Back in 1999 I was just getting ready to graduate high school and the PlayStation reigned supreme. The Dreamcast, Sega's final system was brand new, and the Nintendo 64 was Nintendo's home console at the time. All three videogame companies seemed to be going in different directions, but they did have one thing in common; and that was Rayman 2: The Great Escape. When the game was released on all three platforms it scored highly on each system. In fact, Rayman 2 was hailed as one of the finest platformers ever released. Just over six years later another version of Rayman 2 has been released; but this time in the form of Rayman DS for Nintendo's newest handheld. So how have Rayman and his crazy world aged?

Facts and Features:

• 45 areas for Rayman to explore
  
• Control Rayman with the D-pad, stylus, or with your thumb on the touch screen
  
• Varied landscapes to run, jump, swim, ski, and fly through
  
• Monitor your health, items, and progress on the touch screen
  
• Port of Rayman 2: The Great Escape
  
• Rated "E" for Everyone

Presentation
Rayman DS is presented in a simple manner. There are very few options outside of language selection to speak of, and the menus are simple enough to navigate through. Sadly there really isn't anything implemented into this title that takes advantage of the Nitnendo DS hardware beyond a simple HUD for the lower screen. Sure, touch screen control is offered, but it's not something considered terribly innovative at this point. Basically the feeling you get is when you buy one of your favorite movies on DVD and extras aren't offered. Nothing is sloppy or poorly implemented in terms of presentation, but it does feel pretty bare bones.

Gameplay
The biggest strength of the Rayman franchise has always been the unique and varied gameplay. Gamers will be able to swim, jump, ski, fly, ride, surf, slide, hover, climb, and battle through all sorts of interesting and wacky environments. You are constantly moving from area to area in search of lums that will unlock new paths and new areas to explore. All the way Rayman is confronted by pirates, puzzles, and platforming challenges that impede his progress. There are many imaginative and ingenious level designs and scenarios thoughout the game, and the action is paced perfectly. With over 40 areas to explore, the adventure lasts quite long as well.

Rayman games have always managed to offer a fresh angle on the platforming genre, and despite the fact that this game is already six years old, it still does things better than many modern platformers in terms of design. Due to some of the limitations of control, however, several of these elements can be frustrating. Rayman moves a little quicker than desired with the directional pad, and the touch screen control is pretty hard to get a good grasp on. In times when you need Rayman to walk, you must use the touch screen, however. This can be a little irritating because you'll find yourself constantly jumping from the d-pad to the touch screen and back to try and find the easiest way to cross a windy ledge. What once was a simple task to overcome with an analogue stick becomes a lesson in frustration with Rayman DS. It would have been a great thing to have the walk/run d-pad control that Mario 64 DS offers; but after a while switching between the d-pad and touch screen becomes a little more natural. At it's core Rayman DS is still a good game, and there are some very solid platforming elements to be found throughout the lengthy adventure. It's just a shame that the control scheme dampens the overall gameplay experience a bit.

Graphics and Sound
The audio package in Rayman DS is really the strongest point of the title. The music is snappy and the sound effects are clean. The voice work, mostly in the form of a strange jumbled language, is well-done and it breathes life into the characters. Ubisoft managed to pack a pretty large variety of tunes and sound effects into Rayman DS, something that is admirable for a handheld game. The graphics don't fare as well as the sounds do in this iteration of Rayman. This series is known for having some of the prettiest and most colorful graphics on the market, but on the DS they come across as muddied and dark. In some cases things get really blocky and jagged, which is a shame to see in a Rayman game. There is an annoying graphical imperfection that also causes things on screen to wobble a tab bit, almost as if you are shivering and shaking your DS a tad. Ubisoft is capable of better, especially given their track record of highly polished titles in the Rayman series up to this point.



Closing Comments
When information began to trickle in on the first titles that would be available for the Nintendo DS, Rayman DS was easily one of the most anticipated titles. As a direct port of Rayman 2, one of the best platformers ever made, the thought of having this gem of a game on the go was enough to make gamers giddy. Upon firing it up, however, one can see that there has been a little lost in the translation from console to handheld. Nothing seems truly awful, but the game just doesn't pop like it used to. The adventure is lengthy and varied along the way, but the replay value is limited by the lack of extras. There are some bonuses for collecting more than what's required, but nothing truly special. If you haven't played a Rayman game before, this may not be the most accessible of the series. The game is still decent fun, but when compared to the greatness that was achieved with Rayman 2 six years ago, the adventure feels a little deflated. The package doesn't push the limits of either hardware or developer, but I still hope it's not the last we see of Rayman on the DS.