Rayman 3

Rayman returns to his 2D roots in Rayman 3 for the GBA. While the game doesn’t have the same story as Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc, this is the first time Rayman has appeared in 2D since the original Rayman title was released on either the GBA or PlayStation. Using story elements from both Rayman 2 and 3, fans of 2D titles will want to snatch this gem up.

Graphically, Rayman is much more fluid and better looking than his first 2D adventure. But despite the graphical advancements, fans of the original will instantly recognize the bright and colorful characters and environments.

In this installment of Rayman, the story involves Rayman’s buddy, Globox, accidentally swallowing a dark lum. Trying to take advantage of the situation, the evil Razorbeard plots to harness this power and destroy Rayman for good in the process. While the story is definitely lacking, it is not the focal point of the game. Thankfully, the gameplay is and that is what makes this such a memorable title.

In each level, players much reach the exit. To do this, you will need to jump, crawl, and fight your way past all of the obstacles that get in your way. However, this includes some boss fights. While these aren’t incredible challenging, the levels have enough variety in them to keep things exciting. In each level, Rayman will need to collect lums, jump from vines, avoid water and other hazardous substances, and free teensies from their cages. This may not sound incredible interesting to you. However, the 2D platforming gameplay is completely new and not “release of a past title.â€? Hopefully this will pave the way for other companies to release original 2D platforming titles on the GBA.

Because of the lack of originality for the genre on the GBA, I highly recommend this title. While it may not be the greatest platformer to be released on the system, those looking for a new addition to their GBA library will find Rayman 3 to be a pleasant addition to their library.