RAYMAN

RAYMAN first appeared in this gorgeous platformer that feels like a cartoon. Really, the whole thing looks incredible, even now. Every level is packed with these lush handdrawn backgrounds and crazy colors that pop. The characters move with a bouncy silly energy that makes everything feel alive.

RAYMAN

You start with just a punch, but you slowly earn new abilities, like a helicopter spin with your hair to float, which is awesome but also needed to backtrack for secrets. The first few zones are kinda laid back, teaching you the basics with simple jumps and slow enemies, but then the game drops the friendly act and the difficulty ramps up outta nowhere, turning into a brutal test of patience and pixel perfect timing. Platforms get smaller, enemies come outta nowhere and some jumps require a leap of faith 'cuz you can't even see where you're landing.

The whole goal is to free the little Electoon creatures from cages, but the kicker is that you gotta free every single one to even reach the final boss. The game doesn't really tell you that upfront, so you might blast through a level and miss a cage, which means replaying it later. It adds a kinda cool exploration vibe, but also feels a bit mean. The save system is harsh too, you get a limited number of continues, and losing all your lives kicks you back, which is devastating on the longer gnarlier stages.

PlayStation

The original PlayStation release is the purest experience. It's got the full gorgeous 16-bit color sprites, the complete soundtrack and all the levels as they were originally designed, including that fog in Pink Plant Woods and the proper first section of Bongo Hills. The controls are tight, using the shoulder buttons to crawl, and it has that cool voiced cartoon intro. The downside is, of course, it's famously the hardest version with its brutal continue system.

 

PlayStation (Europe)

 

PlayStation (Español)

Game Boy Color

Then you've got the handheld ports, which are basically doing their best with less power. The Game Boy Color version is a totally different game, a stripped down reimagining with simpler levels and surprisingly nice graphics. It's its own beast, not really a substitute for the console experience.

Game Boy Advance

RAYMAN ADVANCE it's based on the PC version, which already changes some cage locations and music. They tried to compensate by giving RAYMAN an extra life point and tweaking the physics a bit, like reducing slippage. The music is completely remade in GBA sound quality, which some tracks actually sounding really nice and they even added a few new ones, but they also cut the first part of Bongo Hills entirely.

DSi

The DSi version is also based on that PC build, but it tries to bring back some PS1 elements, like using its soundtrack (tho many tracks are cut). It gives RAYMAN five life points and adds a handy map on the bottom screen, but the sound is all weirdly low pitched and you get some screen crunch, meaning you can't see as far ahead, which makes an already tough game even harder for some people.

Which version to pick?

So, which one of these is the definitive? The PlayStation version, since it's the complete intended vision, challenges and all. The art and animation are at their absolute best there. The GBA and GBC versions are cool curiosities with some neat enhancements and unique features, but they're ultimately compromised by the smaller hardware. For old 3DS users, the DSiWare version is the better pick. It gives you five life points instead of three and has a map on the bottom screen, which helps with the brutal level navigation.