Rayman is the Best Choice for Noob Gamer

Before Enzi Auditor and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six, there was Ryman. The hero behind the Play station plat former that everyone could play. Cartoony, cute, and extremely difficult, this side-scrolling plat former can be thrown into the same class as Mega Man and Sonic the Hedgehog, not necessarily in terms of popularity, but most of all creativity, including four independently scrolling backdrops, gorgeous and smooth graphics, and enemies whose looks can certainly be deceiving as they judge your movements and attacks in order to launch one of their own.

This game may look like something out of Saturday morning cartoons, but is a game player's paradise. This is Rayman for the Play station, developed and published by Ubisoft, and graciously donated by a dedicated CGR Undertow fan, Chip in Alabama. A simple, yet challenging game, you control the limbless Ryman and his floating body parts through70 ridiculous levels full of obstacles, collectibles, enemies, and platforms with a jump, punch, and action command.

This game hearkens back to a time when variety in game play was a big selling point, and with a different enemy and obstacle blocking your path to the exclamation point sign through each level, you'll be kept on your toes throughout the game. I feel that if it weren't for such immaculate and whimsical design, however, Ryman would not have achieved the popularity it deserves. In this day and age of PSN and Dishware, the brilliant colors, surreal environments full of twisted trees and musical notes, and animations to the tune of 60 frames per second gives this game a long shelf life. Again, don't let its fantastical surface fool you.

Rayman is the real deal when it comes to difficult platformer gameplay. For example, in this level, lightning bolts are shot at you based on your direction. Thetis to say, they always have a pretty good chance at hitting you... all the time. Speed and accuracy in jumping across the disappearing platforms is critical to your success, otherwise, you’ll waste lives like gasoline on the freeway. Let's also not forget that Rayman's sound effects and musical soundtrack is absolutely superior in their delivery.

 I couldn't believe that a CD-Rom could sound this good 15 years after its release, and the game's main theme will make you feel at nostalgia from the first few years you owned a Playstation. Rayman games are still coming out to this day, with the recently released Rayman Origins not straying far from its roots, and for good reason.

Rayman is a class act all around and is a series that deserves more credit than it has gotten. His adventures through psychedelic side-scrolling heaven in search of the evil Mr. Dark continues to tantalize the senses through imaginativegameplay and colorful, thematic level design making it the best game for a total noob  today.