"One of Rayman's best...."

Ah yes, Rayman. The limbless hero has always been shadowed by the other major video game characters. Rayman first appeared on the playstation, and has since made the jump to almost all of the major consoles. This new adventure, which is in a way, a sequel to Ray Man 3, is one of Ray Man's finest.

Gameplay:Rayman: Hoodlum's Revenge is a fun action/adventure game with great control. The actions for Rayman are very well set, considering the lack of buttons. The difficulty for this game would probably be about medium. There are some spots that will tick you off, but nothing should have you going crazy. Another good factor for the game is how fast it takes to learn everything. The first level of the game sets out the basics for all future stages, and you will probably be able to get right into it. There are also a few stages where you play as the clumsy Globox, they mainly deal with getting through the Hoodlum's strongholds using stealth and speed. There are also new items called Murphy stamps, and if you collect enough, something good might happen. Rayman's friends, the Teensies are also scattered throughout the level. Collecting enough of them will unlock more things in the game. Another new factor in this game is the score counter. You can gain points by defeating enemies, and performing combos. Combos are performed by grabbing and defeating enemies in a chain, which can result in major points. Lums are also thrown out through the level, and can restore Rayman's health or save his progress in a level. Yellow lums are used to unlock secrets in the game.

Story:This game's story isn't great, but it gets the job done. Globox, Rayman's best friend, swallows the Dark Lum King Andre. Andre takes control of Globox and uses the body to do his evil plans. Rayman sets out to stop him and save the Teensies, who were also captured by the Hoodlums.

Graphics/Sound:The graphics in this game are very good. The backgrounds are active and detailed. Rayman and Globox look great themselves too. The only problem with the graphics is that the enemies start to get repetitive after a short period of time. The sound for this game is decent. The music is fit in well to show Rayman's happy personality, and the Globox levels are dark and gloomy. The sound effects are great, from Rayman's voice, to an enemy being killed. The music just gets a bit repetitive after awhile, as there are not many tracks.

Playtime/Replayability:The game is relatively short, and can be beat in about 7 hours with breaks. There are other things to do though, like collecting all of the Murphy stamps or rescuing all of the Teensies. You can also try to beat your high score for the level. The game is highly replayable though so don't be too sad, and there are unlockable levels that can be gained.

Final Recommendation:I would consider renting this game, as you will be able to complete it in a short time. It is a great game though, and it will keep you hooked as long as it does last.

8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/29/05, Updated 03/31/05