While one could argue the validity of the term “Metroidvania,” it does do a fair job of describing a certain subset of the 2D platformer genre. The term also carries certain expectations –- a certain amount of exploration, deep and challenging combat, and a wide variety of gameplay options. The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night not only meets these criteria, it is a legitimately great game.

Yes, I just called a Spyro game great. Stop looking so shocked. We’ll start with the gameplay. You’ve played 2D platformers before. You travel to the left or the right, fight enemies, and avoid obstacles. Nothing too surprising here. What really makes this game stand out, however, is the combat. Spyro’s combat plays out like a two-dimensional version of Devil May Cry. By striking your opponents in different ways, you’ll build up your combo meter. The bigger the combo, the more experience you’ll gain to beef up the various elemental powers that you learn throughout the game. The system is simple to learn, but surprisingly deep for a GBA brawler.

The enemies that you fight aren’t the pushovers you might expect. They all have their own weaknesses and strengths, and a lot of them can kick your ass. During the later areas, you can expect to die a fair amount. The bosses are also fairly creative. This, combined with the combo system, pretty much ensure that the game never gets boring.

The graphics are another high point, featuring some of the best 2D art on the GBA. The environments, from gloomy forests to colorful temples are fairly eye-pleasing. After playing several handheld games with bad 3D, this game is like a sigh of relief. My only complaint is that most of the enemies in later levels are rehashes of earlier foes with a different paintjob. A little more variety in enemy sprites would have been nice. The music is also worth noting. I usually play handheld games with the sound off, but I left it turned up for this entire game. It sounds like they borrowed a Castlevania soundtrack, which is fitting considering the niche this game fills.

If Spyro has any one weakness, it’s that the game is entirely too short. I finished my first playthrough at around five hours. Each temple in the game has branching paths and plenty of powerups to find. There are also areas that you can revisit later on, once you acquire more powers. If you try to find everything, you’ll probably get seven hours out of it.

It’s a shame that this game will probably be ignored. Not only was it released for a dead system, it carries a license that will drive away hardcore gamers. It really is a shame, considering that hardcore gamers are the very audience that Eternal Night will appeal to.

That’s right, this Spyro game isn’t just good. It’s freaking fantastic. Amaze pulled out all of the stops to create what is not only a great “Metroidvania,” but a beautiful farewell for the Game Boy Advance. If you own any device that can play GBA games, and there are many, you owe it to yourself and to Amaze to pick up this title. At only $20, what do you have to lose?

(Note: There is apparently a coupon at Wendy’s that will give you an extra $5 off this game at GameStop)

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