I think it speaks to Ubisoft’s occasional forgetfulness regarding the rich heritage of locked away in its back catalogue that it has taken this long to get a re-release of the original Rayman for modern day console hardware. Finally brought kicking and screaming into reality courtesy of digital documentary and porting savants Digital Eclipse, Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition focuses squarely on the first game in the Rayman franchise by showcasing no less than five different versions of the game (as well as sixth prototype version), in addition to a decent amount of bonus material and behind the scenes goodness.
Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition PS5 Review
Starting with the featured games, Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition offers up the PC MS-DOS, Atari Jaguar, PlayStation, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance versions of the original Rayman for players to get stuck into. There is also a never previously seen before 1992 prototype Super Nintendo version of Rayman thrown in there for kicks. Though hardly a substantial gaming morsel by any stretch, the Super Nintendo version of Rayman nonetheless shows some decent animations and responsive platforming across a clutch of early unused sci-fi levels. Certainly based on the evidence shown here, it would have been fascinating to see how a full-fat Rayman release would have fared on the Super Nintendo, had it been made.
Easily one of the most compelling things about Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition is the fact that each of the five versions on show are actually quite different from one another in a host of different ways that I didn’t fully expect. Though the PlayStation version is arguably the anchor point for the whole thing, thanks to its comprehensive set of levels and balanced technical offering, the other versions of Rayman have their own charm too, as well as their own flaws; much like Digital Eclipse’s previous archival collections such as Tetris Forever and Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection.
The Atari Jaguar version for instance boasts a beautiful colour palette that shines right alongside the PlayStation version of the game, but truncated levels, a lack of multi-background scrolling and some truly awful music let the package down somewhat. Probably the best match for the PlayStation release is the MS-DOS PC version, which not only is a match in terms of content (and in fact boasts more than 120(!) bonus levels) but in visual splendour too. In fact the only area in which the MS-DOS PC version compares unfavourably is in the music, which sounds flat and has much less fanfare than the PlayStation version.
Though the power gap between the PlayStation, PC and Atari Jaguar versions when compared to the Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance versions is quite vast to say the least, both of these Rayman ports remain routinely fascinating all the same, for both good and bad. The Gameboy Advance version for instance, looks supremely impressive for the time that it was released and yet the super zoomed-in perspective means that blind deaths happen far more often than they should. Additionally, super compressed audio makes the soundtrack and sound effects seem much more muted and tinny than is perhaps acceptable, while a whole section of the Bongo Hills level has been cut out completely.
The Game Boy Color version of Rayman on the other hand is easily the most different of the lot, and yet it still remains oddly compelling. Built entirely from scratch for Nintendo’s plucky and popular handheld, Rayman on Game Boy Color reimagines Rayman as an 8-bit chiptune platformer with reworked mechanics, changed up pacing and completely different levels to the other versions of Ubisoft’s legendary platformer. Sure, you could argue that at that point, you’re not really playing Rayman anymore, at least in the traditional sense, but Rayman on Game Boy Color nonetheless remains a fascinating proposition for Rayman historians all the same.
However, as it turns out, the PlayStation version itself isn’t quite as definitive as I hoped it might be either. Due to the expiration of licensing agreements, the soundtrack of Rayman has been fundamentally altered, resulting in a fairly forgettable audible drone that doesn’t come anywhere near the bouncy energy of the original PlayStation release.
Rayman still remains a platforming classic though, thanks in no small part to its wonderfully aged visuals that ooze charm, responsive platforming and the sort of chunky content offering that will keep even the most veteran genre expert playing for hours. However, it’s also still very true that Rayman remains absolutely hard as nails and will punish you constantly for failure. Platforming newbies, be warned.
Luckily, the Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition allows you to rewind past your mistakes and unfortunate deaths in real-time, while a range of cheat codes allow players of all skills to play Rayman through from beginning to end. It’s worth noting though that using any of these cheat codes also prevents you from earning those shiny trophies, however, so anyone expecting to cheese out an easy platinum will find themselves pretty disappointed indeed.
Speaking of trophies, they aren’t really distributed evenly across the various versions of Rayman at all. In fact, all but two of the trophies you can earn belong to the PlayStation and MS-DOS PC versions of the game, while the Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Color versions are represented by a paltry single trophy each (which as you can probably guess is for completing each version in its entirety). Perhaps worse still is the fact that the Atari Jaguar games has no trophies at all to its name. None. Zilch. Nada. Baffling? Yep. It sure is.
Obviously this being a Digital Eclipse joint, there is a wealth of bonus and behind the scenes material for fans of the limbless wonder to enjoy. From interviews with the developers behind Rayman itself to profiles on industry legend Michel Ancel and others, few do this sort of video game documentary preservation stuff better than Digital Eclipse and Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition is just the latest example of that.
If you’re lucky enough to track down a physical copy of Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition, it’s actually something of a treat for eager collectors, as you not only get the entire experience on disc (and not a code), but you also nab three postcards, a sticker sheet with reusable stickers, a reversible cover and a double-sided poster for your monies. It’s not a massive amount of physical goodies, but all the same, it’s still really warming to see a publisher make some sort of effort like this while the industry more broadly seems to be inching toward the erasure of physical releases.
More of an archival project than a remaster or remake then (though I would admittedly *love* to see the original Rayman remade in 4K & 60 FPS with all new, hand drawn Ubi-art assets), Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition nonetheless comes recommended to fans of Ubisoft’s forgotten mascot and gaming history. Taken in tandem with the forthcoming release of Rayman Legends Untold, it would certainly appear that Ubisoft has just woken up to the fact that one of the best platforming franchises in decades remains under their stewardship. As it is, Rayman 30th Anniversary Edition is a fine, though slightly flawed way, to experience the series’ genesis on the gaming platforms of yesteryear, all the while soaking in a veritable bounty of behind the scenes material.
Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition is out now on PS5.
Physical review code kindly provided by PR.