darkSpyro

I think
SSA
STT
SG
SSF
That is my order.

SSA: 4 1\2 out of 5
STT: 4 out of 5
SG: 3 1\2 out of 5
SSF: 3 out of 5

Objective opinion: SF > SA > Giants > TT
Personal opinion: Giants > SF = SA > TT

Hey,
Use this forum. Topic Discussed a couple of weeks ago.

//forum.darkspyro.net/spyro/viewposts.php?topic=111997

Thats a tough one .

All of the four games are great in their own way, but if I were to choose I would have to say Swap Force.
It has the best gimmick skylanders of the three with such things. I could see the wheels turning regarding new combos with each Swapper purchase. Basically, several new skylanders with each buy.
Swap zones, bonus mission maps, skylander quests, timed challenges, arena challenges, player vs. player, and a level length that was great for those who really enjoy the adventure itself, and plenty to do in the hub area.
It also offered ways to use all of the characters we had already amassed through gates and giant chests.
It also introduced some interesting NPC's and I just love the greebles.
I also liked the way in which you can check chapter progress without actually starting the chapter.
Plenty to do and see and with nightmare mode on top, we really got to test ourselves as portal masters.
I know I am probably in the minority with this opinion, but my daughter and I played through the nightmare mode after trap team was released. More than a year's worth of playability should count for something.

Tough call. As far as fighting goes, Trap Team with its ability to now use jump makes fighting fun. Too bad they did not keep the PVP arena with that ability going.

1. Trap Team. Just love using the villains and the increased fighting ability.
2. Swap Force. A lot of things to do. Got a reward for having all the characters and I liked the swap zone challenges.
3. Spyros Adventure. The heroic challenges were cool and the zones and chapters made some sense. Really needed the ability to skip though.
4. Giants. I liked the game. However, the # of challenges with all the characters to max out everything was mind boggling. Annoyed all the story characters were basically the same, was not enough new things and to do 45 (I think that was the #) of challenges for every character and some I had to reset to win was just what I remember.

SSA has the advantage of being first and nostalgic, but it does nothing that any of the other games do not do better. On a straight up comparison, it is clearly the worst. Giants was a refinement of the first, but really didn't add much to the formula, so it is third.

SSF had, by far, the best innovation and the best leaps in technical functionality. It had long levels (love 'em or hate 'em), and kept the things people liked. It also made Skylanders a next gen game, the series wasn't handcuffed by the Wii anymore.

TT is a refinement of SSF, adds some interesting new character to play (wouldn't exactly call traps an "innovation", the only thing it does is add generic "figures" that can vary who they contain). They took away some features and they added some. I'd say in a straight up comparison, TT comes out ahead by a hair.

I'll basically do what E100 did, because I liked his style.

1. Trap Team
+ Toys for bob
+ Kaos Doom Challenges
+ Good storyline

= Brought back Skystones, but made it Skystones smash.

- No PVP
- No Score Mode
- Still no Heroic challanges
- Got rid of character challenges

2. Giants
+ Great storyline
+ Skystones
+ Small hub world, making it easy to navigate.
+ Character specific chalenges.

- Start of the gimmicklanders
- Shortest Story
- Shortest game
- Still no jumping!
- No water for people like and who's soul gem is about water.

3. Spyro's Adventure
+ The innovation
+ A breath of fresh a air in the game industry
+ Characters are inexpensive
+ Interesting Story
+ Lots of levels
+ Good final boss.

- No Jumping!
- Lack of content
- Unbalanced Skylanders in PVP

4. Swap Force
+1080p

- Dull storyline
- Rufus
- Feels out of place
- Unskippable dialog.
- That one rhino who replaces Persephone
- Childish graphics
- Took away Skystones and Heroic Challanges
- No TFB

Quote:

SSA has the advantage of being first and nostalgic, but it does nothing that any of the other games do not do better. On a straight up comparison, it is clearly the worst.

Purely gameplay wise... Actually, I disagree with that. I think the level design is better than Giants or TT, but I digress- I think it's hard to deny that the Portal lore is used best there with the frequent references to Portal Masters and the player themselves. It's uniquely immersive and it makes the toys feel justified in a way that benefits the whole experience.
The script might not matter to some people, but it's a huge deal to me, and the biggest reason SF isn't my favourite game (its plot has pretty big flaws and a lot of the characters are forgettable and tossed in).

Well everyone copied me in the last topic about this, but here's my original list:

The thing is, it's very hard , because they all have good, and bad,

1. SSA:

Pros:
+Balanced levels
+Doesn't require lot's of money spent
+Very fun with Co-op
+Heroics

Cons:
-Very little replay value

2. SSF

Pros:
+Swapping!
+Co-op is fixed!
+Loads of content in each level ( Can be a Con )
+Lots of Replay Value and new modes ( Can be a Con )
+Doesn't focus entirely on Swap Force
+New Graphics Engine! Graphics are amazing!
+Glitches with old characters have been fixed, and most have been buffed
+All old characters are new-and-improved graphics too!
+New cores are very new and creative!
+Added new features/settings that improved on previous games
+Bonus Missions

Cons:
-Levels are bland and get boring after a while,
-Swap Force don't seem to have personality
-Overall, seems too different from other games, which to me, was bad, but only in some ways
-Levels have too much content, and levels can take hours

3. SG

Pros:
+If you played SSA, you can complete the game 100% right away! smilie
+Heroics back!
+Catchphrases
+Good Storyline

Cons:
-Still little Replay Value
-Very Similar to SSA, got boring to me a bit
-Co-op can be difficult

4.STT

Pros:
+Trapping!
+Villains are all funny and have fun personalities
+Level Designs
+Trappable Kaos!
+Levels aren't long, or short
+Best Storyline
+New Light and Dark Elements
+Sidekicks, er, Mini's, are playable!

Cons:
-All previous characters are nerfed, and not as fun,
-Focuses almost entirely on Trap Masters
-Even new cores aren't important,
-Trap Masters are slow
-Kaos Trap is sold separately,
-Very, Very little replay value...
-All Swap Force ( Vicarious Visions) characters are extremely nerfed
-Swap Force are.. tiny?
-Despite being made by Toys For Bob again, Heroics are gone!
-PVP is gone!!!
-Villain Quests change color of Villains, and most of them don't look that good..

Quote: Arc of Archives

Objective opinion: SF > SA > Giants > TT
Personal opinion: Giants > SF = SA > TT

I'm sorry but "objective opinion" are two words that don't really go together...

Personally, there is no way I could place STT in last position, I'm having more fun playing it than Giants and Swap Force, despite the bad stuff about it.

The "+" and "-" list is a quite brilliant concept.
I'll join it:

1)Trap Team:

+ Trapping gimmick and tag-team function
+ The Villains are awesome and the boss battles are the best ones in the series
+ Story is really well thought
+ Graphics are even better than SWAP Force's
+ The details are incredible
+ Kaos Doom Challenges are really fun and... Challenging
+ Skystones is back (even if I prefer the older version)
+ The Light and Dark Elements are really cool
+ Levels are outstanding, both in lenght and design
+ Jump attacks and attacks while jumping
+ Great mood

- No regular Elemental Gates
- No ways to improve older characters
- No Quests for new characters
- Can't reset traps
- No Heroics or Bonus Missions
- Nightmare Mode once again locked to new saves
- Old Adventure Packs aren't playable
- Story Scrolls no more about... Story

Trap Masters could have been better.

Spyro's Adventure:

+ Incredible story
+ Awesome settings
+ Best hub in the series
+ The begin of everything
+ An unexplainable magic and immersivity
+ Perfectly dark settings, when needed

No real malus.
It was just the first game, and lacked things the next ones have.

Giants:

+ Giants are awesome, and really show off their strenght
+ Once again, awesome settings and great story
+ Elemental themed areas
+ Quests are introduced
+ Level cap is increased
+ The SA's Adventure Packs are kept and fully playable
+ Talking characters
+ New Heroics
+ Also came in a Portal Owner Pack, which was a great thing

- Fewer and not longer levels
- Only 16 new characters
- Giants. As the first gimmick, not because they are bad. I think a Skylanders game can still be great (and even better) without special gimmick characters
- Not as immersive as it's predecessor
- No new Adventure Packs

SWAP Force:

+ AWESOME gimmick
+ Longer levels
+ New Adventure Packs
+ Outstanding new graphics
+ Interesting changes in the fight mechanics
+ Jump and platforming
+ New Quests, both for new and old characters (even if a few are really annoying)
+ No Heroics but Bonus Missions
+ Nightmare difficulty always available

- Looks like a Skylanders game, but doesn't feel like one
- Limitative gimmick, design wise. It's awesome seeing what they have been able to do, but it was still a restriction
- Not so much diversity in gameplay and level-design/settings
- Story is not as good as the other chapters
- Older Adventure Packs aren't supported
- Design for everything is different, and not better
- The game is too often slow, tedious and repetitive
- Almost unskippable cutscenes and dialogues
- Rufus
- Less levels
- Too... "Goofy". Even for the Skylanders standards
- Bland NPC's (compared to the others)
- Kinda wiped out all the TfB's introductions, in terms of characters and settings
- Lame and easy final boss

All personal opinions, mind it.

One thing I couldn't be happier to admit is that with over 100+ unique characters made, no one actually disappoints me.
That's not a thing to understimate.

Trap Team
+Skystones Smash
+KDC
+Traps
+Kaos Traps
+'Mystery' Elements (Thats a nice suprise)
+Blades (Hes not a favorite, but he is amazingly fun)
+Little Reposes
+Chompy Mage
+Finally a hard last level
+Lots of Boss Fights
+Sidekicks
+Basically no stupid Woodburrow characters except Tessa
+Elites (I guess this belongs here)
+Still no hugo

-Buzz
-Tessa
-Too much nerfed characters
-Made new characters attacks stronger than the cool older ones
-A SERIES 4!??
-Wilikin
-Evilkin
-Elemental Gates for Trap Masters
-Nothing for Swappers (Giants are used in KDC to life rocks)

---
---A level based of Flynn (Nightmare Express)
---PVP GONE

-------------PERSEPHONE?!?!?!?!?!? CANT THEY JUST USE POWER PODS WITHOUT TALKING TO GORM

Spyros Adventure
++++++++++A classic adventure

+++++Adventure for each element in the core of light (cool idea)

+Quicksilver Vault
+Everyone hating Boomer, then wanting him because of rarity (Its funny )
+Amazing Hub
+Amazing Levels
+Lots of different things to do
+Flying is useful (In Trap Team whats the point of the upgrade if you can just double jump to fly)
+Got to battle evil Skylanders

-Doomsharks

-------------PERSEPHONE?!?!?!?!?!?

Swap Force
+++Pop Thorn

++S2 Hot Dog

+Nightmare mode better
+Creative Characters
+Swappers
+No SIDEKICKS
+The Start of Dark Starter Packs
+Jumping
+Dual Element Zones (fun to do with a friend)
+Regular Element Zones (They didnt replace it with Dual Ones)
+Biggening of upgrades mid-level (and no Gorm in the middle of the level)
+A mockery of Giants with Flynns ship IN THE HUB

-Long Levels
-Levels are sort of draggy
-Greebles
-Boring Characters
-Mesmeralda

-------Gorm

-------------Rufus
-------------No part where Rufus marries Kaos' Mom

Giants
+++++Oracle Level

+Same Reasons as others

-Same Reasons as others
-Hub

-------------PERSEPHONE?!?!?!?!?!?

Swap force was all over the place.

Quote: newkill

I'm sorry but "objective opinion" are two words that don't really go together...

Forgive me, I wrote that at 5 AM. Hard to explain exactly what I mean, but it's like how critics have different reviews for stuff. Some will think the problems impact objective enjoyability more/less. But that doesn't always line up with their personal preference/opinion.

SSA - 4/5
SG - 4/5
SSF - 2/5
STT - 2/5

People on this board have said that the Swap Force levels are long, but none of them felt longer then the SSA and SG levels to me, They were long only because of those Swap Zones that lead to boring minigames, otherwise none of the levels had ANY meat to them and were just too darn quick.
Same complaint towards STT, the levels were just so short, very little story going onto them and other then capturing the villain there was no real boss at the end of them. I hate to say it Swap Force was better then Trap Team but not by much.
Trap Team did as far as I was concerned bring in some of my favorite skylanders of all time. Most of the additions to the skylanders this time are super fun to play. But making our previous skylanders weaker is really annoying.

STT was good.

1. SSF
Story 3/5
Content 5/5
Gameplay 5/5
2. SSA
Story 5/5
Content 3/5
Gameplay 4/5
3. SG
Story 3/5
Content 4/5
Gameplay 4/5
4. STT
Story 4/5
Content 2/5
Gameplay 3/5

Childish Factor:
1. STT
2. SSF
3. SSA
4. SG
Higher is worse for this.

On STT, the only old figures that are extremely powerful are the original SSA. Try Ghost Roaster, and he'll blow your mind. Massively OP.
SSF: long levels (love), hated the dialogue you couldn't skip. Bonus missions are cool, but very difficult to get many of them. PvP....neutral.
Giants & SA are cool.
Should have kept Heroic challenges.

Not sure.

SSA
SSF
SG
STT

I'm going to try the pros and cons thing unless my phone crashes on me.

1: Skylanders: Swap Force

+ Dual element gates that didn't need a Swap Force Skylander(s) to open.
+ Score and speed mode
+ Bonus missions giving a bonus to ALL Skylanders
+ Checkpoint in the middle of games and upgrading just before that checkpoint
+ Easier to get gold than the other games

– Levels that take too long for completing in a day, especially with giant projects for school
– Adventure packs not compactible
Will add more after I replay the game

2: Skylanders: Giants

+ Adventure Packs supported!
+ Legendary Treasures having a use other than an achievement
+ Customizing the hub however you want it
+ If you can beat Spyro's Adventure, you can beat this game.
+ The awesome mini-game known as Skystones.
+ Piloting an Arkeyan coptor. Enough said.

– Not enough levels
–
– Had a couple of freezing problems

Will add more after I replay the game

3: Skylanders: Trap Team

+ Brought back Skystones!
+ Boss battles that did not require 26 Skylanders, but were still not something you could do with your eyes closed. (Metaphorically, though I could try to do one with my eyes closed. )
+ Trappable villains

– 5 freezings in a week. Chapters 8 and 13 were especially potent.
– For some reason, my game keeps on telling me to talk to Persephone to learn about upgrades—even after I defeated the Golden Queen.
– I hate the Golden Queen's voice…

Will add more after I finish the game

4: Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure

+ Actually has Spyro as part of it
+ The only gimmicks were the Skylanders themselves

– No difficulty control
– Hard to collect enough gold for an upgrade
– Boss battles are ridiculously hard
– Portal needs to be turned on before use and uses batteries at a pretty fast rate(those setbacks count for Giants as well)
Will add more after I replay the game and possibly get killed(in the game, not real life)