ssssss pppppp yy yy rrrrrr oooo aaa h h eeeeee rrrrrr oooooo ' ssssss ss p p y y r r o o a a h h e r r o o ss sssss ppppp y y rrrrrr o o OO aaaaa hhhh eeee rrrrrr o o sssss ss p y r r o o OO a a h h e r r o o ss ssssss p y r r oooo a a h h eeeeee r r oooooo ssssss ttttttt aaa iiiiiii l t a a i l t aaaaa i l t a a i l t a a iiiiiii llllll The Guide for GAMECUBE Version 1.0 By 'Nique Status: work in progress... Note: Save for the parts in which I have used the manual, this strategy guide is MY work. I don't care if you use it for your own, private use, but please ask me for my permission before use this on your own website. As of now, only cheatcc.com has the right to post my strategy guide. Remember, this is MY work; just ask before you use it on your own site (and do not remove my name from the guide)! For permission, write to me at: matrix10@vvm.com. Thanks! ******************** 1.0 Guide Layout ******************** 1.0 Guide Layout 1.1 Game Introduction 1.2 Game Layout 1.3 Goals of the Game 1.3.1 Dark Gems and Dark Shards 1.3.2 Light Gems, and What They're For 1.3.3 Dragon Eggs and Bonuses 1.3.4 Regular Gems and Their Values 2.0 Meet the Gang 2.1 Spyro the Dragon 2.2 Sparx the Dragonfly 2.3 Hunter the Cheetah 2.4 Sgt. Byrd 2.5 Blink the Mole 3.0 The Moves 3.1 Spyro's Move List 3.2 Sparx's Move List 3.3 Hunter's Move List 3.4 Sgt. Byrd's Move List 3.5 Blink's Move List 4.0 The Big Bad Bosses 4.1 Gnasty Gnorc - Electric Breath 4.2 Ineptune - Water Breath 4.3 Red - Ice Breath (?) 5.0 Non-Playable Characters 5.1 The Professor 5.2 Moneybags and His Wares 5.3 Zoe 5.4 Trina 6.0 Bonus Characters 6.1 Flame the Dragon 6.2 Ember the Dragon 7.0 The Elders 7.1 Dragon Village - Double Jump 7.2 Crocovile Swamp - Pole Spin 7.3 Cloud Domain - Wing Shield 8.0 The Map 8.1 How to Use the Map 8.2 Help Screen 8.3 Status Screen 8.4 Task List 9.0 Hodgepodge 9.1 Remote Store Locations 9.2 "Professor Pads" 10.0 Glitches 9.1 "Perpetual Fall" 9.2 "Spyro Twist" 9.3 "Case of the Disappearing Spikes" 11.0 Hints and Tips 12.0 Sites of Interest 13.0 Questions and Comments 14.0 Credits and Stuff ******************** 1.1 Game Introduction ******************** It's been awhile since Spyro's last journey, and now it's time for him to (yet again) save the day. The Evil Dragon Red, who was banished from the Dragon Kingdom for his heinous crimes, has come back to poison the land by planting evil Dark Gems all over the Dragon Realms! It's up to Spyro and his buddies to cruise through the lands and to find and destroy every last Dark Gem that Red and his cohorts have planted. ******************** 1.2 Game Layout ******************** Realm: Dragon Kingdom- Dragon Village: Dark Gems: 3 Dragon Eggs: 6 Light Gems: 6 Here is where your adventure begins. After you have gained the Double Jump ability, you must seek out the three Dark Gems that have been planted in this area. As you do so, those nasty plants and purple goo will disappear, and the normal landscape will reappear. After you destroy the Dark Gem that Ember is standing next to, the bridge will rebuild itself, and when you cross it, you will eventually find a cave. Watch you step! Eventually, you reach a floating rock, and you'll miss it and fall to your doom if you're not paying attention. After riding the rock to the other side, make your way to the next area. Crocovile Swamp: Dark Gems: 3 Dragon Eggs: 8 Light Gems: 10 This swamp is teeming with evil plants. Watch out as you first emerge from the cave, they will attack you. Be aware of plants that come out of the water that try to swat at you, and crocodiles dressed in red (they throw jagged swords at you), and spiders that pop out of nowhere. And be careful not to land in the water (if that's what you can call it). Once you go in, you cannot come out. Remember to collect as many Light Gems in each level as you can. You need 40 Light Gems to activate the Supercharge Gadget, and 8 Light Gems to activate the Professor's Ball Gadget, the way you'll be getting to the Dragonfly Waterfall area. Dragonfly Waterfall: Dark Gems: 4 Dragon Eggs: 6 Light Gems: 9 This lush paradise is a welcome sight to the swamps (but you have to watch out for crocodiles here, too). There is a beautiful view at every turn, and a large opening with a magnificent statue of what seems to be a Dragon Elder. Beware of birds of paradise, for they are everything BUT lovely. After you have finished destroying the Dark Gems and have collected as many goodies as you can find, head back to the Ball Gadget to return to the Dragon Village. Gnasty's Cave: Dark Gems: 0 Dragon Eggs: 0 Light Gems: 0 See Gnasty's section of the Bosses for info about this area. Realm: Lost Cities- Coastal Ruins: Dark Gems: 4 Dragon Eggs: 7 Light Gems: 9 You are teleported to the seaside Coastal Ruins after you defeat Gnasty Gnorc. Moneybags is here as well, along with yet another store. as you explore, you'll meet Otto the Otter whose pool has been drained and a mother turtle who wants you to help the baby turtles reach the water (you'll get a Dragon Egg first, and then a Light Gem for completing this task). To help Otto, stand next to him to facing his pool. Go to the right, and there will be an entrance to a short path. This leads to the first water wheel that you need to activate. Defeat Gnasty's minions, and use Pole Spin to build up enough power to get the wheel to turn on it's own. Once doing so, the water will rise in Otto's pool to half it's capacity. Go back, and now the pillar of rock that you need to climb is within your reach. It's straight ahead of you when you exit the tunnel (it should eb facing this tower-looking that has an entrance in it). Go through this, and navigate the tunnel that's inside it. At the end of the tunnel, you should see a Remote Store Pad (Blink is also there, not too far behind the Pad). Destroy the Dark Gem in this area to restore a forked path nearby. I advise that you learn the Wing Shield ability before taking on the minions with the crossbows (they can be very annoying). Taking the left fork will eventually lead you to a Dragon Egg. It's the right fork that you need to worry about. This will lead you to the other water wheel that, when spinning free, will raise the water level in Otto's pool to it's original height. This is trickier to do. There are three platforms on the wheel. You need to jump from the left to the right platform, keeping up the momentum. Double Jumping early onto the other platform is the only way to keep the power you're generating rising. Otherwise, the power level will remain constant. Once the wheel is spinning and the water's filled, go back to the pool. Now, you can reach all of the pillars in the area (the one's with the treasure and a Light Gem). You also don't have to deal with those annoying crabs anymore, unless you Dive underwater. I think it would be wise to give you directions to find the "secret" entrance to the Cloudy Domain (I had a hard time finding it myself). Hold down Z to view your map. Look to the far right of the map. There is an area that has a path that splits into three separate areas. Take the middle route. You should see a wooden tower and two wooden platforms that are lodged in the ground. Turn to the left, and you will see a small ledge that leads to a stone arch. Hop onto the ledge, and walk through the short passage until you find three spinning windmill-blades that have poles separating each blade. There is also a wooden tower after the last pole. go up to the platform and look to the left. There should be a tunnel with shell lamps hanging from the ceiling that are glowing blue. Go through the tunnel (beware of the mud, if you land in it, you can't get out again!). At the end of the tunnel, you should be at a remote shop location called "Domain Doorstep". Leapfrog from rock to rock until you reach Zoe. As she zaps you, go through the rock arch, and you'll see an engraved platform stuck in the ground. It turns out that this platform is a giant fan of some sort. Hop onto it, and in the middle you will be prompted to press the B button. Press B, and the fan will lift you up into the Cloudy Domain. Cloudy Domain: Dark Gems: 3 Dragon Eggs: 7 Light Gems: 8 Here is where the Elder Titan dwells, high in the sky where one wrong step will lead to a long drop. Switches abound here, and each one activates fans of some sort. There, too, is an abundance of Gnasty's minions, both large and small. Some even have wings, and some shoot some sort of energy ball thing at you. Once you find Titan's dwelling, you must activate a switch to open the door. After a long winded speech, the senile Elder will teach you how to use your Wing Shield technique. Further exploration of the level seems impossible until you have collected 40 Light Gems to activate the Supercharge Gadget. Sunken Ruins: Dark Gems: 3 Dragon Eggs: 6 Light Gems: 8 To gain access to the Sunken Ruins, you need to find Otto the Otter. He says that someone's drained his pool, and he wants you to refill it. Doing half of this task will help you gain access to the Sunken Ruins. After you find Otto, stand next to facing the pool. Go to the right, and there will be an entrance to a short path. This leads to the first water wheel that you need to activate. Defeat Gnasty's minions, and use Pole Spin to build up enough power to get the wheel to turn on it's own. Once doing so, the water will rise in Otto's pool to half it's capacity. Go back, and now the pillar of rock that you need to climb is within your reach. It's straight ahead of you when you exit the tunnel (it should be facing this tower-looking that has an entrance in it). Go through this, and navigate the tunnel that's inside it. At the end of the tunnel, you should see a Remote Store Pad (Blink is also there, not too far behind the Pad). Turn to the right, and you should see a tunnel. As you go through it, you'll find two sets of three gigantic shells swinging from ropes. After going past the first set, there'll be four of those masked tiki guys. Defeat them, and get past the other shells. At the end of the tunnel, you should see Zoe and a beach. Collect all of the treasure here. Notice the pillars in the water? When you exit the cave, make your way to the left. There, in the ruins of a tower, there is a Dark Gem. Destroy it, and the rock pillars and a building with a stained glass dome will rise from the water. Use the pillars to reach the top of the dome. Notice that there's a target on the top. Horn Dive it, and you will fall inside the domed structure onto a platform. Press B when you're prompted to do so, and the platform will take you down to the Sunken Ruins. Here in this underwater area lurk Ineptune's minions. You must be careful; some of these baddies throw stars at you (it would probably be a good idea to learn Wing Shield before coming here). Crabs lurk here, too, and there seems to be an overabundance of toxic green water. There is a chamber in the Sunken Ruins that you may have a problem with. It is a circular room with a pool of toxic water in the center. Also, there is a shell with a node underneath it. Use this to reach a higher level in the room. There are poles here that you can use Pole Swing on to reach the switches scattered throughout the room. When pressed, these switches gradually raise a statue of one of those mermaid-looking minions holding a Dark Gem. You must activate ALL of the switches before the statue will rise out of the water enough for you to reach the Dark Gem safely. To reach all of the switches, pay attention to the wall close to each pole. There are electric nodes close by that, when activated, will cause the poles to move closer to the next area that you're trying to reach. Keep this in mind, or you're going to be frustrated long before you finish this level. Ineptune's Lair: ? ******************** 1.3 Goals of the Game ******************** Oh course, your primary goal is to destroy all of the Dark Gems (and the Dark Shards) that Red has planted in the Dragon Realms, but there are also other things you need to do as well. There are Light Gems, too, that you need to discover, as well as (at Nanny's request) 80 dragon eggs that have been egg-napped by those notorious thieves. There are, of course, those other Gems that you find in wicker baskets and in other containers that are the currancy of the Dragon Realms. ******************** 1.3.1 Dark Gems and Dark Shards ******************** There are a total of 40 Dark Gems that have been planted in the various lands of the Dragon Realms. These Gems sap the life out the the land. Once you destroy these Gems (you need to acquire the Double Jump ability so you can Horn Dive them first), the surrounding area changes back to the way it was before the Gems were planted. These changes often open up new areas in a land so you can further explore the area. The Dark Shards, which usually accompany the Dark Gems, can be destroyed by simply Charging them (and they leave a heck of a lot of Gems for you to find, too). ******************** 1.3.2 Light Gems, and What They're For ******************** You first find out about the use for Light Gems in the Dragon Villiage. The Professor tells you (eventually) that you can use the Light Gems to power various Gadgets that he has created to help you in your quest to defeat Red.The first gadget, the Ball Gadget, will require you to find 8 Light Gems. Once doing so, you will be allowed into a secret area where you ca bounce around in the Professor's Gadget, slamming into enemies and picking up extra Gems. It may not seem to be a big deal now, but this Gadget is your ticket to getting to the Dragonfly Waterfall, and back to the Dragon Villiage once you've completed it. Once you've finished and need to go back to the Dragon Villiage, find the Gadget, hop into it, and simply navigate your way backwards through the secret area to the beginning, hop out, and POOF, you'll be back in the Dragon Villiage. Light Gems also power such Gadgets as the Invinviblity Gadget, the Supercharge Gadget, and, in some cases, will give you access to secret areas. ******************** 1.3.3 Dragon Eggs and Bonuses ******************** You are fisrt asked to seach for the 80 missing Dragon Eggs by Nanny, a wizened dragon who cannot chase down the thieves who stole the eggs herself. This, at first, seems pointless (and repetative. Haven't you had to do this before in Spyro Year of the Dragon?), but Nanny also tells you that for every 10 eggs you collect (there are eight sets, ten eggs to a set), you will be rewarded. Here are your rewards if you DO happen to find all 80 eggs. I've taken the descriptions directly from the game: Set I : Concept Art Set II : Character Viewer Set III : Ember Model - Play as Ember Set IV : Flame Model - Play as Flame Set V : Sgt. Byrd Mini-Games Set VI : Spyro Turret Mini-Games Set VII : Sparx Shooter Mini-Games Set VIII: Blink Mini-Games Happy Hunting! ******************** 1.3.4 Regular Gems ******************** These Gems, which you have seen before if you have EVER played any Spyro game before, are the currency of the Dragon Realms. These can be found in various objects: Wiker Baskets: Regular, wiker baskets. You can torch, zap, charge, or do whatever to break these open. Metal Containers: These are stronger than the average wiker baskets. You need to Charge or Horn Hive these. Later, you can zap them with Electic Breath to open them. Strong Containers: No amount of Horn Diving, torching, zapping, chilling, or water blasting these till open them. You need to either use cannon fire or Super Charge these containers to get to the gems inside them (which are often many). Horn Dive Containers: These, too, cannot be flamed, charged, etc., but there is something different about them: they have a target painted on top of them. Horn Dive these to break them open. Glass Bottles: These can be found underwater. Seeing as you cannot use any breath ability underwater, you need to Charge them. Spiral Rocks: So far, I have only seen these in the Dragon Villiage. These rocks appear to be swirled (or they're some rocks stacked on top of one another, I can't tell). At any rate, these can be Horn Dived. Targets: I first spotted these in the Cloudy Domain. They're just targets laying on the ground, but when you Horn Dive them, they release Gems. There are also many other containers that appear in the game in which Gems can be found. Keep an eye out for them! Gem values vary, depending on their color: Red Gems: 1 Gem Green Gems: 5 Gems Purple Gems: 25 Gems Yellow Gems: 100 Gems (didn't these used to be worth only 10 Gems?) Note: When you purchase the Double Value Gem powerup from Moneybags, these values will be, well, doubled. Unfortunately, this is only temporary. ******************** 2.0 Meet the Gang ******************** Here I have given a small bit of info about each of the five characters that you control in Spyro's quest to foil Red's evil scheme. ******************** 2.1 Spyro the Dragon ******************** The purple dragon's back, and, yet again, he's on a quest to save the world. Sheesh, when is this guy ever gonna get a break? Spyro starts out on a fresh adventure along with his old buddies Hunter, Sgt. Byrd, and Sparx, but along the way, he meets a new pal called Blink. It's up to spyro and his friends to stop Red, and the fiery little dragon is more than willing to go out on another Gnorc butt-kicking adventure. ******************** 2.2 Sparx the Dragonfly ******************** Spyro's little dragonfly pal is back to protect Spyro from harm once again. Sparx plays his own role in this adventure, going through cracks in walls in which Spyro cannot fit to find hidden Dragon Eggs or Light Gems. As always, Sparx is Spyro's health indicator. Yellow means you're in good shape, blue means you've got two more hits you can take, green means one more hit and you're on you're own, and, when Sparx flies off, the next hit will cause Spyro to "die". Of course, taking out fodder to get butterflies for Sparx will bring him back to take more damage for you. Later, when you have enough gems, you can buy an upgrade for Sparx from Moneybags that will allow him to take one more hit (he'll be red instead of green before he flies off). ******************** 2.3 Hunter the Cheetah ******************** Spyro's friend from way back in the Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage days is here yet again, but not only to give Spyro athletic advice. For the first time, Hunter is a playable character. Spyro will occasionally find Hunter throughout his journey, and Hunter will be more than happy to show off while helping Spyro in his quest. Fast, agile, and a bit of a blockhead, Hunter is always willing to help Spyro when he needs it, whether the mission's dangerous or not. ******************** 2.4 Sgt. Byrd ******************** What ho, chaps? Sgt. Byrd makes a comeback, and this time, he's packing the big guns. When we last left Sgt. Byrd, he was celebrating the defeat of the Sorceress, but now he's come to lend Spyro a hand in his new adventure. Sgt. Byrd (instead of Spyro) braves the odds in the flight missions that pop up occasionally along the way, sporting a jet pack to boost his speed, and some heavy ammo to take out the nasty villians that mean to stop him. After completing his mission, Sgt. Byrd will return with a Dragon Egg (after completing the Easy mission), and then a Light Gem (after completing the Hard Mission). ******************** 2.5 Blink the Mole ******************** Blink's the newest addition to Spyro's crew. Spyro first meets Blink in the Crocovile Swamp region and, after releasing him, discovers that Blink not only knows the Professor, the Professor is his UNCLE. Blink, who has a fear of sunshine and fresh air, offers to sniff around below ground to see if he can find anything that could be useful to Spyro. As with Sgt. Byrd's missions, Blink will first bring back a Dragon Egg, and then a Light Gem. Blink's lasers and Blink Bombs will see that he successfully reaches his goal. ******************** 3.0 The Moves ******************** I'm including the move's list for the five playable characters in the game because sometimes it's a good idea to have a refresher course about which buttons to push. I know I get confused between the controls between some games. ******************** 3.1 Spyro's Move List ******************** Note: Spyro comes equipped with (yet again) some new moves. Some you'll remember from his previous adventures (such as Ice, Electric, and Water Breath, as well as Wing Shield), but the dragon's got some new moves up his sleeve. Pole Spin will allow you to swing from pole to pole to get to extra bonuses, Wall Jump allows you to reach new heights and hidden extras, and Double Jump lets you reach higher than usual ledges, as well as get further distance when gliding. As always, Spyro must aquire these from other sources before he can use them. When you begin the game, he comes with his trademark Flame Breath, and that's it. Jump A Double Jump A + A Glide A + A HOLD Horn Dive A + A + X Breath Weapon Y Secondary Breath R Select Breath + Control Pad Wing Shield B 1st Person View L Dive Underwater X , hold to swim/charge Paddle Underwater Hold A Pan Camera C Stick In the Ball Gadget: Turbo Y Brake X Jump A ******************** 3.2 Sparx's Move List ******************** Note: These controls are only used when Sparx is on his own mission. Move Control Stick Shoot A Launch Missiles B Smart Bomb Y Turbo R Brake L ******************** 3.3 Hunter's Move List ******************** Jump A Double Jump A + A Pounce Stomp A + X Punch X Bow Swipe A + Y Shoot Arrow Y Shoot Fire Arrow R 1st Person Targeting L Bow Spin B Slide Attack A, X Pan Camera c Stick ******************** 3.4 Sgt. Byrd's Move List ******************** Fly Hold A Turbo X when holding A Launch Missiles R Drop Bombs L ******************** 3.5 Blink's Move List ******************** Note: Make sure that you crouch when close to a bomb that you have just tossed. You'll either injure yourself or "die" from the blast. Jump A Double Jump A + A Butt Bounce A + X Claw Attack X Dig X near crack Fire Lasers Y Toss Bomb R 1st Person Targeting L Crouch B Pan Camera C Stick ******************** 4.0 The Big Bad Bosses ******************** There are three bosses that you will have to deafeat, including Red himself! Defeating these bosses also gives you a bonus... ******************** 4.1 Gnasty Gnorc ******************** The villian we all know and hate from the first Spyro title has come back from exile to take revenge out on our purple hero for defeating him. He is not alone, however. To make sure he has his revenge, he has teamed up with Red to take out Spyro. Gnasty's minions can be found troughout the worlds. You meet Gnasty after you destroy the ten Dark Gems in the Dragon Kingdom. His lair will open up, and, as soon as you walk in, it's like you're seeing double! There's a dragon called Flame in Gnasty's lair, and he complains that he hasn't been able to get out (and the place stinks to boot). After Flame thanks you for helping him escape, continue along the passage until you reach Gnasty. Gnasty Gnorc, who seems to have a poor memory when it comes to remembering previous defeats, tells Spyro that he cannot defeat him. Unlike the last time you met him, Gnasty doesn't run off. He stays to face you. When Gnasty begins his attack, he slams his spiked hammer into the ground, creating a shockwave. Simply jump to avoid it, and run up behind Gnasty. The force of the blow has caused his hammer to stick into the ground, and has left him vulnerable to an attack (I see London, I see France, I see Gnasty's polka-dotted underpants!). Torch his rear (his only vulnerable spot), and he'll howl in pain, trying to put out the fire. Unfortunately for you, he's pulled his hammer free from the ground. Now, Gnasty sends out three shockwaves from his hammer. Double jump and hold A to hover so you'll miss being hit. Gnasty slams his hammer down again, this time creating one shockwave and three small tornados and lodges his hammer into the ground again. Jump to avoid these, and torch him where he's vulnerable. This attack sequence is repeated again. Just torch him when he's busy trying to pull his hammer out of the ground. Gnasty starts stamping his feet, and says that you've beaten him... or have you? He starts attacking yet again, creating three shockwaves that can easiliy be dodged. Next, he slams his hammer into the ground, causing boulders to start falling from the ceiling of the cave. Charge around in a circle, jumping and weaving in and out of the falling rocks. If one does manage to hit you, there is ONE butterfly flying around that you can restore a hit point with. ONE, mind you. Gnasty uses his hammer to send out a single shockwave, getting his hammer stuck in the ground in the process. Torch him. The next attack begins with the three shockwaves and the boulders, and then he uses his one shockwave, three tornado trick on you again. Avoid these, and torch his rear while he's pulling his hammer out of the ground. This sequence is repeated again. Torch his when his guard's down. Gnasty's getting pretty angry at this point. He says that you've beaten him again, even though by now you know you haven't (yet). While he's telling you to bring it on, electric nodes activate in the background. He sends out two shockwaves, and then he tries something else: he tries to zap you by shooting a beam of electricity at you. If you're far enough away and keep running, he can't hit you with this attack. Then, he sends out a shockwave that emits electricity. Double jump and hold A to avoid being zapped. This attack causes his hammer to stick into the ground again. Torch him. Gnasty creates three more shockwaves, and then he slams his hammer into the ground three times, sending three archs of electricity at you. Charge and jump to try and avoid being zapped (this is easier said than done). If you are hit, Gnasty will repeat this sequence agian until you do manage to not get hit and torch him. Torch his while he's busy. He tries his three shockwaves again, and then he slams his hammer into the ground three times, each time creating a tri-bolt of electricity. These are easier to avoid than one would think. His hammer sticks into the ground once again. Torch his rear. Gnasty starts stamping again, saying that this time you've really defeated him... and you have! Gnasty Gnorc's defeat this time is more beneficial that one would think. Here is where you gain your first breath upgrade. Gnasty's zapping powers had come from a very hyperactive fairy called Amp he had captured. She, in her gratitude, bestows you with electric breath. Use it to activate the electric node anchored in the floating rock. It will carry you across the rift that opened up in the cinematic that played before you fought Gnasty. You need to zap it more than once to keep it going, otherwise you'll run out of power and the rock will return to it's starting point. Follow the tunnel you used to enter Gnasty's cave back to the Dragon Villiage. Gnasty's deafeat also activates one of the Professor's inventions: the teleporter. Unlike Moneybags' teleporter, it can take you to the next realm: the Coastal Ruins. ******************** 4.2 Ineptune ******************** ******************** 4.3 Red ******************** ******************** 5.0 Non-Playable Characters ******************** There are a few characters that have been programmed into the game to help Spyro with his quest. ******************** 5.1 The Professor ******************** Spyro's old friend the Professor has built a lab in the Dragon Villiage and, believe you me, it's a help. He has created some inventions that will greatly help you along on your quest - for a price. No, I don't mean Gems, I mean Light Gems. These Gems are needed to power his inventions so you can reach other locations and extra goodies that are in the game. His inventions include: Ball Gadget: You are placed inside a ball and are taken to a secret area of the game in which you can bash enemies and collect extra Gems. The other benefit of this device is that you can access the Dragonfly Falls from the Dragon Villiage by using it, and returning to there by going backwards after you've finished exploring the Dragonfly Waterfall area. Teleporter: This device only activates after you have defeated Gnasty Gnorc. It allows you to teleport between worlds, unlike Moneybags's teleporter, which only teleports you to previously activated remote shop locations. Invincibility Gadget: For a limited (and I mean LIMITED) amount of time, you are immortal. A meter on the right-hand side of the screen indicates how much longer you are impervious to harm. Watch it closely, for if you even TOUCH the acid-green water that first appears in the Sunken Ruins, you'll die, regardless of how many hit points you have left. You need to collect 25 Light Gems to activate this Gadget (I think). Supercharge Gadget: The Supercharge Gadget is the second means of opening Strong Containers and Strong Doors. Otherwise, cannonfire will do the trick (if there's a cannon around). You need to collect 40 Light Gems to activate this Gadget. ******************** 5.2 Moneybags and His Wares ******************** The money-grubbing bear is back, and this time, he's a bit more useful (but still as annoying) than the last few times Spyro's encountered him. Moneybags has opened his own store and, most unusal about Moneybags, the things that he is offering for sale are quite useful (although expensive, of course). Moneybags claims that all prices at the remote locations of his store(s) are the same, but don't believe a word of it. I'll list the prices that appear at the Villiage Depot in the Dragon Villiage, but automatically assume that his wares are much more expensive at remote locations. Lock Pick: Opens locked chests and gates. Cost: 500 Gems Key Chain: Allows you to carry up to 3 Lock Picks at a time. Cost: 5000 Gems Teleport Pass: Sends you to previously activated shop locations. Cost: 100 Gems Shockwave: Increases the radius of your Horn Dive attack. Cost: 10,000 Gems Double Value Gems: Doubles the value of collected gems. NOT PERMANENT. Cost: 1000 Gems Butterfly Jar: Restores Sparx's hit points to full. Handy when there are no cute and cuddly animals to torch for butterflies. Cost: 1500 Gems Extra Health Unit: Gives Sparx one extra hit point. Cost: 5000 Gems Fire Bomb Ammo: Flame Breath upgrade. NOT PERMANENT. Cost: 50 Gems per 1 Ammo Fire Bomb Magazine: Allows you to carry 5 more Fire Bomb Ammos. Cost: 500 Gems (you can carry 5 more Fire Bomb Ammos) Ball Lightning Ammo: Electric Breath upgrade. NOT PERMANENT. Cost: 250 Gems per 1 Ammo Ball Lightning Magazine: Allows you to hold 1 more Lightning Ball Ammo. Cost: 1000 Gems Aqua Bomb Ammo: Water Breath upgrade. NOT PERMANENT. Cost: 50 Gems per 1 Ammo Aqua Bomb Magazine: Allows you to carry 10 more Aqua Bomb Ammos. Cost: 250 Gems Ice Missile Ammo: Ice Breath upgrade. NOT PERMANENT. Cost: 100 Gems per 1 Ammo Ice Shard Magazine: Allows you to carry 2 more Ice Shard Ammos. Cost: 750 Gems Good luck! You'll need it. ******************** 5.3 Zoe ******************** Zoe, of course, appears in various places in the game (usually the ones where you're likely to get killed) to save your progress. This comes in handy when you're preparing to perform difficult tasks and my die. You can, however, save the game yourself at any point in time in the game by going to the options menu. She can be quite annoying, actually. She can zap you one too many times if you make a non-fatal mistake and pass by her again. ******************** 5.4 Trina ******************** Like Zoe, Trina is a fairy that helps you progress through your journey. She, however, gives you hints about how to go about performing tasks by telling you that you need to learn a new technique or activate a Gadget before you can continue. She also gives you tips about how to play the game every now and then, which are logged into the Help Screen of your map as the tips/ definitions (whatever you call the things). ******************** 6.0 Bonus Characters ******************** There is a very interesting feature in this Spyro adventure: once you have collected two sets of Dragon Eggs (one for Flame, one for Ember), you can access the unlockable features at the main menu and choose to play as either Flame the Dragon (who looks like a recolored version of Spyro with a different voice) or Ember the Dragon. ******************** 6.1 Flame the Dragon ******************** One set of Dragon Eggs will unlock Flame the Dragon. Flame could easily pass as Spyro's orange-colored twin (minus a few minor details). ******************** 6.2 Ember the Dragon ******************** Ember, a cute little pink female dragon, is in love with Spyro. You see her twice while you progress through the Dragon Villiage, and both times she shows signs of love for our purple hero. Spyro, on the other hand, is not very keen on the idea of having Ember for a girlfriend. After collecting Ember's set of Dragon Eggs, you can play as her. ******************** 7.0 The Elders ******************** It pays to listen to your Elders, seeing as they're there to teach you new tricks that will help you out on your journey. Aside from learning new moves, the Elders also tell you about Red, and the reason why he's such a problem. ******************** 7.1 Dragon Villiage - Double Jump ******************** The Dragon Villiage elder, Tomas, can be found only after you have purchased a Lock Pick from Moneybags. Use the Lock Pick to unlock that gate, and follow the passage in the cave to where the elder dwells. After giving you very minute details about Red, he will tell you how to Double Jump. After speaking with Tomas, you can both Double Jump AND use your Horn Dive ability. ******************** 7.2 Crocovile Swamp - Pole Spin ******************** You meet Magnus, the elder, after Horn Diving the Dark Gem that has caused the entrance to his home to be blocked to reopen. Magnus, as did Tomas, will tell you a bit more about your foe, and then he demonstrates how to use the Pole Spin move. Afterwards, take a good look around his house. There are poles here that you can start using Pole Spin on. They lead two ways. One, which takes you to the upper levels of his house, will lead you to a Light Gem, and another path takes you to an area in which you can glide to a Dragon Egg and a firework you can light to break open some Strong Chests. Magnus also informs you that Red was once a Dragon Elder himself, until he tried to overthrow the Elder Leader. ******************** 7.3 Cloud Domain - Wing Shield ******************** After activating switches and dodging (and toasting) Gnasty's minions, you find the dwelling of the elder Titan. You must press a switch that is located on the right side of his house before you can enter. Onece there. Titan gives you more information about why Red was banished. He was, according to Titan, one of the Dragon Elders and a good friend of his, until he became evil. After his story, Titan tells you haow to use Wing Shield, which comes in handy against pesky Gnorcs using projectiles. There is a course close to Titan's house that you can test out your Wing Shield on that will, in the end, yield you a Light Gem. ******************** 8.0 The Map ******************** The map is there to help guide you through the enormous realms of the Dragon Kingdom, but sometimes I doubt that. In fact, it can be a pain in the rear unti you get used to it. Simply press B to exit the map when you have finished using it. The map displays the number of Dark Gems you need to destroy, the number of Dragon Eggs and Light Gems you need to collect in your current level. Pressing R will allow you to view these goals for other levels you have visited. ******************** 8.1 How to Use the Map ******************** The map is only a 2-D layout of the game, and it does not distinguish between water and land,high or low terrain. When you enter a new area, the map is totally blacked out. The map fills itself in as you explore, and you can tell where you have yet to go by the still blackened areas (that's how I found the secret entrence to the Cloudy Domain). All you can really do is refer to the map frequently if you get lost. Also, if you are traveling between realms (I.E. from Coastal Ruins to Cloudy Domain0, a message will appear on your map saying that you are out of scanner range and cannot view the map. ******************** 8.2 Help Screen ******************** When viewing the map, press A to view a list of terms that have been recorded as you progress through your journey that will help you along the way (in case you've forgotten something). Press B to return to the map. ******************** 8.3 Status Screen ******************** Press X when looking at the map to show the number of Dragon Eggs (x/80) you have collected (they are displayed in their sets; you will not find the Eggs in order of their set), the Dark Gems you have destroyed (x/40), the number of Light Gems you have collected (x/100), and the percentage of the game you have completed. Pressing R will show you the powerups available to you, and the amount of each you have (if any). Some have no amount; they will be highlighted instead. Press B to go back to the map. ******************** 8.4 Task List ******************** Press Y while viewing the map to see the list of tasks that you need to complete to finish a particular area. When you scroll through the list, highlighted tasks will be explained in more detail in the right-hand portion of the screen. Tasks you have not completed will have blank boxes to the left of them, and ones you have completed will be checked off. This screen also shows you the numeber of Dark Gems you have destroyed (x/# in level), the number of Dragon Eggs you have collected (x/# in level), and the number of Light Gems you have collected (x/# in level). Pressing R and L will scroll through the task lists of other areas you have previously visited. ******************** 9.0 Hodgepodge ******************** Here I have included little bits and pieces of info that may (or may not) prove to be useful. Seeing as I couldn't quite put them anywhere else, I've thrown them in this section of the guide. ******************** 9.1 Remote Store Pads ******************** Moneybags can be found not just at his normal store locations, but there are remote locations where you can buy goods from him as well. Wherever you see the holoprojection as Moneybags (he usually tries to get you to come buy things by calling out to you as you go by), you can stop and use the store... for a price, of course. In spite of what he said before, Moneybags's wares ARE more expensive at remote locations (he apparently was not joking when he was tacking on fees earlier). Although Moneybags's wares are a bit pricey at these remote locations, they can come in handy. ******************** 9.2 "Professor Pads" ******************** Occassionally, you will encounter pads with not Moneybags's image, but the Professor's. He will appear when you need to use one of his Gadgets, telling you whether the Gadget has been activated, or the number of Light Gems you need to activate the Gadget. ******************** 10.0 Glitches ******************** To this I hold to be true: all games are NOT perfect. Every now and then in some games, glitches crop up. I have only found three so far, and both you need to be aware of, for both can be deadly to Spyro and his pals. ******************** 10.1 "Perpetual Fall" ******************** I have dubbed this glitch the "Perpetual Fall" because, in the Coastal Ruins portion of the game, I tried charging into the water located to the far left of the region, and I, well, fell. It was like I had fallen over a cliff, but Spyro would not die. Instead, he kept on falling. he could still glide, breathe fire, and, no matter what I did, he kept falling. Beware what lurks beneath the water, for you may be in for a nasty surprise... because I need to go back and double check the location of this glitch. But believe me, it is there. ******************** 10.2 "Spyro Twist" ******************** Whoever programmed the controls into this game needs to be more careful. EXTREMELY CAREFUL. While playing A Hero's Tail, I encounterd a glitch that was more than just a nuisance. It was deadly to all the characters that I controlled. Every now and then, my character would do a 360, and there was no telling when it would do this twist. Unluckily for me, Spyro and his pals have done what I have called the "Spyro Twist" while I was gliding over ravines, trying to get past dangerous obstacles, or jumping over wide spaces. Be aware of this glitch, for I have lost more than one "life" to it. ******************** 10.3 "Case of the Disappearing Spikes" ******************** In the Sunken Ruins area, there is a room that has no exit. In the wall, there are a few fish mouths that are wide open. There is a switch that you press that will cause spikes to come out of the fishes mouths so you can use Pole Spin to reach a higher ledge. Although you see the spikes come out of their mouths, when you approach them to Pole Spin, there are no spikes to be had! I decided to jump at where the spikes were supposed to be and, viola! I was Pole Spinning! There was one drawback: I was so close to the wall that my view was that of Spyro's right side while he was spinning, and a bit of the wall. This isn't a deadly glitch, it's just a nuisance. Having such a point of view makes it difficult to tell what you're doing. ******************** 11.0 Hints and Tips ******************** Here I pass on some of my knowledge of the game to you, the reader. It may make the game a little bit easier (and less frustrating): * Get the Horn Dive Shockwave powerup from Moneybags. It may be a bit pricey, but when you get it, the shockwave it creates can KO multiple enemies, as well as knock the armor off of a Gnorc from a good distance away (so he doesn't have the chance to damage you). * Get the Extra Health Unit powerup for Sparx from Moneybags. It, too, is pretty expensive, but that extra hit point helps in the long run. * Buy the Keychain from Moneybags. The money you spend will be worthwhile when you're not having to buy Lock Picks every time you turn around. *When you're in the Sunken Ruins, buy a Butterfly Jar from Moneybags. As far as I've seen, there is no fodder down here, and if you do lose all of your hit points, Sparx will regain full health by using the powerup. * Before you face those gnasty minions who have the bows, learn Wing Shield. No matter what you do, those little buggers manage to hit you. I've lost a couple of lives to those guys. * The crab enemies that you meet in the Coastal Ruins regions respond much more to your Electric Breath than your Flame Breath. It may take a bit longer to take them out, but it's better than the crabs hitting you. Just hold down Y to zap them until they go out. * Beware of piranas and birds! In the Coastal Ruins, there is an area with some birds flying over the water, and there are wooden planks floating around. There is, too, a Light Gem, if you can get it. DO NOT dive underwater to avoid the birds, there are piranas there that are more than ready to swarm you and make it impossible for you to get out of the water before they kill you! Look for signs near the water to make sure it is pirana free. The birds that appear here will dive at you and claw you. I've also noticed in some places that birds will drop bombs on you, too. * When in the Coastal Ruins area, you will find an area with two cliffs surrounded by water. In each cliff, there are poles. Some of the poles on the left side are moving, while there is a whirlwind and retracting spikes on the right. Right in front of you is one of Gnasty's armored minions on a pillar of rock. Take him out, and you will notice that behind him is another pillar that has a cannon on top of it surrounded by other pillars, at least one having a Strong Chest on it. You can't reach the cannon from where you are. DO NOT go to the left, glide to the right into the whirlwind. It will lift you up so you can just barely reach the cannon (Spyro has to grab onto the edge of the rock to climb up). Take out the strong chests, and take out the Strong Door. You can glide through the blown out door from where you're at. * Look for cracks in walls. Not the ones that have the sign with Sparx on it near them, but X-shaped cracks. Charging these will open up hidden areas of the game. Cracks in the ground can indicate areas that you can destroy with cannonfire. I found one of these in the Crocovile Swamp region and, when I fired the cannon at it, I found a Light Gem was burind belowground. More hints to come! ******************** 12.0 Sites of Interest ******************** Here, I am including some websites that are Spyro: A Hero's Tail related. These may be either useful or fun, or both! From the Official Spryo Site: http://herostail.spyrothedragon.com/ From the Makers: http://www.vugames.com/product.do?gamePlatformId=1711 Other Sites: http://www.nintendo.com/gamemini?gameid=9a45733a-c605-44e5-a52f-9b421f9eeee2 ******************** 13.0 Questions and Comments ******************** Feel free to ask me questions about the game, I will answer them if I can. Just realize that I haven't beaten the game YET. I am still in the process of collecting enough Light Gems to proceed, so be patient. This is a growing guide, and more will come. Also, if you have any comments about the guide, or want me to be more detailed about something, let me know. I want to make sure that the information I have given is accurate. You can e-mail me at: matrix10@vvm.com ******************** 14.0 Credits and Stuff ******************** Thanks to me, 'Nique, for putting this guide together. Thank you Vivendi Universal and Eurocom for making a great Spyro title! I did use the manual for the technique list and the items available in Moneybags's store. I used notes I took while playing the game to write some of the text that appears in this guide. Copyright 2004 Universal Interactive, Inc. Spyro and related characters are trademark and copyright Universal Interactive, Inc. All rights reserved.