Rayman

aka: Rayman Advance, Rayman Classic, Rayman Ultimate
Moby ID: 2247
Windows Specs
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Description official descriptions

When a villain known only as Mr. Dark appears, trouble brews in Rayman's world. Mr. Dark captures the Toons - source of light and Rayman's friends. With no more light, evil creatures begin to roam, making the world unsafe for everyone. It’s up to you, as Rayman, to free your friends and put an end to Mr. Dark's dastardly schemes!

Rayman is a side-scrolling platformer starring the titular Rayman, a big-nosed chap with no arms or legs. Rayman can jump and use his hair to hover for a short period of time. He can also attack by throwing his fists, or winding up his fists for a more powerful punch. He can occasionally find special power ups that grant him unlimited flying power, giving him the ability to navigate through tricky mazes.

Spellings

  • レイマン - Japanese spelling
  • 雷曼 - Chinese spelling (simplified)

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Credits (DOS version)

83 People (82 developers, 1 thanks) · View all

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 83% (based on 73 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.8 out of 5 (based on 166 ratings with 7 reviews)

Rayman, a good game

The Good
I think the good things about this game is that you earn special abilities, unlike most games, where you start out with them and then have no challenge. I also like the fact you can punch much farther than an inch. Plus,it's darn funny, for example, fish sometimes fly outta ponds or lakes to knock you down and if you punch them they smile and their teeth crack and fall out. And last, the awesome classic backgrounds, the forests and mountains are breath-taking!

The Bad
Sometimes it's a small bit...ummm...childish. Like the first boss is a bug, which is cool but when you defeat him rayman walks up, pats him on the back, they become friends so easily, and rayman rides this bug around for the entire next level.

The Bottom Line
I'd say it's the game to look for, it's just... FUN!

Windows · by scott beane (1) · 2003

One of the best 2-D platformers I've ever played.

The Good
The graphics are cartoony and great to look at. They did show of the powers of the then new Sega Saturn and Sony Playstation very nice. GO UBISOFT!

  One way the Saturn version wins SLIGHTLY over the Playstation version is the voice acting in the intro. In the Playstation version, the little hat guy sounds light and boring. In the Saturn version, he sounds more humorous. Also when Rayman gets hit by an enemy he makes a high pitched squeal. I'm not sure if this is a good thing, but not a bad one.

 The music is fantastic. Rayman has some of the best music in gaming history. CD quality sound (in gaming) in 1995 was brand new and this was a great way to start it off.<br><br>**The Bad**<br>     Nothing really.<br><br>**The Bottom Line**<br>     Rayman is a more slow paced game. It is not like early Sonic games. Nevertheless, Rayman is just one reason to get a Sega Saturn, Playstation, or even..THE 64-BIT ATARI JAGUAR!!! HA, HA, HA!!!!


 Oh Atari Jaguar, at least you are.... uh...... 64-Bit?


 Rayman is a great game. BUY IT NOW!

SEGA Saturn · by Weston Sharpensteen (13) · 2011

More colours than your eye can register.

The Good
In the classic console war of PlayStation vs Sega Saturn, the Saturn always came out as having the more vibrant colours and running faster (at least concerning 2D games) – this game is very much the living proof of that. Rayman looks so stunning, it holds up to today’s standards with no sweat. The graphics are simply phenomenal, with a huge colour palette and very nicely done animations (some of which the PlayStation version lacks). The music in Rayman is also very good, being on par with the graphics in what concerns the overall “pretty” look the game has to offer. It has a wonderful array of instruments at its disposal, and the arrangements are lovely. The gameplay is quite adequate for the game type, and the use of newfound powers to overcome obstacles is nicely done. The bosses are also entertaining and varied, which is a plus.

The Bad
There is only one flaw I’d point to this game – the (sometimes) utterly unfair difficulty. Some areas of the game are just plain simply frustrating, to the point of making many-a-gamer to simply give up on the game. My personal advice? Don’t do it – playing the game ends up being a rewarding experience.

The Bottom Line
Rayman is a game that at first glance seems very appealing (and it is), but which also possesses the capability to steer gamers away due to its frustrating difficulty. If you are able to persevere, you will find yourself immersed into a true fairy-tale world, filled with beauty and awe-inspiring sets and music.

SEGA Saturn · by Rik Hideto (473498) · 2014

[ View all 7 player reviews ]

Trivia

Cancelled Ports

A SEGA 32X port was going to be released, but got cancelled due to the platform's declining popularity. A 3DO version was also planned as well, but cancelled due to technical issues.

Sales

Rayman has the record for number of weeks on the UK all-formats top 40 chart with 261 weeks. That's more than five years.

Technology

  • Rayman has no joints, he just has a head, body, hands and feet. The reason for this is that it was much easier to animate him that way.
  • The DOS and Windows versions stored the opening and ending animations in a very unusual format: the video is completely separate from the audio. The audio for the animations is on the CD as CD Audio tracks. So in order to watch the intro and ending, a full install of the game is necessary, since a CD-ROM drive can not access data and audio tracks at the same time.

Awards

  • Electronic Gaming Monthly
    • September 1995 (Issue 74) - Game of the Month (Playstation version)
  • Game Players
    • 1995 Holiday Edition (Vol.8, No.13) - Best Jaguar Game of the Year

Information also contributed by Big John WV, Kabushi, Qlberts, samsam12 and Satoshi Kunsai.

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Are you familiar with this game? Help document and preserve this entry in video game history! If your contribution is approved, you will earn points and be credited as a contributor.

Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Andrew Hartnett.

Wii U added by mars_rulez. PS Vita added by GTramp. Game Boy Advance added by Kartanym. iPhone, iPad, Android added by Sciere. PlayStation 3, PSP added by Foxhack. Windows Mobile added by Kabushi. PlayStation added by Adam Baratz. SEGA Saturn added by Terok Nor. Nintendo DSi added by Ben K. Jaguar added by quizzley7.

Additional contributors: Kartanym, Unicorn Lynx, Jony Shahar, Sciere, Alaka, Kabushi, ケヴィン, DreinIX, Cantillon, Patrick Bregger, Roberth Martinez.

Game added August 29, 2000. Last modified January 22, 2024.