Rayman 1

[Hunchman801]

That's actually my biggest issue with this whole release. By trying to force Rayman 1 to fit the "Glade of Dreams" vibe of Origins and Legends, they've completely stripped the first game of its identity. Rayman 1 wasn't a slapstick cartoon; it was weird, surreal, and honestly kind of lonely.

I have to agree here, I don't want Rayman 1's identity to be retconned to that of the UbiArt games at all...

Go back and listen to the Dream Forest here in this video. The original track (First Steps) had those lush, reverb-heavy synth pads and that distinct whistling melody. It felt like you were exploring an alien world. The new version? It's just... jaunty. It sounds like a generic "grass world" theme. It's got that signature Héral "bouncy" rhythm that screams Rayman Origins, but it completely kills the mystery. It tells you "Hey, we're having a fun adventure!" instead of "You are small and this forest is strange".

And don't get me started on the boss encounters. For the Moskito fight, the new music tries to be this frantic, orchestral chase theme. It's technically impressive, sure, but it feels like I'm watching a Tom and Jerry episode. The original boss themes had an industrial, almost menacing edge to them that made the enemies feel like actual threats, not just punchlines.

While I share your opinion as far as the Moskito track is concerned, I actually like Héral's rendition of "First Steps". Sure, I would have preferred the original, but I think he did a good job here.

[Droolie]

I understand that some people are upset or scared about the backlash and negativity, but this is the only way to get this company to do something and improve in the future. I've seen people doomposting about this fan reaction causing Ubisoft to just not make Rayman games anymore, but I think no one should be afraid of that. It sends a rather clear message: not that Rayman is bad, not that there shouldn't be any more rereleases, no: it sends the message that Rayman is beloved enough that people will complain when a core part of the original game is replaced and that they (both Ubisoft & Atari) shouldn't attempt to do this shit again in the future.

It's also the only possible way to get Ubi to give in and find a way to get the original soundtrack back into the game. Hopefully that will happen - then everyone will be able to enjoy this collection and this will actually be a very good way to play the original Rayman (at least on consoles).

Discussions about the style of the compositions are also perfectly reasonable and would serve as good feedback to Christophe Héral (if he actually reads this). Because yes, many of the new tracks are overly happy and there is a clear overuse of kazoos and squeaky sounds (and ukuleles, and whistling). In Rayman Origins and Legends, these were almost always used appropriately - for example, the kazoo was the lead instrument for Moskito levels and was actually not very prevalent throughout other tracks. But now it's in almost every single track of this new 30th Anniversary release... yet somehow not in the big Moskito battle track? It feels thoughtless. Simply based on this new and very limiting idea that Héral seems to have about Rayman's "palette" consisting of those instruments - an idea that no one else agrees with. That isn't Rayman 1, and my point is that isn't even Rayman Origins or Legends (Legends actually had a fantastic soundtrack with a much broader "palette"). It's just a bad idea and I sincerely hope Héral will read some of these posts and change his mind about it.

[MrCoreyTys]

So, I think lots of people on the forums currently don’t really like the music in the new 30th Anniversary release of Rayman, but here me out people. This is kinda a hot take, but I like the music in the game. That’s right. I said it.

But why do I say it? Well, mainly because some of the music in it is actually nice to listen to. Like the “Harmony” one.

Like, it’s the type of music that would play on something like Classic FM. (Which if you don’t know, is a British radio station owned by Global, that, you guessed it, plays classical music. And there’s actually a whole segment dedicated to video games which is hosted by DanTDM.) Or the music that you would listen to while you work or type.

And you know, I get that they could have theoretically gotten the licence to have the original songs that were composed by the late Rémi Gazel, but remember the fact that Ubisoft is literally a company that’s worth 579.29 million Euros. So I’m sure that sooner or later, they will add the original music from the PSX/MS-DOS version as a toggle.

Overall, I just like the music, and please no matter what you do, don’t take this seriously. This is all my opinion about the matter. So, yeah.

[Sima]

I really like this track and many others.

I agree some songs sound a bit excessive but we don't know how tight the schedule and budget were to pull this off. I'm sure people would find something to complain about no matter what the soundtrack was if it wasn't the original one. At least no one can say the new music is soulless.

I think Rayman mini's soundtrack was rather obnoxious but it's the only mobile UbiArt era game that has an original soundtrack at all. I always thought it was because there wasn't much time to something more varied, not because the composer would have wrong creative direction.

I hope there's enough pressure to get the original soundtrack as a toggle. I wonder what exactly is the problem.

[Mortamon Saturn]

By the way, I don't remember if we brought it up, but did anyone notice that the manuals are available in the pause menu for all the five games?
...
...Hey, I'm trying to find a bit of positive things to say even if I have to scratch the bottom of the barrel for that

Seeing all the fuss about the Rayman30th Rerelease, I began to wonder again, what is considered the objectively "best version" of Rayman 1? Because I was excited about the 30th Edition but now I'm just turned down on it.

Welcome to RPC!

Well, in general, people would reply Rayman Redemption as it has by far the smoothest gameplay and overall experience. However, it's a fangame and it does diverge a bit from the original in quite a few ways, so for the true official Rayman, the PlayStation 1 version is considered to be the best by the most players (and it's still available to purchase on PS3/PS Vita).
Personally, I prefer the Saturn port because it has some extra visual effects mostly during the final boss, but it got some high-pitched sound effects on the other hand and it ain't easy to get or emulate it...

Here's my personal ranking of every version (except 30th Anniversary) if you want a more in-depth comparison about the differences of each release, and the opinion of a Rayman 1 zealot who played it for nearly ~25 years!

I understand that some people are upset or scared about the backlash and negativity, but this is the only way to get this company to do something and improve in the future. I've seen people doomposting about this fan reaction causing Ubisoft to just not make Rayman games anymore, but I think no one should be afraid of that. It sends a rather clear message: not that Rayman is bad, not that there shouldn't be any more rereleases, no: it sends the message that Rayman is beloved enough that people will complain when a core part of the original game is replaced and that they (both Ubisoft & Atari) shouldn't attempt to do this shit again in the future.

It's also the only possible way to get Ubi to give in and find a way to get the original soundtrack back into the game. Hopefully that will happen - then everyone will be able to enjoy this collection and this will actually be a very good way to play the original Rayman (at least on consoles).

Discussions about the style of the compositions are also perfectly reasonable and would serve as good feedback to Christophe Héral (if he actually reads this). Because yes, many of the new tracks are overly happy and there is a clear overuse of kazoos and squeaky sounds (and ukuleles, and whistling). In Rayman Origins and Legends, these were almost always used appropriately - for example, the kazoo was the lead instrument for Moskito levels and was actually not very prevalent throughout other tracks. But now it's in almost every single track of this new 30th Anniversary release... yet somehow not in the big Moskito battle track? It feels thoughtless. Simply based on this new and very limiting idea that Héral seems to have about Rayman's "palette" consisting of those instruments - an idea that no one else agrees with. That isn't Rayman 1, and my point is that isn't even Rayman Origins or Legends (Legends actually had a fantastic soundtrack with a much broader "palette"). It's just a bad idea and I sincerely hope Héral will read some of these posts and change his mind about it.

This! I fully agree with all of this!

I have to agree here, I don't want Rayman 1's identity to be retconned to that of the UbiArt games at all...

Same

So... Would you?

Is she going to sing?

Only if you pay her 20€ for it!
...Also, I'm only realizing now that Space Mama's new theme is basically a performance by Razorwife, except not as good

[The Jonster]

Perhaps they should have given Space Mama a wifey robot-looking costume instead? Maybe that would make more sense!

Well, in general, people would reply Rayman Redemption as it has by far the smoothest gameplay and overall experience. However, it's a fangame and it does diverge a bit from the original in quite a few ways, so for the true official Rayman, the PlayStation 1 version is considered to be the best by the most players (and it's still available to purchase on PS3/PS Vita).
Personally, I prefer the Saturn port because it has some extra visual effects mostly during the final boss, but it got some high-pitched sound effects on the other hand and it ain't easy to get or emulate it...

Here's my personal ranking of every version (except 30th Anniversary) if you want a more in-depth comparison about the differences of each release, and the opinion of a Rayman 1 zealot who played it for nearly ~25 years!

Personally, I view Redemption the same way I view Revolution. Reimaginings of their original games, but still feel like different games to me.

The Saturn version is the one version of the game that i have not tried yet and the one I'm most curious about, and the Jaguar version I haven't finished yet, not because of gameplay issue, but I think it was the emulator I was using (i can dream right). I'll give both a go again sometime.

[Tribelle2026]

Refunded 30th Anniversary Edition after I found out about the save bugs. The music being replaced and forced UbisoftConnect was bad enough as is. Ubisoft aren't going to add the original music into the game even if people complain. This is most likely a rights issue otherwise they wouldn't have gotten Christophe Heral to redo the entire soundtrack. Ubisoft probably didn't want to pay for the rights of the original soundtrack.

[Hunchman801]

But why do I say it? Well, mainly because some of the music in it is actually nice to listen to. Like the “Harmony” one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLm7eYgUa40

I agree, they definitely did a good job with this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF6kBY5gRkw

I really like this track and many others.

This track I don't find particularly memorable, but it's good nonetheless.

By the way, I don't remember if we brought it up, but did anyone notice that the manuals are available in the pause menu for all the five games?

That's nice, I don't think we've even got this multilingual PlayStation manual on the wiki.

...Also, I'm only realizing now that Space Mama's new theme is basically a performance by Razorwife, except not as good

I did not remember this gem, thank you for sharing.

Personally, I view Redemption the same way I view Revolution. Reimaginings of their original games, but still feel like different games to me.

Same here. It's definitely worth a try, but one should start with the original. I think the PC version is my favorite, as it's got those exclusive environments such as the transition from the Dream Forest to Band Land, and maybe a richer tile set overall (like in that section before the Moskito fight). But that's the one I grew up with, so I'm obviously biased. The PlayStation version also has its fair share of advantages, and so do the Saturn and Jaguar versions.

Back on the subject of 30th Anniversary Edition, does anybody else feel like there's a noticeable input lag? I tried the PlayStation version on the game and something felt a bit off...

[StanceDance]

So, I think lots of people on the forums currently don’t really like the music in the new 30th Anniversary release of Rayman, but here me out people. This is kinda a hot take, but I like the music in the game. That’s right. I said it.

Me too, these people are just acting like it's Resident Evil Survivor Type Shit or something.

[alexlimitedgames]

I've been reading all the messages about the 30th Anniversary Edition and I understand the concern of many, and I'm glad that in this forum there wasn't as much controversy and toxic attitudes on this topic compared to other social networks where there has been a lot of toxic behavior. That's why I'd like to share my opinion on all this, showing my final thoughts and also explaining what has been happening in other places.

There’s no denying it: the original OST of Rayman is iconic. It’s deeply nostalgic and tied to the game’s identity, so of course it feels strange not to have it. I feel that too.
However, outside of this forum, the discussion on other platforms has often turned very harsh and, in some cases, outright destructive. A lot of criticism lacks context and ends up targeting the wrong people.
The new music was composed by Christopher Héral, a close friend of Rémi Gazel, who sadly passed away in 2019. This OST wasn’t made carelessly or to replace Gazel’s work — it was created with respect and as a tribute, under very real legal constraints.
Not all of the original music rights belong to Ubisoft. Some tracks involved multiple composers, which made reusing them legally impossible. That’s why certain themes had to be reimagined, while others — where the rights were clear — sound almost identical to the original.
Are there tracks that feel a bit off in certain levels? Yes.
Does that ruin the game? I don’t think so.
In fact, the more I play, the more I start to appreciate this new version. Each time I listen to the rearranged tracks, I enjoy them a bit more. Playing Rayman 1 with this music feels like a different experience — familiar, yet new — and it brings a lot of mixed emotions. That doesn’t replace the original OST, but it doesn’t need to.
A friend of mine said something that really stuck with me, and I strongly agree:

“There’s no need to get so desperate, people. I’ve already experienced Sonic Origins — I’ve been here. This compilation isn’t a deciding factor for Rayman’s future. The sales from the past few days have surely already recouped the investment.
It’s not our job to be Ubisoft’s social media managers or to track every tiny thing that happens. The game already has a reputation. It’s mixed. That won’t be fixed, not even with updates. That’s the reality of gaming.
The real problem — and what many people aren’t seeing in their despair — isn’t that Héral rearranged Gazel’s work as a tribute. It’s that Ubisoft said nothing. They stayed silent.
That lack of transparency is what hurt Sonic Origins. Not in sales, but in reputation. From a corporate perspective, it’s awful that Ubisoft put Héral on the front lines to take all the backlash just because they couldn’t resolve their legal issues. What could have been a majestic tribute was instead used as a band-aid to cover a crack. Héral doesn’t deserve that.”

And that really sums it up.
Criticism is valid. Wanting an option for the original OST is valid.
But turning frustration into hostility — especially toward the composer or the devs — helps no one.
The developers are listening. They’ve acknowledged the feedback and even said they’ll try to see what’s possible regarding the original music. That already shows care.
In the end, loving Rayman means understanding the full picture.
The original OST is legendary, and it’s okay to miss it.
But this new version was made with good intentions, respect, and real effort — and I think it deserves to be judged with that context in mind.
This is my opinion and how I see this situation. I'm a huge fan of Remi's OST, but I have to admit that some of Heral's versions are really great. What do you think about this?

[RaymanSpeedio]

I have a lot of problems with this OST, even ignoring the fact that it replaces the original. First, the instrumentation is incredibly repetitive: you hear the same five instruments overused to the point where they appear in areas that don't make sense. On top of that, the mixing is rough, and the volume levels feel inconsistent. It's also very annoying that they kept some of the original ambient tracks and the level-complete theme, which clash heavily with the new style. And don't get me started on Space Mama's new theme: if you know, you know.

That said, it's not all bad. The straightforward covers like First Steps and Anguish Lagoon are solid. It suffers from the Donkey Kong Country Returns syndrome: the "by the books" covers are fine, but the original takes are weak. I usually respect Christophe Heral (his work on Origins and Legends is incredible), but this project feels rushed and unfinished.

[roggy]

I am really disappointed by this collection. I have fond memories for the first Rayman game so when I learned about a potential re-release I was really stoked. However, it's hard for me to not see it as a cashgrab. I wasn't expecting a straight up remaster but I did expect them to at least make changes: Balance the difficulty a bit, port over the Candy Château levels from the Atari Jaguar version etc. Instead they have just bundled a couple of roms and called it a day. The DOS version even seems to be based on the Forever release with all the soundtrack issues which wasn't fixed.

When I played it on PC I also noticed quite a bit of input lag/ choppiness. Héral's soundtrack isn't good either. When you make music for a game, especially when it's a 'remastered' one, I feel like you should at least try to match the tone of the original version. But some tracks like Betilla's theme feel so out of place. His Harmony track is nice, but again, completely fails to capture the tone. Not sure if he wasn't given enough time or simply didn't care but as someone that prefers the vibe of the original game over the UbiArt games it just feels meh.

Atari also owns Nightdive who I would have much rather seen handle the port. When they made the remasters for the Doom and Quake franchises they put in so much effort. Port over the N64 levels of Quake 2 in addition to the 'normal' levels found in the PC. Worked together with MachineGames and id Software for new campaigns. For Doom they even introduced new enemies based on cut content. They all cost less (10€ each), have more content and had far more effort put into them. I get that a lot of people are starved for new Rayman content but for their first big hit they could have really done more.

[Kiza/Raybox]

You know, looking at the opinions and constructive criticizm being around the ann edition, I think it would be a better idea if I waited for the bug fixes at the very least. I can play the OG for DOS for now, so I'll be fine. Not sure if the game bugs will ever be fixed, but the time will tell. If it won't be interrupted, of course. Also knowing who I used to be before starting buying games... I think it's time to come back to the ship. How's that?

[Master]

Right, I'm ok with UbiArts palette being part of its own distinct identity. They work in tandem with what those games are doing and meld very well with those games.

But retroactively replacing the musical identity of previous games, even if it's due to rights issues. Does leave a very sour taste in my mouth. I'll say that some of the musical recreations are pretty good. But for the ones that are very much replacement I'd say to get your UbiArt out of the classic games, that's not what they were like and it's far more of a substantial (and I'd say subtractive) change than I'd have liked.

Change the tracks by all means, legal bullshit is legal bullshit and I'm not going to pretend it's an easy thing to work around. But I would've much rather the replacement tracks were in keeping in the style and substance of the original game.

I expected little and I'm apparently not so much disappointed as I am affronted. Fucking hell.

Ok so I've looked at more footage and heard more of the soundtrack and I feel I've been harsher and more kneejerk than I should have been. To be clear, there are definitely tracks that I think stray way too far from the originals in terms of aesthetics and moods conveyed, but I can still see there's an effort to try to replicate the feeling with some other tracks.

I don't think the replacement soundtrack is badly done in a vacuum, but overall it's too divergent from the original that I don't think it fits well in recreating the same moods that were evoked in the original. The use of UbiArt instruments I'm still not onboard with whatsoever however. I've nothing against the UbiArt games as they are, but it really is rubbing me the wrong way how UbiSoft have effectively been erasing the previous games, and I think that's partially why it bothers me that it's here. Not all the tracks use them however so I don't want to be giving the impression it's all bad.

[metalflygon08]

Pmaying through the PS1 version again has brought up some old questions I used to have!

Do certain enemies have special properties to make them harder to take down?

2 enemies in particular come to mind for me.

The last cricket in the Rocket Maraca section seems way more aggressive than any other version in the game, and takes more hits to dispatch.

The other is the first Stone Man in the final level of Mr. Stone's Peaks (at the start of the level) this enemy is very hard to knock down for some reason, while every other Stone Man goes down in a few punches.

[PluMGMK]

Most of the complaints around here focus on what Ubisoft has just done.

I'd like to express my disdain for the absolute atrocity they committed thirty years ago when porting Allegro Presto to the Jaguar version!
Seriously, the level design just doesn't work Instead of replacing the level with something different, they just tried to shoehorn in the same levels with bandaids and it makes for a really frustrating experience. I'm basically stuck at the bit with the trumpets at the beginning of part 2. Almost had it, but of course the last cloud had to be a timed-disappearing one instead of one that disappears when you stand on it, so back to the start for me!

Nothing new here, but it's my first time playing through it for myself, and I can only now fully appreciate what a terrible job was done here…

[Mortamon Saturn]

So I'm curious, which are the your most and least favorite tracks in this new version? This sounds like a mixed bag, according to what I'm reading.

Alright I'm done with the PS1 version, and so I thought I should make a summary of my overall feelings for each of the new tracks in this version!
(Don't take the tiers seriously, they're only here for some convenience)
I don't know the exact official names for the new OST so I'm gonna follow RayTunes' conventions:

TITLE AND EXTRAS
-Ubisoft Presents - C tier: OK... Not bad, and enchanting enough for a start... Let's get to the title screen and see what this soundtrack has in store.
-World Map - D- tier: Oh no... This cannot be... A pure disgrace... simply... not ok. It's not bad on its own, but it's completely out of place! What in the name of Jano and everything that's unholy is this goofy tune filled with squeaky kazoo noises!? If you're gonna put this in Rayman 1, keep it for Candy Château FFS! It is very sad that this is the track that gives you the first impressions for the new OST, and the one that jumpscares you everytime you return to the world map! This is exactly how the few Origins/Legends soundtrack's haters picture their music minus the chipmunk voices, it feels like a parody of itself!
The original was the closest thing to a main theme for the Rayman series (and it would have been fantastic to bring back its leitmotif in some of the later games), so seeing it butchered feels deeply wrong. It's like taking Dragon Quest or The Legend of Zelda's main theme, and replacing it with some partying royalty-free music, no one would ever let that slide!
-The Magician's Challenge - S tier: THE best track. Period. It's just so accurate and simultaneously more pepped up than the original, making you look forward to the bonus levels! Christophe Héral has successfully accomplished what he set out to achieve with this one! It could have been a Rayman by Rémi track if it wanted too!
Still... doesn't fit as well in-game as did the original, and I'm only mentioning it here so I won't have to repeat myself for every other track. Regardless, I'm sure Rémi would be proud!
-Betilla - C tier: Yeah, the new one is some very good music on its own, but we do not talk nearly enough why this one is purely criminal for Rayman 1!
The original Betilla music is easily amongst some of the most enchanting melodies ever composed for a video game. It was a magical piece that transported you into a dreamlike world, and immediately welcomed you into its comforting arms after struggling through Rayman 1's toughest challenges. It was your well-deserved reward, leaving you yearning for the next time you'll be graced by Betilla's gift!
In this edition: it's just some cozy bar music... and it barely suits this design of Betilla...
-Once More/End of the Line - G(it gud) tier: I didn't hear them a single time because I don't suck at this game! Sorry, no opinion, skill issue m8s!
-Oh No! - C- tier: You're right, my thoughts exactly! I'm sure everyone struggling with this game will be happy to hear some kazoos making fun of them when dying for the 999th time! Before, we had Kaizo Rayman, and now, it's Kazoo Rayman!

THE DREAM FOREST
-First Steps - A+ tier: Superb! Genuinely very good! Very fitting choices in instrumentation, and it gives this glorious feeling of returning to Rayman's roots! Different, but hardly worse! It also sounds pretty close to the Rayman by Rémi rendition of it that wasn't included in the album. Thank you very much!
-Animal Life - B+ tier: The first ambient track, and the first world one to be some entirely new material... and it's quite solid, at that! The new nature noises are very effective, and it only gets better when the classic drum tracks kick in, meshing well with them, it really does the job!
-Deep Forest - D+ tier: Oof... this is when it starts to get weak... It sounds nothing like the original, and is a mess of strange squeaky mice noises and of "oooh!"s! I hate that I now have to live in a world where I must ask this question, but: what is Rayman Mini doing in my Rayman 1!?
-Bzzit Attacks - A- tier: Nice! Extremely nice! The intro is pretty much the exact original and the main instrument is a bit loud and inconsistent with it, but it kept the buzzing noises and the extra kazoos are used in a healthy amount here! Great!
-Flight of the Mosquito - B tier: Erm... don't get me wrong, this one is superb, but it's really when it starts to sound like something more suitable for a separate tribute album rather a fitting in-game remix. A bit too "jazzy" in-game, but trust me, I'm glad it's actually that way rather than some of the abominations awaiting us later!...
-Hold on Tight! - A- tier: A surprise to be sure, I wasn't even expecting this one to be remade! And it works perfectly, just tone down dem kazoos a bit, and I'd be 100% happy with it! Thank you, you actually get a point over Rayman Redemption here!
-Suspense ~The Flood~ - B- tier: Not too fond of the instrument choice and it could use more intensity, but it's alright! Quite true to the original's intent and it has that right balance of melancholy and... well... suspense!
-Moskito's Rage - D- tier: Good in its own bubble, but absolutely one of the soundtrack's worst here... It feels like some silly giddy tune you'd hear in a low budget animated show, or what some boomer would blast for a merguez sausage party! When the original was one of the raddest tunes in the Rayman series, pure rocking fun while remaining appropriately menacing, something you could listen to on a daily basis and never get tired of it! Well... I'm not sure I want to hear the new one again.

BAND LAND
-Harmony - C- tier: "Ce rêve bleuuuuuuuuu!"
Took me a while to recognise which track it was supposed to mimic and I felt quite disappointed when I recognised said classic, though could have been worse... and even then, to this moment, I swear this is just some instrumental version of "A Whole New World" from Disney Aladdin! ...Also, why is this one so dull and melancholic for the most part? Like, Band Land music should bring a smile to your face, come on Héral, this is your kind of tone!
-Stage Fright - B tier: Surprisingly true to the original tone-wise (I just wish all the new tracks were more consistent together...), and that's at least something that can be said about the returning ambient tracks, they do fit the game well enough! It does lack a bit of the strange fleeting subtlety of the original, but fine.
-Bongo Bridge - C+ tier: Pretty cool I guess, although it's way too repetitive and sounds more like The Red Drummers now more than anything, and it oddly reminds me of a specific tune from Crash Bash for some of the drumming...
-The Band Awakens - C- tier: Starts off as some music a band would play in a bar establishment... OK... then proceeds to transform into a Spyro PS1-like track! So, hey, at least this one got some 90s vibes! (Doesn't belong in Rayman 1 for the most part, but great on its own I guess.)
-Thunderstorm - B tier: Almost the same! Hardly any complaints here!
-The Red Drummers - C+ tier: It's like the classic theme alright! It's just a shame the beats aren't as loud and percussive, it feels kind of half-asleep here...
-Blazing Brass - B- tier: Nearly the original, but very muffled and with some new instruments played over it! Good enough, but a bit of a chaotic mess as a result... And why is the audio so unbalanced? I swear the volume feels so inconsistent for so many tunes in here, I've seen more consistency from music mods!
-Dizzying Heights - C tier: A new one which... works well enough as an ambient track I guess, it certainly captures the mood of Gong Heights even if it's quite inferior. Hey, not distracting at least, and it strangely reminds me of something that would play in Worms Forts.
-Meditating Monks - B+ tier: It returns, and it's half-great and half-UbiArtified! It's quite literally the original with some Origins noises playing on top! Ditch the kazoos and the random "UMs" scattered through it, and it would be some of the best!
-Suspense ~Cutting the Ropes~ - A- tier: Now it properly feels intense and suitable! I usually dislike the overabundance of random kazoo noises in this soundtrack, but it's used to great effect in the latter half, fully bringing out the "drama" of the situation, and also fitting the visuals of the snow/falling cloud particles during the "chase"! My, that's very good!
-Duet with Mr. Sax - B tier: One of the few bosses that have been done justice! Quite good! Now, if ONLY the main instrument had been a saxophone and not kazoos!

BLUE MOUNTAINS
Band Land was already a bit worse than the forest, so alright, let's see how the Blue Mountains have been handled!
-Night on Blue Mountains - B+ tier: Well, this ambient track is quite fine and atmospheric, I love it, even if it misses a bit of the original vibe, but trust me... You're gonna be so GLAD that this is the music that plays in most levels of this world.
-The Hard Rocks - E+ tier: Holy cowpat... Ewww... The Hard Rocks, what did they do to you my beloved? How can we go from some such a great music to the whistling clown mess of this new substitute? Yup, easily one of the worst...
-Peaceful Peaks - C- tier: Oh no... OH NO... OH NOOO!... They didn't bring back Peaceful Peaks, one of the best ones! It doesn't sound at all like the original... However, on its own, while it's not too remarkable and feels like it should be playing in some Wild West context for a UbiArt title rather than R1 mountains, I oddly liked it... This one is strangely melancholic and I couldn't help but perceive it as Héral's feels over the loss of his friend, it really made me emotional... and I'm certainly pleased whenever this style manages to make me FEEL something that isn't slapstick comedy.
-Watch your step!/The Mountain Streams - C tier: More background noise than anything and I already forgot most of it, but hey... does the job, does the job...
-Mr Stone ~King of the Mountain~ - D+ tier: "OH"?... Oh my... What the heck is this? Remember how Mr Stone was that super intimidating giant stone yeti thriving on such a powerful chronic anger that you could FEEL it in your skin? Well, now, he's just some jolly "ho ho, poh doh doh doh doooh, ha ha ha" big funny guy who Rayman has to battle! Because there are only smiles, rainbow, sunshine and sweet little carebears in Rayman's world! Just ignore the evil sorcerer caging up innocent creatures and throwing off the world's balance, or all the pirate slavery/pollution stuff in the corner, it never happened! (I vaguely recognise the Jaguar version or something in the melody's leitmotif, but that's about it... Heh, at least it'll be fun to listen to in the album. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )
Oh, and btw... where was the bloody chase drum music in Twilight Gulch!? All the other drum pieces have been kept, why not this one!?

PICTURE CITY
Everything seems to be getting progressively worse... Please, don't disappoint me, Picture City!
-The Inky Sea - B- tier: Good! It most likely got recorded in the drain of some bathtub, but it really works as a decent substitute!
-Deep Concentration - A- tier: One of my favourites! It's not the same as the original, but it's very respectful of Picture City's theming and I really like the scribbling noises, just use them a bit more sparsely and give it more variety and it'd be a fantastic Rayman ambient track!
-Picture Perfect - D+ tier: Starts quite wonderfully! A beautiful track... Which is what I would have said if it didn't devolve into pure kazoo comedy after it lured you into a false sense of security! Come on, this isn't the jungle or a Moskito ride, this is completely out of place! Please: no more kazoos!...
-Space Mama's Overture - S(lop Mama) tier: OH MY FUCKING POLOKUS... I have to talk about that disaster... Well... I have to make a bold statement... This track... is one of the worst ever composed for the entire Rayman series. To quote a wise angry nerd: "I'M DEAD FUCKING SERIOUS". No exaggeration, even the worst of the painful GBC/GBA tracks and the most tedious headache-inducing pieces from Mini are better! Joke all you want about Razorwife, but she actually sings miles better than this!
This could have been saved if it actually included proper opera singing! This could have been saved if the instrumentation actually had the suitable intensity for a boss fight! This could have been saved if the sound quality didn't felt so bad! But as it is, it's a total shipwreck that no tall-enough crane could ever pick back from the depths of embarrassment it has sunked into! Even that one bloody joke track from Rayman Origins makes for a more enjoyable tune than this slop, in every single way!

And that's even sadder, because the instrumental behind this is very pleasant, but it shouldn't have been wasted on this!
-Painted Pentathlon - D- tier: Oh... welp, quite meh, but could be passabl-... *KAZOO NOISES INTENSIFY *
OOHMYFREAKINGGOD, IF YOU DON'T PUT DOWN THAT FREAKING KAZOO RIGHT NOW, I'M GONNA CONFISCATE IT AND SHOVE IT UP SOMEONE'S- [SPACE MAMA'S "CRATER" ] !
STOP. IT. WITH. THE. K A Z O O S !
-Space Mama's Finale - S(lop Mama)+ tier: Kind of better and some notes are appropriately space-themed here... buuut... exact same out of tune singing slop copy-pasted from the other one... Pfft... On to the next world, I'm done with this.

CAVES OF SKOPS
PLEASE BE GOOD! PLEASE DON'T KEEP GETTING WORSE-...
-Lurking in the Darkness - C+ tier: Ah, not such a bad start! Sure it's pretty bland and forgettable, but it actually sounds like the original one for the most part! Still, suffers from the "original muffled track with Origins instruments playing over it syndrome"...
-The Stalactites' Teardrops - D- tier: PLEASEDON'TFUCKUPTHISONE, PLEASEDON'TFUCKUPTHISONE, PLEASE DON'T FUCK UP THIS ONE!-... They scratched it and replaced it with some dull Origins Land of the Livid Dead "ooooh" music... Oh my god... I hate living in this reality...
-Sounds in the Shadows - B+ tier: Ooh, a very good alternative take on a classic ambient track! Yeah, it's different... but it's gloomy enough, you can sense the crushing weight of the dark cavern around you, it feels like it could belong in a 90s game, and it got no goofy kazoo/mice noises erupting to break the mood! I'd argue it even fits a few more parts of the caves better than its 1995 counterpart! The only flaw: way too short, so you barely hear it or it repeats too much! Anyway, well done!
-Party at Joe's - C tier: Sigh... the original, but with overexcited kazoos squeaking over it... and this is what ends the game in the credits... Urg... Next.
-Entering the Cavern - A tier: Oh my god, this can't be...! What's-... I forgot, what's the opposite of "bad", guys? Uhm... oh yes, "good"! It's very good! Finally, a great song after so long! We finally get to hear a majestic one after so much pain! It's true to the original and does -almost- everything right to convey the beauty of the caves, it's mellow and magical! Thank you! Thank you for this diamond of a melody! ...And it cuts abruptly like most other tracks, and plays in a single part of the whole game! Is there a justice in this cruel world?!
-Venomous Mr. Skops - B+ tier: Yes, another classic one! Yes, it ain’t so bad, finally another good boss theme!... But of course, it's one of those "quiet original but with louder instruments playing over it"...

CANDY CHÂTEAU:
The final lineup, at last... and most of what we had so far was just ok, or plain weak... Sigh, let's get done with this...
-Creepy Clowns - A- tier: Well, very solid rendition of Creepy Clowns, it has all the needed energy and the inherent goofiness of the UbiArt style meshes very well with Candy Château and especially the pan phase! Gud job!
-Candy Party - B+ tier: Ah, one of the most satisfying remakes! I like the new circus ambience playing behind it! It's quite faithful and has that right amount of "menace" in its vibe for the Bad Rayman chase, aside from... you guessed it... Kazoo noises... At least, they don't feel so out of place here, for once... but c'mon...
-Cakewalk - D tier: Urgh... this is what we have to hear before Mr Dark? This goofy clown tune that sounds like free public domain music (I swear I'm recognising one in this!)?... F I N E... However... I SWEAR, if you DARE ruin the next one with some kazoo or ukulele crap, I'M SO GONNA-
-Mr Dark's Dare - B- tier: This is like a live remix of the original music with some ukulele playing over it... Of b l o o d y course... U R G H... OK, it's not bad! But as a final boss theme for Rayman 1!? No, this is the most unsatisfying experience I ever had with Rayman's final part.
We could have got the Rayman by Rémi version as a surprise, or a new rendition of it, but of course not...
But the good news is, it's FINALLY OVEEEERRRRR!


So, to summarise this soundtrack-



FINAL WORDS:
Yep, there was no way Héral was ever going to make something competing with the original on his own and just within a summer. And I don't blame him for any of it, no matter how rushed or poorly thought out some of the tracks feel.
If there's any hate to give to anyone (and DON'T HARASS ANYONE FFS ), it's whoever at Ubisoft decided to use such a good talented man as cannon fodder for all the complaints the collection was going to receive. This is genuinely revolting...
It needed more time in the oven, but given the context, it's certainly not incompetent. Except Space Mama, no excuse for that one
My sincere thanks to Christophe Héral for his great effort, and his tribute to Rémi! I'll buy the album whenever it comes out!

Me too, these people are just acting like it's Resident Evil Survivor Type Shit or something.

As a whole it's definitely not anywhere near the levels of "somebody bought a $2.00 Casio at the Goodwill and threw it down the stairs" like RE Survivor's factory music, but the new Space Mama tracks are certainly up there as the closest Rayman equivalent to Mansion Basement from RE Dualshock Edition!

I'd like to express my disdain for the absolute atrocity they committed thirty years ago when porting Allegro Presto to the Jaguar version!
Seriously, the level design just doesn't work Instead of replacing the level with something different, they just tried to shoehorn in the same levels with bandaids and it makes for a really frustrating experience. I'm basically stuck at the bit with the trumpets at the beginning of part 2. Almost had it, but of course the last cloud had to be a timed-disappearing one instead of one that disappears when you stand on it, so back to the start for me!

Nothing new here, but it's my first time playing through it for myself, and I can only now fully appreciate what a terrible job was done here…

And some people (who got their opinion from a YouTuber) have the nerve to say this is "the only good" version of Rayman.

Back on the subject of 30th Anniversary Edition, does anybody else feel like there's a noticeable input lag? I tried the PlayStation version on the game and something felt a bit off...

Same, controls are strangely unresponsive from time to time...



Anyway, regardless of my distaste for most of this collection, I put my money where my mouth is and bought myself a second copy, but on Switch so I can play Rayman 1 anywhere!
I supported the Rayman series by buying the 30th Anniversary Edition so you don't have to

[PluMGMK]

And some people (who got their opinion from a YouTuber) have the nerve to say this is "the only good" version of Rayman.

Well, I will say this much: it's got by far the least janky Flying Rings! Rayman's fist passes through them instead of hitting them uselessly when you don't have the power yet, you can jump easily between them (extra jump height helps), and if you press up or down when letting go, you just jump instead of getting a crazy momentum boost!

On the flipside, it's got by far the jankiest ledge-grabs, which really feel like something out of an unfinished fangame The last jump in Gong Heights 1 is practically impossible, you have to jump off the bouncing ball just as the Monk is throwing it off the right-hand side of his head… (And when you fail you have to restart the map so by the time you get back there you won't have retained enough sensory feedback to recognize the pattern – I guess this is a problem people had with other tricky things in all the versions of Rayman 1…)

[lyndo64]

On the flipside, it's got by far the jankiest ledge-grabs, which really feel like something out of an unfinished fangame The last jump in Gong Heights 1 is practically impossible, you have to jump off the bouncing ball just as the Monk is throwing it off the right-hand side of his head… (And when you fail you have to restart the map so by the time you get back there you won't have retained enough sensory feedback to recognize the pattern – I guess this is a problem people had with other tricky things in all the versions of Rayman 1…)

Really glad someone mentioned this, I feel like when people defend JagRay they never talk about how frankly awful Rayman feels to control. There's the aforementioned ledge-grab mechanics which are so bad they almost made me quit on my first playthrough, it seems like Rayman doesn't grab the platform half the time! BL as a whole is a boring slog that feels like it should've been in By His Fans instead of Rayman 1, and Rayman's punch feels much worse than the PS1 version, its much harder to kill smaller enemies, like Antitoons, in this version. I do think I prefer it graphically though, the colors look much nicer, particularly in the DF.

[StanceDance]

As a whole it's definitely not anywhere near the levels of "somebody bought a $2.00 Casio at the Goodwill and threw it down the stairs" like RE Survivor's factory music, but the new Space Mama tracks are certainly up there as the closest Rayman equivalent to Mansion Basement from RE Dualshock Edition!

You mean this one?
btw I spotted a AVGN reference