Spyro is Back – Why Gaming Nostalgia Works

PlayStation fans the world over rejoiced when the news that their favorite flame-breathing dragon would be receiving the remake treatment that fellow Sony star Crash Bandicoot received in 2017. The Spyro Reignited Trilogy will take fans of the PlayStation classic back to their roots as previous levels, villains, and gameplay functions will be given new graphics and a more immersive setting as nostalgia is back in fashion.

The Crash Bandicoot remastering, Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy, took the original three Crash games and gave them a dazzling update. By bringing the gameplay that fans fell in love with in the original games and marrying it with the latest developments of gaming nearly twenty years later, developers stumbled upon the perfect recipe for video game success. Crash sequels from PS2 onwards weren’t received as warmly, so by keeping the franchise alive by finding what worked and modernizing it seemed to do better. So Spyro following on the tradition with a remastering will retain everything about the original that made it a favorite while bringing it into the 21^st century.

The fact that Crash Bandicoot’s remastering outsold many new releases and Spyro’s is being eagerly anticipated from the gaming community showcases just how important nostalgia is to gaming and indeed greater pop culture. The Incredibles 2 is more eagerly anticipated by millennials than many standalone films. Pokemon Go’s audience when it launched in 2016 was primarily built of those who had played it before and wanted to reconnect with the creatures they remembered fondly. NY Spins shows that throwing it back when it comes to slots also helps people connect with what they enjoyed some time ago, such as the Anchorman, Jumanji, and The Mask slots. Focusing on what was once popular not only ensures there is a dedicated fanbase ready but also helps developers to work on a deeper narrative as a strong premise is already in place.

But Crash and Spyro aren’t the only older PlayStation games that have fans harking back to the past. A Change.org petition is currently demanding a remake of Croc, the PlayStation classic featuring a crocodile in an imaginary land chasing the gobbos. Similarly, the Sly Raccoon Trilogy and the Rayman series have also received calls from fans for their remastering. While the games don’t have as strong a commercial appeal as Crash and Spyro, the nostalgia factor for long-gone platforms remains strong, so future gaming cycles could see the games being released for completely new audiences, while also retaining the original fans.

When it comes to bringing games back in whatever way, fans demand that it is done the right way. Yet two factors should be present in bringing something loved from the past into the present: mainstream appeal and the nostalgia factor. Once enough people start demanding something to be remade, developers will begin to listen as they know enough people will purchase the game to justify the sales. The nostalgia factor is definitely a force to be reckoned with and one of the best ways in which developers can listen to fans about what they want to play.

Are you excited for the Spyro Reignited Trilogy? Let us know in the comments below!