I’m really, REALLY late to the “best or worst version” discussion, but I want to pull a wild card and say Nintendo 64 is always going to be the one for me. And no, it’s not just because I grew up with that version (although that’s part of it).
I’m almost willing to wholesale give it to Dreamcast, but I think the English-spoken opening with a nobody narrator is wildly unfitting when the rest of the cast speaks Raymanian, and I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to be Ly there, not a nobody, right? I also think that shoot being on B (the right face button) instead of X (the left face button) feels really wrong, and the Isle of Doors is inferior to the Hall of Doors as far as how mysterious and atmospheric it is. Feels less unique, more akin to Crash Bandicoot than something you can say is undeniably Rayman.
And although it gives room to (and it’s my very next pick), I wouldn’t quite give it to the PC version either! One of my biggest gripes with that one is not only how painfully hard it is to remap the controls to controller (having to use third party tools that don’t really work well), but the cool swirly transitions and musical fade out between scenes in the N64/DC versions are replaced with a quick flashing image and a loading bar. Way more tacky and unbecoming of the “cinematic” feel the console versions of the game carry. Little things like that go a long way in harming the presentation and keeping it from being a good “experience”, if you get me.
Now the reason I truly favor the N64 version most is maybe partly nostalgia, but also because I think the compositions for the game’s opening, and a few of the jingles throughout the game, are legit superior than the ones featured in every other version. The opening especially; the N64 version is this perfectly dreary and intense track that builds you up to an excellent first scene, while the other song is just… idk, it feels like filler you put behind a generic animated film. It’s still fine, and I could see it fitting somewhere else in the game (maybe the title screen / menu?) but the N64 version has it beat. I also think the MIDI arrangements in general do a good job of emphasizing melody and percussion in places I feel the higher quality ones don’t as much. Crows Nest, parts of Woods of Light and Fairy Glade, and the Pirate leitmotif particularly feel like there’s stronger melody or rhythms to follow. I’m guessing that had to be done when they simplified the OST for MIDI arrangement, but limitations inspire some of the best things sometimes! And again, the jingles (the discovery ones and the game over ones, particularly) are superior here. Just all around better. Sorry to fans of the jingles from the other versions.
That said I know it has frame rate issues and lower quality textures/models, but for the former I’m used to N64 game performance lol, and for the latter there’s far worse done on the PS1 version. That’s said the PS1 version is charming, despite its (pretty severe) flaws. I wish things like the callbacks to 1 were in the other versions, and I like how Ly was your guide / a more present force. Im also baffled at the cutscenes in it that aren’t in any other version, it explains so much about the second mask. I feel like that this could’ve been a great version of 2 if they didn’t sacrifice all that content to have disc space for… voice acting. And not good voice acting at that. Yeesh.
And lastly I would give attention to Revolution, because it’s visuals are maybe the best of the bunch (bar that Rayman model, idk what they did to him but something looks off..). and I’m not really one to hate the attempt at a hub world here because I do enjoy myself a good hub, and this one is rather alright at adding to the games atmosphere. But I DO think the game in its original form has such stellar pacing that sacrificing that for a much more aimless progression kinda ruins the flow, and holding abilities behind paywalls is a TERRIBLE idea, no ifs ands or buts about it. But at the same time I do enjoy some of the plot tweaks / addition of the last guardian, and including Moskito was great.
I guess what I’m saying is that every version of 2 is imperfect and filled with their own oddities, quirks, flaws and improvements. The N64 ends up my favorite cuz it’s the PC version with the DC transition effects and a (imo, don’t kill me) better arranged soundtrack, but anyone else’s stake on that is valid. I just wish there was a version of 2 that did it all.. c’est la vie.
