You're standing in the Artisans Home, staring at a green field and wondering why on earth you can't find that last gem. We’ve all been there. Whether you are playing the 1998 original on a dusty PlayStation 1 or diving into the Reignited Trilogy on a modern console, the core loop is the same. Collect gems. Flame Gnorcs. Rescue dragons.
But it’s never that simple, is it?
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Most people think a Spyro the Dragon walkthrough is just a checklist of levels. It’s not. It’s about understanding the "Insomniac flow"—that specific way the developers hid items just out of your peripheral vision. If you’re struggling to hit that 100% (or 120%) completion mark, you aren't bad at the game. You're just looking at it the wrong way.
The Artisans Hub: More Than a Tutorial
The first world is a trap. It feels easy, almost too easy. You rescue Nestor, he tells you to find the other dragons, and you’re off. But most players miss the secret of the waterfall.
Seriously.
In the main Artisans Home, there are these five stones in the pond near the Sunny Flight entrance. If you jump on them in the right order, or just kind of mess around on them long enough, you'll unlock the secret area. It’s a small thing, but it sets the tone for the rest of the game. If it looks like a platform, it is one.
Stone Hill is usually the first "real" level people tackle. It’s split into two distinct halves: the ground floor and the beach/uplands. If you’re missing 10 or 20 gems here, check the well. Or better yet, look for the hidden room behind the starting area. You have to take the elevator up and then glide around the perimeter. It’s a classic Spyro move—hiding the goods behind the player's starting orientation.
The Physics of the Long Glide
Let’s talk about the mechanic that ruins speedruns and casual playthroughs alike: the glide.
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To master any Spyro the Dragon walkthrough, you have to internalize the "peak jump." If you press the jump button and then immediately hit the glide button, you lose height. You have to wait until Spyro reaches the absolute apex of his hop. It’s a fraction of a second. If you time it right, you can reach the high ledges in Town Square or the distant platforms in Lofty Castle. If you don't, you're falling into the abyss.
Dark Hollow is a great place to practice this. It’s a small, moody level with those heavy Gnorcs that require a charge instead of a flame. It teaches you the basic combat RPS (Rock, Paper, Scissors):
- Big enemies? Charge 'em (unless they have metal armor).
- Small enemies? Flame 'em.
- Metal armor? Flame is useless, hit them with the horns.
Peace Keepers and the Difficulty Spike
Once you leave the lush greenery of Artisans, the game stops holding your hand. Peace Keepers is dry, sandy, and full of Gnorcs hiding in tents. This is where the "aiming" mechanic becomes vital.
You know those cannons? You can actually use them.
Most people try to charge the Gnorcs manning the artillery. Instead, just flame the back of the cannon. It’ll fire. You can use this to break open metal chests that are otherwise indestructible. It’s a nuance that many people forget because the game doesn't explicitly tutorialize it in a pop-up window.
Dry Canyon is arguably the most annoying level in this world because of the vultures. These birds are the bane of my existence. They have a weird hitbox. The trick is to charge them while they are low or wait for them to dive and flame them mid-air. Don't try to out-glide them; they will knock you into the canyon floor.
Magic Crafters: The Chase is On
If you ask any long-time fan what they remember most about the first game, they’ll say "those hooded guys." The Egg Thieves.
Magic Crafters is built around the chase. These blue-cloaked jerks run faster than Spyro’s base speed. To catch them, you have to cut corners. Don't follow their path exactly. Look at the terrain. Can you jump across a gap to intercept them? In Wizard Peak, there’s a thief who runs in a massive loop. If you try to just run behind him, you'll never catch him. You have to use the supercharge ramps.
Speaking of supercharge, this is where the game’s physics engine gets wild. When you hit a glowing arrow ramp, you enter a sprint. You can jump while in this state to cover massive distances. In High Caves, you need the supercharge to take out the metal spiders. You can't flame them. You can't normal-charge them. You have to be moving at Mach 1 to break their armor. Or, you know, find the Fairy who kisses you and gives you the "super flame." Both work.
Beast Makers and the Swamp of Frustration
Beast Makers is ugly. It’s brown, swampy, and full of mechanical floor traps. It’s also home to Tree Tops.
Tree Tops is the "final boss" for many completionists. Not because the enemies are hard, but because the supercharge layout is a labyrinth. To get the dragon on the distant island, you have to chain four different ramps together, turning mid-air, and hitting a ramp backwards. It feels like a glitch. It’s not. It’s just peak 90s level design.
If you’re stuck here, remember that you maintain your momentum even if you leave the ramp. As long as you don't hit a wall or stop moving, you stay in supercharge mode. You can jump from one ramp to another to "stack" your speed. It’s exhilarating when it works and soul-crushing when you clip a tree branch and fall into the muck.
Dream Weavers: Gravity is a Suggestion
By the time you reach Dream Weavers, the developers were clearly having fun. The levels are surreal. You’ve got enemies that change size when hit by magic beams.
In Dark Passage, the enemies change forms based on whether the lanterns are lit. When the light is out, they turn into giant, terrifying versions of themselves. Tip: kill the lantern-holding fools first. It makes the platforming significantly less stressful.
Lofty Castle is the standout here. It’s beautiful, but the gem placement is devious. There are balloons you have to jump on that feel incredibly precarious. My advice? Don't overthink it. Spyro's shadow is a perfect circle directly beneath him. Use that shadow to land your jumps. If the shadow is on the balloon, you'll land on the balloon.
Gnasty Gnorc and the 120% Finish
The final confrontation with Gnasty Gnorc is... surprisingly easy? He just runs away from you. It’s a glorified chase sequence. The real challenge is the Gnorc Gnexus.
To unlock the "true" ending (the Gnasty's Loot secret level), you need every single gem and every single dragon. That means going back to the Flight levels.
Flight levels (Sunny Flight, Night Flight, etc.) are the primary reason people fail to 100% the game. They are time trials. The trick is to find the "loop." Usually, there’s a path that lets you hit all the rings, then all the arches, then the planes, and finally the chests. If you try to mix and match, you'll run out of time. Pick one type of object and follow the line.
Actionable Steps for Completionists
If you are serious about finishing this Spyro the Dragon walkthrough with a perfect score, keep these specific tactics in mind:
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- Listen for Sparx: Your dragonfly companion points toward gems if you hold down the shoulder buttons (in the Reignited version). In the original, he’s just a health bar, but in the remake, he’s a literal metal detector.
- The Camera is Your Enemy: Switch to "Active" camera in the settings. The "Passive" camera in the original game is notorious for getting stuck behind pillars, especially in the tight corridors of Terrace Village.
- Flame the Fodder: Butterflies are life. If Sparx is blue or green, flame some sheep. Don't wait until he’s gone to start looking for health. A hitless run is rare; stay topped up.
- Break the Vases: Some vases have metal tops. You have to charge them. Some are high up. You have to flame them. If a room looks empty but you’re missing 10 gems, look at the ceiling or the high shelves.
- Check Behind Portals: This is the oldest trick in the book. Almost every level has a few gems hidden directly behind the return home portal.
Stop worrying about the "perfect" path. Spyro is a game about exploration and the tactile joy of movement. If you're missing one dragon in Haunted Towers, it’s probably because you didn't see the hidden whirlwind in the room with the metal knights. Go back, look up, and enjoy the ride.
Once you’ve cleared Gnasty’s Loot and watched the fireworks, you’ve officially conquered one of the greatest platformers ever made. There are no more secret dragons, no more hidden worlds—just the satisfaction of a job well done. Now, go find those last few gems in Misty Bog. You know they're hiding behind a tree somewhere.
Next Steps for the Dragon Master
Focus on the Flight levels first to get them out of the way, as they require the most restarts. After that, move through the worlds linearly, but don't be afraid to leave a level at 90% if a specific glide is frustrating you—you can always come back with a fresh perspective after clearing the next world. Check your Guidebook frequently to see exactly which sub-total you are missing so you don't waste time wandering through completed areas.