Although I used to be an avid gamer I hadn't played a video game since 2004 until my very good friend, MJs Kitteh (Hi, if you're reading this!
), related to me her über (German word for you!
) "fandom" of the Rayman series! She's finished
Rayman 2 and
3, on her way to doing the same with the first one and, even more impressively, creates
the most amazing Rayman drawings and original characters based on that property! Well, since she has great taste in music (Michael), movies (
POTC), and books (
Harry Potter), I thought I'd try out this acclaimed series, based on her recommendation, which I had missed when it debuted 16 years ago now.
I was treated to spectacular 3D platforming action with great graphics and memorable music in
Rayman 2: The Great Escape (1999).
Big ass CRT TV.
NOTE: As is apparent from the pic, I played the N64 version of the game but, as my friend correctly pointed out, the best version is one for the PS2,
Rayman 2: Revolution (2001). "It features some enhancements including new levels, some level revisions, a few new music tracks, three new bosses, lum redistribution . . . ."
Working backwards, I then played, and finished completely, of course,
Rayman for the original Playstation. This graphically gorgeous and musically melodious traditional side-scrolling game was as great as
Rayman 2 except for the ending which
was a letdown. I must mention that the game's difficulty level might be too steep for casual gamers.
NOTE: For those who don't know, you can rip audio track from PS1 games the way you would a standard CD. Then you can have the marvelous music from this game with you at all times!
When I play
Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc, it will be on the Gamecube because that version has
exclusive content made possible by the console's connectivity to the Game Boy Advance (
Rayman 3 for GBA also required).
On her travels, my friend came across this mural advertising the highly anticipated
Rayman Origins (releases November 15, 2011 in North America and November 25, 2011 in Europe for next gen (or current gen) consoles PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii and Nintendo 3DS).
Fantastic photo courtesy of MJs Kitteh. ©2011. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
