Greetings, Portal Master! You might know me as Skyro, sheepburner, blinkanddestroy, or the guy who made all the edits and gifsets on the skylandersacademy Tumblr blog. Now branching out and doing my own thing, this cozy nook of the internet is dedicated to my love of Skylanders and all the creative things it inspires me to do.
Expect screenshots, concept art, headcanons, reviews, texture mods, Imaginators, goofs & gags & gifs and everything in-between!
Favourite Game: Skylanders Swap Force
Favourite Skylanders: Spyro, Drobot, Cynder, Bouncer, Pop Fizz, Fire Kraken, Hoot Loop, Scratch, Star Strike, Enigma, Echo, High Five, Fiesta, Ro-bow... and so many more!
Favourite NPC: Captain Flynn!!!!
Favourite Element: Tech/Magic
First Co-Op Team: Trigger Happy and Chop Chop
Current Co-Op Team: Dark Spyro and Sunburn
My Skylanders collection is over 200 strong, with hard-to-nab goodies like Blackout, Spotlight, Ro-Bow and Wild Storm. Non-Jingle Bell Chompy Mage still eludes me, though!
My greatest Skylandery wish is to get my paws on STRATA: The Art of Skylanders Swap Force. This art book was distributed only to Vicarious Visions employees who worked on the game and is filled cover-to-cover with creative insights, gorgeous concept artwork, (some by my very favourite Skylanders artist, Dave E. Philips!) and concept exploration of Skylanders as a world. Since my favourite game (and home-away-from-home) is Swap Force, this piece of merch just sings to me.
Installing Skylanders texture mods into Dolphin is cake. Simply open up Dolphin Emulator and follow these steps!
First, click File then Open User Folder.
Navigate to Load.
Then enter Textures.
Here, you'll have to create a folder for either Skylanders Spyro's Adventure or Skylanders Giants, depending on which game you are installing the texture mod to. My downloads provide files for both games, so make sure you unload the right ones!
SSPP52 refers to Skylanders Spyro's Adventure.
SKYE52 refers to Skylanders Giants.
These names MUST be used or Dolphin won't recognize them.
Place the files into the folder and you're almost ready!
Re-open Dolphin Emulator and click Options.
Select Graphics Settings.
Navigate to the Advanced tab.
Scroll down until you see the Utility header and check Load Custom Textures.
The textures are now installed and will load when you boot the game!
PC SPECS: Intel Core i9-10900X CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060Ti GPU, 32GB RAM
Disclaimer: I legally own every game in the Skylanders franchise.
Reviews are based on compatibility, not game quality.
5/5 ⭐
Played on Dolphin version 5.0-18498.
Playable from start to finish, game has been 100% completed.
All Skylanders playable.
4K, 2x MSAA, 60FPS.
Worst framerate drop: 45FPS, swarmed by Lava Kings in Lair of Kaos.
No bugs encountered.
4.9/5 ⭐
Played on Dolphin version 5.0-18498.
Playable from start to finish, game has been 100% completed.
All Skylanders playable.
4K, 2x MSAA, 60FPS.
Worst framerate drop: 43FPS, took damage from Chompy Bot in Sky Lasers.
One hub loading bug (game freeze) after Autogyro Adventure. Level progress was lost & emulation was restarted. Did not repeat in subsequent playthroughs.
4.8/5 ⭐
Played on RPCS3 version 0.0.27-14927.
Playable from start to finish, game has been 100% completed.
All Skylanders playable.
4K, 404x404 RST, Write Colour Buffers, 60FPS.
Worst framerate drop: 25FPS, panning shot in Tower of Time.
Some visual glitches (wooden platforms, shuffle cups and Spin Swap Zone bouncers disappearing for 1-2 seconds at a time & flashing/strobing water in some stages) that did not affect gameplay. One clipping bug in Sheep Wreck Island that required reloading from a checkpoint.
Some toys require specific variant IDs to register in Collection.
4/5 ⭐
Played on RPCS3 version 0.0.28-15223.
Playable from start to finish.
All Skylanders playable.
4K, 404x404 RST, Write Colour Buffers, 2 SPU Threads, Relaxed ZCULL Accuracy, 60FPS.
Worst framerate drop: 23FPS, wave 99 of Kaos Doom Challenge.
Occasionally crashes without apparent reason, usually in pre-rendered cutscenes or initiating dialogue with Auric in Skylander Academy. Crash count: 7 in 41 hours of gameplay.
WIP ⭐
Played on RPCS3 version 0.0.27-14927.
Hub and chapter 1 playable.
4K, 16x16 RST, Write Colour Buffers, 30FPS.
WIP ⭐
Played on RPCS3 version 0.0.27-14927.
Hub and chapter 1 playable.
4K, 16x16 RST, Write Colour Buffers, 30FPS.
Some toys require specific variant IDs to function.
Some Skylanders claim that Spyro did not smile once after the Core of Light was destroyed. All fired up with emotion, a scowl carved deep lines into his face as he led the quest for justice against Kaos.
A small tweak texture mod that unruffles Spyro's brow and gives him a smoother, more endearing profile. This mod is intended to be a kind of port of the Skylanders Giants version of Spyro, which is my favourite Spyro model in the series!
Skylanders Spyro has always appealed to me - a short-stack with devil horns, blazing red eyes, and a stumpy, goblin-like muzzle permanently quirked in a mischievous smile - but I understand why some people didn't mesh with him. Our first look at the little fella was, after all, rather unflattering.
Details make all the difference. Smoothing out his eyelids and brow gives him a much more childish, playful face without losing what makes the Skylanders dragon designs so unique!
Plus, detail density was never gonna work on the guy - the strengths of this design is in its big, block shapes and tapering. His big paws weigh him to the ground, his large tail counterbalances his head (and looks like a rattle!) and the thick base of his horns look truly damaging in the way of a wild animal. Everything about him yells 'little powerhouse' and 'cheeky devil'!
That's the Spyro I know and love!
Click Here! to download Naired Spyro for SSA. Includes character texture & SSA portrait.
There are some dragons who treasure grand adornments to their plating, and hold their heads high over impressive-looking, shining busts. Others, however, prefer not to plummet chest-first into the Skylands when attempting to take flight.
A small tweak texture mod that alters Cynder's under-armour so her chestplate no longer resembles breasts. Available in two variations: flat-chested and boobless!
The flat-chested variation takes inspiration from her design in Swap Force and beyond, as well as Skylanders Academy. Personally, I've always found her split chestplate to be an interesting if poorly-executed idea for gender dimorphism in Skylands' dragons. It's not entirely unlike her engraved chest markings from The Legend of Spyro!
Spyro's Adventure just took it a bit too far. Reptiles don't produce milk, so Cynder's honkers are just for show - something I'm not sure a girl like her would particularly care about. Moving forward, Skylanders would lean more into teeth and muzzle shape to gender their dragons, which is a much more interesting concept and fleshes out the sincerity of the world. To me, Skylands feels like real place - bound by real rules, weird and magical as they may be - and details like this only cement that feeling more.
I also decided to do a little clean-up on her make-up, since the geometry of her cheeks was pulling her mascara every which way and honey looked like she just crawled out of bed.
Click Here! to download Top Surgery Cynder for SSA & Giants. Includes character texture & SSA portrait.
As the leaves change, so does the Life energy across Skylands. Plants wane and weaken and fall into a deep slumber, so utterly still and bare that sometimes they are mistaken for the Undead. But Camo has never been one for sending his sugars into storage - a new season just means new crops to grow!
My first entirely original texture mod featuring not only a character skin, but attack effects designed to fit thematically with the character's lore as if they'd unlocked a new form or figure!
Autumn Camo was born from a suggestion by Maunder and an accidentally-awesome colour scheme that came about as I was futzing with Camo's textures. Now a deep orange colour with pinecone prickles and berry-pink eyes, our favourite plant-dragon hybrid feels ready to take on the spookier months.
His new attacks are Sugarbush Firecracker and Gourd Fountain. For those who don't know, sugarbush is a genus of autumnal flower and gourds are a family of crop plants that include pumpkins - what could possibly feel more fall?
Honestly, Autumn Camo came together naturally. It's not a deep-cut concept (in fact, it reminds me of the popular choice to redesign Leafeon's shiny to have autumn-brown ear leaves!) and the aesthetic is a popular one, so putting it all together was a smooth process that helped build my confidence in making more complex texture mods.
A fun fact, though: did you know that Camo has four times as many textures as any other Skylander? And I picked him on a whim, not knowing this at all?
WARNING: This texture mod affects other minor areas of the game. Be on the watch for red vines and leaves.
Click Here! to download Autumn Camo for SSA & Giants. Includes character texture, attack fx & SSA portrait.
Very few know this, but the dragons from the highest reaches of Skylands have subtle chameleon-like qualities. If they spend long enough in the grasses, their scales will turn green. In the skies, they turn blue. In the underground... I think you get the picture.
During the production of Skylanders Spyro's Adventure, Drobot's scales were a reddish-brown colour instead of the current muted green. More than likely, this was intended to match the warm tones of the other Tech Skylanders - making it a mystery as to why green was picked at all!
This brown colouration is seen in a few pieces of promotional art, as well as Drobot's character portrait in Giants. Bringing said artwork to life felt like a good test of my abilities as a texture modder, as well as a nice easter egg for fans who are in on the trivia!
Click Here! to download Prototype Drobot for SSA & Giants.
Includes character texture & SSA portrait.
When looking into the smoldering eyes of Undead Dragon King Malefor, it is not difficult to believe he is able to see through time and space. How many worlds has he seen razed by the suffocating, petrified flame that churns inside him? Do these otherworldly glimpses inspire his work in Skylands?
It was inevitable that I'd eventually create a mod to swap Cynder's Skylanders design out for her look in The Legend of Spyro. For all that I adore Skylanders Cynder - her shape language and sleek animations especially - there will always be a special spot in my heart for the lost child I saved in 2006.
This texture mod is based on her look in The Eternal Night, as I don't care for her Dawn of the Dragon design (or the game in general, but that's a story for another day) and wanted to truly lean into her origins as the black dragon.
As such, this was much more than just a colour-switch job! Her under-armour has been smoothed into a plain, red belly adorned with subtle chest carvings and her crown marking has been repainted from scratch - even including the little diamond shape on the bridge of her nose that is oh-so-often forgotten!
Unfortunately her under-eye markings gave me some trouble, as the geometry of her cheeks likes to tug at anything painted there. Still, a pretty good job and a fitting homage!
Click Here! to download Blackened Cynder for SSA & Giants. Includes character texture & SSA portrait.
When trying to pick the shining finish for his sensational super-suit, Drobot decided to flip a coin - heads for copper, tails for blue. Then he realized he had no thumbs.
A simple colour switch texture mod for getting back into the swing of things!
As with Warbot Red Chop Chop, Arkeyan Copper Drobot was born out of an interest in the Arkeyan's colour swatching. Unlike Chop Chop, though, Drobot's retexture was based upon the grand, gilded doors in the Arkeyan Armoury.
As a one-dragon arsenal (and gameplay MVP) it felt fitting to outfit Drobot in colours associated with one of the most dangerous spots in Skylands.
Click Here! to download Arkeyan Copper Drobot for SSA & Giants. Includes character texture, attack fx & SSA portrait.
Ancient texts suggest that Arkeyan armour colours symbolized the wearer's role and rank in the army. To be garbed in red would imply a warrior was as mighty as a War Machine.
A simple colour switch texture mod for getting back into the swing of things!
Chop Chop is an interesting character. A hybrid of Undead magic and technology, it's difficult to say where his bones end and his bionics begin! But his colouration in particular has always interested me - the only other blue Arkeyans we see are Shield Juggernauts, Archers, and the mechanical body of the Machine Ghost. Could there be some secret pattern to the colour of Arkeyan metals?
More than likely, blue was simply chosen as a heroic contrast to the Arkeyan's reds, oranges, browns, and blacks. Drobot's armour is also blue! But Drill Sergeant is red... Aren't these things so fun to think about?
Click Here! to download Warbot Red Chop Chop for SSA & Giants.
Includes character texture & SSA portrait.
Though he hails from a land far from Skylands, Spyro seldom talks about his childhood. Perhaps that is why it became such popular gossip when he revealed he once wished to be a carpenter.
The long-awaited Classic Spyro skin! If you're feeling nostalgic, preferred his PSOne look, or just outright never stopped complaining about Skylanders Spyro's design - this is for you!
This texture mod completely overhauls Spyro's appearance to match his look in the original PlayStation trilogy; complete with lavender scales, black eyes, brown horns, yellow wing-limbs, and an underbelly framed with pale blue plating!
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to switch out the colour of his claws because his claws and head frill both pull from the same spot on the texture map.
Nonetheless, I'm incredibly proud of this mod and hope it makes all the 90's kids happy. It's always been my belief that Skylanders fans, Classic fans, and The Legend of Spyro fans can coexist in harmony - and a big part of that is letting people play Spyro how they want, where they want, when they want!
Click Here! to download Artisan Spyro for SSA & Giants. Includes character texture & SSA portrait.
Far from Skylands' furthest frontiers, a race of magical purple dragons scribe tall tales about one of their own kind. 'This story has been over once before,' they write. 'Someday, it will begin again.'
With Blackened Cynder under my belt, Prophetic Spyro was sure to follow - Spyro's Skylanders design traded out for his look in The Legend of Spyro!
Once again, this texture mod is based on the style of A New Beginning and The Eternal Night, as Krome's vision for the series enraptured me far more than Dawn of the Dragon. As such, Spyro is sporting much more than a shining colour-swap!
Thick plates cover his widened underbelly, his crooked horns have been emulated to the best of my ability, membranes now stretch from the hard bone of his head crests, and pale spots freckle his hindquarters with childish charm.
But a design like this doesn't come without quirks. Due to Spyro's claws and head crest sharing the same texture, the undersides of his claws also have a peachy membrane (luckily, not something you'd really notice in gameplay!) and similarly, the spots usually exclusive to his behind taper down his shoulders and thighs.
Even so, I'm proud of this texture mod and believe it does the legendary dragon justice! It's always been my belief that Skylanders fans, Classic fans, and The Legend of Spyro fans can coexist in harmony - and a big part of that is letting people play Spyro how they want, where they want, when they want!
P.S: Recognize this screenshot?
Click Here! to download Prophetic Spyro for SSA & Giants. Includes character texture & SSA portrait.
Many moons circle the Skylands, each embued with Elemental energy not unlike the Skylanders themselves. As they drift through the skies, their influence shines down and grants extra power to those who need it. Just beware of the Elemental Eclipse, for it is said that too much energy can make one lose control.
Y'know, it's funny. Skylanders popularized the silver-trimmed Dark Spyro design to such an extent that some people have completely forgotten his original appearance!
In The Eternal Night, Dark Spyro sports a more grim, deep copper-orange colour on his horns and spines - something that makes him feel much more unrefined and chaotic. Overwhelmed with power from the Celestial Moons, this version of Dark Spyro is also a quieter character, and a feeling of danger bleeds from his black scales.
Lore-wise, Skylanders Spyro is capable of controlling the Darkness thanks to Master Eon's training and the strength of his own heart. This is an awesome development, but it makes me wonder - is Dark the only Element capable of corrupting its user?
What if any Element in excess is a bad thing? The Core of Light, after all, balances each one in equal harmony.
Click Here! to download Lunar Alignment Dark Spyro for SSA & Giants. Includes character texture & SSA portrait.
There are some dragons in Skylands who claim young Flame to be stronger than Spyro. Of course, one such dragon is Flame himself.
The first of the A Hero's Tail dragon duo!
Flame was a side-character trapped in Gnasty's Cave who gained something of a cult following in the Spyro fandom, likely due to the rarity of dragon characters Spyro's own age. He has been envisioned and reinvisioned in all kinds of forms: as Spyro's brother, his apprentice, his boyfriend and more.
This texture mod plonks him into the world of Skylands, playable alongside Spyro and friends as I picked out the Legendary Spyro variant to replace!
Ironically, this choice resulted in some challenge for an otherwise straight-forward colour swap. Due to Legendary Skylanders having a shining effect on their bodies, I had to seek out and nullify the texture responsible!
WARNING: This texture mod affects other minor areas of the game. Some objects may not be as shiny as intended.
Click Here! to download Flame Legendary Spyro for SSA & Giants. Includes character texture & SSA portrait.
Update (v2): Fixed character lighting.
For the longest time, Ember was known throughout Skylands as Spyro's self-appointed fiancée. However, more recently, she seems to have taken an interest in Flashwing. Whether this is a change of heart or a ploy to obtain the shiniest engagement gem is a mystery.
The second of the A Hero's Tail dragon duo!
Ember was a love interest for Spyro found in the Dragon Village, and gained something of a cult following in the Spyro fandom due to the rarity of dragon characters Spyro's own age. This eventually landed her in the middle of a whirlwind shipping war, (does Spyro belong with Cynder or Ember?) but love for the character has never been fully eclipsed.
Now in the world of Skylanders, this pretty pink reptile can finally take center stage!
Also includes streaks of flame to replace Whirlwind's rainbows! Her name is Ember, after all.
I decided against using Cynder as a base, both so the two dragons could be used interchangeably and because I felt Cynder's sharp, gothic shape language was an ill fit for Ember. But using Whirlwind's model came with a new challenge: reshaping her feathers into wings and a tail!
Click Here! to download Ember Whirlwind for SSA & Giants. Includes character texture, attack fx & SSA portrait.
Update (v2): Added fx for Rainbow Singularity attack.
There was a time when Vathek, Undead wyvern of Dragon's Peak, was considered for the role of Skylander. However, when approached by Master Eon and presented the opportunity, he declined - claiming the title of 'hero' was below a dragon of his stature. He had far greater plans for his future.
During the development of Spyro's Adventure, Vathek was planned to be a playable Skylander - but the role of Undead dragon had already been filled by Cynder. As such, he was retooled into the villain of the Dragon's Peak Adventure Pack.
The goal of this texture mod was simple: restore Vathek to playability! Though I wasn't able to lop off Cynder's front legs, her wings have been torn and reshaped to better match the wyvern's design. Skeletal vents line her underbelly, and her eyes glow with eerie blue light.
However, as Cynder's body texture is also used for her legs and tail, I wasn't able to match his back pattern. A small inconsistency - but one I hope doesn't draw too much away from the experience of playable Vathek!
Click Here! to download Vathek Cynder for SSA & Giants. Includes character texture & SSA portrait.
Update (v2): Added Credits.
Many argue over the stongest form of magic in Skylands. Could it be the Darkness, the roiling disaster-energy of the Universe? Or perhaps the Elements, the building blocks of everything we know to exist?
Of course, the true answer to this question is love. The love that the Ancients had for all they had conjured, the love that Skylanders have for the world they protect, and the love you and I have for one another. Love is a magic that lasts forever.
On 28/09/2024, my best friend Maunder and I said goodbye to Gonzo, their beloved pet cockatiel. He was a sweet, sassy, spunky creature - the kind to beg for scritches but give you a nip if they weren't up to standard.
In memoriam, I made Maunder this texture mod so that Gonzo may join us on our first adventure through the Skylands together. Sunburn is their favourite Skylander, and his crest was just perfect.
Rest in Peace, Gonzo. The magic you shared with this world will be felt forevermore.
Click Here! to download Gonzo Sunburn for SSA & Giants. Includes character texture & SSA portrait.
Update (v2): Added Credits.
Having pride in oneself is an important step to becoming a Skylander. Only when you accept who you are can you discover what you are truly capable of.
For Pride Month 2023 on sheepburner, I knocked up a quick three-piece texture mod that switched out Whirlwind's rainbow attacks for lesbian, bisexual, and transgender colour palettes. Now only four months late to Pride Month 2024, I've expanded the mod to include 35 different pride flags!
Here's the full list: Abrosexual, Agender, Aromantic, Asexual, Bear, Bigender, Bisexual, Demiboy, Demigender, Demigirl, Demiromantic, Demisexual, Gay, Genderfae, Genderfaun, Genderfluid, Genderflux, Genderqueer, Gilbert Baker, Intersex, Leather, Lesbian, Lithsexual, Neutrois, Nonbinary, Omnisexual, Pangender, Panromantic, Pansexual, Polyamorous, Polysexual, Progress, Transgender, Trigender, and Xenogender.
Maybe someday down the line I'll make a second pack to include more specific identities, but for now this feels comprehensive. Love yourself!
Click Here! to download Prideful Whirlwind for SSA & Giants. Includes 35 variations of attack fx.
Update (v2): Added Credits.
Near Future is an Imaginator.
Far Future is an Imaginator.
