Rayman: Hoodlum's Revenge

There is no shortage of Rayman games, but Rayman: Hoodlum's Revenge is one that many people do not even know exists. More often than not when you mention this game to someone, they think you are talking about Rayman 3 that was released on the PlayStation 2. Well, this game here was released on the Game Boy Advance and was actually released after Rayman 3 so think of it as kind of a sequel.

Globox You Simpleton!

The story is not all that great, but hey it is a rather early Rayman game. Basically, Rayman’s buddy, Globox has eaten the Dark Lum King and now he is using him to get up to all kinds of naughty stuff. Honestly, as far as a story in a platformer goes this is enough to give you a reason to be doing what you are doing. Visually, I like what they have done here. One thing that the Rayman games do well is have a ton of personality and personality is certainly what this game has. I am not sure it is as sharp and vibrant as the 2D games, but it still has that Rayman style you know and like.

This Is Not The Rayman You Are Expecting

I would bet that most of you guys out there are expecting Rayman: Hoodlum's Revenge to be a 2D platformer. The Rayman games before this were 2D or 3D platformers and to be fair it is a franchise that has far more good games than bad ones. For this one here, they did something a little different and that is changing the perspective.

Instead of being a 2D game, this is an isometric platformer and it actually fits the gameplay of Rayman pretty well. Each level is rather short and has you trying to get to the end of the level with the highest score possible. Collecting Gems, Lums and defeating enemies is how you will build your score. You are also looking to earn these things called Murfy Stamps. The more of these you earn, the more levels you unlock.

You control Rayman, but some levels do let you play as Globox and on some, you can even hit the select button to switch between the two. I like this and it does add some variety to the gameplay. The game does not overstay its welcome and its short length I am sure can be seen by some as a negative.

Some people are a bit harsh on Rayman: Hoodlum's Revenge if you ask me. I would not say that this is a great game or one of the best in the Rayman franchise. I do though think that the change of viewpoint and the easy to pick up gameplay make it a decent handheld game. If you like the Rayman series, I do feel that it is worth a playthrough and as it is short, you are not losing a ton of your time by doing so.

Final Score: 7.5/10

Pros:

• The change of gameplay viewpoint is cool
• I like being able to play as two characters
• The game feels like a Rayman game
• The story is weird and fun
• The game is easy to get into

Cons:

• It is a very short game
• It is a very by the numbers kind of game