Some of my most pleasant gaming surprises this year have come in small packages. Speaking of small packages,  Spyro The Dragon has always been a notoriously well-rated series, while perhaps also being the most equally unsung. The little purple dragon made his mark on the Playstation, garnering high rankings from across the gaming community. So needless to say, I was eager to pop Spryo: Season of Ice in my GBA and take the little dragon out for his newest adventures. 

So the story begins: Once again, trying to mind his own business, and generally trying to have a good time, our Spryo is called into action. Apparently, the Rhynocs have been rustling up trouble, leaving a signature by freezing the land's fairies in ice. It's up to you to help out your friends by thawing out the frozen pixies and completing various other quests along the way. So what's it like to save the Dragon Realms, you ask? Well, as always, it's quite a bit of fun.

Spyro: Season of Ice, published by Universal Interactive, is an isometric adventure for the GameBoy Advance. Featuring a blend of 3D and 2D graphics, the first thing you'll notice is just how wonderful Spyro looks. The animation of him walking, jumping, head-butting, and just about everything else he does is so darn cute you'll wish he wasn't just imaginary. I know, it sounds awfully fluffy, but that's part of the appeal. The rest of the graphics, including other characters and background, are colorfully portrayed and are amongst the better I've seen since the launch of the GBA.

Gameplay in Spryo consists of various quests which include puzzle solving, jewel collecting, and fairy thawing. Some other things you will do is use your fire breath to light up things like jack-o-lanterns and lighthouses. You'll also have the chance to do some aerial combat and play as Sparx, Spryo's trusty side-kick. There's nothing out of the ordinary in the sense of platforming (actually it's more collecting than platforming) in Season of Ice, and occasionally the action may feel a little repetitive or bland to some. However, as a whole, there are enough variations side-jaunts to break things up.

The only real sticking point with Spyro is a seeming ultra-sensitivity to the controls. First, because of the way the game is set up, there are a lot of places where Spyro is required to move diagonally. So plan on getting some practice in on the gamepad. This wouldn't be so much of a problem, but on top of this, the controls seem a bit hypersensitive, and on some fields, a bit too much movement will land you in the water, and with one less life. Other moves, like gliding and hovering do not suffer the same problems and those can be mastered in no time. 

Spyro really is a wonderful game, but you never lose the nagging feeling that with just a couple more simple changes, we'd have a potential GBA game of the year on our hands. I think I'd almost pay to see those tweaks come to life with as wonderful as Spryo and his world looks and feels.

Graphics: 9 
The graphics in Spyro: Season of Ice are a real treat. This is what the GBA is about, and everything from Spryo's glide to him running head-butt is animated with wonderful precision. 

Sound: 8
Spyro has relatively good sound for a handheld game. It's perky enough to match our spunky little hero.

Concept: 8 
Spyro is irresistible - and the idea of carrying him around wherever you go is even moreso! The game itself doesn't add much along the lines of original gameplay-aspects to the series, but it is an all new story and an all new world.

Overall: 8
I really enjoyed Spryo: Season of Ice. The graphics were awesome, the animations wonderful, and the game was long enough to be a good value for the money. With just a couple tweaks - this game could have easily rocketed up into the absolutely best of the best for the GBA.