In the last several years, Spyro the Dragon and Crash Bandicoot have both seen a resurgence as a result of remakes of their original games. Both characters were viewed as iconic mascots for the Sony PlayStation brand back in the days of the first PlayStation, as the two were tightly bound together. But both series faded from the spotlight as a result of a long streak of bad, or even broken, sequels and no sort of gameplay overhaul could pull them out of that hole. It wasn't until recently, with both series returning to their roots, that they've begun to make a comeback.
When Vicarious Visions released the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy to both a positive reception by fans and commercial success, it got the ball rolling on the return of these two icons. Toys for Bob's Spyro Reignited Trilogy released one year later, and Beenox's Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled released another year after that. In the latter, Spyro was eventually featured as a DLC character, just the latest in a long history of crossovers between the two. Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon have always been tightly intertwined and it's no surprise that their comebacks have been as well.
Much like Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon suffered from a series of poorly received games that sunk the franchise. Immediate sequels to the original trilogy attempted to continue the same gameplay but poor level design and an absurd amount of glitches ultimately doomed those games. The series was then transformed from a platformer into an action-adventure game, which eventually turned into the Skylanders series where Spyro managed to stay afloat, but it was so far removed from its roots that it no longer resembled its own identity. With recent efforts by Activision to return both series to their roots and the well-received release of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, it's time for Spyro to receive a true fourth entry to the series after 20 years.
Spyro and Crash Have Always Been Tied Together
Spyro the Dragon and Crash Bandicoot have a long history together. Back when their original games were released, players were often able to play demos of the other series' upcoming games by entering a secret code at the game's main menu. The series have also seen numerous crossovers in the form of appearances in each other's games and marketing promotions. Most recently, the two series have been trading off remake releases, and in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, there are two Spyro Easter Eggs that can be found in different levels. Just going off the history, there's a good chance that a fourth Spyro game is in the works, and might not even be that far away.
Often times, fans of one of these series tend to be fans of the other. It's been so many years since Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon were prominent franchises, but it's clear that the interest is still there for them. At the end of the day, these series will likely remain favorites for just a niche community and that's perfectly ok. Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is a very good game that honors what fans loved about the original games while still doing new things to evolve the series. There's no reason that the same can't be done for Spyro the Dragon.