Rayman

Features

• Based on the original Jaguar, PlayStation, Saturn and PC game.
• Five Worlds
• 20 levels
• Bonus stages
• Password save
• Support of the Ubi Key system for unlocking hidden levels
• Only for Game Boy Color

What works in this translation's favor is that Rayman, despite all its accolades and awards, is a very simple platformer. Even the more advanced 3D sequel is, at heart, a basic jumping game. While this simplicity led to a lot of criticism and negativity against the 32-bit version (from those who expected great big innovations in gameplay to go along with the breathtaking graphics), this kind of fundamental gameplay is perfect for the Game Boy Color. Rayman jumps and shoots. Later on, he has a helicopter spin and can grab on to rings. That's it. How troubling could that be for Nintendo's 8-bit wonder?

The brilliance of Rayman isn't the complicated gameplay, although the controls are plenty filling compared to most other butt-bouncers on the Game Boy. Rather, the game prides itself in its elegance, in clever game design that uses every trap, swinging obstacle, hanging vine, slippery surface, bouncing platform, and interactive object to its fullest potential. Once players breeze back through the game (after unlocking every stage), they may be shocked to realize how little variety there is in the platform elements. You just don't notice it when you play, because every object is used to its fullest potential, and every level plays completely different.

Ubi Soft created a real winner in Rayman as a character. Even though the original game wasn't exactly original, the control was fresh and the gameplay was fun. Rayman on the Game Boy Color captures all of that with grace and style. The character has proper weight and skills, and the game balance feels great. There are none of those annoying collision detection problems that plague lesser games, and the platforming action feels really great. Also, Ubi Soft has built up the levels for ambitious players, placing objects that cannot be reached until Rayman has learned new skills. This adds tremendously to the replay value (and don't forget the Ubi Key system, which opens up secret time attack stages with each new Ubi Soft game).

And don't forget the graphics, which are hands-down the most lively and colorful on the system. Everything alive has animation and character. Rayman looks awesome with his dismembered limbs, and his enemies are sometimes equally detailed. The game is so animated that there are butterflies who flutter by in the game. The graphic designers have really mastered color balance and style, making fantastically detailed stages and yet never losing the character or enemies in the detailing.