It's a tough question for me...
You see, the first game I ever played was Rayman for GBC in 2000. I borrowed it from a friend who owned, like, thirty other games for that console (and many other games for diffent consoles) - I really liked it but since I couldn't get past the third stage I gave it back and forgot about it completely.
Sometime later I got another game - Rayman M - from my dad's friend. Result - couldn't play because of such an old computer I owned, borrowed to that friend with many games. He gave me that game in such a poor condition I decided to never borrow him anything...
About four years later - bought Rayman 2 - a lot cheaper than usual and thought that since Croc could be played, I would be able to play that game as well...
I couldn't be more wrong...
2005 - bought PL version of "The Amazing Learning with Rayman" - I found the situation very funny - in a shop which I would never go (but went searching for something anyway) I noticed the game. It reminded me of something but I couldn't lay my finger on what it could be.
2006 - bought PL version of "Maths and English with Rayman" - the situation was even funnier - in a new supermarket there was a sale, games for about 10 PLN (about 2.50 EUR)! I couldn't miss the chance of buying it...
(Please note tha during the years 2002-2006 I had a really old computer with Windows 95 [sometimes that changed into Windows 98], no internet connection and no 3D graphics)
That year I also obtained a new computer - I could play only Rayman 2. That's the game which really got me into the fandom.
I still think that the games mentioned earlier had an influence on whether I liked that game series or not...