Rayman 2: The Great Escape - Sega Dreamcast

The back of the case describes Rayman 2's graphics as "lush," but that may be an understatement. The game's environments and effects are impressive. We were awed by the amount of detail that has been designed into many of the game's environments. Perhaps more amazing is that the game suffers no slowdown despite the high-resolution visuals.

Pretty graphics aside, Rayman 2 delivers solid gameplay that will suck in both casual and hardcore gamers. The controls are intuitive and special moves are easy to pull off. Rayman has a limited set of moves--basically he can run, jump, and shoot energy balls. Analog speed control is fully implemented, letting users pounce through a field of butterflies or tiptoe around a sleeping guard. Several puzzles are scattered throughout the game, but they are so ingeniously designed that you'll never feel overwhelmed by their complication.

We were hard-pressed to come up with many drawbacks to this game. One slight flaw is the camera angle, which can sometimes interfere with your ability to accurately control the on-screen action. Fortunately, this can usually be amended with a few quick presses of the camera control buttons. Other than that, Rayman 2 is as good as it gets in this genre. Better still, Dreamcast owners get a special bonus: this version contains some extra levels you won't find anywhere else. If you have multiple systems, this is the version to get. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:
Outstanding visuals Tight control Excellent level design Cons:
Has some 3-D camera problems Sound effects lack punch