I know this is off topic, but I dont think that Spyro, even with him knowing they are munipulated, Would kill the entranced local beings. Instead maybe he created them in the image of local beings using power spirits.

He kills innocent sheep for butterflies, though. He wouldn't bat an eyelid at killing those that are disturbing the peace. That is, if he HAS eyelids. Does anyone know if dragons would have eyelids, if they existed? It's really beginning to disturb me...meep.

Riptocs are under Ripto's command, wasn't there some in Spyro 2?

Nope. They were just spirits and manipulated civilians.

Which is why I've tried to explain this with my own theorum...

-Ripto is brought into Avalar.
-He tries to conquer it.
-At this time, he has no army, so he manipulates the local beings, instead.
-Spyro comes, he fixes the woe, blah blah blah, e.t.c.
-Ripto, being a reptile...thing...survives the fall into the lava and wants revenge on Spyro and his kin.
-Sometime before/during Spyro 3, he finds a race of more reptile...things...and makes them into his own army, since he can't manipulate the civilians.
-Spyro 3 happens.
-Ripto observes all of this (EtD is set right after YotD) because he is small enough to go through that hole.
-Seeing the Rhynocs himself, and having a big ego, he decides to call his army troppers 'Riptocs', as a sort of an ironic gesture.
-Spyro 3 finishes. He attacks whit his Riptocs.

So...there?

(from Toshiro Hitsugaya)
i hate it for many reasons but i agree with artiste violet it does take too long to load

I didn't mind the load time for the GC version, but I guess the disc is smaller

They have it nail on the head. Heavy lag + return of Ripto + inexperienced developer = ouch!

VERY BIG OUCH