UFG Interviews Toys for Bob’s Peter Kavic About Spyro Reignited Trilogy
Bringing a 20 year old game up to the standards of modern gaming systems is no easy task, but to do it with as much style and skill as Toys for Bob did with the Spyro Reignited Trilogy is rarer still. So, being the curious types we are, we managed to pin down the Senior Producer at Toys for Bob, Peter Kavic, and get him to spill the details on the legacy of the Spyro series, its importance in the evolution of gaming, and just how they went about transforming these PlayStation classics into modern wonders for a new generation.
“Spyro is very much a part of the family.”
UFG: You folks seem to really like Spyro. What about the original PS One trilogy was so impacting that 20 years later, it’s still relevant?
Peter Kavic: At Toys For Bob, Spyro is very much a part of the family. Working with Spyro on the Skylanders franchise, we grew to love him pretty quickly. When we were given the opportunity to revisit the original trilogy, it was like the stars aligned.
Spyro was not only a fun character and story of adolescence, it was also innovative in the way players could explore throughout the world, something that future games and genres took note of and brought to new levels over the years. All that combined and more makes his adventures totally relevant to us today!
UFG: Related, how much of an impact on future game development do you feel Spyro had and why?
PK: I think it had a huge impact. You had this zany world of characters with humor built in throughout, but at the same time had the interesting coming-of-age story that many fans could relate to. Alongside this, you had a world totally worth exploring, which allowed the original developers to give players much more freedom in their gameplay as opposed to something simply linear.
“We wanted to make sure we were honoring as much of the original inspiration as possible”
UFG: What were the big challenges taking these three games and re-creating them on modern hardware?
PK: The biggest hurdle was the first in many ways. There’s a big difference between a new IP and a remaster, and bringing a game from 20 years ago and on first generation consoles to today’s was certainly a challenge. We wanted to make sure we were honoring as much of the original inspiration as possible, while still making it feel appropriate in the modern gaming landscape.
It was our focus to build on the vision from the originals and add creative depth to create the feel and look of a fully flourishing character, environment or animation. Spyro’s original trilogy had a ton of engagement and exploration for fans at the time, so we had to live up to the challenge of bringing back that experience through something that felt built for today.
UFG: How did you do it anyway? I can’t imagine you were able to use the original source code as a guide, yet, as a longtime fan of the series, so many of the levels I’ve played are very familiar.
PK: We created a tool that we called ‘Spyro™-scope’ to help build out the game world itself. This allowed us to determine the relative placements of objects and treasures along with jumps to feel familiar and fun. For us, it was really important that fans of the originals still feel the muscle memory of when they were playing 20 years ago.
“There’s more pixels in Spyro’s eye in the remaster than there was in his entire body for the original series.”
UFG: Were there instances where you really wanted to update or modernize something in the games that felt dated, but didn’t (or did)?
PK: It should be noted that the technology from 20 years ago only allowed for so much in detailing the characters and world, let alone what was possible in the gameplay itself. We took it upon ourselves to really build out the world and details around the characters in hopes of obtaining the vision for the original games that were held back by the tech at the time. The pixilation allowed alone between console generations is immense. There’s more pixels in Spyro’s eye in the remaster than there was in his entire body for the original series.
We wanted to be as true to the original inspiration that fans loved as possible, but also bringing it to today’s console generation in the best way we know how.
We’re very proud to say that the original developers have been extremely complimentary of the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, and the same can be said of the original soundtrack creator, in regards to our reimagined soundtrack. In fact, we loved the original soundtrack so much, and knowing that fans would be clamoring for that same nostalgia, we implemented a feature in game where fans have the ability to switch between the original and new soundtracks while they play.
All that said, a great example of a change we wanted and did implement is the right stick camera controls. It feels so appropriate with how gaming handles cameras today, and really lets players feel at home as they explore the worlds of the Spyro Reignited Trilogy.
UFG: What does the future hold for Spyro and Toys for Bob? And where’s the Switch version?
PK: Right now, our focus is on the launch of Spyro Reignited Trilogy. We’re just honored to have been in the pilot’s seat to bring back everyone’s favorite purple dragon. We hope fans will love the remastered trilogy we’ve delivered, and really look forward to that avid community’s feedback.
Spyro Reignited Trilogy is currently available on the PS4 and Xbox One.
