Rayman 1

[Ols]

You guys know there's a whole thing where they did move the ring down in certain versions, right? It's been talked about here and here…

Interesting! I'm most familiar with PS1, didn't realize they'd made that particular change in some of the other versions.

[PluMGMK]

(Am I a bad person for having cautious levels of hope or what-)

Spes non confundit…

But what if my hope does disappoint? idk, I do feel hopeful, but on the other hand, I feel I am for the wrong reason.

I guess it's because Rayman has been part of my life for a good while, but idk yet. I'm still trying to figure that out.

Well, I guess I was just saying not to worry about it. Being hopeful never makes you a bad person!

You guys know there's a whole thing where they did move the ring down in certain versions, right? It's been talked about here and here…

Interesting! I'm most familiar with PS1, didn't realize they'd made that particular change in some of the other versions.

Congrats on the 10000th reply to this topic!

Your mention of "PS1" reminds me that the achievements for the new compilation mention the "PSX" version. I know a lot of us always used to call it that, but was that technically correct? I seem to recall reading more recently that referring to the original PlayStation as "PSX" was a misconception, so it's interesting if all our discussions over the years have also caused that to make its way into official achievement descriptions…

[Ols]

Congrats on the 10000th reply to this topic!

Firstly, hooray!

Your mention of "PS1" reminds me that the achievements for the new compilation mention the "PSX" version. I know a lot of us always used to call it that, but was that technically correct? I seem to recall reading more recently that referring to the original PlayStation as "PSX" was a misconception, so it's interesting if all our discussions over the years have also caused that to make its way into official achievement descriptions…

Secondly, I'm not sure. Growing up, I remember seeing "PS1" used by fans before I saw anybody say "PSX", so PS1 is just the abbreviation I ended up sticking with. With that said, I can't seem to think of any time Sony has referred to the original console that way. They've used "PSOne" before (like for PSOne Classics on the PSN store), but that seems like it's referring to the redesigned console of the same name. PSX was at least the original PlayStation's internal codename, so I guess that's probably the most accurate abbreviation? For the purposes of achievement descriptions, at least.

If anyone's able to find out if Sony's ever used the term "PS1" (or any other shorthand names), I'd be really interested to know.

[PluMGMK]

I think many of us preferred to avoid "PS1" because it could be confused with the PS One, which is different from the original PlayStation (which didn't have a number)…

[Mortamon Saturn]

It's also a country thing, a bit like the pronunciation of "NES" depending on the region.
In France, I think I can confidently say I've never heard anyone say "PSX", we always called it "PS1" (the 1 is easier/quicker to pronounce in French, and the X never made sense to us), or "PlayStation" (which too many pronounced as "Plaiestécheune" ).

Pixel perfect would be one thing, but it's not really, it just feels random! Especially since he sometimes grabs the ledge in the wrong place!

Yup, as of now, I still haven't figured out how it works exactly. I don't know if the collisions work any different in this version, but it just doesn't feel consistent here...

Like in the bouncy eraser puzzle at the beginning of Pencil Pentathlon 3!

I also struggled to make some jumps in the Swamps of Forgetfulness because of it as I punched a Plum a bit too far into the water, and so it was either being stuck having Rayman automatically hanging to the platform above, or drowning!
I'm not sure I'm looking forward to some exclusive parts of this version.

Except there's no thunderstorm in this version

I know, it felt so weird to see it in plain sunny time like that!

Which is strange... couldn't the so-mighty Atari Jaguar render that weather? Or make the ice physics work identically? I thought the """64-bit""" power could do better than everyone else! "Just do the math"! You take two 32-bit processors and it becomes "64", just like how my two PS2s glued together are a PS4!

Interesting! On PC, the in-game slider controls the "new" music, and the OG is nowhere to be heard. It's not that bad though!

Great, more subtle version differences! Just what Rayman 1 needed!

Yeah, that's great! I seem to have been spared Space Mama's bad singing then (which I still haven't listened to ) What's with the Moskito theme playing in all the Super Helicopter levels though?

Final note: in most versions, the credits end with "See You Soon – Rayman". But in the Jaguar version, Mister Dark flies across the screen, and then it just says "See You Soon", suggesting that he's the one saying it. That feels way more ominous and sinister, and setting things up for a sequel!

And I'm relieved to hear that about Space Mama, because holy heck, if the original Rayman 1 suffered from lack of playtesting, this new track suffered from no second opinion before green-lighting this disaster! I still can't believe this is a REAL official music that has been composed by actual, talented artists, for a franchise full of prestigious soundtracks like Rayman!...
And also, just entering Blue Mountains, and is it me, or is it the new Red Drummer theme playing in Twilight Gulch?

I always loved that detail, I even featured that specific Mr Dark reference in two of my music videos as a fun throwback!
Sad how this phrase never came true... and no, Rayman Mini doesn't count, neither was it "soon"!

[PluMGMK]

Yup, as of now, I still haven't figured out how it works exactly. I don't know if the collisions work any different in this version, but it just doesn't feel consistent here...

They definitely work differently, since it's running a completely different engine.

I know, it felt so weird to see it in plain sunny time like that!

Which is strange... couldn't the so-mighty Atari Jaguar render that weather? Or make the ice physics work identically? I thought the """64-bit""" power could do better than everyone else! "Just do the math"! You take two 32-bit processors and it becomes "64", just like how my two PS2s glued together are a PS4!

I don't know whether the lack of these features was caused by lack of space in the cartridge or just lack of time / resources to backport them to the old Jaguar engine. Presumably there were good reasons that they couldn't take the newer engine and make it work on the Jaguar directly, which would probably have been best for everyone…

And I'm relieved to hear that about Space Mama, because holy heck, if the original Rayman 1 suffered from lack of playtesting, this new track suffered from no second opinion before green-lighting this disaster! I still can't believe this is a REAL official music that has been composed by actual, talented artists, for a franchise full of prestigious soundtracks like Rayman!...
And also, just entering Blue Mountains, and is it me, or is it the new Red Drummer theme playing in Twilight Gulch?

Well, I figured out how to get the proper soundtrack back. Use Cowabunga to convert the "assets.pie" file to a ZIP, extract the Jaguar ROM inside, and play it with Virtual Jaguar

I always loved that detail, I even featured that specific Mr Dark reference in two of my music videos as a fun throwback!
Sad how this phrase never came true... and no, Rayman Mini doesn't count, neither was it "soon"!

Well, it did come true in Rayman Junior! The intro sequence makes it clear that it's a direct sequel to Rayman 1, even though the "map to his hideout" is quite different from the original one!

[Master]

I think many of us preferred to avoid "PS1" because it could be confused with the PS One, which is different from the original PlayStation (which didn't have a number)…

That's never really bothered me too much, maybe it's because the PS One was the one I had, but to me PS1 is effectively a retronym that covers both PlayStation and the PS One, seeing as the PS One is effectively a "Slim" variant of the original PlayStation. Future PlayStation consoles all followed the convention of having an original and slim model, but shared the same base name (PS2/3/4/5 all have "slim," "lite" and more recently "Pro" variants, but they are all still counted as variant models of the original console), and as such to me it makes more sense to just retroactively apply what it is now the common parlance.

In addition I don't like using the PSX term to refer to the original PlayStation, because there's already a distinct PSX. Granted it's just effectively a PS2 with a DVR, but if there's something that has far more firmer association with the term, I think using PS1 to refer to the original console is far less confusing (and again, better follows modern convention).

[PluMGMK]

Well, like it or not, "PSX version" is now official parlance, as it appears in the achievement descriptions on Steam!

The feedback loop continues.

[Master]

And this is why the 30th Anniversary Edition is pure tripe. Forget the soundtrack, forget the bugs, this lack of commitment to proper nomenclature will not stand.

[Mortamon Saturn]

We now have the Tings referred to as "Blue Spheres" in the achievements, and the Rayman Advance Antitoons in the History section as "Electoons"... Unacceptable!

[TeensieKing]

There’s actually one track from the new soundtrack that I prefer over the original: Painted Pentathlon.

The original never really did much for me, and I think Rayman Redemption may have overused it a bit. The new version, on the other hand, feels like a genuine upgrade. It suits the level perfectly.

I’m also starting to warm up to the new OST and the way it brings Rayman 1’s ambience a bit closer to Origins. Of course, the original soundtrack is still great, and it’s not like the old version has disappeared.

On the PS1 vs PSX naming debate, I remember watching a YouTube video that explained how the original PlayStation was initially going to be marketed as “PSX” in the US. Apparently, some higher-ups really disliked the name, so it was scrapped. By then, though, it had already appeared in some promo material, which caused confusion that still lingers to this day.

I could be wrong, though. My memory’s a bit hazy.

[PluMGMK]

We now have the Tings referred to as "Blue Spheres" in the achievements, and the Rayman Advance Antitoons in the History section as "Electoons"... Unacceptable!

I don't get it… If they're picking these things up from us, how can they be getting the basics so wrong?

Unless it's actually ChatGPT they're using, which might pick stuff up from us, but do so incorrectly half the time

[Hunchman801]

I don't know whether the lack of these features was caused by lack of space in the cartridge or just lack of time / resources to backport them to the old Jaguar engine. Presumably there were good reasons that they couldn't take the newer engine and make it work on the Jaguar directly, which would probably have been best for everyone…

So the understanding is that they ported the Jaguar engine to PC/PS1, made a lot of improvements there, and failed to backport most of them? I wonder if Jaguar-exclusive content (such as Bzzit being able to shoot projectiles) was cut before the port of if it was added at a later stage.

I’m also starting to warm up to the new OST and the way it brings Rayman 1’s ambience a bit closer to Origins.

Unfortunately, bringing the series' atmosphere closer to that of Origins is exactly what I want to avoid.

[Mortamon Saturn]

Unfortunately, bringing the series' atmosphere closer to that of Origins is exactly what I want to avoid.

Same. I genuinely dislike how, instead of rethinking the future, they're trying to rewrite so much of the past like what they did with the incoherent retcons in Origins... and now, they're retroactively retconning Rayman's musical identity, when it doesn't even match with the visuals or the game's overall tone!


Also, I personally still can't stomach this new rendition of Painted Pentathlon...
Instead of any Rayman game, I can only picture some Bob the Builder-esque thing when hearing it, and oh my gosh... The darn stupid kazoos... how does this even belong in Picture City?

I miss your magic, my beloved...

[PluMGMK]

So the understanding is that they ported the Jaguar engine to PC/PS1, made a lot of improvements there, and failed to backport most of them? I wonder if Jaguar-exclusive content (such as Bzzit being able to shoot projectiles) was cut before the port of if it was added at a later stage.

No, the PC/PS1 engine was a complete rewrite from the ground up, whereas the Jaguar one evolved from what was used in the original SNES prototype. The Jaguar version runs on a completely different engine from all the other versions, so it's not surprising that it feels completely different to play.

As we've been discussing, Rayman's movement on Jaguar really feels like some unfinished fangames I've attempted to play, which suggests that the old engine was not really finished properly before most of the effort and resources were moved over to the new one. Which is a pity…

[Ols]

I'm waiting for the physical release of the 30th Anniversary Edition, so I haven't had the chance to try it out, but hearing about the naming inconsistencies and seeing stuff like the use of Rayman's crusty GBA sprites for the museum section (I'm really hoping they don't use them to represent Rayman 1 in the upcoming artbook) really bugs me, even if they're relatively minor issues.

Soundtrack-wise, I take more issue with the original soundtrack not being available than the quality of the new songs. They're jarring for sure, and many don't fit the vibe of Rayman 1's aesthetic, but there's honestly some excellent stuff in there. The first few seconds of stuff like the new Harmony and Betilla the Fairy gave me some really bad first impressions, but after listening to them the whole way through I think they're great pieces in their own right. That said, I love the original Painted Pentathlon to bits and the new version having kazoos feels very out of place. Weird choice for anything from Picture City.

[PluMGMK]

I will say that I rather like the new version of the Jaguar Suspense theme. I find it really fits in with the game, and evokes the feeling of unease as originally intended (something I honestly don't feel the original non-Jaguar Suspense theme achieved). It also kinda gives me vibes of "Party Escort" from the Portal soundtrack…

[RayGamer99]

Unfortunately, bringing the series' atmosphere closer to that of Origins is exactly what I want to avoid.

Same. I genuinely dislike how, instead of rethinking the future, they're trying to rewrite so much of the past like what they did with the incoherent retcons in Origins... and now, they're retroactively retconning Rayman's musical identity, when it doesn't even match with the visuals or the game's overall tone!

I agree with the two of you; even as someone who loves the heck out of the UbiArt games and their soundtracks, I think that trying to move past games closer to that sort of vibe is not the right move. Doing that with the soundtrack alone robs newer generations of part of the magic that made Rayman 1 what it is to us, and that just doesn't sit right with me.

Also, I personally still can't stomach this new rendition of Painted Pentathlon...
Instead of any Rayman game, I can only picture some Bob the Builder-esque thing when hearing it, and oh my gosh... The darn stupid kazoos... how does this even belong in Picture City?

While the track doesn't entirely fit the vibe of Picture City or Rayman in general, at least the Jaguar version makes the song (and the OST in general) more bearable by sparing us the UbiArt instruments!

[Chilistudios]

I wanna ask. Is the level editor from Designer in the 30th collection? Or at the very least, in the collection's files?

[TeensieKing]

Unfortunately, bringing the series' atmosphere closer to that of Origins is exactly what I want to avoid.

I mean, don’t get me wrong. I still don’t appreciate them rewriting history, and if you ask me, we’re owed an update with the original soundtrack. Rayman’s future would definitely look brighter without whistling and kazoos on the horizon.

That said, Héral’s new soundtrack feels like a middle ground between his Origins-esque style and a more serious, immersive tone. And if nothing else, that at least makes it an interesting experiment. It does makes me wonder if he’s boxed himself into a specific sound.