Rayman 3D (3DS) Review
It’s only been a week since the launch of the 3DS in Australia, and I have only experienced two games since launch (excluding AR games and Face Raiders), Rayman 3D being one of them. I was a huge fan of Rayman when I played Rayman 2: The Great Escape on the Nintendo 64. The Nintendo 64 had an abundance of great platformers (Mario, Banjo etc), but Rayman lived up to their quality and offered something a little different. That was 1999, and some 12 years later, I find myself in the odd position of playing the exact game from all those years ago on an entirely new console. With this in mind, the central question becomes ’Does Rayman stand the test of time?’ Read on to find out.
Firstly, I must admit that I am disappointed that Rayman 3D is a direct port of a 10 year old plus game with no additional features whatsoever. The game has had no visual makeover at all, except of course the addition of stereoscopic 3D. There is also a distinct lack of extra gameplay features, such as characters or levels. Obviously the idea was to get as many games out at launch as possible, which is not unusual for developers. However, some effort to actually give the game some extra would have been appreciated. At the end of the day, you are left with a decade old game in 3D. Nothing more. Nothing less. Reviewing the actual game almost seems frivolous, as you could look up any of the existing reviews for Rayman 2: The Great Escape and essentially apply the crux of the review to this version. However, for those that haven’t played The Great Escape, I will provide a brief rundown of what you can expect.
Rayman 3D is a quintessential platformer. You will run, jump, and fly (it is more of a hover really, but Rayman can use his ears for this purpose) your way through a series of levels that cover a variety of terrain. Rayman has the ability to shoot little balls of energy which will act as your primary way of defeating enemies. From a platforming perspective, the game doesn’t offer anything particularly original, but it does a good job with what is presented. The story for the game is fairly interesting, as the characters involved throughout, which include many allies who will help Rayman where possible. The game certainly has a unique charm of its own, which is made possible due to interesting characters and a fairly compelling (by platform game standards) story.
Rayman 3D has about 20 or so levels to traverse through, each taking from about 5 to 15 minutes to complete. There are plenty of collectables though, so repeating levels will become necessary for those who want to complete the game 100%. The game isn’t particularly hard by any stretch, though I have played it before (albeit a long time ago) so this would have influenced my experience. For anybody who is new to the game, it will offer a moderately challenging platformer.
Visually, Rayman 3D looks no different compared to the original on the N64. This is disappointing, because the 3DS is vastly superior to the N64 in terms of power. It is also disappointing because it reflects a lazy attitude toward development. The game does make good use of the 3D effect. Viewing games in 3D is a perfect fit for platform games, due to the increased depth you get. It makes it much easier to understand where the character is in relation to the surrounding. Being my first foray into a 3DS game, it is difficult to judge how well the effect has been utilized. It probably doesn’t look at good as Street Fighter (my other game on the 3DS), but it does add to the experience slightly.
The game boasts a fairly unique and eccentric soundtrack that fits right in with the games overall quirkiness. The music is quite good throughout, although it does loop quite a bit and they have not managed to make the loop subtle. Also, music changes quite abruptly (e.g., going from one area to the next or having an enemy turn up) and it often starts looping incorrect music (e.g., the fast paced music that occurs when battling continues after you have vanquished the enemy). Other than this problem, the sound is quite good throughout.
Overall, I still really enjoyed playing through Rayman 3D, despite being an exact port with absolutely no new additions to gameplay or new extras. Because of this, the game is quite poor as a port. However, if you haven’t played the game before, it is well worth picking up because it is a fine platformer that plays and looks quite good on the 3DS.
The crux of my argument is as follows: If you have played the Nintendo 64 game, than there is little on offer here. If you have not played the Nintendo 64 game, then Rayman 3D is well worth picking up. It is a highly enjoyable platformer that is well suited to the 3DS.
Graphics 8.0
The 3DS is much more powerful compared to the Nintendo 64, so some sort of graphical overhaul would have been welcomed. The 3D effect is used well but its not mindblowing.
Gameplay 8.0
An old Nintendo 64 game that works well on the Nintendo 3DS. The new analogue control on the 3DS makes platform games so much easier to play.
Sound 7.0
An interesting and diverse soundtrack that suits the games eccentricity. It does become repetitive due to short loops, though.
Tilt 6.0
Around twenty or so levels that will take anywhere between seven to fifteen hours depending on whether you want to finish the game 100%. Nothing much to come back to once its over, though.
Value 6.0
A good game in most respects, but a very lazy port makes it disappointing at times.
