Rayman (video game)#Rayman Gold
{{Short description|1995 platformer video game}}
{{good article}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Rayman
| image = Rayman 1 cover.png
| developer = Ubi Pictures
| publisher = Ubi Soft
| series = Rayman
| platforms = {{Collapsible list|title={{Nobold|Atari Jaguar}}
| MS-DOS
| Palm OS
| iOS
}}
| released = {{Collapsible list|title={{Nobold|1 September 1995}}
| Atari Jaguar{{Video game release
}}
| PlayStation{{Video game release
}}
| Sega Saturn{{Video game release
}}
| MS-DOS{{Video game release
}}
| Game Boy Color{{Video game release
}}
| Game Boy Advance{{Video game release
}}
| Palm OS{{Video game release
}}
| Nintendo DSi{{Video game release
}}
| iOS{{Video game release
}}
}}
| genre = Platform
| modes = Single-player
| director = Agnès Haegel
| producer = Gérard Guillemot
| designer = {{Unbulleted list|Michel Ancel|Serge Hascoët|Alexandra Steible}}
| programmer = {{Unbulleted list|Daniel Palix|Frédéric Houde|Fred Markus{{Cite web |title=Voici l'interview que j'ai réalisé avec Fred Markus, ancien d'Ubi Soft, impliqué dans le projet Rayman |trans-title=Here is the interview I conducted with Fred Markus, formerly of Ubi Soft, involved in the Rayman project. |url=https://jaguar-64bit.pagesperso-orange.fr/FrenchTouch/frtouch/RE%20Interview%20fanzine.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003005222fw_/https://jaguar-64bit.pagesperso-orange.fr/FrenchTouch/frtouch/RE%20Interview%20fanzine.htm |archive-date=3 October 2023 |access-date=2 July 2024 |website=Jaguar 64 |language=fr}}}}
| artist = {{Unbulleted list|Alexandra Steible|Éric Pelatan|Sylvaine Jenny}}
| composer = {{Unbulleted list|Rémi Gazel|Didier Lord|Stéphane Bellanger}}
}}
Rayman is a 1995 platform game developed by Ubi Pictures and published by Ubi Soft. The player controls Rayman, who must pursue Mr Dark to recover the Great Protoon that used to keep the balance between nature and the people of Rayman's valley. The player must navigate the valley, defeat enemies with abilities gained throughout the game, and free captured Electoons, also encountering a boss at the end of each thematic world.
Michel Ancel conceived Rayman as a teenager and was able to realise the concept after being hired by Ubi Soft in 1989. He initially targeted the Atari ST and then the Super NES CD-ROM but restarted the development for the Atari Jaguar after the Super NES CD-ROM's cancellation. Ancel incorporated several childhood memories into the design and was soon joined by a larger development team. Ubi Soft made Rayman a launch title for the PlayStation in North American and Europe to compete with Japanese platform games on the platform.
Rayman was first released for the Atari Jaguar on 1 September 1995, followed shortly by versions for the PlayStation, the Sega Saturn, and MS-DOS. The game received positive reviews, with praise going towards its atmosphere, visuals, and soundtrack, though some criticized its high difficulty and lack of originality. Rayman became one of the best-selling PlayStation games and would become the first entry in the Rayman series.
Gameplay
File:Rayman PSX - Band Land.png prepares to attack using his "telescopic fist".]]
Rayman is a side-scrolling platformer.{{Cite web |last=Sunnyvale |first=Calif |date=19 September 1995 |title=Rayman saves the day; Ubi Soft launches new 'super hero' title for Jaguar 64. |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/%27%27Rayman%27%27%2Bsaves%2Bthe%2Bday%3B%2BUbi%2BSoft%2Blaunches%2Bnew%2B%27super%2Bhero%27%2Btitle...-a017445119 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180909035456/https://www.thefreelibrary.com/%27%27Rayman%27%27+saves+the+day%3b+Ubi+Soft+launches+new+%27super+hero%27+title...-a017445119 |archive-date=9 September 2018 |access-date=18 April 2024 |website=The Free Library}} The player controls Rayman, who must navigate six thematic worlds. Each level hides six cages of captured Electoons that Rayman can free. Additionally, he can collect blue crystals, "Tings", and gain an extra life whenever he has obtained 100 of them.{{Sfn|Ubisoft|1995|pp=5-20}} If the player loses their five lives, they would need to load their save file or restart the game.{{Cite web |last=Hill |first=Stephen |date=11 November 2013 |title=Rayman – The most punishing game on the PSone |url=https://venturebeat.com/community/2013/11/11/rayman-the-most-punishing-game-on-the-psone/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230427055216/https://venturebeat.com/community/2013/11/11/rayman-the-most-punishing-game-on-the-psone/ |archive-date=27 April 2023 |access-date=18 April 2024 |website=VentureBeat}} Rayman occasionally gains new powers, including the ability to fly, run, and hang from platforms. Modifications to his detached hands include grabbing and punching distant entities, the latter known as the "telescopic fist".{{cite web |last1=Sengstack |first1=Jeff |title=Rayman Review |url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/rayman-review/1900-2532719/ |website=GameSpot |access-date=7 July 2014 |date=11 June 1996 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140323073943/http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/rayman-review/1900-2532719/ |archive-date=23 March 2014 |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |last=O'Neill |first=Jamie |date=1 December 2018 |title=Review: Rayman – An 'Armless PSone Platforming Treat |url=https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps1/rayman |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240422012520/https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps1/rayman |archive-date=22 April 2024 |access-date=22 April 2024 |website=Push Square |language=en-GB}}
A boss must be defeated at the end of each world, requiring the use of the previously gained abilities. Rescuing all Electoons in the first five worlds grants Rayman access to the final world, the Candy Château, the hideout of the final boss, Mr Dark.{{sfn|Ubisoft|1995|pp=5-20}} When Rayman interacts with the Magician, who is hidden in various levels, he can access hidden rooms that grant him Tings or extra lives if beaten in a given time.{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/playstation-plus-vol-1-issue-1/page/88/mode/2up |title=Rayman |date=October 1995 |publisher=PlayStation Plus |volume=1 |pages=88–89 |language=en |issue=1}}
Plot
Rayman lives in a valley that, thanks to a magical orb known as the Great Protoon, has the people and nature living in harmony. One day, Mr Dark steals the Great Protoon and defeats its guardian, Betilla the Fairy. As a result, the Electoons that used to orbit the Great Protoon scatter and many are imprisoned by villains that appear in the Great Protoon's absence. Upon Betilla's request, Rayman sets out to recover the Great Protoon and free the captured Electoons. Mr Dark observes as Betilla guides Rayman though his quest and eventually kidnaps her. Rayman, having retrieved all Electoons, confronts Mr Dark in the Candy Château. However, Mr Dark takes away Rayman's telescopic fist and traps between walls of fire that close in on him. Electoons return Rayman's fist at the last moment, such that he can defeat Mr Dark and retrieve the Great Protoon. In the epilogue, Rayman takes a vacation with his friends and former enemies.
Development and release
= Early concepts and design =
File:Michel Ancel.jpg (pictured in 2007), the creator and lead designer of Rayman]]
Rayman was created by French video game designer Michel Ancel. He conceived the character as a teenager in the 1980s, when he was learning to draw, compose music, and program to pursue his dream of making video games.{{cite web |date=4 November 2014 |title=The Making of Rayman |url=http://www.retrogamer.net/retro_games90/the-making-of-rayman/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161025110523/http://www.retrogamer.net/retro_games90/the-making-of-rayman/ |archive-date=25 October 2016 |access-date=24 October 2016 |website=Retro Gamer}} In 1988, his animation skills led him to be one of the early hires for the nascent publisher Ubi Soft, which at the time was operating with from Montreuil with six developers. One of Ubi Soft's founders, Yves Guillemot, encouraged Ancel to pitch game idea to the company leadership.{{cite magazine |last=Bertz |first=Matt |date=6 December 2011 |title=Ubi Uncensored: The History of Ubisoft By the People Who Wrote It |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2011/12/06/ubi-uncensored.aspx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181005071745/https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2011/12/06/ubi-uncensored.aspx |archive-date=5 October 2018 |access-date=8 October 2018 |magazine=Game Informer}} He worked one his own developing a game prototype based on his concept of Rayman for the Atari ST, including six months spent on building an animation system. He teamed up with Frédéric Houde and, during a meeting with Serge Hascoët, Gérard Guillemot, Michel Guillemot, and Yves Guillemot, the duo pitched their idea using "a picture of a big, giant trombone and you had to imagine the player inside". Although the presented technology was in its research-and-development stage, Hascoët pushed for the game to enter into production, which Michel Guillemot agreed to take on.
Rayman was greenlit in 1992, and Michel Guillemot gave Ancel and his team artistic freedom.{{Cite book |url=https://issuu.com/playmansro/docs/playman_magazin_2013-web |title=Playman Magazín - Léto 2013 |date=August 29, 2013 |publisher=Playman |pages=11 |language=cs |archive-date=24 June 2023 |access-date=2 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230624135657/https://issuu.com/playmansro/docs/playman_magazin_2013-web |url-status=live}} The game's style was inspired by Celtic, Chinese, and Russian fairy tales, as well as Ancel's childhood, having spent a lot of time by rivers, chasing insects, and climbing trees. When Ancel started work on the game, he began with trees and creature designs. Having become interested in rendering tools such as Autodesk 3ds Max, he chose to incorporate 60 Hz animations. Houde considered this impressive for a time where most games used sprites animated at five frames per second.{{Cite web |date=12 April 2018 |title=Frederic Houde (Ubisoft) – Interview |url=https://www.arcadeattack.co.uk/frederic-houde-rayman/ |access-date=1 May 2024 |website=Arcade Attack |language=en-GB |archive-date=30 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240430001026/https://www.arcadeattack.co.uk/frederic-houde-rayman/ |url-status=live}}{{sfn|Blanchet|2015|p=183}}
Before embarking on the creation of the settings, characters and animations, Ancel and Houde recruited the illustrator Eric Pelatan and the artist Alexandra Steible. The latter came from an animation studio and was tasked with drawing rough templates of animations and later study the results for them to be digitised. Olivier Soleil, an architecture student, was hired as a graphic designer in 1994 to work on the characters.{{Cite web |title=Ubisoft, passion montpelliéraine |trans-title=UBISOFT, MONTPELLIER PASSION |url=https://stories.ubisoft.com/article/ubisoft-montpellier-histoire/ |access-date=4 August 2024 |website=Ubisoft Stories |language=fr-FR |archive-date=16 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116123650/https://stories.ubisoft.com/article/ubisoft-montpellier-histoire/ |url-status=live}} Ancel initially envisioned a game revolving around the human boy Jimmy, who creates the online world Hereitscool. After it becomes infected with a virus, Jimmy travels into the world and inhabits the body of his in-game avatar, Rayman, to defeat it. This idea was later scrapped.{{sfn|Dale|2021|p=52}} Ancel defined his intent as seeking "a colourful platform game with breathtaking graphics, concrete animations, fantasy, humour and, above all, great playability". During development, four people worked on each world and the synchronisation of Rayman's attitudes.{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/Console_Plus_Numero_045/page/141/mode/2up |title=Rayman |publisher=Console Plus |pages=141–142 |language=fr |issue=45}}
= Production and release =
File:SNES Rayman.png until the peripheral was cancelled in 1993. This version was rediscovered in 2016.]]
When Ancel noticed the waning public interest in the Atari ST, he pivoted the development towards the Super NES CD-ROM, a peripheral for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. When Nintendo cancelled the peripheral in 1993, that version of Rayman was also scrapped.{{cite web |last1=Kerr |first1=Chris |date=24 October 2016 |title=Michel Ancel unearths Rayman{{'}}s long-lost SNES debut after 25 years |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/production/michel-ancel-unearths-rayman-s-long-lost-snes-debut-after-25-years |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161025061750/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/283972/Michel_Ancel_unearths_Raymans_longlost_SNES_debut_after_25_years.php |archive-date=25 October 2016 |access-date=24 October 2016 |website=Game Developer}} It was considered lost media until Houde rediscovered a copy dated 1992 in October 2016.{{Cite web |date=4 July 2017 |title=A SNES Rayman prototype has been dumped onto the Internet |url=https://retronauts.com/article/429/a-snes-rayman-prototype-has-been-dumped-onto-the-internet |access-date=27 August 2024 |website=Retronauts |language=en |archive-date=27 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240827152632/https://retronauts.com/article/429/a-snes-rayman-prototype-has-been-dumped-onto-the-internet |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |date=23 October 2016 |title=Rayman{{'}}s Creator Michel Ancel Reveals Original Super Nintendo Prototype Cartridge & Gameplay |url=http://www.retrocollect.com/News/raymans-creator-michel-ancel-reveals-original-super-nintendo-version-prototype-cartridge-a-gameplay.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170707235729/http://www.retrocollect.com/News/raymans-creator-michel-ancel-reveals-original-super-nintendo-version-prototype-cartridge-a-gameplay.html |archive-date=7 July 2017 |access-date=18 April 2024 |website=Retro Collect}} With his permission, the programmer Omar Cornut released it online in July 2017.{{cite web |last=Gach |first=Ethan |date=3 July 2017 |title=A Prototype Build Of The Never Completed SNES Rayman Game Is Now On The Internet |url=https://kotaku.com/a-prototype-build-of-the-never-completed-snes-rayman-ga-1796608513 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706134256/http://www.kotaku.co.uk/2017/07/03/a-prototype-build-of-the-never-completed-snes-rayman-game-is-now-on-the-internet |archive-date=6 July 2017 |access-date=4 July 2017 |website=Kotaku}}
Michel Guillemot eventually assigned additional developers to the project and allocated 15 million francs for its development.{{sfn|Blanchet|2015|p=183}} The production became split between two locations: While Ubi Soft's Montreuil headquarters continued to work on technical tasks, the creative team around Ancel and Houde worked from Ancel's hometown, Montpellier. The project's headcount grew to 100 people. The team moved the production over to the Atari Jaguar, a console they felt could handle the graphics they aimed for. Later, they decided to also bring the game to the PlayStation and the Sega Saturn due to their more capable hardware.{{Cite news |last=Phillips |first=Tom |date=28 August 2013 |title=The happiness of Michel Ancel, the Rayman legend |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/ancel-profile |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240324032355/https://www.eurogamer.net/ancel-profile |archive-date=24 March 2024 |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=Eurogamer |language=en}} Ubi Soft made Rayman a launch title for the North American and European releases of the PlayStation, seeking to outclass competing platformers from Japan by releasing it simultaneously with a new powerful system.
Rayman on the Jaguar was first displayed at the 1994 Summer Consumer Electronics Show.{{Cite web |title=Rayman Preview |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/rayman-preview/1100-2536203/ |access-date=27 August 2024 |website=GameSpot |language=en-US |archive-date=27 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240827152643/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/rayman-preview/1100-2536203/ |url-status=live}}{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/st-report-1032/page/n53 |title=Silicon Times Report |publisher=STR Electronic Publishing Inc. |year=1994 |edition=1032th |publication-date=1994-08-05 |pages=54}} In late 1994, magazine advertisements announced Rayman as a title for the Atari Jaguar with a release in the fall{{cite magazine |date=November 1994 |title=Rayman |url=https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_064_November_1994/page/n193/mode/2up |magazine=GamePro |publisher=IDG |page=185 |issue=74}} or by December 1994.{{Cite magazine |date=October 1994 |title=Short Proshots: Rayman |url=https://archive.org/details/game-pro-issue-63-october-1994/page/174/ |magazine=GamePro |issue=63 |pages=174}} Pre-release promos of the PlayStation had advertised a release date of Rayman on 13 January 1995 in Japan.{{Citation |last=Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. |title=[VHS] Top Secret Video PlayStation |date=1994 |url=https://archive.org/details/top-secret-video-play-station |access-date=27 August 2024}} Later, Japanese magazines stated a release date for the PlayStation version as being June 1995.{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/the-play-station-magazine-5-may-1995/The%20PlayStation%20Magazine%205%20May%201995/page/n13/mode/2up |title=The PlayStation Magazine #5 May 1995 |date=May 1995}} Similarly, American magazines reported a Jaguar release by June 1995, as well as versions for the 32X and 3DO, both of which were cancelled.{{cite magazine |date=March 1995 |title=Rayman |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/0/07/GamePro_US_068.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200113193151/https://retrocdn.net/images/0/07/GamePro_US_068.pdf |archive-date=13 January 2020 |access-date=13 August 2020 |magazine=GamePro |publisher=IDG |page=142 |issue=78}}
Rayman was released on 1 September 1995 for the Atari Jaguar in Europe and on 9 September 1995 for North America.{{Cite web |title=Rayman |url=https://www.retrocollect.com/releases/7858/rayman |access-date=18 August 2024 |website=RetroCollect |archive-date=7 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207083400/https://www.retrocollect.com/releases/7858/rayman |url-status=live}} During September, it was published for the PlayStation,{{Cite web |title=PlayStation WWW – News from 1995 |url=http://www.vidgames.com/ps/misc/oldnews.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19981205195701/http://www.vidgames.com/ps/misc/oldnews.html |archive-date=5 December 1998 |access-date=10 June 2023 |website=PlayStation Galleria |quote=9/7: Rayman from UBI Soft is released.}} and in November for the Sega Saturn.{{cite magazine |last=Hickman |first=Sam |title=Review: Rayman |magazine=Sega Saturn Magazine |issue=1 |date=November 1995 |location=United Kingdom |pages=74–75 |url=https://archive.org/details/segasaturnmagazinecollection/Official%20Sega%20Saturn%20Magazine%20001%20-%20nov%201995%20%28UK%29/page/74/mode/2up}} A version for MS-DOS was released in December 1995 in Europe and in North American in April 1996.{{Cite magazine |author=Pinky |date=December 1995 |title=Rayman |url=https://archive.org/details/joystick_066/page/n79/mode/2up |access-date=10 January 2024 |magazine=Joystick |location=France |pages=80–86 |language=fr |issue=66}}{{Cite magazine |date=April 1996 |title=Rayman |url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_141/page/n53/mode/2up |access-date=11 January 2024 |magazine=Computer Gaming World |page=50 |issue=141}} Also in April 1996, a preview demo with the first of six worlds was released for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn.{{Cite magazine |date=April 1996 |title=Rayman Preview Disc |url=https://archive.org/details/game-informer-issue-36-april-1996/page/n15/mode/1up |magazine=Game Informer |volume=6 |issue=4 |pages=14}}
Reception
{{Video game reviews
| GR = {{Br separated entries
| GBA: 85%{{cite web |url=https://www.gamerankings.com/gba/468728-rayman-advance/index.html |title=Rayman Advance for Game Boy Advance |website=GameRankings |publisher=CBS Interactive |access-date=20 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423002156/http://www.gamerankings.com/gba/468728-rayman-advance/index.html |archive-date=23 April 2016 |url-status=dead}}
| GBC: 79%{{cite web |url=https://www.gamerankings.com/gbc/250616-rayman/index.html |title=Rayman for Game Boy Color |website=GameRankings |publisher=CBS Interactive |access-date=20 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414230426/http://www.gamerankings.com/gbc/250616-rayman/index.html |archive-date=14 April 2016 |url-status=dead}}
}}
| MC = GBA: 84/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/rayman/critic-reviews/?platform=game-boy-advance |title=Rayman Advance for Game Boy Advance Reviews |website=Metacritic |publisher=CBS Interactive |access-date=19 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181005025513/https://www.metacritic.com/game/game-boy-advance/rayman-advance |archive-date=5 October 2018 |url-status=live}}
| EGM = {{Br separated entries
| PS: 8.625/10{{cite magazine |title=Review Crew: Rayman |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |issue=74 |publisher=Sendai Publishing |date=September 1995 |page=34}}
| JAG: 8/10{{cite magazine |title=Review Crew: Rayman |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |issue=74 |publisher=Sendai Publishing |date=September 1995 |page=40}}
}}
| Fam = {{Br separated entries
| SAT: 29/40"New Games Cross Review – RAYMAN". Shūkan Famicom Tsūshin. No.362. Pg.31. 24 November 1995.
| PS: 27/40{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?a=page_h_title&title_id=16165 |title=RAYMAN (レイマン) [PS] |trans-title=RAYMAN (Rayman) [PS] |magazine=Famitsu |access-date=4 November 2018 |archive-date=4 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104012632/https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?a=page_h_title&title_id=16165 |url-status=dead}}
| GB: 26/40{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?a=page_h_title&title_id=12852 |title=レイマン ミスター･ダークの罠(わな) [ゲームボーイ] |trans-title=Rayman Mr. Dark's Trap [Game Boy] |magazine=Famitsu |access-date=4 November 2018 |archive-date=4 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104120209/https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?a=page_h_title&title_id=12852 |url-status=live}}
}}
| NGen = {{Br separated entries
| PS: 4/5{{cite magazine |date=October 1995 |title=Rayman |url=https://archive.org/details/nextgen-issue-010/page/n111/mode/2up |magazine=Next Generation |issue=10 |page=110}}
| JAG: 4/5{{cite magazine |date=November 1995 |title=Rayman |url=https://archive.org/details/nextgen-issue-011/page/n177/mode/2up |magazine=Next Generation |page=177 |issue=11}}
| PC: 3/5{{cite magazine |date=June 1996 |title=Rayman |url=https://archive.org/details/Next-Generation-1996-06/page/n125/mode/2up |magazine=Next Generation |page=125 |issue=18}}
| GBA: 4/5{{cite magazine |date=July 2001 |title=GBA Games |url=https://archive.org/details/NextGen79Jul2001/page/n67/mode/2up?view=theater |access-date=31 July 2024 |magazine=Next Generation |page=67 |volume=4 |issue=79}}
}}
| rev2 = Sega Saturn Magazine
| Allgame = {{Br separated entries
}}
| rev4 = CD Player
| TA = 3/5{{cite web |url=https://toucharcade.com/2016/02/18/rayman-classic-review/ |title=Rayman Classic Review – Let Sleeping Raymen Lie |last=Dotson |first=Carter |date=18 February 2016 |website=TouchArcade |access-date=19 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180919211150/https://toucharcade.com/2016/02/18/rayman-classic-review/ |archive-date=19 September 2018 |url-status=live}}
| award1Pub = Electronic Gaming Monthly
}}
Rayman received a generally positive reception upon release, with critics praising its animations, atmosphere, and soundtrack. Eurogamer felt there was "no shame in admitting" that it was reviewed favourably.{{Cite web |last=Reed |first=Kristan |date=3 May 2006 |title=PlayStation's last hurrah |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/a-uksalesreview-part1?page=3 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930041630/http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=64274&page=3 |archive-date=30 September 2007 |access-date=22 May 2024 |website=Eurogamer}} Tommy Glide of GamePro described the game as one of the best for the Atari Jaguar and commended it as a showcase of the console's capabilities, although he considered it inferior to the PlayStation version. Electronic Gaming Monthly similarly wrote that the Atari Jaguar version was an outstanding platformer but paled against the PlayStation version due to the lower audio quality and slow responsiveness of the controls. Glide appreciated the precise controls on account of the constant jumping, ducking, and dodging involved in the gameplay.{{cite magazine |last=Glide |first=Tommy |date=September 1995 |title=ProReview: Rayman |url=https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_074_September_1995/page/n65/mode/2up |magazine=GamePro |publisher=IDG |page=64 |issue=84}} Captain Squideo, also of GamePro, commented that the PlayStation version was a "dazzling delight" and proclaimed it to be one of the most visually appealing games at the time.{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/game-pro-issue-75-october-1995_202308/page/42/mode/2up |title=ProReview: Rayman |magazine=GamePro |author=Captain Squideo |issue=85 |publisher=IDG |date=October 1995 |page=42}}
Next Generation, while noting a lack of original gameplay elements, believed the game set itself apart from many other platform games and had a true sense of depth and playability. The Entertainment Weekly writer Bob Strauss felt that the game may be the one that "ennobles the adolescent world of video games" and the likes of Disney animated films like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Strauss exclaimed that the game was a must-have for those with a fifth-generation video game console.{{Cite magazine |last=Strauss |first=Bob |date=17 November 1995 |title=Rayman |url=https://ew.com/article/1995/11/17/rayman/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180903115016/https://ew.com/article/1995/11/17/rayman/ |archive-date=3 September 2018 |access-date=3 September 2018 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}} Many reviewers commented on the contrast of the game's difficult gameplay to its innocent visual presentation. Sam Hickman of Sega Saturn Magazine criticised the Sega Saturn version because of what he considered an overabundance of levels that played similarly with only varied attacks or an increased difficulty used as differentiation. Hence, he regarded the game "a bit too dull a bit too often", while also being "plain irritating and damned difficult" on occasion. Game Informer, while praising its visuals, believed the game was "the height of platforming challenge", with its high difficulty making it less memorable.{{Cite magazine |date=February 2007 |title=RAYMAN |url=https://archive.org/details/game-informer-issue-166-february-2007/page/118/mode/1up |access-date=January 5, 2025 |magazine=Game Informer |page=118 |issue=166}}
Reviewers raised differing opinions on the game's graphics. The GameSpot writer Jeff Sengstack compared the game to Donkey Kong Country or Pitfall! and considered it to feature "wonderfully clever gaming elements, engaging and humorous characters, terrific music, and heaps of whimsy", although he faulted the lack of frequent save points. Lawrence Neves of GamePro felt it was what players wanted for the Sega Saturn and compared it favourably to previous platformers, such as Bug! and Astal. He noted that, while the graphics and music seemed childish at times, the challenge targeted experienced players. Neves regarded the lush visuals as impeccable and made particular note of the version's level transition effects.{{cite magazine |last=Neves |first=Lawrence |date=December 1995 |title=Rayman |url=https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_077_December_1995/page/n77/mode/2up |magazine=GamePro |publisher=IDG |page=76 |issue=87}} Next Generation praised the game's graphics, optimisation, challenge variety, and charming player character, and said the game made a good change of pace from other PC releases. The magazine considered the Atari Jaguar version impeccable, saying that "with its vast color palette, detailed sound effects, and overall playability, there is nothing about Rayman for the Jaguar that falls below the mark of excellent".
= Sales =
By the end of 1995, 400,000 copies of Rayman had been sold in Europe.{{sfn|Blanchet|2015|p=183}} The game sold 900,000 copies globally by 1997.{{cite web |title=Ubisoft France |url=http://www.ubisoft.fr/corporate/apropos/apropos.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19971010184653/http://www.ubisoft.fr/corporate/apropos/apropos.html |archive-date=10 October 1997 |access-date=1 August 2024 |website=Ubisoft |language=fr}} It was the all-time best-selling PlayStation game in the United Kingdom, while in France it had sold 670,000 copies by 2000, becoming the second-best-selling game on the platform in the country.{{Cite web |date=5 January 2001 |title=L'avenir de la PSone |url=https://www.01net.com/actualites/lavenir-de-la-psone-133323.html |access-date=27 August 2024 |website=01Net |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613051748/https://www.01net.com/actualites/lavenir-de-la-psone-133323.html |archive-date=13 June 2021}} Total sales in the United States numbered 357,000.{{Cite web |title=Game Pilgrimage |url=http://www.gamepilgrimage.com/Ps1ussales.htm |access-date=27 August 2024 |website=Game Pilgrimage |archive-date=20 May 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050520021742/http://www.gamepilgrimage.com/Ps1ussales.htm |url-status=live}} According to Gamasutra, Rayman Advance{{'}}s sales neared 600,000 units during the first half of the 2001–2002 fiscal year alone and then reached 770,000 copies by the end of March 2002.{{cite web |date=5 November 2001 |title=Acquisitions Propel Ubi Soft Sales Up 72% |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/91838/Acquisitions_Propel_Ubi_Soft_Sales_Up_72.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140811010123/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/91838/Acquisitions_Propel_Ubi_Soft_Sales_Up_72.php |archive-date=11 August 2014 |access-date=22 May 2024 |work=Game Developer}}{{cite press release |title=Consolidated Sales for the 2001/2002 Financial Year: 369 million euros (+42%); Consolidated Sales for the 4th Quarter of 2001/2002 are up by 14% |date=2 May 2002 |publisher=Ubi Soft |url=https://www.ubisoft.com/en-US/company/press/detail.aspx?id=32209 |access-date=22 May 2024 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170921044600/https://www.ubisoft.com/en-US/company/press/detail.aspx?id=32209 |archive-date=21 September 2017}}
Legacy
The commercial success of Rayman established a successful franchise with several sequels, including Rayman 2: The Great Escape (1999), and some of the game's elements influenced Rayman Origins. Rayman was Ubisoft's first game to achieve considerable success, and it empowered the company to go public in 1996. Ancel was honoured by the French government for his work in 2006.{{Cite web |last=Boissiere |first=Francois Bliss de la |date=22 March 2006 |title=Ancel and Amano talk character design in Paris |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/ancel-and-amano-talk-character-design-in-paris |access-date=27 August 2024 |website=GamesIndustry.biz |language=en |archive-date=27 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240827165832/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/ancel-and-amano-talk-character-design-in-paris |url-status=live}} The character Rayman became a recognisable character after the game's release, especially his popularity surviving the transition to next-generation consoles, and was once considered to become the mascot character for the Atari Jaguar.{{Cite book |last=Marvin |first=Seebum |url=https://archive.org/details/video-games-the-ultimate-gaming-magazine-issue-81/page/n19/mode/1up |title=The Videogames Interview: Rayman |date=October 1995 |publisher=Video Games |page=20 |issue=81}}
Rayman was brought to the Game Boy Color in early 2000,{{Cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/04/05/rayman |title=Rayman |first=Marc |last=Nix |date=5 April 2000 |website=IGN |access-date=29 August 2024 |archive-date=29 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240829211940/https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/04/05/rayman |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/02/15/first-look-rayman-game-boy-advance |title=First Look: Rayman Game Boy Advance |first=Craig |last=Harris |date=15 February 2001 |website=IGN |access-date=29 August 2024 |archive-date=29 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240829211941/https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/02/15/first-look-rayman-game-boy-advance |url-status=live}} to Palm OS in September 2001,{{Cite web |title=Rayman Pocket |url=http://raymanpocket.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011001212901/http://raymanpocket.com/ |archive-date=1 October 2001 |website=Rayman Pocket}} to the Nintendo DSi in December 2009,{{Cite web |date=7 December 2009 |title=Nintendo Download: 12/07/09 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/12/07/nintendo-download-120709 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240128051028/https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/12/07/nintendo-download-120709 |archive-date=28 January 2024 |access-date=27 January 2024 |website=IGN}} and to iOS in February 2016. The Game Boy Color version was one of a number of Ubisoft games for the platform that utilised the "Ubi Key" feature, allowing players to share data between games via the system's infrared port and unlock extra content.{{cite web |title=Unlock Your Ubi |website=IGN |date=April 3, 2000 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/04/03/unlock-your-ubi |access-date=January 14, 2025}} Rayman Advance, a variant for the Game Boy Advance developed by Digital Eclipse, was released in June 2001.{{Cite web |date=11 April 2001 |title=Rayman Advance |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/04/11/rayman-advance-2 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240713050833/https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/04/11/rayman-advance-2 |archive-date=13 July 2024 |access-date=13 July 2024 |website=IGN |quote=Expect Rayman to ship on the launch of the Game Boy Advance system in the US. And if you haven't been following along like good boys and girls, that's June 11th.}}{{Cite web |title=UK Release Dates |website=Eurogamer |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/release-dates.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010604003229/http://www.eurogamer.net/release-dates.php |archive-date=4 June 2001 |url-status=dead}} Next Generation noted that the game remained largely the same as the original and lauded its graphics, music, and controls. Eurogamer writer Martin Taylor considered it "a stunning looker, and possibly one of the best looking GBA games available at the moment".{{Cite news |last=Taylor |first=Martin |date=24 August 2001 |title=Rayman Advance |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/r-rayman-gba |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429141754/https://www.eurogamer.net/r-rayman-gba |archive-date=29 April 2024 |access-date=4 May 2024 |work=Eurogamer}} The game is one of twenty titles included with the PlayStation Classic, a miniature PlayStation replica released in December 2018.{{cite web |date=29 October 2018 |title=Announcing PlayStation Classic's Full Lineup of 20 Games |url=https://blog.us.playstation.com/2018/10/29/announcing-playstation-classics-full-lineup-of-20-games/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629065739/https://blog.us.playstation.com/2018/10/29/announcing-playstation-classics-full-lineup-of-20-games/ |archive-date=29 June 2019 |access-date=31 December 2018 |website=PlayStation.Blog}}
Rémi Gazel, the composer for Rayman, sought to turn the soundtrack into a live performance titled Rayman by Rémi prior to his death from cancer in May 2019.{{Cite web |last=Clementoss |date=27 May 2019 |title=Rémi Gazel, composer of the first Rayman, has died |url=https://www.jeuxvideo.com/news/1050457/remi-gazel-compositeur-du-premier-rayman-est-decede.htm |access-date=17 November 2024 |website=Jeuxvideo.com |archive-date=25 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210625061249/https://www.jeuxvideo.com/news/1050457/remi-gazel-compositeur-du-premier-rayman-est-decede.htm |url-status=live}}
=Fan remake=
Rayman Redemption, a fan remake by the Finnish developer Ryemanni, features additional worlds, levels, and minigames.{{Cite web |last=Plunkett |first=Luke |date=25 June 2020 |title=The Entire First Rayman Game Has Been Remade (And Then Some) |url=https://kotaku.com/the-entire-first-rayman-game-has-been-remade-and-then-1844156132 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240420032451/https://kotaku.com/the-entire-first-rayman-game-has-been-remade-and-then-1844156132 |archive-date=20 April 2024 |access-date=27 April 2024 |website=Kotaku |language=en}} It was released for free via Game Jolt for Rayman{{'}}s 25th anniversary.{{Cite news |last=Macgregor |first=Jody |date=22 June 2020 |title=Rayman Redemption is a slick fangame remake |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/rayman-redemption-is-a-slick-fangame-remake/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240521131420/https://www.pcgamer.com/rayman-redemption-is-a-slick-fangame-remake/ |archive-date=21 May 2024 |access-date=27 April 2024 |work=PC Gamer}} It received praise from reviewers, with PC Gamer and Kotaku highlighting that the game has an option for casual and masocore players, something they considered a fortune for players traumatised by the original game's difficulty. Kotaku also commended the added content. The Retronauts writer Stuart Gipp considered the game impressive when compared to Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX and Sonic Mania. He highlighted the project's extensive attempts at revising the original game's flaws before criticising the reduction of some characteristics that had given the original game its identity.{{Cite web |last=Gipp |first=Stuart |date=25 June 2020 |title=Rayman Redemption and the problem with remakes |url=https://retronauts.com/article/1552/rayman-redemption-and-the-problem-with-remakes |access-date=9 October 2024 |website=Retronauts |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
= Bibliography =
- {{Cite book |last=Ubisoft |url=https://raymanpc.com/wiki/script-en/images/d/d8/Rayman1-PS1-UK-Manual.pdf |title=Rayman |year=1995 |pages=5–20 |language=en-GB}}
- {{cite book |last=Dale |first=Laura Kate |author-link=Laura Kate Dale |title=Things I Learned from Mario's Butt |year=2021 |publisher=Unbound |isbn=978-1-783-52891-2}}
- {{cite book |last=Blanchet |first=Alexis |title=Video Games Around the World |year=2015 |publisher=MIT Press |isbn=978-0-262-52716-3 |editor-last=Wolf |editor-first=Mark J.P.}}
External links
- {{MobyGames|/2247/rayman/}}
{{Portal bar|1990s|France|Speculative fiction|Video games}}
{{Rayman}}
{{Michel Ancel games}}
{{Authority control}}
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