Rayman 3 Readvanced

[RayCarrot]

Rayman 3 Readvanced is a PC port for the GBA version of Rayman 3, releasing in 2026!



I've since been working on this on and off and made a lot of progress. So I thought it was time I made a topic for it here

What is this?
To be clear this is not a direct source port by decompiling the original game. Rather this is re-coding the entire game and engine in C#. However, all the code is directly based off of the original game code (being decompiled using Ghidra) and should be functionally identical. This was made especially easy with the original game code being object-oriented (even though it was written in C!). That doesn't mean everything will be 100% the same though. I'm not holding back and instead taking this as an opportunity to modernize the game's engine. What was previously using fixed-point integer math is now using floating point math. Pre-calculated data tables, for things such as sine and cosine, now use real-time floating point math.

Besides the technical improvements this also means the game can now run natively at any resolution. This will be especially noticeable for any sprites which rotate. On the GBA rotations look like a pixelated mess up close! Sprites which move at a speed less than 1 pixel per frame will now also appear to have smoother movement thanks to the increase in resolution. You can also change the camera scale, showing more of the game at once, and change the aspect ratio, allowing it to run in widescreen. There are also going to be several quality of life improvements, such as being able to skip in-level cutscenes.

The source code is available here, along with more details on the project: https://github.com/RayCarrot/GbaMonoGame.Rayman3

What is included?
The port will only include the code, meaning you will need to provide the game data yourself. This is done by simply including the original ROM of the game. Both the GBA and N-Gage versions are supported, along with their differences. You can also use the same save files you use in emulators, allowing you to easily move your saves between the two ways of playing.

Besides the basics I'm also hoping to include the multiplayer mode, playable online in some form. If there's interest in it I might also include support for mods, such as replacing textures. Maybe even a level editor can be made in the future? I'm also planning some bonus features, such as built-in achievements and more.

When is it releasing?
Not this year, but hopefully the year after. It all depends on how much I work on it, and so far it's been a bit on and off as I've also been working on the Rayman Control Panel. Most of the engine is re-implemented, but there are several gameplay elements not working yet and I haven't even started on the Mode7 levels! I might release a demo before the game is finished though.

Videos
Below are work in process videos I've released for the PC port:




Feel free to ask if you have any questions!

[Steo]

Nice! Pretty cool how it's being recreated in C# and I like the idea of making it less limited (using floating point etc.). I recall it even being mentioned that the original game had so many last minute bugs they had to try address under stress too, one of them even being the fact that the game never saved after you defeated the final boss, preventing ever being unable to unlock the minigame (until that cheat was found recently).

I look forward to seeing how it pans out, especially given it's an entire recreation and being modernised to some extent too.

[lyndo64]

This looks awesome, can't wait to see more!

[hoodlumsworld]

This looks totally awesome! I'm really excited about the level editor idea, but I understand that it's a stretch...

[Mortamon Saturn]

I was hoping for a modern port of the GBA and N-Gage versions a long time ago, and now this is going to become a reality on PC!
I'm really looking forward to it, thank you for all your work on this project!

I wonder if similar ports could be achieved for the other handheld games in the future

[Hunchman801]

Great project indeed, I hope you'll continue to find time to work on it!

[The Jonster]

Oooooh, so both the GBA AND N-Gage versions are supported, sweetness! I always wanted to try the N-Gage version out since I liked playing through the GBA version of R3 and wanted to experience the differences between the two.

Best of luck RayCarrot! I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how this project goes!

[peterdinklage]

Could you elaborate on the planned multiplayer mode and how you envision implementing it? Will it be online multiplayer, and are there any specific features or limitations you’re considering?

[RayCarrot]

The multiplayer mode would be the same as in the original game (as well as what was expanded on in the N-Gage version with Capture the Flag etc.). I don't yet know how I will implement it though. It might just be through local LAN, meaning you have to use a tool like Hamachi to play online. I'm not going to be able to host a server for this and I've never coded anything like this before, so this is all new to me. But I'd like to get it work in some way, even though it's just implemented through LAN.

[RayCarrot]

I made a new level showcase video, this time for Magma Mayhem! This is to show how the Mode7 levels look like in 3D, which I've recently spent a lot of time working on. A big thanks to Robin as well for helping out with it!



Next up I'll be making a full trailer for the project as I've made a lot of progress all throughout the project

[Master]

Oh that is ace, I remember seeing just how much more playable the Sonic CD Special Stages became when they underwent a similar transformation from the Sega CD version to the RetroEngine version. If this is the standard of effort you're putting in, I look forward to seeing this all come together, as it's clear you've done a lot of QoL work as well!

[Hunchman801]

Great job! I wonder, do you have any plans to also incorporate elements from earlier versions of the game, back when it was still an adaptation of Rayman 2?

[Master]

Put in a secret code and it replaces the level soundtrack with this masterpiece:

[Hunchman801]

And updates Rayman's design, of course!

[RayCarrot]

Thanks And yep, I'm going to be doing a lot of quality of life improvements and modernizations to the game as well (all of which will be optional for those who prefer a more authentic experience)!

I wonder, do you have any plans to also incorporate elements from earlier versions of the game, back when it was still an adaptation of Rayman 2?

Possibly yeah! I'll look into that when I'm closer to being finished and then maybe have options to use some of the original sprites. It depends how viable it'd be since these sprites were made for early versions of the game which didn't have all the animations in place for Rayman, so it might not be fully possible to replace them all.

Put in a secret code and it replaces the level soundtrack with this masterpiece:

Haha Funny enough that song is actually just taken straight out of their previous game, Batman Vengeance, see at 28:59 here. The ROM has several other songs leftover from that game too.

[RayCarrot]

I'm back with a small update on the project. First of, I've now named it Rayman 3 Readvanced! Here's a logo for the game designed by XanderNT. It's meant to be a mix between the Rayman 2 and 3 logos, taking some inspiration from one of the early prototype logos for Rayman 3!



I'm also getting closer to finishing the game now! The base game itself is essentially done - you can fully play through every level from start to end now. There are however a lot of small things left to do which take time and then I also want to add bonus content such as achievements and time trials. Maybe even a level editor?

Here's how the title screen looks right now! It has scrolling clouds and a gradient separating the GBA and N-Gage versions. You can also press "Continue" to directly load into your last played save slot, skipping the main menu!

The main menu has also been completely reworked for widescreen, and with new options. The old menu is still here though as I don't want to replace or remove anything from the original game! Also this was a hassle to do since the game doesn't actually have a font for the menu text (it's all pre-rendered!). So I had to manually re-create the font.

There are a lot of options, which I'll showcase more of later. The game will default to having a lot of options set to modernize the game, like widescreen, fixing bugs, showing the new logo etc. But they can all be reverted for those who want a more authentic experience. I want this project to be the definitive version of the game and allow you to play it in the way you want!

Here's another look at a Mode7 level which I'm really happy with how they have come together! A big thanks to Robin as well for helping out with it! There was a lot of trial and error involved in getting this to work!

And finally the multiplayer. Right now it's fully functional, but I haven't implemented any connection system yet. I'm hoping for some sort of peer-to-peer multiplayer though, as well as local options.

(these screenshots sadly seem a bit blurry here in the thumbnails, so I'd recommend opening them so you can see them in higher quality!)

[Greengoop]

This is awesome dude! Must feel really fun knowing you’ll do practically anything you want with older games rather than focusing on a new 3D adventure, kinda like killing caterpies in Veridian Forest with a level 100 Charizard

[Mortamon Saturn]

Seems like the Rayman fan remakes/recreations are getting into a "Re" trend for their titles, and I'm all for it!

This is really great, congrats on going so far on the project! I really dig the new dual title screen with the gradient colors and I highly appreciate that this preserves all of the original while making the new improvements into toggleable settings! This is going to be the definitive way to play this game!


I've updated Rayfanpedia accordingly!
I reduced the size of the logo by half due to the 1 mb limit, so feel free to update it with a better version than my resize that can fit on Rayfanpedia.

[RayGamer99]

Seems like the Rayman fan remakes/recreations are getting into a "Re" trend for their titles, and I'm all for it!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed that! REdemption, REdesigner, REdreamed, REburrowed, and now REadvanced. If a fan remake/recreation of Origins comes around someday, I wouldn't be surprised if it was called Reslapped or something like that.

[Master]

I look forward to Rayman Re:Chain of Memories.

Jokes aside, this looks remarkable. Is this going to be a Windows only project, or would this be playable on other platforms? Since you've got custom resolution support, I'd be interested to see how it'd run on a Steam Deck.

EDIT: I did what a sensible person does and actually read the README. I see it's got official support for WIndows 7 upwards, however, when this does release, I'd be willing to try running it through Proton and see if it works there. In the meantime, as ever, Carrot, you inspire and amaze with your efforts, and congratulations on what is appearing to be yet another successful project!