Rayman 3D

It’s so good to see Rayman, back in his original glory with additional 3D touches and no crazy Rabbids attached. Based on Rayman 2, this game has been in various incarnations such as the Nintendo 64 and the Dreamcast, but playing it on the 3DS adds a new thrill. If you’re a cynic, you will look upon this game as an unnecessary port – the Nintendo 64 version of this game was originally ported for the DS, and really, this game as a whole is around a decade old. The majority of people will notice that the graphics on the 3DS are largely unchanged. This game isn’t an entire reworking or polish as there are still awkward load screens that break the action, but overall this is forgivable. Rayman 3DS is a very good game in itself and the 3D enhancements are done extremely well.

The 3D is really effective and impressive and is paired so well with this game that it acts as a wonderful launch title. Your little guiding mascot really makes an impact when he sweeps away, stars in his wake. In the environments, butterflies, birds and bats will pop out and flutter around like crazy, almost touchable when they pop out of the screen. It’s dizzyingly enjoyable, watching Rayman bounce through these animated landscapes. He’s so three-dimensional that it’s a real joy to play, and of course if the depth gets too much, turn the 3D off and you’ll still be having fun watching Rayman’s limbless self do his little run, helicopter, climb and jump.

Rayman has always been a fine example of platforming, and there is a lot of fun to be had running and jumping around the environments, solving puzzles and destroying evil pirates. Razorbeard and his army of robot pirates are taking over the land, so Rayman must stop him! Each level consists of a goal to reach, a number of ‘lums’ to collect (little fairy-like things that unlock new areas) and innocent creatures to rescue who will call pathetically for help from well-hidden cages. The levels can be a bit linear but hardcore collectors will still struggle to find one or two of the last lums. Thankfully, you don’t need them all to make it to the end. Talking of hardcore, some people may (or may not) be pleased to know that this game isn’t as difficult as it was in previous versions. Some tweaks have been made to the difficulty level, and using the analogue stick to control Rayman’s movements feels a lot more natural and responsive. While there is an auto-camera feature with the L and R buttons, you can manually adjust the camera with the D-Pad. A little fiddly, perhaps, but manageable.

There’s a lot to this game. Not only with the multiple number of levels, but because of the collectable lums and prisoners. Collecting all the lums in an area will unlock a bonus area with a mini game, which will usually make you laugh and pass the time between levels. It’s a nice way to encourage players to revisit areas to try and complete them all fully.

Poor Rayman deserves a chance. I worry that people will overlook this title because Rayman got left behind first by people in general and secondly by the Rabbids. There’s a lot to do in this game, and it’s very entertaining. It also looks spectacular, and is definitely worthy of being a launch title, even without making full use of the 3DS features. A solid adventure from the strange-looking character, and I hope that more people grow to love his helicopter hair!