Every Rayman Game Ranked

Look, there were some genuinely decent edutainment games during the late 90's and early 2000's. The "JumpStart" games are a good example of how the genre can work well. But "Rayman Brain Games" was not one of them. While the presentation and visuals match the style of the original “Rayman”, the game never truly evolves beyond listening to numbers to identify correct paths. There are some basic platforming challenges between the problem-solving, but any child is going to get bored of this game. It is already hard enough to incorporate learning with video games; it’s worse when the attempt is this half-hearted.

As a video game, “Raving Rabbids: TV Party” is not an awful game. The minigames can be pretty funny even if their gameplay is more simplistic than most may want. However, this was the point where Ubisoft seemed to be slowly pushing Rayman out the door. The frequency of new games with these maniacal bunnies was quickly getting out of hand, and our boy isn’t even on the front cover of the game. There is a campaign with Rayman as the main character, but overall, “TV Party” was more a red flag than anything else.

Making a Game Boy Color version of “Rayman 2” should have been so simple. Simply turn the 3D platformer into a 2D platformer. While it does translate the story just fine, the gameplay is severely lacking. We’re completely fine with it playing like the original “Rayman” game, but it doesn’t boast any of the imagination displayed in either games. The environments are bland, there are barely any hazards on screen to put pressure on the player, and the music can be ear-piercing. There’s really no need for anyone to play this over the console versions of “Rayman 2”.

If there was one word we could use to describe “Hoodlum’s Revenge”, it would be“serviceable”. It isn’t horrendous by any stretch of the imagination. It’s just not all that special. It's a 3D platformer in the way GBA’s could only replicate it compared to its home console brethren. However, what kills it is the camera and HUD. You can easily miscalculate a jump and wind up taking damage or even dying. It can turn the experience annoying rather quickly, and it’s enough for us to want to pop in any other game after more than a few minutes.

We know that this is a demake of “Rayman Arena”, but it’s worth including as a separate entry due to its botched quality. Half of the PS2 iteration is missing to accommodate the PS1’s limitations, and the roster goes from eighteen to eight playable characters. And what the hell - we only get racing? If that was your only favorite portion of the original iterations, maybe you were fine with “Rush”, but there really wasn’t much reason to get this title.

This is what “Rush” was demade from, and it was far superior in every way. Whether you played the PS2 “Rayman M” or the GameCube and Xbox version known as “Rayman Arena”, you got roughly the same experience with minor differences. Choose from a handful of characters from across the franchise, some even being new characters like Dark Globox. Why Tily is here when Ly could have had a spot is beyond us, but regardless, the music, level design, and general arcade-y vibe made this a fun title to play with friends. There may not be as much content as other multiplayer party titles like “Smash Bros.” or “Mario Kart”, but for what it was, it was a decent game.

If we were looking at the “Rabbids” games specifically, we would put this pretty high up on the list. Alas, this is a list of Rayman games, meaning Rayman takes precedent, which this title forgot to do. While you could play as our hero across a variety of minigames, his presence was shoved aside. Yes, there were shooter segments like in the previous game, but it only earned you new costumes, mostly for the Rabbids. Credit where it's due, it was cool to see how Ubisoft took real footage of various locations around the world and used it to impose enemies as if they were really running around in the environment. And the minigames were just as hilarious as its predecessor’s.

Of the handheld “Rayman” games, this was the better one. We’ll be the first to admit that on the surface, it almost looks like a bootleg game. Really, the visuals seem off here. But that doesn’t detract from the gameplay. It plays just like the original “Rayman” from 1995 on PS1. What makes it exceptional compared to the previous handheld entries is the visual clarity and significantly improved audio. It still isn’t as good as the home console games, but when compared to something like “Rayman 2 Forever” or “Hoodlum’s Revenge”, this is a massive step up.

Some fans will quickly trash and dismiss the first "Raving Rabbids" since this was the start of his fade into obscurity. But to be honest, it's still fun on its own merits. The minigames, while super simplistic, carry a lot of humor with bizarre ideas. But the real meat of the game is the shooter segment. These segments offer a nice break between sets of minigames to let you enjoy some classic arcade shooter fun. It's like "House of the Dead", but for kids and it's loaded with plungers. It may get stale during extensive playtime, but the diehard Rayman fanatics ought to give the game its flowers for what it does do right.

The very first "Rayman" game is going to be hit-or-miss for some players. From the imaginative worlds and clever level design, "Rayman" hides plenty of secrets and challenges for players to discover. You might even get carried away toying with some of the enemies. However, we can admit that some of the mechanics and backtracking to free all of the Electoons might be obtuse for those less experienced. It's easy to tell part of it was designed to combat rental store customers from blasting through the game!

“Hoodlum Havoc” is a bit of an odd entry compared to the other “Rayman” games. Half of it feels like the sequel to “Rayman 2” we had been waiting for while the other half feels like it wants to deviate from its predecessor. While you do have your run-of-the-mill 3D platforming, you now have to consider how to grab collectibles in quick succession to build up your score. Then, you have a handful of power-ups that can change how you approach combat and exploration. Mix all this in with full-on voice acting by performers like Billy West and John Leguizamo, and what you have is a game that is an acquired taste. It may not click at first, but stick with it for a little bit, and you’ll find something truly special here for as weird as it can get.

“Origins” gave us a little bit of hope for our favorite thingamajig. With the Rabbids splitting off into their own franchise, “Origins” showed that Rayman could live on with his own identity and without the need for bunny ears and plungers. This was a return to the roots of classic “Rayman” gameplay: 2D platforming with fantastical environments and making fools out of hunters capturing creatures. With a beautiful artstyle and equally magnificent score, “Origins” was outdoing many other platformers at the time in terms of level design, mechanics, and atmosphere.

This game has been ported, remastered, HD'd, and even 3D'd like crazy. Playing any version will show you why this is such a massive favorite among Rayman fans. There's the epic story where Rayman and company work together to bring down Razorbeard and his robot pirates. You visit wondrous landmarks and realms like The Fairy Glades and The Cave of Bad Dreams. And there are plenty of fun gimmicks like flying, berry bouncing, and rocket riding to test your platforming skills. The first game was already pretty great, but Ubisoft truly kicked the door down with this one.

If Ubisoft ever decides to truly bring Rayman back for a new game, it is going to be really hard to top "Legends". In addition to character and environmental details more beautiful than its predecessor, "Legends" came with a ton of creative ideas for levels. From a world of giant luchadors destroying the place to a castle collapsing to the beat of "Black Betty", this was a game that was all about having fun. And as a bonus, we got a significant chunk of "Origins" remade with "Legends's" visuals and a plethora of costumes for Rayman and friends to wear. It was an incredible, imaginative package that still has fans playing and replaying today.

Which “Rayman” game is your favorite? Let us know down in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great videos everyday!