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Skylanders: Giants vs Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure

Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.

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Skylanders: Giants
Skylanders: GiantsThe portal of power returns as larger than life heroes join the battle to save Skylands.
Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure
Skylanders: Spyro's AdventureBring your physical toy figures to life in this magical third-person action adventure.
Overview
Description

Skylanders: Giants is the 2012 direct sequel to Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure, blending physical toy collectibles with video game action. Players place real-world action figures onto the Portal of Power to bring them to life in the fantasy adventure. Featuring brand new characters known as Giants who are twice the physical size of regular Skylanders, the game introduces expanded gameplay mechanics, puzzles, and enemies. Developed by Toys for Bob and published by Activision, it continues the beloved action RPG and hack-and-slash franchise experience.

Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure is the groundbreaking first title in the Skylanders series, merging physical toys with video games through the innovative Portal of Power. Players control Spyro and his diverse Skylander companions as they journey across vibrant realms to defeat the evil Portal Master, Kaos. The gameplay blends third-person action, hack-and-slash combat, and RPG progression. Characters are divided into eight elemental classes, each featuring upgradable attacks, special abilities, and unique combat styles powered by NFC toy figures.

Pricing
Paid (One-time)
Paid (One-time)
Category
Platformers
Hack & Slash
Best for
Families and toy-collecting gamers
Families, toy collectors, and younger gamers
Specifications
General
msrp
$59.99โˆ’14%
$69.99 (Starter Pack)
release date
2012-10-17
2011-10-13
Specifications
developer
Toys for Bob
Toys for Bob
publisher
Activision
Square Enix, Activision, Neoplay
age rating
PEGI 7, ESRB E10+
ESRB E10+, PEGI 7
multiplayer
Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative
Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative
critic score
69/100
82/100+19%
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • Engaging toy-to-life integration that kids love
  • Fun cooperative local multiplayer gameplay
  • Introduces larger and more powerful Giant characters
  • Expands upon the successful formula of the first game
  • Innovative toy-to-life gameplay mechanic
  • Engaging character progression and upgrade system
  • Fun local co-operative multiplayer mode
  • Charming art style and memorable voice acting
Cons
  • Requires purchasing additional physical figures to experience all content
  • Can become an expensive hobby due to toy purchases
  • Core gameplay loop feels similar to the predecessor
  • Requires purchasing physical toy figures to access all characters and elements
  • Can become an expensive hobby due to character add-ons
  • Combat mechanics can feel a bit repetitive for older gamers
Community & Metrics
Upvotes
0
0
User rating
Not enough data
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More alternatives & similar tools

Alternatives to Skylanders: Giants

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Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure
Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure

Bring your physical toy figures to life in this magical third-person action adventure.

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Giants: Citizen Kabuto
Giants: Citizen Kabuto

Action-packed sci-fi comedy

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The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning
The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning

Explore Spyro's true origins in an epic, combat-driven action adventure.

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The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon
The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon

Join Spyro and Cynder in their epic final battle against the Dark Master.

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Alternatives to Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure

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The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon
The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon

Join Spyro and Cynder in their epic final battle against the Dark Master.

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Skylanders: Giants
Skylanders: Giants

The portal of power returns as larger than life heroes join the battle to save Skylands.

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The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning
The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning

Explore Spyro's true origins in an epic, combat-driven action adventure.

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The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night
The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night

Join Spyro in a thrilling 3D action platformer to save his friend Cynder.

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The Verdict

AI-generated from listing data

Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure offers a richer, higherโ€‘rated experience with more varied elements, while Giants is cheaper but adds larger characters with a similar core loop.

Key differences

  • โ€ขSpyro's Adventure includes eight elemental classes and a broader upgrade system; Giants adds only the new Giant class.
  • โ€ขCritic scores differ: 82/100 for Spyro's vs 69/100 for Giants, indicating stronger overall reception for the first game.
  • โ€ขPrice: Starter pack for Spyro's is $69.99, Giants is $59.99, making Giants the lower upfront cost.
  • โ€ขGiants introduces physically larger figures with unique abilities, a feature absent from Spyro's.
  • โ€ขSpyro's offers more voice talent (Josh Keaton, Dave Wittenberg) and a wider variety of hidden hats/items.
DimensionWinner

Gameplay & fun factor

Spyro's provides eight elemental classes and more varied abilities, whereas Giants mainly adds larger figures.

Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure

Platform availability

Both are published by the same developers and released for the same consoles; platform info not specified.

Tie

Price & value

Giants starter pack costs $59.99 versus $69.99 for Spyro's, giving a lower entry price.

Skylanders: Giants

Multiplayer / co-op

Both support singleโ€‘player, multiplayer and local coโ€‘op with dropโ€‘in play.

Tie

Content & replayability

Spyro's higher critic score (82) and more elemental classes suggest deeper content than Giants (69).

Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure

Difficulty & accessibility

Both target families/E10+ audiences; no specific difficulty data provided.

Tie

Graphics & performance

No graphics or performance details are given for either title.

Tie

Choose Skylanders: Giants ifโ€ฆ

Budgetโ€‘conscious buyers who want the novelty of Giant figures without needing extra elemental variety.

Choose Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure ifโ€ฆ

Families wanting the most varied gameplay and higher critical acclaim, willing to spend more on figures.

Common questions

Which game costs less to start playing?

Giants' starter pack is $59.99, while Spyro's Adventure starter pack is $69.99.

Do I need to buy new figures for each game?

Yes, both require physical Skylander figures; Giants adds new Giant figures, Spyro's adds standard elemental figures.

Is one game rated better by critics?

Spyro's Adventure has a critic score of 82/100; Giants received 69/100.