Topic: Rayman Origins Impressions

[NWR_Neal]

It's the same great game in nice-looking 3D, but the controls are terrible.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/impressions/30186

The demo for Rayman Origins hit the 3DS eShop in North America and Europe today, sampling three levels (Swinging Caves, Playing in the Shade, and Shooting Me Softly). The demo, for better or worse, brings good news and bad news for the delayed 3DS game.

The good news: the game still looks very pretty. The aspect ratio is changed, so it is a little different, but the added 3D effect is wonderful, adding a lot of depth to the 2D platformer. It honestly makes me giddy to see how platformers of this ilk that are built for the system (like say, Epic Mickey) will look.

The bad news: The controls presented in this demo are dumb. Your jump is mapped to the A and B buttons, while your attack is mapped to X and Y. Unfortunately, your sprint, which you hold down just as often as you do in Mario games, is mapped to the L and R buttons, which feels all kinds of wrong. It makes playing the game uncomfortable, sort of like how people complain about "the claw" on first-person shooters on DS, but with no stylus involved. It's even more preposterous because ostensibly only two of the four face buttons are even used.

Hopefully, when Rayman Origins 3DS comes out on June 5 (if the date in the eShop is correct), the controls will be customizable. If not, I'd advise everyone to check this game out on any other platform.

[geo]

Wow, who thought that was a good idea?  That's a problem associated with GBA, not 3DS. 

[FZeroBoyo]

As a guy who's played half of the game on Wii and the Xbox 360 demo, I can attest that those versions require holding down a shoulder button to run (provided you use the Classic Controller). Not terribly uncomfortable, but that's probably because the controllers are wider and easier to grip in that way.

[MegaByte]

It sure doesn't help that the control itself is spotty, but the button mapping is just ridiculous.

[Hyawatta]

What's the Deal?
 
Ok, this game has been out for the 360, PS3, Wii, and the Vita for quite a while. If all of the different versions require you to use the shoulder buttons to run, then why is it only now when we are dealing with the 3DS version that this is brought up as an issue with the game? It makes it seem as though being on the 3DS is causing the game to have bad controls when it's really the same control scheme all around. If this game had bad controls, then surely we would have heard about it by now from the reviews of it on all of the other systems. If you look at some  of the reviews for the Vita version you’ll see things like, “Control-wise it’s very basic but it works perfectly on the Vita as you can sprint with the shoulder buttons…,” “the controls are simple and concise,” and simply that it has “Excellent controls.” They pretty much say that it’s simple and easy to control and play. What's up with that?
 
http://www.brashgames.co.uk/2012/02/28/rayman-origins-ps-vita-review/
 
http://vita.ign.com/articles/121/1218602p2.html
 
 http://nzgamer.com/vita/reviews/1583/rayman-origins.html

[NWR_Neal]

I played this game on Wii for a little bit, but if I recall, I used the Wii Remote on its side. I think. I didn't play any other versions.

I'd also say that holding the triggers on something like, for example the 360 controller (you do it in Super Meat Boy), is not an issue for me. I can't recall any instances of holding the triggers on CC/PS3 controllers, but I also think they wouldn't be an issue, much like the 360 controller.

The issue with the sprinting-on-triggers here is that it's straight-up uncomfortable on the 3DS. It's not that it's a terrible idea for all systems; it's that it is a terrible idea for 3DS.

So that's likely why it wasn't an issue.

[Webmalfunction]

I think terrible is a strong way to put it. It's certainly awkward to some extent, but I still feel that the controls are managable with the R button as the sprint button. But, of course, controls should not be something to manage.

Now, if we were talking about the 3D, then I would say there is more of a case to use the word terrible. It looks like the shoddy flat 3D Mode in a newer television.

[MegaByte]

I don't even think it's just the R button that's the problem. The controls don't feel tuned properly.

[Webmalfunction]

I sort of agree with that. There were some mad simple jumps in the 3DS demo taking 3-5 times, and I wouldn't be surprised if the control tuning had to do with that.

[Discostew]

Heard from a few people that the controls themselves are not just bad (mainly the shoulder running as people have mentioned already, but I'm used to it with the Wii), but that input-to-action on the 3DS demo is laggy. That in itself would make for a non-sale imo.

Other than that, people say the demo doesn't look or run as well as it should. I can imagine the former being of no consequence if it were compressed for just the demo, but locked at 30fps? I honestly don't think the game is really that demanding.

[monoxzide]

personally i see no issue with controls,but i dont think the 3d is all that great..the game in general is bit blurry..even when they close in on rayman at the end of the stage.i have to say im disappointed in the overall presentation of this game on the 3ds.when it drops in price to 20 or less and i got the cash to blow on a less than stellar game on comparison to whats coming..then maybe ill pick it up..but doubtful

rather spend money on kh3d and hor...this game is just to lil to late..and to thrown together and spat out

[NWR_insanolord]

I played some of the demo and thought the controls were a bit too floaty, though I heard the same thing about the console versions when they came out. Because of that, I'm downloading the demo on 360 to compare them. At this point, I may end up buying the Vita version instead when I get the Vita I've been planning on picking up.

[Tlon]

At this point, I may end up buying the Vita version instead when I get the Vita I've been planning on picking up.

I own the Vita version and have played the eShop demo. I would recommend the Vita version over the 3DS's if the retail game ends up being the same one as the demo. The 3DS' version looks bland compared to Vita which looks really vivid. Plus there is an annoying slowdown when playing the demo. The 3D effect is nice but the art and color seems washed out, which is odd, especially when considering that other games like Might Switch Force and Mutant Mudds didn't look washed out at all. I do not know if it is because of a limitation in the 3DS' hardware or if they didn't spend a lot of time optimising or downscaling the art in a good way.

Edit: Maybe I see the art as washed out because I have played the Vita version for many hours. Nonetheless, the game is still good and the controls are really good. (I would recommend using the D-Pad instead of the Circle-pad, it gives much more precision)
 

[NWR_insanolord]

Yeah, I found the D-Pad to be more precise in the 3DS version as well, but still not as much as I'd like. I kept at it, because I found the game addictive, but it wasn't a great first impression. We'll see how I respond to the 360 one.

[Chocobo_Rider]

Well, do the other versions allow for custom button mapping?  If so, the full 3DS game likely would too.  If not, guess those interested in the game would be stuck with that uncomfortable method.

Seems like an especially poor choice by Ubisoft given all the extra face buttons currently performing redundant tasks!

[SonofMrPeanut]

I have to agree the biggest problem with the 3DS version is the shoulder buttons.  No real issues with the jump and punch placement, but it's more of a chore to run than it should be.  Neal mentioned this already, but the problem isn't holding the shoulders in every version but rather holding the 3DS' shoulder buttons.  They're not even a 3rd of my finger, and they're too rigid for their own good.


It actually makes me want to see Nintendo bring back the grooved shoulder buttons from the first GBA.  When my indexes touched those wings from heaven, it felt so right and handled just as well.

[broodwars]

Using the shoulder button to run works alright in the PS3 version of the game, but man does that start getting painful when you've been trying to do some of the more strenuous tasks in the game that require nearly always running like the Time Trials and Treasure Chest races.  I can imagine how less than idea these controls work on the 3DS's boxy layout.  I would have preferred a more DKC approach with the Square/X button doing double-duty as attack and run, though maybe that wouldn't have worked too well either considering all the times in time trial I've had to do a running attack.  It's still a great game, though.  I really should get back to finishing it sometime.  I stopped playing somewhere around the 7th or so world a few months ago.

[Tlon]

Well, do the other versions allow for custom button mapping?

The Vita version doesn't allow you to customise the controls. I don't think there is even an option menu (just like Mario games).

Seems like an especially poor choice by Ubisoft given all the extra face buttons currently performing redundant tasks!

May I remind you of Mario games? In Mario 3D Land X/Y sprint. A/B Jump. The difference in Rayman Origins is that there is an attack button. You can't have Jump/Attack/Sprint all using face button. Believe me there are certain parts in the game where you will have to punch an enemy while jumping after a sprint.

I believe the controlls are good as they are, maybe they need a bit of getting used to.

[MegaByte]

It seems to me that the shoulder buttons might be more appropriate for attacks.
In any case, I also agree with commenters that the graphics are overly compressed and too tiny on the screen. Why am I playing in JPEG land? And you can actually see bad edge resizing on sprites. I hope we can attribute that to the demo, but this is simply not a good port, which is too bad, because the underlying game looks great.

[Infinitys_End]

May I remind you of Mario games? In Mario 3D Land X/Y sprint. A/B Jump. The difference in Rayman Origins is that there is an attack button. You can't have Jump/Attack/Sprint all using face button. Believe me there are certain parts in the game where you will have to punch an enemy while jumping after a sprint.

May I remind you of the Megaman X games?  Y shoot, B jump, A dash.  Even when I play Super Metroid, I change the controls to that setup.  They can do this if they wanted.  I must admit I got some terrible handcramps while playing this demo.  Normal controllers are much more comfortable and bigger for your hands to grip, so L/R makes sense for dash.  Not this game, though.  I did find using L instead of R was a little better, but it didn't completely solve the issue.

[bob1994]

Although I've not played the console versions, I downloaded the 3ds demo yesterday, and I love it. I feel like the only one that does...