Crash Bandicoot is often described as the PlayStation's answer to Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog. Sony's foray into 3-D Super Mario-style adventures wasn't quite as direct, however, as its closest approximations were the Spyro the Dragon games. Sony's attempts may have been a little simplistic, but they were still better efforts than most, and this new isometric Spyro offering on the GBA is also surprisingly fun.

Spyro has the same basic range of moves as he had on the PlayStation, letting you jump and float around the game world breathing fire at everything in your path. Although the basic gameplay simply involves you collecting hundreds of fairies and other items, the makers have gone to great lengths to ensure things don't get too monotonous, mostly through a long series of subquests and minigames. The minigames are particularly good, as they often use a side-on or first-person perspective, which makes for a nice change of pace.

The only problem with the game is the rather empty feeling that pervades. The levels are enormous and it's easy to get lost, but this is a problem that could easily be leveled at the original PlayStation games, too. It's hardly revolutionary, but a pleasing amount of effort has gone into this, and it's certain to make fans of the series happy.