GameCube

Rayman Arena

Expanding the Rayman franchise into the party game genre, Ubi Soft has again displayed its talent for superb graphical and audio presentation. Only stifled by its lack of variety, Rayman Arena features well-designed and engaging gameplay. Rayman Arena’s gameplay is solid, particularly in multiplayer, even if limited in replay value.

Rayman’s off and racing on the GameCube oh yeah, and you can fight, too. Party games may not have originated on Nintendo’s systems, but they certainly achieved fame there. Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Monkey Ball have made the Cube the place for four-player, family-friendly fun. Now Rayman throws his disembodied glove in the ring with decidedly mixed results.

Fans of the few other foot-racing games that have been released over the years, such as Mad Dash Racing, Running Wild, or Sonic R, will find that Rayman Arena fits in nicely with these games. But the game doesn't really do anything to differentiate itself from these older foot-racing games and doesn't bring anything new to the table. Anyone looking for an exciting mascot racing game won't find too much to like here once the thrill of four-player multiplayer has worn off.

I love Rayman as an adventure and a platformer, but Ubi Soft's attempt to pull the wool over our eyes with a party game disguised in Rayman clothing is a poor one. If I had to speculate, I would guess that Ubi Soft first discussed using the Rayman license for other things, and then remembered it could use a party game. The result was Rayman Arena, but the execution is half-hearted and not remotely rewarding.

Rayman Arena looks better than it plays, but that's not saying much. All of the characters are very small and barely detailed with few animations. However, the game holds a steady framerate and features bright, shiny graphics. Every match or race is preceded by the same cut-scene animation, which looks kinda sharp and entertaining the first time you see it, but janky and redundant the second time. Not to mention the 3rd, 4th, and 5th times.