2D screenshots of 3D-capable game: Due to technical limitations, the screenshot shown in this review is a 2D image of a game that can display its graphics in 3D. The game is fully playable in either form, but only the 2D method can be shown here.
As far as the 3DS’ launch lineup goes, there are at least a few games that are very quick ports of existing titles with 3D support tossed in. Rayman 3D is among these, with much of its content coming from the Dreamcast version of Rayman 2. This isn’t entirely a bad thing; Rayman 2 was a competent 3D platformer alongside its peers on the Nintendo 64. Nonetheless, it’s a fairly simple port that is asking $40 USD for a very old game with some noteworthy design problems.
How easy Rayman 3D is to ’pick up and play’ depends on who you are. If you have been playing games for a while, especially going as far back as the Nintendo 64 era, then you’ll have no problem using the circle pad as an analog stick to move your colorful hero around. Likewise, jumping, spinning to float through the air, climbing along vines, and launching attacks at enemies with a mix of face and shoulder buttons won’t be anything new to you, so you’ll catch on quickly. At least passable reflexes and timing are required as you guide Rayman through several stages and jumping over various platforms, so while it’s not a difficult game it’s also not the sort of thing suited to those looking for a more cerebral game.
There are two primary goals, splitting your play time between searching for the end of each stage and collecting various hidden items. With most stages being fairly large and likely to require several minutes to play through each one, merely getting from one level to the next can keep you busy for a while. Nonetheless, players are encouraged to be very thorough in their exploration since the hidden items are what really add length to the experience. This makes Rayman 3D a great example of the 3D platformers of its time, and one that is still reasonably entertaining today.
Despite its many strengths, there are a few significant problems. The camera and general display are probably the most significant, since there will be times where you can’t see where your character is going and may fall off a ledge. At best, this drops you to a lower part of the level and you have to get back to where you were. At worst, it can kill your character and become quite annoying. There are also the occasional severe drops in frame-rate, bringing the game to a crawl. These don’t happen constantly, or even particularly often, but they’re very easily noticed in a few spots. Those are strange problems for a port of a game this old to have, and it’s disappointing they weren’t fully fixed. Enabling the 3D display is likewise questionable; it makes the game look more vivid, but not to a huge degree so it’s probably best to just save battery power given the game was originally designed for 2D displays in any case.
Overall, this is a fairly simple port of a classic 3D platformer. Can I recommend Rayman 3D for purchase? In some cases, yes. If you haven’t already played Rayman 2 on another system yet can’t find one of those versions for less money (or don’t have any of those systems), then Rayman 3D could have some real value to you. It’s certainly a classic of its genre, with plenty of charm and good controls only somewhat harmed by a bad camera. On the other hand, this is a port of something that has consistently been on the market for over a decade. If you have already played this game on some other system, it is difficult to recommend taking a $40 USD plunge all over again; 3D visuals and a few play tweaks just don’t quite justify a re-play at that high a cost.
