Actually, just a very small part of it. But that's such a controversial title, no?

I never cared much for Spyro - a rather middling 'mascot' franchise - but I was intrigued by its recent resurrection. It had become a strange RPG game based on using real toys being placed on linked-up 'Portals Of Power.' While the Pokemon similarities are obvious, it was certainly a departure for the series, and I decided to track it to see how it did in the marketplace.

And then I saw the strangest thing: Toys For Bob was behind the project. For those who don't follow my blog with zeal, Toys For Bob are Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford, the evil geniuses behind Star Control 2. Star Control 2 is my favorite game of all time, on any platform. (Devoted fans have completely restored the game and updated it for modern computers, free of charge, as the Ur-Quan Masters - it's assuredly better than anything you're playing right now, and you can't beat the price, so go download it already.) Toys For Bob have been trapped in Disney Game Hell ever since - composing PC masterpieces is all well and good, but it doesn't pay the mortgage - and I've made peace with that. Cries for a Star Control sequel abound, but TFB don't own the Star Control name. They do own everything else in that universe, strangely - sorta like Joss Whedon's contract where he doesn't own the Buffy name or character, but he DOES own all of the sidekicks and supporting material. A Star Control 3 was made without TFB, but it's the video game equivalent of herpes and nobody considers it canon.

So yeah, it sucks that Reiche and Ford are reduced to doing Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure when they're capable of greatness, but at least Activision is keeping their lights on. I like to think of them biding their time until circumstances arise to where they can finally follow up their magnum opus. And if it's under the Activision banner (and it undoubtedly will be), I'll still be there, cash in hand. Heck, the Star Control brand is currently on lock by the French holding company Atari SA - Activision could squash them with a single day of Call Of Duty revenue. Hopefully, Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure is a big hit and Toys For Bob can convince their bosses to get their baby out of prison. Yes, Skylanders is Activision's latest, shameless cash-grab scheme to bleed money out of a soft demographic, selling cheap Spyro action figures to crazed children and their browbeaten parents... but I gotta think big picture here.

Note: alleged ports of Star Control 2 to the 360 and PSP are still in development. You know it's a funny business when fans are 10 years ahead of the suits in terms of porting progress.