Rayman 1

From RayWiki, the Rayman wiki
Revision as of 20:44, 6 October 2009 by Foultzboyz (talk | contribs) (If you say so...just copy-editing for this edit then)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
  • This article is about the first Rayman game. For main character of the series, see Rayman.
''Rayman''
Rayman PS1EUcov.jpg
Published by Ubisoft
Developed by Ludimedia

Directed by {{{directed by}}}
Produced by {{{produced by}}}
Designed by {{{designed by}}}
Programmed by {{{programmed by}}}
Art by {{{art by}}}
Written by {{{written by}}}
Soundtrack by {{{soundtrack by}}}

Release date 1995
Genre 2D Platformer
Gameplay mode Single player
Platforms Atari Jaguar, Sony PlayStation, Sega Saturn, MS-DOS, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Sony PlayStation Portable, Sony PlayStation 3, Palm OS, Windows Mobile, and Mac OS X
Ratings {{{ratings}}}
Distribution media {{{distribution media}}}
Game engine {{{game engine}}}

Rayman (sometimes known as Rayman 1) is Rayman's debut game, and was first released in 1995 on the Atari Jaguar, Sony PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and on MS-DOS. A port for the Game Boy Color was released in 2000, followed by a port for the Game Boy Advance that was later released in 2001, in which it was renamed Rayman Advance. In 2008, the game was released on the PlayStation Network as a downloadable PSOne Classic, for Sony PlayStation 3 and Sony PlayStation Portable.

Gameloft made a game called Rayman Ultimate for the Windows CE. The game used the original PlayStation format of it. Gameloft also released Rayman 1 (GBC) for PDA's with Windows Mobile and Palm OS. Rayman Ultimate however, can be downloaded online. The Learning Company remade the game as a complete download, and is available for the Apple's Mac OS X. This will be the first Rayman game to be available on an Apple operating system along with Rayman 3 and Raving Rabbids.

Plot

Rayman's world depends on the Great Protoon, in order for people and nature to live in peace and harmony. One day, the game's villain, Mr Dark, defeats Betilla as she tried to defend the Great Protoon which he steals, causing the Electoons to scatter. They are then captured by hostile creatures that appear after the incident, and are trapped in cages which Rayman has to break open in order to get closer to Mr Dark's hideout in the Candy Château. At a later point in the game, Mr Dark kidnaps Betill.

Gameplay

Rayman is a 2D side-scrolling platform game, unlike its successors. The game is made up of six different worlds, half of which are natural (The Dream Forest, Blue Mountains, and the Caves of Skops), while the other half is 'imaginary' (Band Land, Picture City, and the Candy Château). Each of these worlds excluding Candy Château contains three or four levels, each with six cages with Electoons to find. The game's difficulty is progressive, meaning that it gets harder as the player continues.

The game displays consist of how many lives Rayman has, three units of energy (four in Rayman Advance) and five with a Super Power (six in Rayman Advance), and how many Tings he has collected. Rayman normally starts with four lives and three health units, and can collect up to 99 lives. When he takes damage, he loses one unit, and when he loses all of them, he loses a life, his temporary fist powers, and all of the Tings he had collected. Upon Game Over, he has up to nine continues depending on version, which are represented with alarm clocks.

List of Powers and Power-Ups

Rayman gets all of his permanent powers from Betilla the Fairy.

At the start of the game, Rayman is only able to pull a grimace, which is used to scare certain enemies. As he continues, he would receive permanent powers from Betilla the Fairy that gradually widen his abilities, as well as receive a few temporary ones.

Permanent

  • Grimace: Rayman's only ability at the game's beginning, only useful for getting rid of tall Livingstones which are scared of this.
  • Telescopic fist: The first power you gain from Betilla the Fairy, which allows Rayman to punch enemies to defeat them. This can be temporarily powered up by Speed Fists and Golden Fists.
  • Hanging: Allows Rayman to hang onto ledges.
  • Grappling Fist: When acquired, Rayman can use his fist to grapple onto flying rings which are scattered around the place, allowing him to reach high places and cross wide gaps.
  • Helicopter: When acquired, Rayman can use his odd looking hair as a helicopter which only allows him to glide, and prolong his jumps.
  • Running: Rayman's last permanent power, which allows him to move faster than walking. It also makes his jumps a lot longer and faster. This replaces the grimace.

Temporary

  • Magic Seed: Given to Rayman after helping Tarayzan, Rayman plants seeds to help him reach ledges and escape floods.
  • Super Helicopter: A potion that allows Rayman to actually fly with his helicopter hair.
  • Shrinking: Touching Blue elves makes Rayman tiny, which is useful for accessing areas which were too small for normal-sized Rayman to go through. He returns to normal size when he touches another Flying blue elf.

Power-Ups

  • Tings: Small blue bubbles, used either to pay the Magician to enter a bonus stage, or to gain an extra life when 100 are collected.
  • Powers: Comes in either a small red atom with a P on the front, or a large red one - the former gives Rayman one or two units of health, while the latter replenishes his entire health.
  • Speed Fist: Allows Rayman's fist to fly faster than normal. Three different speeds are available.
  • Golden Fist: Allows Rayman's fist to be twice as strong.
  • Life: Gives Rayman an extra life, as well as restoring his entire health.

Characters

Rayman with all his friends.

Along the way, Rayman meets an array of different characters, some of which aid him through his journey.

Friends

  • The Magician: He introduces the game's story. He can also be found at several points of the game, in which he would give you access to bonus stages that promise extra lives, provided you give him ten Tings.
  • Betilla the Fairy: Human-like, floating female fairy. Very important in the game - she gives Rayman new powers during the adventure.
  • Tarayzan: Basically a limbless Tarzan, he hides behind a bush until you knock down his loincloth, and gives you the Magic Seed as a reward.
  • The Photographer: This person acts like a checkpoint, should you die, you'll start at the point in which he took your photograph.
  • The Musician: Located high in the Blue Mountains, his guitar had been crushed by a rock which you must break to recover it. As a reward, he gives you the Super Helicopter Potion.
  • Joe the Extraterrestrial: An alien that owns his own snack bar on the beach in the Cave of Skops, his neon lights are unplugged, and Rayman has to go down into the dark caves to turn it back on.

Enemies

There are only main enemies in game. The minor enemies will be listed on level pages.

  • Bzzit: The first boss (or mid-boss) of the game, a large eyed mosquito, who lives in Anguish Lagoon in the Dream Forest. After the player win fight with him, he befriends Rayman and can be used as a vehicle. He appears as a friend in Rayman Revolution.
  • Moskito: Another mosquito, very similar to Bzzit, but with more health points, more attacks, and (in some versions) another colours. Lives in Moskito's Nest in the Dream Forest.
  • Mr Sax: Boss of Band Land, he is a walking saxophone that attacks by blowing explosive wrong notes.
  • Mr Stone: Boss of the Blue Mountains, he is a man made of stone who constantly thumps on the ground and sends smaller stone creatures to attack Rayman.
  • Space Mama: A very large woman who's the boss of Picture City. She is first represented as stereotypical female opera singer, with rolling pin which shoots out knives. In the second battle, her rolling pin shoots out lasers. Exploding pots and a washing machine are also used by her.
  • Mr Skops: A scorpion, boss of the Caves of Skops. He attacks with his giant claws and tail which shoots a homing laserbeam.
  • Bad Rayman: The result of a spell that Mr Dark casts in the Candy Château stage who resembles Rayman with a dark palette and mimics every move he makes throughout the stage. He can only be defeated by finishing a stage while letting him follow you.
  • Mr Dark: The main antagonist of the game, who steals your fist powers and casts strange spells on you. When you finally approach him he would not really fight but rather trap you with walls of fire. At this point the Electoons return your Fist, but Mr Dark flees after, leaving you to actually fight hybrids of the previous bosses. He lives in Candy Château.

Levels

The world map, as seen in the PS1 version
The world map, as seen in the GBA version

Dream Forest

Band Land

Blue Mountains

Picture City

The Caves of Skops

Candy Château

The world map, as seen in the Jaguar Early Prototype

Early Jaguar prototype

On 25th August 2008, a YouTube video showing an early prototype of the Jaguar version was uploaded. Two months later, this was leaked to the public along with 19 prototypes or other Jaguar titles. However, there is no specific prototype number, and it is unknown how much older it is than the Jaguar's demo version, or whether or not this is the same prototype that was used to advertise the game in magazines.

Several differences between this prototype and the final version are present, as well as glitches which may render the game unplayable, especially while running in a Jaguar emulator.

  • The game begins with no title screen, but straight to the world map which has been shrunk to fit the whole screen. Instead of Rayman, an electoon pinpoints his position.
  • There appears to be less levels available to choose from as they are unlocked, and the medallions look different.
  • There is no text at all in the game other than "ACTION" and "GAME OVER".
  • The game uses a completely different walk cycle for Rayman, making him look as if he is jogging.
  • When he is hit by an enemy, the throwback is a lot longer than normal, and he squeaks.
  • When Rayman runs up to an exit sign, he does not pose, but rather the game fades to the next stage or the map.
  • The lives counter displays a single digit.
  • Some enemies appear to float across the screen.
  • The bullets shot by the hunters do not withdraw a hammer.
  • Select maps are featured in the game. For example, when the Pink Plant Woods are passed, the player goes straight to Swamps of Forgetfulness.
  • Rayman's body moves differently when he receives a power from Betilla.
  • The Magician can be found and is paid with Tings as normal, but instead of normal bonus level, he takes the player to the breakout game.

Jaguar Demo version

Along with this newly leaked prototype, there is also a demo version, which displays even more differences between the final version. This version begins with Rayman dropping down in what appears to be a Dream Forest level, and feeling grumpy the second he hits the ground. Some elements in the game do not seem to be detected by Rayman, even the enemies such as the Hunters and Moskito, indicating poor collision detection. Interestingly, Rayman can also perform handstands and attack with his feet, and his fist can be charged up to be more powerful, which is displayed with an icon at the bottom left corner and the word "Nova" next to it.

There is also a very early looking heads-up display which is centered rather than to the left and right, there are more hit points than normal and the word "POW" is between that and the lives counter. An icon of an antitoon is displayed instead of the tings icon, making an indication that these were to be collected. Only the lives counter and five of the hit points made it into the final game.

The game crashes when Rayman falls into a body of water.

Screenshots Gallery

See also

Miscellanea