Gameplay:  
The storyline of Rayman 2 is not an epic one, nor should it be. This is supposed to be a fun arcade platformer, not a simulation. Even so, the storyline is not necessarily of E.T. for Atari quality, either. In any case, it plays out like this…



The Chamber of Teensies (I could swear they’re a rip-off from “Go-go” from Tiny Toons--he ruled!) and the Fairy Council is wrought with panic. It seems that a group of Robo-Pirates from deep space have landed and are quite intent on conquering and enslaving the entire world. I hate it when that happens, although it seems I’ve heard this type of plot somewhere before. Anyway, the time for battle has arrived. A small resistance group forms, obviously including our hero Rayman and his possibly learning-disabled Globox. Rayman and Globox go to the edge of the Great Forest, where they are captured. Thus our quest begins…



Not exactly award-winning complexity, I know, but for this game the simplicity fits. Sometimes the last thing one needs is a complex storyline to muck up gaming enjoyment. Rayman 2’s plot progression follows the same simplistic path, and in many ways mirrors games such as Donkey Kong 64 or Super Mario 64. Basically, as wide and varying as the levels are, the game itself progresses in a very linear fashion. To move from world to world, Rayman must find a certain number of yellow lums. He then finds that world’s Hall of Doors and uses the yellow lums to open the Hall of Doors and gain access to the next world. Rayman does not have to find all the lums in a world to progress (1000 total in the game) or to finish the game completely, but that’s always a possible goal. In the process, Rayman can also free beings held in cages by the pirates to increase his life bar. Finally, Rayman must find the four masks of Polochus. Polochus is the creator of all that is the Rayman universe, and by finding his four masks he can be brought back to give his assistance in destroying the leader of the pirates, the Napoleon-like Captain Razorbeard.



Several friends assist Rayman. We’ve already discussed Polochus, the Teensies, and Globox. Ly is a fairy, and as a fairy she possesses mighty powers. She creates the silver lums, which act as Fists of Power to increase Rayman’s energy sphere weapon. Clark is Rayman’s big badass friend. The guy can eat robots; he is a mountain of muscle. Carmen the Whale is who assists Rayman underwater. Rayman cannot breathe underwater, but normally has the option of finding blue lums to increase his air supply. In the even that these are not available, Carmen may release air bubbles to ease Rayman’s need for oxygen. Sssssam (seriously) is the ferryman for the Marshes of Awakening. Finally, we arrive at Murphy, quite possibly the single most helpful character for Rayman, and one of the main reasons why certain sections of the game are transformed from frustrating to simply challenging and fun. Murphy is the game’s living encyclopedia. He leaves tons of hints and tips available whenever Rayman reaches a new area or must use a move he’s never performed before. Don’t understand the tip? No problem, just find one of the many Stones of Thought spread throughout Rayman’s world to receive a short hint explanation. If you still don’t get it, Rayman can summon Murphy at the Stones of Thought who then gives long, detailed explanations, step by step.



Rayman 2 has within its storyline a lot of subtle humor, a good deal of which is actually quite funny even to the older gamer. Background elements come to life, adding variety. It almost seems as if the creators of Rayman 2 wanted to give gamers the benefit of the doubt. They created a platformer that somehow melds both “kiddy” and slightly “older” (sort of) elements together to create a very neutral experience. This is one of the primary reasons why it’s so popular—enjoyment is truly possible by all ages.

Sound:  
As are all other aspects of Rayman 2, the sound is excellent. One of the common N64 downfalls is the common occurrence of low quality, repeating MIDIs used as background music. It’s tough to cram a ton of CD quality music into a cartridge, and it’s true that none of the Rayman 2 theme is going to end up a Billboard hit. Even so, the background music always fits the seen, and in some cases is even a bit catchy. All the music, though, retains that “tongue-in-cheek” arcade feel. Even when the music is scary, it’s a 1950s “drive-in-horror flick” scary. The real kicker is that this is one of the first games in a while that didn’t make me mute the TV and turn on the stereo.



Another interesting features of Rayman 2 is the voice acting. Really, there isn’t any. The characters of Rayman 2 speak in “Sim-speak,” non-sensical ramblings with subtitles—much like the real French language (ha!). As strange as it may seem, the voices still “fit” the characters. See, even though the characters just mumble, all characters mumble in their own way. After a while, it almost seems as if you can understand what they’re saying, instead of just reading the subtitles at the bottom of the screen. Speaking of subtitles, Ubi Soft put a good deal of effort into them—offering language choices of English, French, Spanish, Italian, and German. Perhaps it’s due to that whole unified European Union thing. In any case, the effort is noted.

Multiplayer:
Although a two-player Rayman 2 would have been fun (or a deathmatch Rayman, although that would have been really strange), Rayman 2 has no multiplayer function. This is, however, one of those one-player games that other people can watch and still enjoy. If you’ve got friends over, though, I seriously doubt they’ll make an evening out of it while Goldeneye and Perfect Dark are lying around.

OVERALL:
This platfomer is beaten only by first party games like Super Mario 64 and the Zelda series. Even then, Rayman 2 is one of the must-have N64 titles. It will go down as one of the most highly rated adventure games in N64 history, and possibly would have been rated as Top of the Genre if only it had behind it the star power, resources, and manpower given to Nintendo first party games. Whether you love or despise platformers, give Rayman 2 a shot. It really is that good.

 

The Lowdown on  Rayman 2 The Great Escape Aesthetics: Awesome Control: Very Good Gameplay: Awesome Multiplayer: Sound: Above Average Innovation: 5/6 Lasting Appeal: 5/6 Rating Explanation Overall: Awesome! "Top of the Genre"