The Rayman series has a long tradition of having handheld versions to the current main title. Many blend together aspects from the console titles, which lets them serve as a sort of bridge between the main series games, which as I mentioned previously are each quite different to each other.
This started with Rayman for the Game Boy Color, which came out after Rayman 2, and so features some changes: Rayman’s appearance in cutscenes and promotional material is based on his appearance in 2; Tings are said to be fairies inside globes rather than just globes, linking somewhat to the Lums that replaced them; and all of the music is chip-ised from 2’s tunes, rather than 1’s. I think of it as a kind of “Rayman 1.5”. It was likely developed at least partly in tandem with Rayman 2 Forever (GBC), which has almost identical boxart and the same music, and was released a year later (and obviously is also a 2D platformer, unlike the actual Rayman 2).
Rayman 3 had a few handheld spinoffs, firstly Rayman 3 (GBA), which was probably made originally as a separate handheld version of Rayman 2 for GBA, with Rayman 3 elements tacked on at the last minute. It was released simultaneously with the main Rayman 3, and in fact even has connectivity and mini-games with the GCN version, but is mostly inspired by 2. It has Lums, Ly the Fairy, Razorbeard and Robo-Pirates, and Ssssssam the snake, none of which are in 3 proper. Black Lums and Hoodlums are present but rare, so I like to call it Rayman 2.5, especially as that is its probable timeline positioning. This game was also scaled-down and ported to the Nokia N-GAGE, and a separate but very similar Symbian game also exists.
However, the other Rayman 3 GBA spinoff, Hoodlums’ Revenge, is a true sequel to 3, making it I guess Rayman 3-2 (like Final Fantasy X-2), as it is still heavily based on 3. Unlike all other handheld games up to this point, it’s not a 2D platformer but an isometric-type deal. It has more Lum types than 3, but otherwise uses a lot more elements from it than R3(GBA) did. Its plot is also original (although derivative of 3) unlike R3(GBA), which is a pastiche of 2 and 3. Gameplay is different to any other Rayman game, I think.
The final game in the “classic” Rayman series, before Origins, is… well, it’s Rayman Raving Rabbids, but only the handheld versions. Two prototypes of “Rayman 4” were hashed out at various times, one as 4 and one as Raving Rabbids. It was eventually retooled into a party game that spawned some more party games, but remnants of the true Rayman 4(s) survive in 3 handheld games, all called RRR. The purest is the GBA version, which contains environments and concepts from 4 and is solely a 2D platformer. It also features Ly, Globox, Murfy, Lums, and Teensies (Ly gets lots of handheld appearances, despite being in only 1 console game!). Apparently gameplay is very similar to R3(GBA), so maybe you could say this is Rayman 3.5, as it melds gameplay from R3(GBA), which was 2.5, with the concepts of 4. Ok this number thing is getting silly.
Anyway, the DS version of RRR was also a 2D platformer, but it also incorporated minigames, so it’s more of a halfway point between the GBA and console versions. I should make a graph. There was also a Symbian version which apparently rips off its gameplay from Sonic the Hedgehog, of all places. It does use Purple Lums and cages though, in addition to being a 2D platformer with Rabbids as enemies.
Other handheld games include ports of Rayman 1 to the GBA and DSiWare, and ports of Rayman 2 to DS, 3DS, and iOS. There’s also the mobile phone spinoffs: R1-based puzzle game Rayman Garden; the monochrome Rayman Golf; the mono and colour Rayman Bowling, based on R1 locations; and the more recent Rayman Kart, the only game (so far- Legends remains to be seen) to feature characters from 2, 3 and RR!
This brings us to the present. Rayman Jungle Run is a new game for iOS and Android, using the exact same engine and assets as Origins. I guess the closest comparable game is Rayman 2 Forever (GBC), as it is the only one to be solely based on one console game. This is much more similar visually and aurally, obvious since it reuses assets. The big difference here is the gameplay, which is designed specifically for touchscreens. Physics are the same but the controls and levels are designed around Rayman automatically running and you telling him to jump and, later, attack. This works much better than it sounds since as I said the levels and experience is designed around it, instead of trying to also reuse levels from Origins.
This game is more score attack-y that Origins, as the goal is to get every Lum in the level as you run through. Rewards are more Livid Dead levels (yay! so hard!), and a phone wallpaper gallery, handy since you know, it’s on a phone. This gallery also reveals the name of the nymph who was transformed into “Big Mama”, the secret boss of Origins. It’s Fée de la Mort, and there are some nice original art pieces in there.
It’s good to see the tradition of handheld spinoffs continued in post-Origins Rayman, and it’s a short and sweet game. I wonder if Legends will get its own spinoff too. Odd that Origins was on every platform but Legends is only on one, so hopefully there’s something coming.
PS. I should say I’ve never played any of the games I talk about here, except R2(iOS) and Jungle Run. Most of my info is from the Rayman Pirate Community wiki, a generally excellent resource. I’d like to play through them all one day, though. Thank you, emulators!
miloscat posted this