The original Rayman is getting a remake with Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition, and it's being released imminently: February 13, mere hours after announcement. The return of the 1995 platformer was already teased as something of a badly kept secret, but as someone who wore down the disc playing it in the '90s it's great to see the debut of this iconic, limbless platforming star get some love. With game preservation masters Digital Eclipse at the helm, working closely with Ubisoft, this really is a fan dream come true.
Lured in by the vibrant colors and toe-tapping soundtrack as a child, I wasn't prepared for how unforgiving this carefully paced and dynamic platformer would be back in the day – and it's become notorious for being rather difficult compared to the later, easier 3D adventures. This Rayman remake will keep the spirit of the original intact, faithfully recreating five versions of the game (MS-DOS, Atari Jaguar, PS1, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance), alongside a re-recorded soundtrack and a heap of bonuses.
The gorgeous spritework is as gloriously chunky as ever in Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition. While Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends cranked up the speed, the original Rayman sees the grinning, quiffed hero literally strolling through each level without a care in the world for the massive amount of projectiles and tough enemies trying to stop him from freeing every caged critter in a level.
Rayman is all about ducking and weaving through hazards to batter foes in brief moments of vulnerability with Rayman's iconic thrown fist; making use of the bouncy berries that can be affected by the inverted momentum of the projectile; and platforming under pressure. If nothing else, this Rayman remake is the perfect way to prove to my peers that I've not been making it up – this is one tough adventure. Thankfully Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition's rewind feature as well as infinite lives and invincibility mean you can make retreading this classic as easy as you'd like it.
New features include a new documentary that promises to be interactive, including never-before-seen concept art and design documents, which you can explore as a timeline. You can also try out an unearthed SNES port prototype, and play through a hefty 120 bonus levels collated from level packs across the years (some I played on PC back in the day were particularly devious). It's great to see this retro hero able to relive the glory days, as I always feel like the original Rayman can be a bit overlooked. Releasing for only £19.99, this is well worth revisiting, or trying for the first time.
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