GENRE
	Platformer
	DEVELOPER
	Ubisoft
	PUBLISHER
	Ubisoft
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1
	CONNECTIVITY
	yes
	BUY NOW AT

[Ed Note: Eric Mattei is apparently of the opinion that only horny teenage boys play video games. Since Eric churns out content like a million monkies, and we believe in (relatively) free speech at Nintendojo.com, we generally try to overlook his testosterone laden blathering to keep you readers in the fresh, steamy reviews. This one got my hackles up, though, so after much arguing, he finally agreed to let me broaden the appeal of this article to include horny teenage girls as well. We're all about inclusiveness here at the 'Dojo. We now return you to your regularly scheduled review.]

I remember how stunned I was at the “hand drawn” artistry of the N64 Rayman game: Rayman 2. It looked as if I was playing a hand painted masterpiece. It was a beautiful game that played exceptionally well with a lot of creativity and quality.

Ubisoft has thankfully preserved the tradition established by earlier Rayman titles and the limbless wonder has made an excellent jump (pun intended) onto the GameCube. Rayman 3 has arrived and I think that its unique take on the platformer genre really blows the doors off of any other platform title on the GameCube. What's more is that this title, like Vexx has a darker side to it that is REALLY FUNNY. This makes Rayman 3 a blast for older GameCube owners.

I see hundreds of games a year and they all start to look like a wall of blur after a while. So appreciating creativity and uniqueness is a big thing for me. Rayman has been a series that stylistically always worked fresh angles. I therefore suggest that you go out and trade in your old Mario Sunshine for a discount on the excellent Rayman 3. To find out why, read on.

visuals

Stunning.

Oh, you want to know more? Okay, really stunning! Seriously, this game is kind of like Sofia Vergara’s [Ed. Note: or Brad Pitt's] ass, you can just keep staring at it and starting at it and... good lord, Sofia [or Brad] you sexy beast I just want to... okay!, as I was saying, the graphics in Rayman 3 are just like the first Playboy [Ed. Note: or Seventeen Magazine] centerfold you ever saw, perfect.

You’ll want to play Rayman 3 just to stare in awe at some of the environments, not to mention the stunning cut scenes. In terms of in-game graphics, like Rayman 2, there are cartoony backdrops that reach way into the sky that are just mindboggling. Also, like it’s predecessor, you won’t get washed out textures like Mario Sunshine. Rayman 3’s crisp, earthy textures fill in the world brilliantly. Now mix these deep, beautiful environments with a silky smooth 60 fps framerate, animation that rocks, zero fog or pop-ups and you’ve got one thing; concrete evidence of a seriously talented artistic staff at Ubi Soft. Kudos.

I had some minor complaints. The camera (like most third-person titles) gets lost behind environments some times. This can get annoying when you’re trying to battle a boss. The camera could have been “trained” to return to a proper angle when this happens. Mind you, it isn’t as bad as Mario Sunshine’s camera.

Like I said above, Rayman 3 looks as good as the first nude centerfold [Ed note: or Backstreet Boy] you fell in love with when you were a teenager. The difference with the two is that Rayman’s euphoric visuals last longer than two minutes at a time.

audio

Rayman 3 takes the “audio quality or die” approach that the boys at Silicon Knights applied to the excellent Eternal Darkness. In keeping with that comparison, the voice acting is outstanding here. Ubi Soft made a great choice for comic relief. John Leguizamo fires off excellent one liners exceptionally well here as the character Globox.

What's more, the audioscape is filled with sounds that rival the clean and smooth graphics of the game. At no point (including cut-scenes) are any of the sounds coming out of a can, or compressed. They all breathe with a crisp quality that is befitting of Dolby Pro Logic II technology. Even the buzzing of wings sounds alive in my recently purchased JVC sound system (yes, JVC rules and I’m a proud owner).

I am quite impressed with the effort put into the audio work in Rayman 3. It’s easy for a developer to put so much time and resources into a game that looks as good as Rayman 3, only to neglect the audio side. Vexx suffers from this at times with poor sounding enemies. Not a chance here. Rayman 3 sounds as good as it looks, and as I’ve consistently said, this will create a total package for any game. Think of it as finding a girl [Ed note: or boy] who not only looks great in a thong [or fireman's trouser's] but she’s [he's] cooking breakfast and cleaning your floors for you in that thong [fireman suit]. Ah yes, the total package!

gameplay

Rayman 3 utilizes power ups throughout the different levels that in turn lead you to perform a specific action in order to progress. These power ups are also given to you on a limited time range so the game kind of works in little bursts of puzzles and actions that you need to perform. Also, you find yourself fighting a lot of Hoodlums with an R button lock on that is reminiscent of the Z button lock from the N64 Zeldas. Now, the enemy AI isn’t on the level of Splinter Cell but it is a platformer so it has to be forgiven.

Now, if you haven’t played a Rayman game yet you need to know that they are original. The quests, the action; everything. It’s all kind of quirky and fun. For instance, you have to chase your shoe a few times in this game, but you’re in your other shoe which rides like a race car. Get the point? There are some amazing levels that will just floor you in terms of the gameplay and originality.

Above all else, I love the bosses in this game. The old schooler in me digs the heavily original bosses that are kicking around in Rayman 3.

It is a linear quest, so when you’re done you can only go back and try to better your scores, but it really is a worthy ride. The gameplay is so fresh that it’ll rekindle your desire to keep playing until the playing’s done.

Another thing worth mentioning here is the GBA connectivity. While you can unlock all kinds of levels for the GBA from the GC game,the real fun here is Mad Traxx. So far this is the best example of what GBA connectivity can mean for a game. In it, the GBA player plays a game much like Tetris, dropping pieces which make the road for the GC player who is driving away in his shoe! If you miss a piece… see ya’! It’s bloody [Ed note: flowery] good fun!

multiplayer

N/A

overall

Okay, are you still reading? Geez, go back up to the top and read the part about where this game rules and dominates any other platform on the GameCube. I don’t mind that the total play time is about 12 hours because, as they say, it’s better to burn out then fade away. Besides, innovation makes the experience feel awesome all the way through, whereas squirting a water pump with Mario lost its appeal to me within the first three hours of gameplay.

If you’re a platform fan, or if you like well-crafted and original titles that captivate you from start to finish, then run -don’t walk- to your local video game retailer and pay Ubi Soft back for all their hard work. I recommend this one. [for boys and girls alike!]

9.5/10