Rayman 2

[Stormtrooper934]

What problem exactly you have?

The aliasing is bad and makes Rayman's eyes look like dots and the framerate keeps changing from 60 to 30 or lower.

[deton24]

Ok. So go to configuration/setup of zeckensack or dgVoodoo and find some AA there. But it will not help to frame rate. You can change renderer in Gxsetup to DX6 if you have glide, or opposite.
Actually the best frame rate will provide Dreamcast version of Rayman 2 in for example nullDC, or other emu free from graphical glitches in R2. But it's not that bad, mostly only particulars depends on buffer setting.

[Haruka]

I managed to play R2 in a real N64 system for the first time and completed it. It was ok I guess? A downgraded PC version but at least it isn't, obviously, as glitchy as the DS port... I just found odd that once you reach the end of the Prison Ship the game takes you automatically to the Crow's Nest without saving the progress. Not even once you finish the credits.

[RayCarrot]

Wait, the N64 version doesn't save you progress? Does that mean your lums in The Prison Ship weren't saved? I thought there was an option to return to The Hall of Doors once you got taken to The Crow's Nest though, through the pause-menu or something similar.
Well, either way I actually like this change as it never really made any sense to me why Rayman would first return to The Hall of Doors before confronting Razorbeard when he was on the ship. The only version this worked for is the PS2 version due to how the hub worlds were set up and that you actually saw Rayman escaping with the prisoners he freed.
Btw, does this not happen in the DS version?

[Haruka]

Wait, the N64 version doesn't save you progress? Does that mean your lums in The Prison Ship weren't saved?

Yep. There isn't even an automatic save or an option once I beat Razorbeard so we can say that if you have everything collected until the Iron Mountains then you have the game done .

As for DS, I can't remember but I could have a quick look to my copy.

[NyaNyaLily]

Oh, it came back

[Adsolution]

[The_Real_Razorbeard]

Rayman 2. Rayman Goddamn 2. Let me tell you about this game and me, man. Back when I was around 7, I was way more obsessed with video games than I am now. To a degree that, looking back, was probably a bit unhealthy quite frankly. Thankfully this was tempered by the fact that my family only had a computer and no consoles, thus keeping me from getting into anything too addictive. Granted, that did change, but at the time, it really limited what I had access to. It was largely Movie and TV tie-ins and edutainment for me back then, although among those I did occasionally find a diamond in the rough.

So, one day, I found myself at Toys 'R Us with my mother, looking for something new and exciting to play in the 'R Zone.' Some weird little section I think was devoted to stuff on clearance or something like that. Had it's own sign and logo though, weirdly. But yeah, I'm looking amidst the boxes and jewel cases when suddenly, I'm greeted with this:



Now, keep in mind: I'd never seen Rayman before in my (granted, somewhat short) life. Maybe it was his overall color scheme (I was a big fan Purple and Yellow back then, still am, really), maybe it was the smooth, cartoony design of that particular render of our limbless hero, maybe it was the pleasing golden typeface the title was in; it could've been any of those things, it could've been the combined affect of all of them, but something about it spoke to me. I wanted it. And seeing as it was only $9.99, my mother was happy to oblige.

So, home I went, my newfound purchase ready to be installed onto the family computer. This particular version of the game's case didn't have a back so I had no idea what I was in for. Heck, even the 'manual' was just a fold-out with installation instructions, copyright info, and an ad for Myst on it. I was going in about as blind as I could have.

Needless to say, I was blown away once I got to playing it. The sheer atmosphere of it was something I'd never really seen before, and the imagination on display was stunning. Rayman's world, even threatened by the pirates, was vibrant and full of life. And speaking of, oh my gosh the pirates. Robot Freaking Pirates. I was hugely into robots as a kid, so combining Robots with pirates blew my mind. I thought they were the coolest thing. Heck, I still think they're the best villains the franchise has had. Razorbeard's design in particular really left an impression on me.

I knew from the moment I started playing that this game was something special, but once I rescued Ly, it really became apparent. Rayman's quest to find the 4 masks was the most epic adventure I'd been on in a game up to that point, even if the first time through I ended up using cheats to get to the end. In the next couple years I'd eventually become skilled enough to go through the game fair and square, and every time there was something new to discover. Be it a cage, or more lums, or enough lums to unlock more of the 'Knowledge of the World.' The game was a gift that kept on giving.

I spent a lot of time in the world of Rayman 2; to me it's what Rayman, ideally, is. A thriving, colorful, dream-like world, full of lurking dangers and mystical powers. It's a game near and dear to my heart, and one I'll never forget. Heck, even all these years later, with a computer that probably wouldn't even play it right, I still have that old jewel case, CD intact. In time, I'd get my hands on Rayman Arena, and from there, find out Rayman 3 was a thing. And though I hold 3 close too, it didn't leave quite as much of an impression on me as 2 did, though that's not to say it didn't leave one at all; it was just up against some stiff competition.

Regardless, without Rayman 2, I never would've gotten into the franchise, and for that reason, as well as all those listed above, it's one of my favorite games of all time.

[Adsolution]

[PluMGMK]

I love it!
In that atmosphere Murfy's "I will return" takes on an ominous feel, I find… Then again, I always found it slightly ominous

[Hunchman801]

That was a bit anticlimactic.

[Adsolution]

Well, once I figure out how to properly manipulate the collision geometry, it'll be a little bit more interactive.

[The_Real_Razorbeard]

You know, I'd really love to see an honest-to-god HD remake of 2. I don't just mean re-drawing textures and making it wide-screen either, I mean a from the ground up remake with graphics akin to what Rayman looked like in the game's promotional materials. It could have everything from the original versions and Revolution. Maybe even build on what Revolution added a little: Grolem 13 really could've used a small temple level built around it like the other mask guardians. And God what I wouldn't give for a fully-orchestrated rendition of the game's soundtrack to go with it. I love how pervasive Chevalier managed to make that main leitmotif across the soundtrack as a whole. It's honestly incredible. It's almost certainly not gonna happen, but...

Hey, a guy can dream, right?

[Hunchman801]

You know, I'd really love to see an honest-to-god HD remake of 2.

Grolem 13

Sorry, those are mutually exclusive.

[The_Real_Razorbeard]

What, you got a problem with that boss fight? It wasn't the best, but it had an interesting idea with the fight being entirely in the air. It's not like they couldn't tweak it and rename it to be more in line with the other mask guardians in the original.

[Adsolution]

I thought Grolem 13, as presented in Revolution, was a horrible boss in an environment devoid of any artistic merit. Also, given how slow the helicopter is, it's just not fun to use while you're trying to defeat a boss.

[Master]

I wonder if that was more in regards to the "honest-to-god" remark, given how Grolem is a Revolution addition, and not part of the original material.

I know Grolem was pretty slow, but I actually didn't mind his boss fight, though I guess that might not be saying much given how R2's bosses aren't really amongst the strongest in the series.

[Adsolution]

Fair point. If there's one thing I would actually consider for a remake, it's making the boss fights more interesting: Giving Axl three health, with each hit making him shoot faster (akin to Foutch), bringing back Ninjaws, making the Foutch battle more interesting, and maybe making the Razorbeard fight more interesting as well (the first sequence is way too short in my opinion).

[Droolie]

I agree that Grolem 13 was bad. The only thing on point about him was his subtitle: "Bigum Aerum Tornadus Recyclus". Recycled indeed.

The idea behind him had some merit though: instead of having the last mask just handed to you in an anticlimactic way, they have you battle another boss, which is good. If the previous guardians were for water/ice, rock/lava and stone/fire, then it makes sense that the last guardian would be lightning-themed, so having you battle a guardian that controls the weather isn't a bad idea at all. But yeah, it isn't well thought out from a gameplay perspective nor an artistic perspective.

A lot of the rest of Revolution was good though, with the extra details in the environment (e.g. pirates' living quarters were fantastic), pirates kidnapping baby Globoxes to flesh out the world, or zombie Henchmen... a good R2 remake should include all of that, somehow also include the Hall of Doors, redesign Grolem (boss fight gameplay, design, environment, music) and polish everything, because if there's one thing Revolution lacked, it was polish.

[The_Real_Razorbeard]

I thought Grolem 13, as presented in Revolution, was a horrible boss in an environment devoid of any artistic merit. Also, given how slow the helicopter is, it's just not fun to use while you're trying to defeat a boss.

See this is what I was talking about a remake offering an opportunity to fix. They could build a new set of levels around a sky/storms theme and have a re-named Grolem 13 as the boss, while making improvements to the fight as well. Heck, maybe instead of just making the helicopter faster they could forego it altogether and bring back Moskito, have you ride him/another member of his species during it.

bringing back Ninjaws

If they did, they'd have to change up his fight a good deal, certainly at least give him all the capabilities of the Ninja Henchman in the non-PS1 versions of the game. He'd also need an actually unique design, seeing as he's supposed to be the 'leader' of the Ninja Henchmen, rather than just another one.

and maybe making the Razorbeard fight more interesting as well (the first sequence is way too short in my opinion).

I definitely agree there. While I still think the Razorbeard fight is a pretty good set-piece for what it is, it is on the short side, and given how much The General talked up the Grolgoth's sheer amount of features, that really doesn't seem right.

A lot of the rest of Revolution was good though, with the extra details in the environment, pirates kidnapping baby Globoxes to flesh out the world, or zombie Henchmen... a good R2 remake should include all of that, redesign Grolem (boss fight gameplay, design, environment, music) and polish everything, because if there's one thing Revolution lacked, it was polish.

Agreed, on all counts.