What do you think Rayman 1 would be like if it was 3D?
Do you think they would have kept the same levels and design?
Do you think Rayman would have had the same impact that it did back in 1995?
Do you think the overall game would have been as hard?
q1: I think it would have been hard to keep the original style and design. Also note that technology wasn't as advanced back then. It would have most likely looked worse with the quality of 3D graphics in that year (If they already existed; I'm not sure).
q2: No.
q3: I think it really depends on other factors and not whenever it's a sidescroller or has a 3D environment.
I think it would be a bad idea totally converting it to the 3D mechanics, but I wouldn't mind seeing a 2,5D Rayman 1 in HD graphics as long things were nicely made and loyal to the R1 style.
I actually wondered about R1 "inspired remake" some time ago which would be 3d and so on. There are obviously differences between that and R1 being 3d from the beginning, but well, one could say that then it would not be R1 and probably that's true. This is because the developers would, for example, scrap levels which were hard to render in whatever era they developed the game. So let us assume as little change to worlds and characters as possible, and a game done today.
In my opinion, most of the games can be broken into four slightly distinctive elements: story, graphics, sound and gameplay mechanics. The sound would obviously not need much changes under our assumptions, and same could be told of story, although 3d environment allows us to make background events easier to integrate into gameplay.
Graphics are where the things get complicated. We can imagine either some kind of cel-shading getting used, or total overhaul to something looking more like R2 and R3. The latter option would be a total disgrace to most of the game assuming we're not changing worlds and characters. I mean, just imagine Mr. Dark rendered by R2 engine. While Dark is definitely Dark, he's a sharply drawn, easily visible figure. Cel-shading would be the way to go, I guess. But it would need a lot of work to produce satisfying results.
The gameplay mechanics are the most interesting part. They would need loads and loads of modifications assuming we're not talking about 2,5d game. I have recently played Antichamber, which may have changed my opinion on the "Gendoors" a little. The R1's fourth wall breaking (or not?) action object instability could work in 3d environment, but it would require some changes: all Gendoors are either needed to progress or player friendly and they are activated by touching a visible game object or constructed in such a way that player can't miss them by simple exploiting and/or misbehavior (like "invisible Gendoor obstacle course").
The platforming mechanics are actually quite easy to port to 3d, and there are so many ideas for additional powers I have that even without adding new worlds we could get something interesting. But the combat. Oh, the combat. The R2 system, as well as R3 one, are so different to the R1 experience. I think that the thing should be designed from the ground up, with some cameos if you dare of later games' combat systems.
Now, leaving this mambling aside, let's get to the opening post questions, which I assume are about 3d R1 done in nineties. The answer is simply put no, no idea, and no.
#1: No, because cel-shading wasn't developed well right then. This would cause some changes in design. I'm pretty sure relative lack of surrealism in R2 is precisely because developers couldn't handle surreal worlds looking well.
#2: No idea, because I have no idea what impact did R1 have and, which is of critical importance, what platforms would it grace. For example, it could end up being some kind of Sony or Sega co-funded answer to Mario 64. Or it could end up being on Jaguar without port to anything else.
#3: No. Definitely no. Unless it would be !@#$%^&* impossible. This is something that for some reason happens with most 3d platformers, and while I have no reasons to not believe someone that claims they know games defying it, without any more specific info I can only imagine it being easier.
I'd go so far asto say that I'd hate for such a thing to happen, Stan put it well, to make Rayman 1 into a 3D game could easily strip it of the traits which made it what it is, besides, I'd rather such efforts be put to good use elsewhere.
What do you think Rayman 1 would be like if it was 3D?
Adsolution is already remaking Band Land in 3d, that's quite a step up for what Rayman 1 would look like in 3d.
As for a full blown remake, I'd be interested in seeing my favorite game of all time get remade.
stan423321 wrote:I actually wondered about R1 "inspired remake" some time ago which would be 3d and so on. There are obviously differences between that and R1 being 3d from the beginning, but well, one could say that then it would not be R1 and probably that's true. This is because the developers would, for example, scrap levels which were hard to render in whatever era they developed the game. So let us assume as little change to worlds and characters as possible, and a game done today.
In my opinion, most of the games can be broken into four slightly distinctive elements: story, graphics, sound and gameplay mechanics. The sound would obviously not need much changes under our assumptions, and same could be told of story, although 3d environment allows us to make background events easier to integrate into gameplay.
Graphics are where the things get complicated. We can imagine either some kind of cel-shading getting used, or total overhaul to something looking more like R2 and R3. The latter option would be a total disgrace to most of the game assuming we're not changing worlds and characters. I mean, just imagine Mr. Dark rendered by R2 engine. While Dark is definitely Dark, he's a sharply drawn, easily visible figure. Cel-shading would be the way to go, I guess. But it would need a lot of work to produce satisfying results.
The gameplay mechanics are the most interesting part. They would need loads and loads of modifications assuming we're not talking about 2,5d game. I have recently played Antichamber, which may have changed my opinion on the "Gendoors" a little. The R1's fourth wall breaking (or not?) action object instability could work in 3d environment, but it would require some changes: all Gendoors are either needed to progress or player friendly and they are activated by touching a visible game object or constructed in such a way that player can't miss them by simple exploiting and/or misbehavior (like "invisible Gendoor obstacle course").
The platforming mechanics are actually quite easy to port to 3d, and there are so many ideas for additional powers I have that even without adding new worlds we could get something interesting. But the combat. Oh, the combat. The R2 system, as well as R3 one, are so different to the R1 experience. I think that the thing should be designed from the ground up, with some cameos if you dare of later games' combat systems.
Now, leaving this mambling aside, let's get to the opening post questions, which I assume are about 3d R1 done in nineties. The answer is simply put no, no idea, and no.
#1: No, because cel-shading wasn't developed well right then. This would cause some changes in design. I'm pretty sure relative lack of surrealism in R2 is precisely because developers couldn't handle surreal worlds looking well.
#2: No idea, because I have no idea what impact did R1 have and, which is of critical importance, what platforms would it grace. For example, it could end up being some kind of Sony or Sega co-funded answer to Mario 64. Or it could end up being on Jaguar without port to anything else.
#3: No. Definitely no. Unless it would be !@#$%^&* impossible. This is something that for some reason happens with most 3d platformers, and while I have no reasons to not believe someone that claims they know games defying it, without any more specific info I can only imagine it being easier.
Wow, thankyou so much for that reply. Tings!
I realize what I meant by the question was more so if a remake was made for Rayman 1, as opposed to the original game being created in 3D. I came across the idea for this topic when I learnt that Rayman 2 was originally going to be in 2D
Thank goodness that they decided to chage it, otherwise my favourite playformer of all time would have never come to being.
Moral of the post/s: Rayman 1 is best in 2D, and Rayman 2 is best in 3D
It is interesting to think, that perhaps, if such a thing existed, there could be a parallel world in which the 2D Rayman 2 game came out, how would the series progress there?
