Spyro the dragon first off is a 3D platformer for the PS1.
The controls are very simple, the square button uses the charge attack and allows you to run, the X button makes spyro jump and if hit again in mid jump allows him to glide. The circle button uses spyros flame breath attack and the L2 and R2 buttons move the camera left and right.
You start the game in the artisan home world one of 6 home worlds in the game. Within each home world there are portals to other areas, enemies created by gnasty gnorc, dragons and treasure. These portals will take you to the levels of the game each level will have a few dragons to rescue aswell as a number of treasure to recover. The levels vary greatly but will get harder the farther you get in the game as will the secret spots where treasure can be hiding. To get to other home world you need the balloonist, each new home world has a new balloonist and he will require you to complete a task for him to allow passage to the next world. These tasks range from having a certain amount of treasure to rescuing a number of dragons or dragon eggs.
Also in each of the dragons realms home worlds (the first 5) you will find 3 portals leading to other levels 1 portal to that worlds boss and 1 flight level portal. The final world is gnastys world the lair of the games final boss gnasty gnorc. There are only 2 levels in gnastys world before you can face the gnorc himself, of course simply beating gnasty gnorc won't complete the game. There is a bonus level in gnastys world known as gnastys loot. To access the loot you must find all dragons treasure and dragon eggs in the entire game, I won't reveal the surprise waiting for you in the loot you can find out on your own.
The game its self may not be very long, that is if you play straight through because you've beaten it before and know where everythings at. But it is an entertaining game and will last you first timers and completionists quite a while trying to get that 100% for the bonus level. If you haven't played this before or have played other spyro games this game is defiantly worth picking up if you can find it.