Rayman Advance Review
I finally made my way to Wal-Mart, and headed straight to the games! With $50 in my pocket and an urge for a new GBA game, I looked no further then further than the man with no limbs, Rayman. Even without his arms, he still packs one hell of a punch.
You jump and you run, can it be any easier? Actually, it ain’t easy, to say the least. This game is great fun. But it’s hard as hell at some points and then child’s play in other points. With 60 huge levels to explore, you might find your self hovering over spikes with your helicopter hair, or climbing upwards from rising water. Rayman will have you going from one extreme to another.
The plot revolves around Mr. Dark, Rayman’s archnemesis, taking over the Electoon’s world. To save the world you must collect power-ups and beat the crap out of baddies, ranging from trailer park trash to Martians on flying spoons. You’ll encounter many of Mr. Dark’s evil sidekicks along the way, including Moskito, Mr. Sax, Mr. Stone, Space Mama, and Mr. Skop. Believe me, they aren’t pushovers.
Rayman is great, and it’ll keep you on the edge of your seat. I never found myself bored while playing this game. Just waiting to get my next new power-up kept me playing. But be warned you’ll want to stock up on batteries, as I have gone through 2 pairs (yes, approximately 30 hours worth) and I still play. With each level you must find a certain number of cages sealed with Electoons. This does require a lot of back-tracking, but in the end my friend says it’s worth it.
The cages are always hidden away in nooks and crannies. Although I haven’t found all the cages, I know that when all are located and you beat the game a secret ending is unlocked and viewable. It is a secret I would rather not spoil for you guys. [Ed.: Even though you haven’t seen it?]
Now, to the power-ups I have been talking about so much. With each new power-up comes the responsibility of mastering that power. Whether it’s timing your helicopter hair or getting the best length on a running jump, if you don’t know how, you’ll be in deep waters when the time comes around to use them.
- Punch: Yes you must acquire the straightforward seeming punch, but it comes easily on the first level.
- Grabbing: Some ledges are out of reach to Rayman, and you’ll need this to grab onto those ledges you can’t jump onto.
- Swinging: Swing from one flying hoop to a platform or another hoop. Just don’t let go!
- Helicopter Hair: Swing from ledge to ledge for a short period of time.
- Speed: You run faster.
Lastly, you’ll often find Mr. Magician, and he’ll lead you to many mini-games that’ll keep you busy. If you complete them you earn a well-received extra life.
Sadly, Rayman does not include a multi player option. It would’ve been fun to beat up your friend Street Fighter-style. Here is where Rayman suffers its biggest blow in gamers’ minds and loses a few points. Maybe Ubi Soft will consider it for Rayman 2 hopefully.
This game has some of the best graphics the GBA has to offer, second only to Tony Hawk 2 (THPS2). From the lush hand-drawn backgrounds to the superb character designs, Rayman will have you in awe. The bright visuals make it a stand alone in 2D side-scrolling games, and it makes Super Mario Advance look, well … bad.
Rayman’s levels are huge and very detailed, and in some places you’ll see tiny mushrooms play tag or stack up on top of one another. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The handheld unit’s LCD screen makes the game look just like it’s coming out of your TV. In any case Rayman’s visuals are jaw-dropping, far better than anything seen on the SNES.
No blips and bleeps here, Rayman’s cutesy sound effects and music will make you want to barf. They sound like something from Sesame Street. I found myself playing this game with the volume down. Sound is such a big part of the game, Rayman suffers a major loss in points for its poor choice in audio. So, all you jaded teenagers: Turn down the volume and play to your hearts content.
With the 60 levels, power-ups, and the fact that there are 300 cages of Electoons to save, you’ll have lots of stuff to keep you busy and coming back for more. Just make sure you pack a few more batteries when you play.
Visuals: 10
Sound: 5
Originality: 8
Replay: 8
Overall: 8.7