Reviewed: March 27, 2003
Reviewed by: Loki

Publisher
Ubisoft

Developer
Ubisoft

Released: March 4, 2003
Genre: Platform
Players: 1
ESRB: Everyone

10
10
8
9
9.6

Supported Features:

Rayman 3 is the latest incarnation of this loveable action hero and easily one of the best platform games I have ever played on my GBA and probably the best game I’ve played this year – yes, I know it’s only March so that’s not saying much.

While Rayman 3 was released and is now available for all gaming systems, the GBA version puts a unique spin on the gameplay found in its “big console” counterpart (Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc). Obviously, the GBA can’t offer all the same sophisticated graphics and 3D gameplay of the major systems, but Ubisoft has taken the time to include plenty of features including bonus link-features for those with the GameCube version and a link cable.

Anyone familiar with Rayman – especially those who played Rayman 2: The Great Escape or Rayman Advance - will immediately feel right at home the moment they turn on this game. All of your favorite characters are back including many of Rayman’s friends and even some of his enemies. This adventure revolves around Globox who has swallowed a Black Lum, an evil and dangerous creature that spreads evil across the land like a virus. Rayman must get help for his friend as quickly as possible but the evil Razorbeard and his gang of baddies are also trying to get Globox and extract the Black Lum for their own unspeakable and no doubt, evil purposes.

Rayman starts off with a traditional library of moves such as jumping, a double-jump with a helicopter spin for extra distance, crawl, and a fist punch that you can charge up. All of these moves are available from the beginning of the game unlike the previous Rayman Advance that forced you to earn some of these moves by playing through several early levels with nothing more than a jump.

There are still additional and more powerful moves for you to earn in this game. These are bestowed upon you by Ly, the fairy, and will allow you to do destructive body slams, power fist and double fist attacks, and a Super-Helico move that lets you fly for extended distances. As you might expect, these moves will all become critical to the gameplay sooner or later.

Rayman controls like a dream with the D-pad moving him left and right. Pushing down will cause him to crouch and crawl. The A and B buttons jump and punch while the L/R triggers are assigned to Rayman’s two power upgrades that he receives later in the game.

Those of you who have played Rayman Advance may notice some immediate similarities when you start playing Rayman 3. The gameplay is pretty basic and even though you have a full library of moves you don’t do much more than jumping and swinging for the first few levels. But your patience and continued gameplay will soon be rewarded as you venture deeper into this 50-level game.

It won’t take long before the levels become much more creative in their design, including some interesting mode-7 stages. There are four such stages, two of which have Rayman water-skiing through swamps collecting Lums and avoiding obstacles, and two other stages that put you in a Mario Kart-style bumper car race around a track with deadly lava pits on either side. These clever stages are scattered through the game and are a welcome diversion from the traditional platform-style gameplay found in the rest of the game.

All of these levels are structured into four unique worlds that are accessed via a traditional hub in the form of a world map. Each level is broken down into several sub-levels creating what would seem to be a massive gameplay experience. In reality, most of the levels are relatively short and hardcore gamers can probably finish this game in 10-15 hours.

As with most platform titles, collecting items is the core of the gameplay and Rayman 3 gives you plenty of things to search for and collect. There are 999 Yellow Lums and 50 cages to uncover and when you have found all of these only then can you access the Lum Challenge level to claim the 1000th Lum, and only then can you access the bonus stage available via the GameCube link feature. Of course, none of these collectibles are required to finish the game. You could conceivably race to the finish of each level and still win, but where is the fun in that?

And what would a platform game be without “boss battles”? Rayman 3 features a respectable collection of creative bosses, but unfortunately the boss fights aren’t particularly challenging. Like most any boss battle, the trick is to learn the patterns and exploit the weaknesses of each boss you fight. Most of the earlier bosses in Rayman 3 aren’t all that complicated. You’ll learn their patterns in a minute or less and it won’t take much longer to defeat them. Fortunately, as you get deeper into the game the later bosses will ramp up in difficulty and probably take you several retries before you figure them out.

Rayman 3 is one of the few new Game Boy Advance titles that make use of the GBA/GameCube link cable to provide added value content for owners of both systems. In this case, those fortunate enough to own both systems and a copy of Rayman 3 for each will be able to unlock several exclusive features to enhance their Rayman experience including:

1. Multiplayer Game: While the Game Boy Advance player builds a road with Tetris-like blocks, the Nintendo GameCube player speeds forward along the road as it forms. Quick wits and teamwork are a must for this fast-paced mini-game! Three gaming modes make things even more exciting:
   • Great Escape: Put the pedal to the metal to evade a dangerous pursuer
   • Treasure Hunt: Collect valuable treasures as time ticks away
   • Competition: Use two Nintendo GameCube controllers and two Game Boy Advance systems to create a four-person face-off
   Requirements: Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc for the Nintendo GameCube, up to two Nintendo GameCube controllers and two Game Boy Advance systems
2. New Maps: Unlock and download ten new maps for the Game Boy Advance from the Nintendo GameCube using points collected from Rayman 3 for the Game Boy Advance Requirements: Rayman Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc for the Nintendo GameCube and Rayman 3 for Game Boy Advance
3. Final Challenge: Download and tackle one final Game Boy Advance challenge after completing Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc on the Nintendo GameCube

The characters all look and move great and those who have played the console version of Rayman will be able to see that the same 3D characters have been somehow flattened and perfectly ported to the GBA. All of the sprites are colorful and sharp and stand out against the equally colorful backgrounds. Level design is creative and fun and pays homage to levels found in all of the previous Rayman games.

The sound effects are excellent, clean and crisp and nearly identical to their console counterpart. Some of the effects are so perfect (like the Teensie’s cries for help) that I’m sure they are the same samples used on the GameCube.

There are also four multiplayer mini-games that will keep you and your friends busy for even more hours. These include variations of the Bumper Car mini-game found in the main game where you can race other players around a track or in a demolition derby arena. You also have a Tag game where you try to tag the other players and a Burglar variation, which is the opposite of tag where you try to stay tagged the longest. Most of these modes need to be unlocked through single-player gameplay.

If you are a fan of the Rayman series or just looking for a great platform title for your GBA then look no further. Rayman 3 is about as good as it gets and is a worthy addition to your GBA game collection.

GameCube / GBA Connectivity Gameplay Screenshots