Spyro: Year of the Dragon (also known as Spyro 3) is a platformer video game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation in 2000. Year of the Dragon is the third installment in the Spyro series. The game was the last Spyro game Insomniac developed; their next title would be Ratchet & Clank for the PlayStation 2. It was released in North America and for PAL regions in October and November 2000, respectively, but unlike the other two games, it was not given a Japanese release.
Named after the animal of the Chinese zodiac, which was the symbol at the time of the game's release, Year of the Dragon follows the titular purple dragon Spyro as he travels to the "Forgotten Worlds" after 150 magical dragon eggs are stolen from the land of the dragons by an evil sorceress. Players travel across thirty different worlds gathering gems and eggs. Year of the Dragon introduced new characters and minigames to the series, as well as offering improved graphics and music.
Upon release, the game sold more than two million units in the United States and received critical acclaim. Reviewers noted the game built on the successful formula of its predecessors by adding more games and expansive environments. It was followed by the multiplatform title Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly. It was later re-released under the Greatest Hits label, fixing numerous bugs as well as adding additional music.