Spyro the Dragon is a 3D platformer developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was released for the PlayStation in North America on 9 September 1998, in Europe in October 1998 and in Japan on 1 April 1999. It was Insomniac's second game, after Disruptor (1996).
The dragon was originally called Pete, a name dropped over copyright concerns about Pete's Dragon. He was also first designed green but was made purple so he would not blend into the grass. Charles Zembillas designed Spyro, Carlos Alazraqui voiced him, and Stewart Copeland composed and produced the music.
The Japanese version was adapted rather than simply translated: the camera and characters were slowed down to reduce 3D motion sickness. In 2012 the game returned on the PlayStation Store alongside its two sequels; the 2018 Spyro Reignited Trilogy is a separate remake of the first three games.12
Names and releases
| Region | Title on the box | Platform | Date | Publisher | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA | Spyro the DragonJapanese Wikipedia gives 10 September 1998 | PlayStation | Sep 9, 1998 | Sony Computer Entertainment | 1 |
| EU | Spyro the Dragon | PlayStation | Oct 23, 1998 | Sony Computer Entertainment | 1 |
| JP | スパイロ・ザ・ドラゴン | PlayStation | Apr 1, 1999 | Sony Computer Entertainment | 2 |
| WW | Spyro the DragonPlayStation Store re-release alongside Spyro 2 and Spyro: Year of the Dragon | PlayStation 3 | Dec 12, 2012 | Sony Computer Entertainment | 1 |
Also known as: スパイロ・ザ・ドラゴン JP2Pete WW1
Box art by region
NA Spyro the Dragon 
EU Spyro the Dragon 
JP スパイロ・ザ・ドラゴン
Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: libretro-thumbnails.
Version differences
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TextPS1 (JP)
The Japanese version translates all messages into Japanese and gives the maps new names.2
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ContentPS1 (JP)
Color-coded signposts were added throughout the levels so that Japanese players would not get lost in the 3D worlds.2
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GameplayPS1 (JP)
To reduce motion sickness, the Japanese version has gentler camera movement and slower Spyro and enemy speeds, and removes jumping out of a normal charge (jumping from a super charge still works).2
Translations
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Japanese Official
Sony Computer Entertainment1999PlayStation · North American versionReleased · complete
Sony Computer Entertainment's 1999 Japanese localization translated the text, renamed the maps and adjusted the gameplay.2
Reception
Sales started slowly but picked up after the 1998 holidays, reaching 1 million in North America by December 1999 and nearly 5 million worldwide by 2007. The game holds 85% on GameRankings; critics praised the graphics and music but noted the low difficulty.1
Sources
Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13
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