Rayman 3 - GBA

Rayman began his days as a lazy limbless 2D character who was forced to defeat Mr Dark and his minions to save his home world from a terrible nightmare. After that, and to the disappointment of a select few, Rayman evolved into the third dimension. But after nearly eight years, those craving more of the old-school platform mechanics demonstrated in the 1995 original and take comfort in the fact that the Game Boy Advance version of the third instalment is one such title.

Another side-on scrolling extravaganza, players once again assume control of protagonist Rayman as he faces an all-new threat – Globox. It’s a typical Rayman premise, and largely Rayman 3 is more of the same with bells and whistles attached. But is that really a bad thing? We say no.

The game world itself, like its 32-bit predecessor, takes place in several lush environments littered with the usual collectibles, evil minions and bosses you might expect. It looks fabulous, and the foregrounds, backgrounds and characters of the game blend together almost seamlessly.

The autonomous fist makes a welcome return too, as do a few familiar faces and several power-ups. Gameplay is well-paced, and access to certain areas is limited until specific criteria have been met. It’s a formula that has been used many times in these types of games, but it works very well, and consequently makes Rayman 3 a faithful sequel to the series’ only previous 2D venture.

We’re sure you’ll see a lot more of this guy over the coming years, but for now, handheld platformer fans can enjoy this. more