Review: Rayman 3D

System: Nintendo 3DS

Deverloper: Ubisoft Casablanca

Publisher: Ubisoft

Score: B

The character of Rayman is nearly coming as synonymous with a new Nintendo hardware launch as Mario himself, with the GameCube being the only console that didn’t have a game starring the limbless wonder day and date with release in the last decade. With Mario nowhere to be found at the arrival of Nintendo’s 3DS handheld, Rayman is the only game in town for those looking for a platforming adventure with their new hardware. Despite essentially being a port of a game that at this point is pushing eleven years of age, Rayman 3D is of the best in the initial 3DS line up and a must for fans of the platforming genre.

Rayman 3D is an update of 1999′s Rayman 2: The Great Escape, which at this point has been ported to everything from Sega’s Dreamcast to the original DS under the name Rayman DS. The game has little in the way of plot, and can be summed up in as little as there are pirates doing evil things and it’s up to Rayman to set things right. Very much of its time, the plot is more or less an excuse to set the player on a grand adventure that involves collecting items (in this case, Lums and breakable cages).

In many respects Rayman 3D shows its age, with a few camera hiccups that really obscure the action, especially in one of the boss fights that involves swinging vertically, but it’s remarkable how well the title has held up. The world Rayman inhabits is still beautiful by today’s standards, further demonstrating that when it comes to graphics, it’s often the games that feature clever art direction that hold up over the test of time.

Rayman repertoire is what you would expect in a game of this type: Over the course of the 18 worlds, you’ll run, jump, swing and swim through a number of creative environments. Combat is fairly limited, with one attack button for shooting Rayman’s fists and little modification, but it’s more or less there to break up the platforming. It must be noted that movement with the 3DS control slider is superb for games of this type, and if Rayman is any indication of how good the control slider can be utilized, it may just be the best 3D movement input on a handheld to date.

What’s a 3DS game without 3D? Even though Rayman 3D was not designed from the ground up for the 3DS, it makes great use of the technology. On the more gimmicky side you’ll see bugs coming out of the screen, but on the more impressive side when in one of the several sliding sections or on a vertical descent the 3D is great. When the 3D slider is turned even part ways up the new found level of depth in the world is pretty impressive. If you’ll pardon the pun, it adds a new dimension to a game that many may have already experienced. For the purpose of review, the title was played with the 3D turned on through a large percentage of the 8-10 hour quest with little discomfort.

While not being created with 3D tech specifically in mind, Rayman 3D is nonetheless a great choice for anyone picking up a 3DS at or around launch. It may not be as special to anyone who has experienced the adventure in one of its many incarnations, but it still stands as a solid platformer even by today’s standards. Rayman has taken a backseat as of late to the nefariously cute Rabbid’s, here’s hoping this is an indication that Ubisoft’s unofficial mascot graces the genre in a new journey soon.

Review: Kingdom Hearts: RE: Coded

System: Nintendo DS

Developer: Square-Enix/ h.a.n.d

Publisher: Square-Enix

Score: C+

 

When Square launched the original Kingdom Hearts close to a decade ago, it’s doubtful they foresaw exactly how lucrative the franchise would be. Since 2002 there have been numerous sequels and remakes in the relatively new series, and at this point each entry has been using the same assets, characters and plots featured in the original KH. The latest entry in the series, Kingdom Hearts: RE: Coded, is quite possibly the laziest chapter produced by Square-Enix. Series fans will play through to get some shreds of franchise lore, but anyone less than the truly devoted may want to pass on this one.

KH: RE: Coded takes place the furthest in the series time line, making it the only game thus far to feature story points after the last numbered entry in the series, 2006′s KH II. During his adventures with Sora and co., Jiminy Cricket tasked himself with documenting the adventures of the group but has found the journal empty, excluding a mysterious message whose origins are unknown. King Mickey decides to get to the bottom of this by digitizing the journal and creating a digital avatar of series protagonist Sora to eliminate the bugs in the data.

Even though it takes place after the events of KHII, RE: Coded has nothing in the way of new content for anyone familiar with the franchise. The worlds players will visit are taken mostly from the original KH (Agrabah, Wonderland, etc). From a new player stand point, it may at the surface seem like a good jumping on point for the curious, but the title does little to introduce new comers to the rather complex lore that has developed in the series.

To make the retread a little less painful,developer h.a.n.d has varied each level in some interesting ways. In certain areas the perspective will change to 2-D scroller (a series first), an on-rails shooter and a Paper Mario-eqsue turn-based RPG in the Olympus Coliseum level. Outside of this players will run around and attack foes with the Keyblade just like other installments. In these sections the developer has placed an emphasis on platforming, which has never been a strong point for the series. An auto-jump off of ledges, similar to the 3-D Zelda games, has been added to assist in the trickier jumps, but expect to repeat several frustrating sections numerous times.

By far KH: RE: Coded’s best feature is the leveling mechanic. Taking a page from Final Fantasy X, chips have to be placed on a data board. By following various paths, upgrades can by applied such as more accessory slots, being able to carry more attacks into battle and cheats than can affect rewards and experience. Going through the board and seeing what is around the corner is something that will keep players going into the 15+ hour quest. Similar to the PSP title KH: Birth By Sleep, KH: RE: Coded also has the ability to craft abilities by leveling up attacks and magics to combine, but it’s nowhere near as interesting or rewarding as that title.

The last KH game for the DS, KH: 358/2 days was one of the best looking games on the system at that time. Never a slouch when it comes to presentation, Square-Enix has made sure KH: RE: Coded not only trumped its predecessor in terms of visual fidelity, but succeeds at nearly looking as good as its console brethren. Fully voiced full motion video is scattered about the title, and the soundtrack is taken from past entries, including the obligatory Utada Hikari ending and closing themes.

KH: RE: Coded is by no means a bad game, and there are some plot developments towards the end of the game that will excite long time fans about what is to come. It’s just at this point Square-Enix needs to stop retreading the past and look towards the future for the KH, or else fear losing any goodwill fans have left.