Rayman Brain Games
{{Short description|2000 video game}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Rayman Brain Games
| image =
| caption =
| developer = Ubi Soft
| publisher = Ubi Soft
| director =
| producer = Gérard Guillemot
| designer =
| programmer = Olivier Couvreur
| artist =
| writer =
| composer = Daniel Masson
| engine =
| series = Rayman
| platforms = MS-DOS, Windows, PlayStation
| released = {{unbulleted list|Windows|{{Vgrelease|NA|September 30, 2000|EU|December 15, 2000}}|PlayStation|{{Vgrelease|EU|December 15, 2000|NA|August 11, 2001}}}}
| genre = Education
| modes = Single-player
}}
Rayman Brain Games, also known as Rayman Junior, is an educational video game developed and published by Ubi Soft. It's a spin-off entry in the Rayman series. Players control Rayman, who must retrieve the Magic Book of Knowledge from Mr. Dark. The game features levels that focus on mathematics and phonics.
Gameplay and premise
Rayman Brain Games is an educational game which the player control as Rayman. The game features levels in mathematics and phonics and three difficulty modes for each. The levels will include spelling, word recognition, number recognition and arithmetic. In order to completed the game, all levels must be completed.{{cite web |last=James |first=Bonnie |date=November 22, 1996 |title=Amazing Learning Games with Rayman |url=http://www.elecplay.com/pc/raylearn.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19970804203126/http://www.elecplay.com/pc/raylearn.html |archivedate=August 4, 1997 |accessdate=August 20, 2019 |work=Electric Playground}} As the premise involves Rayman retrieving the Magic Book of Knowledge, which has been stolen by Mr. Dark.{{cite web |title=Amazing Learning Games with Rayman |url=http://www.kmgassociates.com/rayman/prodamaz.htm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20191208002517/http://www.kmgassociates.com/rayman/prodamaz.htm |archive-date=December 8, 2019 |access-date=May 30, 2025 |work=KMG Associates}} Besides Rayman and Mr. Dark, other characters featured in the game include Betilla the Fairy and the Magician who both of them guide the player. The player could practice their actions at Betilla's Garden.
Release and reception
Rayman Brain Games was originally published as Amazing Learning Games with Rayman for the MS-DOS and Windows in 1996, and Rayman Learning Center with three volumes in 1999.{{Cite web |title=Rayman Learning Center |url=http://www.kmgassociates.com/rayman/prodlrnc.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241205112202/http://www.kmgassociates.com/rayman/prodlrnc.htm |archive-date=December 5, 2024 |access-date=May 30, 2025 |website=KMG Associates}}
Rayman Brain Games has received mixed reception since its release. Writer Bonnie James felt that the game mixed educational elements with gameplay well and that kids who enjoy playing games will enjoy this, though they noted that kids who aren't skilled at games might not maximize enjoyment. They went on to praise the game's aesthetic and conceptual variety and the quality of the game's visuals. They felt that the game should have more choice to what players can do from the beginning, comparing the idea to how one can do questions out of order on a test. Writer Jennifer Beam felt that the experience may captivate players, but noted that its learning elements developed too slowly. They also criticized sound issues, which may hamper a child's ability to hear instructions or questions clearly.{{cite web |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=26363&tab=review |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114152201/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=26363&tab=review |title=Rayman Brain Games |work=Allgame |last=Beam |first=Jennifer |accessdate=August 20, 2019 |archivedate=November 14, 2014}} Active Learning Associates praised it for its addictive, action-oriented gameplay.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QgYIAQAAMAAJ |title=Children's Software Revue |publisher=Active Learning Associates |page=22 |year=1993}} Writer George Kalmpourtzis noted that the educational approach of "modifying and extending their game mechanisms" that Rayman Brain Games takes is a risky one, arguing that such games can result in no educational impact on players. They went on to argue that such a game does not lend itself to being used in classrooms due to being unhelpful as educational games.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j7NjDwAAQBAJ |title=Educational Game Design Fundamentals: A journey to creating intrinsically motivating learning experiences |publisher=CRC Press |year=2018 |last=Kalmpourtzis |first=George |isbn=978-1351804714}} Writer Andrzej Sitek felt that it was an interesting approach to platform games, commenting on their issues with children's educational video games being unrefined.{{cite magazine |last=Sitek |first=Andrzej |title=Mój nauczyciel, bohater! |magazine=CD-Action |year=1997 |publisher=Wrocław |page=16}}
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- {{MobyGames|56490|Rayman Brain Games}}
{{Rayman}}
Category:Children's educational video games
Category:PlayStation (console) games
Category:Single-player video games