Once upon a time, the Rayman series of video games were held in very high esteem. The PSOne edition sold millions upon millions of copies and did especially well as a ”Platinum” re-release. As far as I’m aware, the original game holds the record for the most weeks in the ELSPA top 20 PSOne chart – and with good reason. The limbless one’s 3D outings however, have arguably not been anywhere near as sharp.
The transition to the DS was always going to be a road fraught with pitfalls. The major problem is that most of these pitfalls haven’t been avoided very well, if at all. Yes, you get your forty or so levels of Rayman action, complete with surfing and swimming sections. Yes, you get the varying environments in which to find your Lums and yes, the platforms are there by the hundred. What you don’t get is an engaging experience. The reasons for this are threefold. Firstly, 3D platform games really do need to have some sort of analog control system (see Super Mario 64 DS) to feel like you’ve got any split-second control of your on-screen character. Despite providing a shockingly bad analog control pad on the touch-screen, Rayman DS is of course limited by the hardware of the d-pad, which means that more often that not, Rayman will plunge to his doom through no fault of your own.
Second off, the camera system is way below par. The promised touch screen camera controls are noticeable by their absence, instead being replaced by an automatic camera that is constantly working against you. Time of death: 16:32, 16:34 and 16:37. Cause: Camera zipped around to show a screen full of wall whilst trying to make a super precise jump.
Thirdly, the graphical presentation comes under the microscope. Gone are the rich, colourful environments of the 2D editions of the game and we’re presented with a lot of dark, albeit massive areas of play. Unfortunately, these zones are blocky and in most cases, start clipping whenever you spin the camera around quickly. Add that to the slowdown that comes into play whenever a more processor-happy effect is used (such as trickling water), and you have a package that looks the absolute business in some places, but is way below par in others.
If you’re a die-hard Rayman fan (they exist, believe me), then even you will probably be a little disappointed with Rayman DS. The game as a whole doesn’t even come close to the high points of the series. Non-fans who are looking for some platform action to while away a few hours are well advised to have a look at Super Mario 64 DS before considering purchasing this.
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