Ripto has returned and is enacting a plan to have the Rhynocs steal all the fireflies from the Dragon Realms, so the dragons will lose their ability to breathe fire. Aided by Sparx, Agent 9, and Sheila, and utilizing fire, ice, and lightning breath, Spyro sets out to save the fireflies and stop Ripto.
Not to be confused with Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!. This game was given its number because it was the second to appear on the Game Boy Advance.
This video game provides examples of:
- Big Boo's Haunt: Haunted Hills is a dark, gloomy stage inhabited by friendly ghosts. The enemies include witches on broomsticks, and one of the side-objectives is to light jack-o-lanterns.
- Boss-Arena Idiocy: Ripto's Volcano happens to have all three types of power up gates that only Spyro seems able to use at the outskirts, and said power ups happen to be able to destroy the giant playing cards Ripto uses as shields.
- Cheesy Moon: The "Moon Fondue" level is comprised of green, cheese-like terrain and includes a race of mouse astronauts.
- Curse Cut Short: There's a Running Gag where Sparx is about to say "ass" but gets interrupted, with the lines "Getting rid of all those Rhynocs was a real pain in the..." and "We kicked [Ripto's]..."
- Franchise Codifier: While the other Spyro 2 had ice breath for a single mission, this was the first game where Spyro could switch between different elemental breaths, which would become a staple of the series post-Insomniac.
- Harmless Freezing: The plot has the Rhynocs take away the firefly magic and cause dragons to breathe ice. This has impacted Spyro as well when he tries to use his flame on Hunter when Hunter tells Spyro to do so, freezing him solid and causing Hunter to break out of the ice. Spyro's ice breath, however, is not at all bad, as he can use it to freeze his enemies solid and ram into them to destroy them. Spyro also gets his fire breath back later on in the game, as well as learning a new type of breath, the lightning breath.
- He Knows About Timed Hits: Thalia, the fairy rescued after beating Ripto, tells Spyro that she's giving him "the ability to warp to any world in the game".
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Both Crush and Gulp are beaten by using their own projectiles against them. Spyro picks up the ice balls and missiles respectively in his mouth, and spits it back at them to deal damage.
- Hub Level: Each realm can be reached from one of the 3 hub levels: Sunny Plains, Celestial Plains, or Starry Plains.
- An Ice Person: Due to Ripto stealing all of the Fireflies, Spyro and the other dragons can only spit ice breath. You can use this to freeze and capture fireflies.
- Idle Animation: Spyro starts stretching.
- Interface Spoiler: Checking the Atlas from the Pause Menu will show your total Gems and Fireflies collected, flipping back to the front page also shows which Bosses you've defeated. Naturally this will spoil the involvement of Ripto and his goons well before you encounter Crush if you check it at the start of the game.
- Level Ate: The ground in Candy Lane is covered in pink icing, biscuits, and lollipops, with the occasional giant candy canes and gingerbread men serving as landmarks. The higher platforms are made of wafers, and the water looks like liquid chocolate.
- Mini-Game: After beating the game, you unlock a mini-game called "Dragon Draughts," which is a game of checkers against a dragon Elder.
- Mook Carryover: Rhynocs were originally the mooks of The Sorceress.
- Shout-Out: The main mission of Haunted Hills is to find a skull named Yorric.
- The Spiny: Ripto's Mondo Volcano features Rhynocs wearing spiky helmets that damage Sheila if she tries to attack them.
