame extends about 3 times the length of Spyro and spreads out about 3 times his width. This is Spyro's primary attack.

Walk and Flame - Spyro may not be able walk and chew gum but he can walk and flame. While walking toward an enemy hit the circle button. This is useful for enemies that react when Spyro get's too close. hopefully the flame will hit before they can react.

Twist and Flame - How many time has this happened to you: you start flaming and the enemy runs off to the side. Well Spyro can turn while flaming. Start to flame and move left or right to sweep his flame across a wider area. Sometimes you can use this to take out multiple enemies at once.

PowerFlame - with a PowerFlame powerup you can shoot a fireball that you can use to defeat almost any enemy or open almost any treasure. You can press and hold ∆ to aim and hit anything as far away as you like.

Spitting - Spyro can pick rocks and other items in his mouth by walking up to them. With something his mouth he can't use flame or PowerFlame until he spits it out. Like with superflame you can hold ∆ to aim though it's not as accurate or far-reaching.

Jump -

Jump and Move -

Jump and Flame -

Walk and Jump -

Charge - Spyro's second main attack he runs at the enemy and impaling them with his horns. Since Spyro is running during this attack you can use this to get through familiar territory quickly.

Jump and Charge - This is a good move for avoiding low attacks and then countering with a charge.

Charge and Jump - While in a charge you can take small steps by taping the X.

Glide -

Glide and Flame -

Glide and Charge -

Dropping -

Drop and Glide -

Super Charge -

Flying -

Fly and Flame -

Camera -

Life Saver, Exit Level Trick - If you are falling to you death you can press START and select Exit Level. You will be sent back to the home world without loosing a life. Of course this won't work in a home world.

Defeating Enemies -

Size -

Armor -

Gems - the value of gems varies with the color

Red - 1 Gem - The basic unit of Avalars currency

Green - 2 Gems

Blue - 5 Gems

Yellow - 10 Gems

Purple - 25 Gems

Containers -You can find treasure in various baskets, bottles and other containers. Here is how to open them all. Remember: SuperFlame or Super Charge will open anything.

Baskets - The basket is the easiest of all the containers to open. Flame or charge it once and the treasure is yours.

Metal Vases - This vase is impervious to your normal flame attack, but a charge should crack it open.

Glass Bottles - These green bottles are found underwater. Just charge it.

Balloon Bottles - You will see these floating just out of reach. The idea is pop the balloon, the bottle drops and shatters, releasing the gems. Flame will work if you can reach it. If you can't look for something to shoot at it.

Exploding Vases - This bottle has been tightly wrapped with explosives. Well you got the fire so lets light this firecracker and get out of the way before it blows. You can also charge it if you don't mind getting hurt.

Lock Box - This is a Strong Box with a lock so all you gotta do is find the key! There will be no more than one Lock Box and key in a level. If you can't find the key sometimes there is another way...

Strong Box - This box is not affected by flame or charging and has no lock. The most common way to crack this nut is high explosives. A rocket, Super Fire Ball or Super Charge should be enough.

Target Box - Low with a target on top. Try a head bash!

Other - Gems can be found in various other containers. Info on these can be found on the pages for each level.

Extra Lives -

Life Bottles -

Pink Butterflies -

Blue Butterflies -

Sparx Worlds

You do NOT need to complete the Sparx worlds in order. There is a sign with a picture of Sparx in each of the 4 home worlds. When you beat the boss in that each world Zoe can let you into the Sparx world in that world. For example: After you defeat Buzz you can go back to Sunrise Spring to the sign near the balloon and and enter Crawdad Farm. There is 200 gems and 1 egg in each of the 4 Sparx Worlds.

• Sunrise Spring - by the entrance to the balloon building.
• Midday Garden - across the river from Country Speedway
• Evening Lake - Climb the ladder on the tower.
• Midnight Mountain - in front of the bridge to Harbor Speedway

You cannot get into the Sparx world until you beat the boss of the home world.

• Sunrise Spring - Crawdad Farm - Defeat Buzz
• Midday Garden - Spider Town - Defeat Spike
• Evening Lake - Starfish Reef - Defeat Scorch
• Midnight Mountain - Bugbot Factory - Defeat The Sorceress

Zoe will be by the sign when you can enter. Talk to Zoe to enter. You will get an egg when you defeat the boss of each Sparx World. You will also get a Special Power.

Other Tips - these are just some basic tips that may help in most games.

1 Finish before you move on. - Do everything in a level before you move to another level or realm. when you leave a realm the enemies come back and you'll just have to fight them all over again.

2. Come back later. - Sometimes a puzzle or task may be too much and you just need a fresh perspective. If you find yourself getting frustrated go do something else and come back later.

3. Going Backward to go Forward and vice versa even. -

4. I can see it but I can't get to it! - If you play RPGs I'm sure you have encountered this problem, and Insomniac used it quite a bit in the Spyro games.. You can see something you want or a place you want to get to but there's something in your way or it's too far to jump or glide too.

If you can't get to it from where you can see it just move on and do something else. Most likely there is some round about way to get there or some ability or powerup you get later in the game (sometimes much later) that will help you conquer the obstacle.