Genre: Platformer
Modes: Single-Player
Developers: Ubisoft Montpellier & Pastagames
Publishers: Ubisoft
Release Date: September 19th 2019
Available On: iOS, macOS and tvOS
Reviewed On: iOS
When I got my Apple Arcade subscription, I wanted my first game review to be Rayman Mini. It is not a new release (it came out in 2019), but I could not help myself. I am a massive fan of the Rayman franchise, and I have fond memories of playing Rayman: Revolution on my PS2 for hours on end with my brother. As for Rayman Mini, it is the best introduction I could have imagined for Apple Arcade. The game takes the core 2D gameplay of Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends and adapts them to work on a mobile device. The game plays differently from Origins and Legends, and for the most part, it works in the game's favour. Rayman Mini is one of my new favourite mobile games, and it offers people a satisfying yet challenging array of levels. Top that off with a beautiful art style and brilliant music, and Rayman Mini justifies the purchase of Apple Arcade.
BEAUTIFUL AS EVER
Aside from Rayman 2, the franchise does not place much emphasis on the story, and Rayman Mini features only a basic plot. Rayman and his friends find themselves shrunk to the size of an ant and must navigate their world to break the spell. The simplicity is effective, allowing the game to excel in other areas. The main antagonist, the Flaming Teensy, was a playable character in Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends, but he serves as the source of all of Rayman's challenges here. Defeating the Flaming Teensy will lift the spell.
Regardless of whether you have played this game, it undeniably looks beautiful. Rayman games always shine with their visual aesthetic, and Rayman Mini is a stunning counterpart to the already gorgeous Rayman Legends. Adventure mode comprises five main worlds, each featuring eight standard platforming levels and one boss stage. The final world has only three levels, which include three boss levels. Every area has a unique theme. For instance, the first world, the River Stream, includes levels with an underwater section, while the second world, the Rabbit Hole, requires you to dive underground to reach the end. Each level is meticulously detailed, and every branch, stream, vine, and projectile serves a purpose; not a single element of the visuals feels out of place. Adventure mode is where you will spend most of your time playing Rayman Mini, and you can choose from four characters: Rayman, Globox, Barbara, or a Teensy. All characters have the same controls and do not alter the game's mechanics, allowing you to pick whichever character you prefer. I spent 80% of my Rayman Mini review playing as Rayman.
The brilliant soundtrack adds to the visuals of the game. Rayman 2 is one of my all-time favourite game soundtracks; while Rayman Mini may not reach the cinematic and emotional heights of that game's music, it is still fantastic. The game's central theme is a bongo-fuelled symphony that never becomes annoying whenever you boot the game up, and the rest of the game utilises its music perfectly, juxtaposed with the level design. During the boss stages, the music is moody and recalls the sinister soundtrack of Rayman 1. In later stages, the music features a full orchestra, symbolising that your journey is nearly at its end. I wish there were a game feature that allowed me to listen back to the music, but it is not too big a deal.
GLIDING OVER ALL
With a simple control scheme, an iPhone is the best way to play Rayman Mini. You can jump, punch, slam, and hover, while forward movement is automatic, similar to Subway Surfers or Jetpack Joyride. Fortunately, the forward movement is perfectly paced—not too fast or slow. You use the touch screen to control when you play the game on an iPhone (as I did). You jump by tapping the left side of the screen and holding down to hover. You use the right side of the screen to control Rayman's attacks; you tap the right side to punch and swipe down to perform a slam. The controls are straightforward and very accessible for casual gamers. The movement allows ample time to react to upcoming obstacles without slowing the game's pace. Rayman zips, glides, and punches enemies using the same sprites and character animations from Rayman Legends, including the hilarious death animation where he inflates like a helium balloon before exploding.
Every level (except for boss stages) contains 100 Lums to collect. Some Lums can be found by simply walking into them, and Skull Coins allow you to get others. A Skull Coin grants you 20 Lums; every stage features at least two to uncover. Collecting all 100 Lums will earn you an Electoon and achieve a 'Perfect' score for that level. Gathering every Lum on a stage is an optional goal and unnecessary to complete Adventure mode, but I contend this is an essential part of playing Rayman Mini. There are only a few instances where Lums and Swag Coins are well hidden and may take multiple attempts to find, but most of the time, you will stumble upon them while playing through the level. I encourage anyone who picks up this game to aim for all the Lums because it adds another layer of depth and satisfaction to the experience.
The controls are straightforward, but you need to be patient and committed. There is no beating around the bush; Rayman Mini is tough. The first few levels present no real challenge and act as a warm-up, but soon, the game reveals it will test your patience. Almost every jump needs to be precise, and due to the automatic movement, you must remain attentive to the level design. The truth is, you will die a LOT in this game. Missing jumps, failing to time your punches accurately, not sliding down a wall for the correct duration to reach the ledge, failing to hit a switch that opens the next area, or misunderstanding an obstacle and executing the wrong action are all likely to happen during your playthrough. Rayman Mini's difficulty may deter some players, but it makes the game more rewarding when you finally complete a level after numerous restarts. I enjoy the challenge of Rayman Mini.
SAD BUT TRUE
There are a few areas where the game falters. The first is the hover ability. Rayman's hover works flawlessly most of the time, allowing you to reach the next platforming challenge without trouble. However, during my seven-hour playthrough of Rayman Mini for this review, there were instances where the hover took about a second to respond to my input. Due to this delay, Rayman failed to jump, forcing me to restart. Although it did not happen frequently enough to be a significant issue, it was frustrating on certain levels.
Secondly, the game is short if you do not aim to collect every Lum. Adventure mode features 42 levels, but each level takes only 30-40 seconds to complete if your goal is to reach the end without gathering the Lums. Playing through the entire game this way means you will miss about 50% of the fun and challenge it offers. The issue here lies with the game's difficulty, which might discourage some players from wanting to collect all the Lums. It is a double-edged sword; I understand why pursuing completion is not for everyone, but simultaneously, you will miss out on experiencing the game in the best possible way.
Ultimately, after finishing this game, there is not much replay value. Once you complete Adventure mode, there is no good reason to revisit it apart from earning some Apple Arcade achievements. Rayman Mini does feature additional modes in its menu, but they lack the depth and enjoyment of Adventure mode. Challenge mode is reasonable, yet it can feel tedious if you have completed Adventure mode. Some challenges require you to replay a stage multiple times, while others involve jumping over 400 times. It feels monotonous and does not introduce anything fresh to the gameplay. Music mode allows you to play through a level in sync with a song, similar to the levels in Rayman Legends. However, they are not nearly as challenging or entertaining as those in Legends. There were moments when the rhythm and beat of the music did not align with Rayman's punches or attacks, leading me to question the point of continuing. The final mode, Mr. Dark, is another letdown. Every week or so, a new challenge appears in Mr. Dark mode, simply asking you to navigate through specific levels in Adventure mode. It is repetitive and, once again, contributes nothing new to the overall game.
RAYMAN MINI REVIEW: VERDICT
Rayman Mini is a charming 2D platformer during Adventure mode. The level design and art style are incredible; each character model is expressive and unique. Although the game's high difficulty may discourage some players, I encourage you to collect all 100 Lums in every level. Despite a minor control delay while hovering and a few lacklustre game modes during my review, I still recommend Rayman Mini to anyone with an Apple Arcade subscription or to fans of 2D platformers.
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