A port of the spectacular Rayman 2: The Great Escape on the N64, Rayman DS delights with only minor gameplay issues.
I remember playing the GBC Rayman at a young age and instantly I fell in love with the character.
Years passed and Rayman 2 was born for the 64. This time a 3D platformer, rather than a 2D sidescroller, the game contained a refreshing story, beautiful art design, charming characters and fun music, among other things.
The entire package has now been shrunk to fit on your DS, making Rayman DS a must-buy, despite some minor issues.
Pros:
-Fantastic Storyline. Though it might be simple, it involves robot pirates, fairies, haunted bogs, and other magical material.
-Funny. The game made me laugh then, and it still makes me chuckle now.
-Music. Some of the best music written for videogames in my opinion, I love the Rayman theme. All of the music doesn't bring down the experience, but builds it instead. You'll be humming the tunes long after you stop playing.
-Graphics. Simply some of the most gorgeous I've seen on the DS. The game looks better than it did on the 64, even though some of the colors might seem a bit dark.
-Replayability. Like Mario64, you can revisit all the worlds and hidden places to replay your favorite parts.
Cons:
-The game itself might be a bit too short. I imagine you could finish it in around 15 hours.
-Camera. It will take some getting used to, but its not THAT bad.
-Controls. The game feels a bit different than the N64 version, simply because now you're using buttons instead of the N64 controller. The game can be controlled using the stylus, but this feature is dumb and doesn't work that effectively.
If you're a fan of the other Rayman games, or if you missed your chance to play the N64 version, I would definately recommend Rayman DS. It shouldn't be too much money, and there are plenty of copies around. Fans of Mario64 might alos enjoy the game.
In the end, Rayman DS is a charming adventure that might just surprise you.