Rayman

THE BAD:
Quite hard in several places, might be too hard for some people
End boss is exceptionally hard

SUMMARY:
This was one of 5 games I got in the package when I got my PS1. You play as Rayman and your job is to free all the creatures who have been taken prisoner and are being held in cages throughout the levels. On the way you'll get various power ups to aid you in your mission.

Rayman is unique in that he has no arms or legs. He has hands and feet, but they aren't physically attached to his body. One of the first power ups you'll get is to throw punches. When I say throw, I literally mean throw. Rayman winds up and then throws his fist forwards. The more you wind up the further it will go. The ability to punch is important because without it you can't stop enemies who get in your way and you can't break the cages holding the animals. There are 6 cages per world, sometimes you aren't able to get to some of the cages first time round because you need a power up that you obtain later on to get it. Other power ups include being able to hand onto ledges, fly like a helicopter and swing from rings.

As far as regular power ups go, there is a golden fist to obtain. For some reason the number 3 sticks in my mind, possibly because there are 3 different speeds for your fist to fly at. The Golden Fist is obviously more powerful, but if you are hit by an enemy then you will lose it.

The level design in this game is superb. There are many different worlds to visit and each of them has something new about it that you don't see much of in the other levels. There's one level where a lot of the floors are covered in ice and you end up sliding along a lot of the level and having to jump at certain points to avoid being killed by something. The first world you are in is pretty basic, but because of the power ups you receive, the later levels become much harder and you need to use all of the abilities you get.

Just a quick note on that. At 5 points in the game you'll be taken to a place where you are bestowed with a power. But then to get out of the level you need to use your new power to overcome an obstacle in your path. You can't lose any lives or anything in this mode, so it's a handy way to test your new powers.

That said, the game is very difficult and long. I never completed it because my memory card corrupted half way through and I couldn't be bothered to do it all over again. But using cheats I could see that the later levels only got harder. The final boss was an absolute pain to beat and was one of the hardest end bosses of any game I've ever played.

All in all this is a fairly good game, one I'm glad I spent time playing. There are several frustrating parts in the game, but also brilliant touches to balance it out. A better than average game, but not stunning.