Rayman 2 coming to iPhone March 1st

[granville]

Well this came totally out of the blue... Rayman 2 The Great Escape is now being ported to the iPhone, and is being released on March 1st, just a few days from now. How sudden. Here's a trailer of the game-



It is being ported by Gameloft. From what i've seen, the game looks very smooth and just as good looking as the original. Seems to be based on either the PC or Dreamcast version, likely the former. It's one of those two though, since those are the only two versions in which Rayman had fully modeled fingers (besides the PS2 version, which this clearly isn't). Only problem which i'm already sure will be a big problem is the control scheme. iPhone of course has no buttons, and this is a 3D platformer. One of the best mind you, but the REASON it was so spectacular back in 1999 was due to the analog stick. iPhone has no such thing, and uses onscreen buttons and controls. I can see this quickly failing sadly. Which is a darn shame, it looked like they successfully ported the graphic and sound...

Well it's a nice technical achievement at least. Rayman 2 looks good to this day, especially the PC version played in high resolution. Too bad it had to be on iPhone though. I think a proper remake for HD consoles or Wii would be a better thing. I'm a huge fan of the classic pre-Rabbids Rayman games, and I hope this attention to old games means Rayman will return to form sometime soon. Hope we get a REAL Rayman 4 someday.

http://www.gamekyo.com/newsfr35030_rayman-...sur-iphone.html

 

[Hadrian]

The DS version did the touchscreen d-pad thing and sucked balls because of it.

 

[Maikel Steneker]

The DS version did the touchscreen d-pad thing and sucked balls because of it.

Yeah, that's the reason I'm not completely convinced about this game. Still, the iPhone has a touch screen on which you can use your thumb (properly), so this shouldn't be nearly as bad.

 

[Master Mo]

The DS version did the touchscreen d-pad thing and sucked balls because of it.

The problem was, that even the d-pad-controls were bad... The game on the other hand is simply amazing and IMO one of the best of its genre and for me a real classic!!!

 

[Overlord Nadrian]

I can't see how this could ever work properly on an iPhone. Onscreen buttons, when most of the times you press a bunch of buttons at the same time?

Also, your hands cover part of the screen, where a pirate or any kind of enemy might be hiding.

 

[granville]

The DS version did the touchscreen d-pad thing and sucked balls because of it.

Part true i'd say. Much of the problem with Rayman DS' controls had to do with the fact that there was a horrible lag between the time you pressed the button and the time that command took place ingame. In other words, it was a terrible travesty of programming. Even the ABXY buttons did this. So i don't blame the dpad OR touch controls for how bad it was. Other 3D DS games have proven how well just the dpad can work, so i can only come to the conclusion that they fucked the actual code up.

But yeah, touch screen 3D virtual controls don't work either. So you're still right. It's just that the DS port was an inherently bugged up mess. If they MUST milk Rayman 2, i'd rather have a full remake for the big consoles. Stupid Ubisoft...

 

[shakirmoledina]

pretty much the big problem most ppl talk about on the iphone is controls but i guess it wouldnt be tht bad as the DS had the same prob as guild mentioned... this would do equally well (gameplay wise) as the DS version though on the negative approach

 

[granville]

Well if anyone has tried than N64 emulator for iPhone, that's probably a pretty good indication of how it will control. So you could use that as an indication if you can't wait 1 day for this one.

 

[Maikel Steneker]

I can't see how this could ever work properly on an iPhone. Onscreen buttons, when most of the times you press a bunch of buttons at the same time?

Also, your hands cover part of the screen, where a pirate or any kind of enemy might be hiding.

I don't see why this would be a problem when it wasn't a problem with other iPhone games. Pressing multiple touch screen buttons might seem awkward at first, but it doesn't actually take that long to get used to it.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

The DS version did the touchscreen d-pad thing and sucked balls because of it.

You mean Rayman DS? I thought that sucked because it had horrific framerate problems and was basically just a shitty port.

They should just install a D-Pad or analog nub on the next iPhone iteration. There's a fair amount of games that could use it. Or just put a miniature wheel (like on older iPods), since that could act as a D-Pad.

 

[Overlord Nadrian]

I can't see how this could ever work properly on an iPhone. Onscreen buttons, when most of the times you press a bunch of buttons at the same time?

Also, your hands cover part of the screen, where a pirate or any kind of enemy might be hiding.

I don't see why this would be a problem when it wasn't a problem with other iPhone games. Pressing multiple touch screen buttons might seem awkward at first, but it doesn't actually take that long to get used to it.

Meh. The touch screen never responds to whatever I do.

Also, it's impossible to press both the jump and attack button at the same time with the same finger, so you'd need to use two fingers to control two buttons. Which means you have to put the iPhone down and 'tap' on it.

 

[psycoblaster]

Well if anyone has tried than N64 emulator for iPhone, that's probably a pretty good indication of how it will control. So you could use that as an indication if you can't wait 1 day for this one.

I actually thought that the virtual sticks from other gameloft games worked exceptionally well.
The emulators on the iphone renders a button press when a touch is inputed on the virtual button, but is no longer rendered when the touch moves out of the button area. That pretty much makes it hard to play games using the emus. :\

 

[Jakob95]

Darn I probably won't download this game since I don't have any more room on my iPod Touch. Should have got a 32gb. Or I might just delete some useless apps that I never use anymore like that Objection! one.

 

[granville]

According to gamers over on a certain Rayman community (one which shall not be named specifically due to hosting copyrighted roms/isos), this is now out on the App store. So I guess you can all go download it if you like to.

According to these same people, the game is indeed a port of the Dreamcast version. That version is widely held by the majority of gamers to be the best version, so i assume that this is a good thing. I wish I could list a source, but I can't due to it being a moddable offense. So take these details anyway you like (don't believe me if your wish, i'm not getting banned for lack of a source). Collected from a variety of posters over the the "Rayman community"-

- It feels alot like the N64/PC version, but it uses the dreamcast architecture.
- globox village confirmed (which is a minigame place in the DC version)
- uses the level selection screen in the DC version, as opposed to the hall of doors in N64/other versions
- lags slightly in high detailed areas on first gen iphones (doesn't happen on higher gen ones)
- apparently perfect framerate on newer gen iphones (just like the N64/DC versions)
- controls are reported to be solid, you can tilt the ipod/iphone to control sliding parts (sliding down slopes)
- shift camera left and right by sliding your finger over the screen
- there IS an option to adjust the screen to the way you hold your iphone/ipod (vertically or horizontally i assume)
- there is a way to strafe/target enemies. I'm a bit fuzzy on how it's done. Poster mentions "pinching your fingers apart"?
- only one save slot now, saving is automatic after every level/or when you go back to the level select
- some secondary characters now have some different textures or "accessories". Ly has a white bow in her hair FYI.

Overall, the reaction seems very positive. I've seen no control complaints so far, and it seems to be a good port with some nice attention to detail. For those with iphones/ipod touches, you might want to check it out. I don't have one myself, so don't quote me on this.

 

[stanleyopar2000]

GAH,

I hated that game!..it was so freaking hard!!!

 

[Kinqdra]

I loved the first one...it was the first game I ever played...I wish there where more 2d versions of it

 

[granville]

GAH,

I hated that game!..it was so freaking hard!!!
Hard? It's not THAT hard, unless you were born too late to appreciate NES/SNES games. Some of the later levels COULD be a challenge, but mostly just the sequences that involved the flying bullet shell riding. Those were pretty difficult. Not impossible though. The only level that really gave me any sort of trouble was the final one, which was due to the flying shell.

QUOTEI loved the first one...it was the first game I ever played...I wish there where more 2d versions of it

You want more of Rayman 1? It was released on almost every system of its time- Saturn, Jaguar, PS1, DOS, and had several revisions for PC. Then it was rereleased on GBA AND DSiWare (recently). Honestly, it has had plenty of love. It might even be a downloadable game for PSP now. If not, you can easily get it anyways.

If anything, Ubisoft needs to stop making Rabbids and remakes. It won't happen probably, but we need a REAL Rayman 4. You know, the game we were SUPPOSED to get? An epic new installment with platforming and action against killer bunnies before they said "fuck it" and threw the whole damn thing out the window and released a cashcow minigame collection to milk. Hell, the last Rabbids game didn't even HAVE Rayman in it (unless it was some kind of cameo). I say give us Rayman 4, the REAL Rayman 4. They had a successful formula that everyone loved, unreboot the franchise and fix it.

 

[Jakob95]

I downloaded the game and its awesome. The GRAPHICS are amazing so much better than the DS version. The controls are also really good, only thing that is bad is the camera but its still not that bad.

 

[Hadrian]

I loved the first one...it was the first game I ever played...I wish there where more 2d versions of it

Rayman 3 was 2D on GBA and also there were a couple GBC titles that were 2D too.

 

[Jakob95]

I loved the first one...it was the first game I ever played...I wish there where more 2d versions of it

Rayman 3 was 2D on GBA and also there were a couple GBC titles that were 2D too.

But they where really terrible though.

Anyways I like Rayman 2 on my iPod Touch. But its hard to move in areas like a bridge or something because of the stupid analog stick which is hard to control and I fall.