Rayman 3 is...interesting. I myself actually got it...sometime around when it was still new-ish? Maybe? Memory's a bit foggy on the exact time frame, but it was far from old at the time, is the point. Heck, I remember the whole reason I knew it existed/was going to exist was because of that ad for it on the back of Rayman Arena's manual. I really wanted it, largely because I absolutely adored Rayman 2. 2 was the first game I'd played that wasn't either edutainment or based on a movie, and the sheer imagination it displayed blew me away. I was particularly fond of the Robo-Pirates, seeing as I was a big fan of both robots and pirates at that age, my little mind could barely comprehend the awesomeness created by combining the two.
That said, while they were no Robo-Pirates, from the moment I saw my very first Hoodmonger in that ad in the manual, I found the Hoodlums fascinating. Their strange, stitched together bodies, big (and yet simultaneously, small) round eyes, and extremely fashionable choices in headgear struck me immediately. The Hoodoo was my favorite though, as I was also a fan of wizards when I was younger (Though I wasn't that into Harry Potter, surprisingly), and liked their lanky, slim designs besides. Not to mention that music. It was the best track in the game and the devs clearly knew it, seeing as it played during the credits too. The Hoodboom was a pretty close second though, with those vibrant colors and crazy eyes. Not to mention those lovely little plum-juice exposives he lobbed around.
Plus, they had a striking leader, too: André, the Dark Lum Lord. What a selfish, whiny, bully he was. Although I've grown to somewhat resent the more comedy-themed approach the game took in my adult years, I'll admit that André was a fun villain, regardless.
That said, however...yeah, I have some issues with how Rayman 3's story played out. Looking at all the scrapped content we've been able to glimpse art of in the years since the games release, it's clear that earlier on in development, things were on track to be a bit more like previous installments, tonally; there was going to be a lot more indigenous wild-life, such as the Bontons and Glutes, not to mention the myriad of animals that would've been largely background elements that were cut. Even some of the art for the Hoodlums seemed to depict them as slightly more menacing, mystical looking foes.
And then there's the Knaaren. The Knaaren seem oddly out of place given the final construction of the game's narrative. A tribe of nigh invincible (to those not of their kind at least) warriors with a culture revolving around an avian God said to be a bringer of night? What on Earth is a concept that interesting doing in this game that's largely a comedy? My gut tells me it was a concept from earlier, possibly more serious iterations of the game's story that ended up staying in due to being sound design-wise, not to mention Reflux's role in the plot. They seem to be the last real remnants of the more mystical tones that Rayman 2 had within the final game, what with all the murals around depicting a history of antagonizing Teensies and the general atmosphere of the Desert of the Knaaren on the whole.
I blame the tone shift on Ancel being busy with the King Kong game, mostly. Although he too would take the series in a more comedic direction with the Rabbids upon his return, things might've been different if he had helmed Rayman 3 directly, especially working on it with the mindset that it was to follow Rayman 2.
All that said, however, I do still really love Rayman 3. Mostly due to it's gameplay; it's a lot tighter and more satisfying than 2's, especially the combat. Plus, the score system was a great way to give the game replay value, all the little (and big) secrets hiding gems and other goodies were great fun to find. It still had a good deal of charm, and the more humorous take wasn't terribly done or anything, even if some of the jokes were a little odd at points. It was still very much a Rayman game. Unlike Raving Rabbids and it's endless sequels and spin-offs. I still hope we get a proper follow-up to it someday, even if it's simply in a 3D Rayman game, rather than something in the same continuity again.
To close, I'd like to say that Reflux's Second form and onwards scared the shit out of me as a chlid. Brrr...
Did you ever figure out why a legit 100% GBA game apparently never worked?
but since it felt on the ground many times to the point of having it's housing completely dislocated on the front and still working at the moment (albeit it needed to be fixed a year ago) I guess it was a pretty good deal, ow gosh I miss so much my Alienware keyboard, it almost gave me a boner to see it lighted up.
