About time I played this...
Why this one first, though? Because unlike the first and third games, I've actually played the living hell out of this one. I've beaten it with 100% in every area and with all the skill points several times (the last being in the summer of 2011 up before I decided to make this Let's Play), so there's basically little (if any) trouble for me to actually cover this one.
Despite the controls making this game easier than one would think, a few of the orbs are seemingly harder to get than the entire game itself. I'll let you know exactly which ones they are.
Anyway, this game was released in Europe as Spyro 2: Gateway to Glimmer (which makes no sense, since Glimmer is where the game starts), and in Japan as Spyro X Sparx: Tondemo Tours.
Opening Cutscene
The game begins with Spyro in one of the first worlds from the first game (I know it's in the demo, but I can't think of the name) and Spyro decides he needs a vacation to get away from all the rain that's been in the area as of late. He and his dragonfly buddy, Sparx, find a portal to Dragon Shores and fly in.
Meanwhile, in Avalar, Professor , Hunter the Cheetah and Elora the Faun are using a pair of orbs to home in on a dragon. With some luck, the Professor's plan works, and instead of reaching Dragon Shores, Spyro and Sparx come out in the world of Avalar instead.
Before Spyro can get an explanation of what's going on, three bad guys - Crush, a blue lizard with a club; Gulp, a huge green lizard on four-legs that eats anything in its path; and Ripto, a red lizard who is smaller than the other two and has a huge horn to match his huge temper and his huge hunger for power - show up. Ripto destroys the portal that Spyro just came out of, and he is absolutely furious that a dragon has shown up in Avalar. A small fairy (introduced a little later in-game as Zoe) flies up and distracts him as per Elora's instruction, causing Crush to knock the scepter out of Ripto's hands and into Gulp's mouth. Ripto threatens to return, and Elora hands Spyro a guidebook (which you'll be using throughout the game) before she and Hunter head to Summer Forest.
And our adventure begins.
Glimmer
What can I say? Run around, grab gems and hit enemies with either the flame (the Circle button) or the charge attack (hold the Square button).
You'll meet Zoe before you enter the cave area, and she'll mention the checkpoint feature that you'll be using throughout the level. Pass by her, and she'll zap you. You'll start near her if you die (which shouldn't happen very often). If you're playing an illegal copy of the game, she'll keep spouting off a message that some parts of the game may not work correctly every time you get near her (an anti-piracy measure that's pretty annoying). She'll also zap you at certain times throughout the game, such as when you get an orb or complete a level.
Unlike the first game, where defeating enemies gave you gems, defeating enemies gives you spirit particles. You'll need a certain number of spirit particles in order to use some of the power-ups in the levels and get some of the Orbs. (More on those later.)
Anyway, you won't be able to climb the ladder until you learn how to climb (which you won't learn until a little later in the game). You'll have to pay Moneybags (the fat bear with the suit and monocle) 100 gems to open the bridge up. When you meet Zoe again, she'll tell you how to look around (hold Triangle and move the D-Pad or left analog stick).
When you meet the Gemcutter at the other side, he'll give you the Talisman for the level. It's one of fourteen in the game, and you'll need them to progress through the first two worlds. The exit portal also opens up, and you'll be able to head to Summer Forest.
You may be wondering what that thing that Spyro is standing in front of at the beginning is. This is a power-up gate, and it allows you to use a certain superpower for a limited time. You'll glow a certain color, a timer will appear on the right-hand side of the screen, and you have as much time as the timer allows you to use the power to perform a certain task that you usually wouldn't be able to do otherwise. In order to activate these, though, you'll have to kill a certain number of enemies beforehand. That number will show up at the power-up gate if you haven't done so.
Here, we have the Superfly power-up. This allows Spyro to actually fly for a brief period of time. In case you land on the ground, just double tap the X button like you would for the glide, and then you'll start flying again.
Controlling Spyro when this power-up is in use is just like flying a plane - up and down are inverted.
You may also be wondering what the ladybugs running around are for. They're the fodder for this level, which means that they basically work just like the sheep. Hitting them with a ram or flame attack will release butterflies, which Sparx can eat to replenish a unit of your health. Just like in the last game, you can only take four hits. As you do, Sparx goes from gold to blue to green to non-existent. If you don't have Sparx with you when you get hit, you're dead. Unlike the last game, however, Sparx will chase them down and eat them even when you're at full health. This time around, there are sparkling blue butterflies that completely refill your health and grant you an extra life. Make a habit of destroying fodder every time you see it, as you can farm lives rather quickly doing this by simply destroying 10 fodder creatures. Heck, I had 30 or 40+ lives when I was done with the first world. There are also blue butterflies in glass bottles, which you can destroy with either attack, but unlike the fodder extra lives, the ones in the bottles are a one-time thing. Get used to flaming stuff to farm, everyone.
Anyway, you won't be able to get all the orbs and gems right away. Once you get the two orbs that you can get (check the listing at the bottom for orbs), go through the exit portal to teleport to Summer Forest. You'll get a cutscene where you meet Elora and find out what's going on, after Ripto takes over the palace in Summer Forest. You'll have to beat Ripto here to free this land.
Orbs
Glimmer
1. Near the exit where you find the Superfly power-up, go through the Superfly power-up, fly around and hit the six gem lights with your flame. Hit them all quickly, as you don't want one of them to suddenly turn off on you. It's pretty easy, and it gives you some much needed practice with Superfly, so do it as soon as possible.
2. There is a cave near where you got the first orb. Follow Bounsa, and hit the lizards with the rocks to get this one. This one's also pretty simple, and also teaches you how to aim and shoot with the rocks: hold down Triangle to aim, use the D-Pad/left analog stick to move the target in the center and press Circle to spit the rock. You won't run out of rocks, so don't worry and take your time if you need to. This is definitely good practice for learning to aim not only with the rocks, but also with Superflame (we'll see that power-up in action later).
Controls
D-Pad/Left Analog Stick - move around
Select - show lives/gems/spirit particles HUD
Start - pause game; check Guidebook
X - Jump (tap in mid-air to glide), swim underwater (must learn first)
Circle - Flame
Square - Ram (hold down), dive in water, swim fast in water (must learn first)
Triangle - first-person view/aim with Superflame (hold down, use D-Pad/left analog stick to look around), hover (in mid-air)
Headbash (in mid-air; must learn first)
L2/R2 - rotate camera
L1+L2+R1+R2 - point Sparx towards nearest gem (this helps a lot)
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