The limbless legend still has it
By Paul Hunter
Thirty years is a long time in gaming. Rayman designer Michel Ancel and programmer Frédéric Houde created the timeless 2D platformer and launched it on PS1 in 1995 as one of its day-one titles, and was a big hit for Ubisoft. I was there at the PlayStation launch, so seeing the character finally get a proper anniversary collection got me genuinely excited.
Ubisoft and retro porting experts Digital Eclipse put together the Rayman 30th Anniversary Edition, and it includes five playable versions of Rayman and a playable 1992 SNES prototype. Plus, you get a full documentary diving deep into the game’s rich history. The original still holds up in 2026, and this package proves it without question. Should Rayman 30th Anniversary Edition be next retro compilation you pick up? Let’s find out!
Looking more closely at the individual versions of Rayman included, the Atari Jaguar version is the cartridge-based original that every other version here was built from. This version of the game loads fast and the pictures are sharp and colourful. It also has a mini game that is like Arkanoid, and this is something that most Rayman fans may not have seen before, which is a great surprise. Meanwhile, the PlayStation version adds FMV scenes that the Jaguar could not have because of limited cartridge sizes, and the sound and music are still excellent all the way through.
The MS-DOS version is the standout of the five. Sharp graphics and Sound Blaster audio give it a strong technical presence, and the volume of extra content it carries is remarkable. The development team created 24 additional stages post-launch, fans built 40 more using the Rayman Designer editor, and Ubisoft developers topped it off with 60 super-difficult stages. Over 120 extra levels in total, representing four years of post-launch support, all in one place.
Furthermore, the two handheld versions are neat additions. The Game Boy Color version from 2000 is a standalone game with its own unique levels, and it has different gameplay from the PS1 original. This version impresses given the limitations of the hardware at the time. Rayman Advance on Game Boy Advance from 2001 is closer to the original game, but it gives Rayman more health and the boss encounters are more forgiving.
Beyond that, the 1992 SNES prototype is really something in this package. Ancel and Houde made this demo with one stage to show the idea to Ubisoft, and this was before they even knew which platform the game would be on. The controls are raw and there is no music, but playing the earliest surviving version of Rayman is something any gamer who loves the history of the franchise will appreciate.
All in all, five fully playable versions of a 90s classic, plus a piece of prototype history, makes this one of the most thorough single-game collections I have played.
Turning to the History section, Digital Eclipse built over an hour of documentary footage covering the complete creation story of the original game. Interviews with designer Michel Ancel, programmer Frédéric Houde, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, and animator Alexandra Steible, now Alexandra Ancel, give you genuine behind-the-scenes access to how Rayman came together.
Original artwork, one-sheeters, which are single-page promotional documents from the development period, and sketch drawings from that same era are all included. The 85-page design manual Ancel and Houde produced during development is also there, complete with their original 58-week production estimate. You also get a peek at the games that directly influenced Rayman's creation and answers the question many fans have wondered about for years: why does the character have no arms or legs? I sat down to take a quick look and did not stop for well over an hour. Digital Eclipse delivered this same quality with Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration, and this History section belongs right alongside it.
On the audio side, the original soundtracks have been remixed or replaced across all five versions, with new music composed by Christophe Héral, the composer behind Rayman Origins and Legends, likely because Ubisoft does not fully own the rights to the original audio. Héral knows this franchise well and the new compositions are a strong fit for the game, although purists may be a bit disappointed knowing the iconic original tunes are absent here.
All in all, the History section is one of the best game documentaries Digital Eclipse has produced, and the quality-of-life features make every version in this collection a genuine pleasure to sit down with.
Final Score: 7.5/10 - Good
Developer: Digital Eclipse
Publisher: Ubisoft
Genre: Platformer
Modes: Single-player
A key was provided by the publisher.
By Paul Hunter
Thirty years is a long time in gaming. Rayman designer Michel Ancel and programmer Frédéric Houde created the timeless 2D platformer and launched it on PS1 in 1995 as one of its day-one titles, and was a big hit for Ubisoft. I was there at the PlayStation launch, so seeing the character finally get a proper anniversary collection got me genuinely excited.
Ubisoft and retro porting experts Digital Eclipse put together the Rayman 30th Anniversary Edition, and it includes five playable versions of Rayman and a playable 1992 SNES prototype. Plus, you get a full documentary diving deep into the game’s rich history. The original still holds up in 2026, and this package proves it without question. Should Rayman 30th Anniversary Edition be next retro compilation you pick up? Let’s find out!
Included Games
The core Rayman experience across all five versions sends you through 17 stages set in six distinct worlds. You're main task is freeing six caged Electoons, small creatures imprisoned across each stage, before taking the fight to Mr. Dark, the sorcerer pulling the strings behind the game's chaos. Worlds like Band Land, a musical-themed area full of rhythm and colour, and Candy Chateau, a sugar-themed final stretch, give the game a bold visual identity built on oil paint colour and pure imagination. The difficulty is brutal by 2026 standards, so keep that in mind. Leaps of faith are common, and backtracking to reach previously locked Electoon cages as you earn new abilities is part of how the game is designed.Looking more closely at the individual versions of Rayman included, the Atari Jaguar version is the cartridge-based original that every other version here was built from. This version of the game loads fast and the pictures are sharp and colourful. It also has a mini game that is like Arkanoid, and this is something that most Rayman fans may not have seen before, which is a great surprise. Meanwhile, the PlayStation version adds FMV scenes that the Jaguar could not have because of limited cartridge sizes, and the sound and music are still excellent all the way through.
The MS-DOS version is the standout of the five. Sharp graphics and Sound Blaster audio give it a strong technical presence, and the volume of extra content it carries is remarkable. The development team created 24 additional stages post-launch, fans built 40 more using the Rayman Designer editor, and Ubisoft developers topped it off with 60 super-difficult stages. Over 120 extra levels in total, representing four years of post-launch support, all in one place.
Furthermore, the two handheld versions are neat additions. The Game Boy Color version from 2000 is a standalone game with its own unique levels, and it has different gameplay from the PS1 original. This version impresses given the limitations of the hardware at the time. Rayman Advance on Game Boy Advance from 2001 is closer to the original game, but it gives Rayman more health and the boss encounters are more forgiving.
Beyond that, the 1992 SNES prototype is really something in this package. Ancel and Houde made this demo with one stage to show the idea to Ubisoft, and this was before they even knew which platform the game would be on. The controls are raw and there is no music, but playing the earliest surviving version of Rayman is something any gamer who loves the history of the franchise will appreciate.
All in all, five fully playable versions of a 90s classic, plus a piece of prototype history, makes this one of the most thorough single-game collections I have played.
Bonuses Included
Onto the bonuses included in the 30th Anniversary Edition, every game in the collection ships with save states and a 15-second rewind function, so a bad jump or a rough platform section never has to cost you significant progress. Display options let you choose between CRT filters, which replicate the look of old CRT televisions, and LCD filters depending on the version. You also get to choose between the original screen ratio, full screen, and widescreen, alongside a borders toggle. The MS-DOS and PlayStation versions take it further with a full cheats menu, giving you the option to flick on unlimited lives, unlimited continues, an HP boost, and the ability to unlock all stages and abilities from the start.Turning to the History section, Digital Eclipse built over an hour of documentary footage covering the complete creation story of the original game. Interviews with designer Michel Ancel, programmer Frédéric Houde, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, and animator Alexandra Steible, now Alexandra Ancel, give you genuine behind-the-scenes access to how Rayman came together.
Original artwork, one-sheeters, which are single-page promotional documents from the development period, and sketch drawings from that same era are all included. The 85-page design manual Ancel and Houde produced during development is also there, complete with their original 58-week production estimate. You also get a peek at the games that directly influenced Rayman's creation and answers the question many fans have wondered about for years: why does the character have no arms or legs? I sat down to take a quick look and did not stop for well over an hour. Digital Eclipse delivered this same quality with Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration, and this History section belongs right alongside it.
On the audio side, the original soundtracks have been remixed or replaced across all five versions, with new music composed by Christophe Héral, the composer behind Rayman Origins and Legends, likely because Ubisoft does not fully own the rights to the original audio. Héral knows this franchise well and the new compositions are a strong fit for the game, although purists may be a bit disappointed knowing the iconic original tunes are absent here.
All in all, the History section is one of the best game documentaries Digital Eclipse has produced, and the quality-of-life features make every version in this collection a genuine pleasure to sit down with.
The Verdict
I had a great time with Rayman 30th Anniversary Edition, and I think most gamers who grew up in the 90s will too. It gives you five different versions of Rayman to play through, packs in a History section that is genuinely one of the best game documentaries I have watched, and includes enough quality-of-life features to make every version a pleasure to play. This is the package the original Rayman deserved, and it is well worth adding to your PS5 library.Final Score: 7.5/10 - Good
Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition Review details
Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo SwitchDeveloper: Digital Eclipse
Publisher: Ubisoft
Genre: Platformer
Modes: Single-player
A key was provided by the publisher.