Ripto logic: Says he doesn't want to sound like a videogame cliche. Proceeds to use one of the oldest videogame cliches in the book.

Yes, this is fanart of Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly.

I've had this sketch sitting around for months now, drawn as a whim right after I replayed this game this year and realized that no one's really done any colored art of this particular boss. Honestly, I think the "Hulk Ripto"/"Monster Ripto" design is a really cool idea and that it could totally be salvaged and made into something better.

It's just that in order to see this cool concept, you had to 100% complete all the levels in Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly. You know, a not very good game.

I feel the reason Ripto doesn't do this transformation that often is because it's honestly quite taxing to perform it, it probably hurts like hell, and the loss of intelligence, magic power, and the ability to speak well (he mostly roars, screeches, or speaks one word sentences in this form; it's the tusks, he insists) makes it more of a last resort than anything. As much pride as he has, Ripto honestly thinks that he's "better" than your average knuckle-dragging crass dinosaur, and turning into a giant dinosaur is cool on paper but mostly just proves his point.

It does make for a great surprise tactic though, especially if the person he's fighting won't stop it with the short jokes. And sometimes the most effective weapon is a giant club to the head.