The beloved Rayman franchise has evolved in many ways from its first title to this third iteration. Rayman was debuted on the ill-fated Jaguar system, but most gamers will remember him when he appeared on Playstation in 1996. Then his sequel, The Great Escape, became what many gamers believe is one of the best platformers to ever grace a console. Now, this hero returns in an incredible adventure more than two years after his last. Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc actually had been in development for over four years, and many gamers were very impatient for its release. As many platformers evolved throughout the years, Rayman has as well.

Hoodlum Havoc is full of bright colors and terrain, but later in the game you will notice a change in tones ranging from brown to gray. The textures are one of the game’s inner strengths. The characters are detailed nicely. The game runs on a steady 60 frames per second and very rarely changes. When playing Rayman 3, you will enjoy just watching the environments, looking closely at colors and character details. This is what makes Rayman 3 what it is.

You start in a peaceful world with little “Lums.” One day, Rayman’s good ole buddy Globox mistakenly swallows the Dark Lum Chief. Rayman now has to go out and find a doctor to cure Globox and keep him intact throughout the journey. But of course, evil forces are out to rescue the Dark Lum Chief and send the world into darkness. Your main goal is to save Globox and diminish the Dark Lums’s plans.

The enemies are known as Hoodlums...duh, but they come in many forms. You get rifle shooting ones and grenade throwing ones. The game will take you through nine unique worlds from the “Fairy Council” to the “Land of the Livid Dead," all of which have been designed with perfection but are more puzzle-based and a bit smaller compared to the levels in Rayman 2.

Rayman 3 consists of straightforward combat as most platformers nowadays are, with power-ups along the way. You start with no hands, but that changes in the later levels. You’ll be introduced to different colored cans that transform Rayman into a superhero of some sort. Your arsenal will consist of “Heavy Metal Fists” (shots of powered-up balls), “Lock Jaw” (swinging grapple), “Shock Rocket” (guided missile), and a “Throttle Copter” (vertical boost pack). They all last for just a few seconds unlike the fully accessed ones in Rayman 2.

Rayman 3 has sort of the same controls that's in Rayman 2. The analog control is quite responsive and his helicopter ears are back into action as well. Players can now lock onto enemies with the R button. Then you can fire energy balls straight or curved either left or right by tilting the control stick. Holding A will cause his hands to wind up for a big toss. With these standard and efficient controls, Rayman 3 can stay fresh and interesting as you progress.

The game can be completed in eight to twelve hours depending on whether you play with the bonus materials. Rayman earns points throughout the game and depending on certain totals you receive, you will unlock a few extras. Some are FMV outtakes, while others are mini-games like “Racquet Jump” or the fun “Mad Trax.” The “Mad Trax” links up with any GBA so one person creates the track on the GBA while the other player tries to make his way through it. Also, if linked up with the GBA version of Rayman, you will unlock 11 bonus levels. All this should last you a good twenty hours. Nice move by Ubi Soft to include this.

The sound in Hoodlum Havoc is crisp and clean. The game runs in Dolby Pro Logic II and sounds heart pounding when heard from the five surround speakers. The music hits the spot exactly and matches every level to even its smallest element throughout the game. The voice work definitely deserves an applause. John Leguizamo lends his voice to Globox creating hilarious sounds and dialogue that games are in dying need of. The comic relief is a nice thing to include with the already incredible music. Bravo!

The Rayman series has evolved a long way from the 2D scroller to this current 3D platformer. I did enjoy Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc, but it is not as perfect as Rayman 2: The Great Escape was. The levels are not as big as they should be and the puzzles are not very challenging. It was quite refreshing the first time around, and even the second time. The one thing that made me come back for more was the “Mad Trax” mini game that utilizes the GameCube and GBA link up.

Whether you’re a fan or not, anyone craving for a game with action-adventure, smooth graphics, creative moves, steady framerates, and comic relief all included will be quite happy with this title. The game is great. I do recommend it considering its current price of $19.99 and its presentation. The detail and gameplay alone is worth this price.