Go Fanboy - Everyone Has A Favorite

Before the limbless Ubi Soft hero Rayman captivated audiences with his 3-D adventures (the Dreamcast wonder Rayman 2: The Great Escape and the likable Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc), there was a time that he was a simple, beautifully drawn 2-D hero. The game was called Rayman, and it wowed audiences on a number of game machines, mainly the PlayStation, the Sega Saturn, and even the Atari Jaguar. It was lush in looks and challenging in terms of gameplay, and it really pushed the envelope for 2-D platform gaming at the time. It was a nice start for the series, which has now transitioned into something bigger with its 3-D efforts.

Ubi has returned to the old-school flavor of Rayman on the unlikeliest of machines, the Nokia N-Gage. The platform's been suffering trouble as of late, between architecture that can be best described as flawed and a lack of solid games to back it up as a must-have game machine. But Ubi Soft's pulled a great trick with Rayman 3, making a very enjoyable platforming title and giving the system another game to make the pain of owning it a little bit easier.

The game has a typical plot that's basically the same as other Rayman games. A group of pirates has basically taken residence in his peaceful world and it's up to the limbless, big-nosed Rayman to save the day with the help of his flying fists and his helicopter hair. He can use his fists for a number of things, including punching enemies, charging for a larger, better-distanced punch, or swinging from rings to reach other platforms. Rayman can also climb, mount himself up between walls, and time jumps better with the help of his hair, which spins like a propeller with the second tap of the jump button.

The game looks great, with beautiful, hand-drawn 2-D visuals that astound, even if the animation isn't overly smooth. It still looks like a winner, with tricky level design that will challenge even the most seasoned of platform gamers and cute little things here and there to bring Rayman's cartoony world to life. The main problem with the visuals actually lie with the system itself- the screen is so narrow that sometimes part of the screen is cut off, meaning that an enemy can sneak up and get a crucial hit on you if you're not looking fast enough. But it's not enough of a problem to make you want to stop playing the game.

The gameplay actually works very well, as Ubi Soft keeps it simple. One button is for jumping while another controls your jump, and through timing, you can proceed to do things like the aforementioned helicopter jump or the wall mount. You can also catch ledges and pull yourself up in spots, as well as climb vines and bounce on boosters to get across high distances. It's all basic, but the gameplay is still lots of fun and, mixed with the game's difficulty, will keep you busy for awhile.

Ubi Soft also does us proud with the game's sound. It's not the greatest sounding Rayman game (gone is the beautiful soundtrack from Rayman 2...but, oh well), but at least Gameloft made an effort to take advantage of the N-Gage's limited audio capabilities. The sound effects are fun and brought to life with creativity, right down to the "sproing" from the boosters and Rayman occasionally letting out a high-pitched grunt. The music is pretty good, too, but a little too brief at times. Still, at least it's there. Can't say that for other N-Gage efforts.

Finally, a word about the multiplayer. There's three different games to choose from- Capture the Flag, Burglary, and Tag, and each one can be played on a number of boards to challenge friends. The games themselves are actually pretty good, if not overly complicated, and make good use of N-Gage's multiplayer function. Now the trick is, finding three other friends who own the system and a copy of the game. Maybe there's a message board somewhere...

Rayman 3 won't change the fate of the ill-designed N-Gage, nor my general thoughts about the machine. However, for those who find themselves with one or don't mind the inconveniences it brings, Rayman 3 is a must-buy. It's got the kind of platforming action that Sonic N should've possessed, plus presentation and bonus multiplayer extras that provide hours of fun. Ubi Soft continues to respect their old-school roots, and Rayman 3 deserves to take a bow for being the latest example. Let's give him a hand; even if they aren't attached.