Sierra Figureheads To Return This Autumn News

Vivendi Games label, Sierra Entertainment has today confirmed new adventures for Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon, which are due to arrive on the consoles in the Autumn.

The final part of the rebooted Legend of Spyro series, Dawn of the Dragon is due to arrive on a multitude of consoles this Autumn. Once again featuring the voice talent of Elijah 'Mr Frodo' Wood and Gary 'token British baddie' Oldman, Dawn of the Dragon sees the purple dragon team up with former adversary, Cynder in a bid to stop the Dark Master (voiced by Mark 'I'm a Jedi, like my father' Hamill). The third part in the darker series sees a number of new additions to the gameplay, including Spyro's ability to fly at any point in the adventure, and drop in/drop out co-operative play.

"Spyro has grown up a lot since his debut, and players are going to notice advanced gameplay, character design and story lines in Dawn of the Dragon," said Al Simone, senior vice president, Global Marketing for Sierra Entertainment. "The game takes some exciting twists and turns - fans of the series and newcomers alike will experience non-stop fun, a renewed sense of intensity and the type of challenging adventure only Spyro can overcome."

Development duties for Dawn of the Dragon this time rests with Etranges Libellules, the studio responsible for Atari's Asterix series of videogame adaptations. The Lyon-based outfit is the second studio to work on the Legend of Spyro series; Krome Studios kick-started the reboot of the dragon's adventures in 2006 with 'A New Beginning', continuing with 'The Eternal Night' last year.

Meanwhile, the crazed bandicoot will be heading to a raft of consoles (but not the PlayStation 3) in Crash Bandicoot: Mind over Mutant. Once again in development at Radical Entertainment, Mind over Mutant will include co-op gameplay with Crash's sister, Coco (there to attract the girl gamer by, together with new abilities, and an so-called 'Free-Romping' gameworld across Wumpa Island.

"The Crash Bandicoot franchise has built a wide audience of loyal fans, appealing to both male and female gamers of all ages," said Al Simone, senior vice president, Global Marketing for Sierra Entertainment. "The Crash series remains one of the most recognizable franchises in our industry and we're excited to make this year's family-friendly title appear at the top of every gamer's wish list this holiday."

Expect more details on both titles in the coming months.