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Rayman Advance is a video game that was released for the Game Boy Advance console in 2001, and was the first video game from the Rayman franchise to be released for this particular console.
Gameplay[]
Rayman is a side-scrolling platform game. The player character is the titular Rayman, who must travel through six worlds (The Dream Forest, Band Land, Blue Mountains, Picture City, The Caves of Skops and Candy Château) to free all of the caged Electoons, six cages of whom are located somewhere on each level. Only when all the Electoons are freed will Rayman be able to reach and confront Mr Dark at his lair in Candy Château. Each level is divided into several maps, each of which is completed when Rayman reaches the "!" sign at the end. The player is given a certain number of lives, which are lost when Rayman takes too many hits or falls into water or a pit. If all lives are lost at any point, the "Game Over" screen will appear, and the player can continue or quit. Scattered around each level are small, sparkling blue spheres called Tings. The player gains an extra life for every 100 Tings picked up (50 in the DSi version). If the player loses a life, any Tings collected are lost. Tings can also be used to pay the Magician, a character found in certain levels, to enter a bonus stage, where Rayman can win an extra life. Rayman's "telescopic fist", an ability gained early in the game, allows him to punch enemies from a distance; most enemies can be defeated with a certain number of punches. At the end of each world, Rayman must defeat a boss enemy. The player comes across a variety of other power-ups and bonuses, such as a golden fist (which increases punch strength), a speed fist (which increases the speed of Rayman's punches), a power to restore Rayman's lost life energy, and flying blue elves whose touch shrinks Rayman down in size so he may access new areas.
In early stages of the game, Rayman has the ability to walk, crawl and make silly faces. He obtains additional powers during the game (telescopic punching, holding onto ledges, grappling flying rings, using his hair as helicopter blades to glide, and running) from Betilla the Fairy, while others are given temporarily from his friends that are used for a specific levels only.
Plot[]
In the planet in which Rayman lives, people are harmonious thanks to the Great Protoon. However one day, the evil Mr. Dark steals the Protoon, causing the Electoons, other tiny beings that maintain harmony on Rayman's planet, to scatter all over the world. Betilla the Fairy, a guardian of the Great Protoon, battled Mr. Dark to get back the Protoon and Electoons, but failed, so Rayman decides to go and find the Electoons, free the Great Protoon and defeat Mr. Dark. Betilla the Fairy frequently interacts with Rayman as needed to give him additional magical powers along his journey.
Rayman begins his journey in the Dream Forest, one of the six lands of the valley. He begins with the ability to telescopically punch enemies until Betilla gives him the ability to hang onto ledges. He encounters a kindly local named Tarayzan, who hands over an instantly-sprouting magic seed to help him escape a rising flood. At the end of the Dream Forest, Rayman defeats the first of the game's six bosses, the giant Moskito. Betilla then gives Rayman the power to swing from flying hoops. Rayman arrives in Band Land, a world built around clouds and musical notes, symbols, and instruments. He is chased by Mr. Sax, a giant angry saxophone. Betilla grants Rayman the power to spin his hair like a helicopter for gliding. After defeating Mr. Sax, Rayman progresses through the Blue Mountains, a world of avalanches and rock monsters. He meets the family of musician friend and helps him build a new guitar in exchange for a potion that lets Rayman fly continually using his helicopter hair. Rayman defeats Mr. Stone, and Betilla gives him the ability to run. Picture City, the fourth land, is a world of paintings and art utensils, including slippery ink floors and deadly sharp pencils. Rayman makes his way through to arrive on the stage of a pirate-themed play, where a vicious actress in a Viking costume emerges from the ship's cannon and hurls knives at him. Later, Rayman again encounters this actress who turns out to be the area's boss, Space Mama, in an astronaut costume. Following her defeat, Rayman learns that Mr. Dark has kidnapped Betilla and imprisoned her in one of the little spheres attached to his hat.
Rayman reaches the fifth land, the Caves of Skops, a cave world ruled by Mr. Skops, a giant scorpion. Before he enters he meets Joe, a friendly extraterrestrial, who owns a snack bar whose electric lights have gone out. Joe gives Rayman a firefly to light his way through the cave to reinsert a plug that has fallen out, restoring power to his bar. After crossing a lake and through the caves, Rayman reaches the lair of Mr. Skops and defeats him. After he rescues all of the Electoons, Rayman arrives at the final land, Candy Chateau, made of desserts and crockery. At the end, he faces Mr. Dark who attacks with various disorienting spells. Rayman arrives in the chateau's hall, where Mr. Dark traps him with walls of fire. At the last moment, Electoons retrieve Rayman's ability to punch after Mr. Dark disables it. At this point Mr. Dark (probably using the power of the Great Protoon and Betilla) transforms himself into hybrids of the previous bosses to defeat Rayman. Upon the defeat of the hybrids, Rayman rescues Betilla and recovers the Great Protoon, thus restoring balance to his world. Rayman then takes a vacation with friends and former enemies.
Reception[]
The game had received very positive reviews. For instance, IGN [1] has rated the game 9/10, praising its graphic in particular and the fact that it made the best out of the Game Boy advance system, whilst GameSpot rated the game a positive score of 86/100.
External links[]
- Rayman Advance at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Rayman Advance at GameFAQs
| Rayman series | |
|---|---|
| Main series | Rayman (Advance) • Rayman 2: The Great Escape (GBC/DS/3D) • 3: Hoodlum Havoc (GBA) Origins • Legends |
| Raving Rabbids series | Rayman Raving Rabbids • Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 • TV Party • Rabbids Go Home • Rabbids Lab Party Collection • Travel in Time • Rumble • Land • Kingdom Battle (Donkey Kong Adventure) • Party of Legends • Sparks of Hope |
| Spin-offs/Compilations | Rayman Arena • 10th Anniversary • Rayman and Rabbids Family Pack |
| Related | Rayman (character) • Ubisoft • Michel Ancel • Tonic Trouble |