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Release Date: Original 2003, XBLA+PN March 23 2012
Developers: Ubisoft
Publishers: Ubisoft
Platforms: Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, Xbox, XBLA, Microsoft Windows, Java ME, N-Gage, Mac OS X, PlayStation Network PlayStation 3
Genre: Platform
Players: Single/Multi-player
Rating: 3+/7+

Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc is the third major platform game installment in the Rayman series. It tells the story of how Rayman stops Andr, an evil black lum, from taking over the world with his army of sack-like "Hoodlum" soldiers. Unlike the game's predecessor, Rayman 3 took a more light-hearted turn, it has sarcastic self-referential undertones and pokes fun at the platforming video game genre. It was released for the Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC in 2003 and for the Mac OS X in 2004. A remastered HD version of the game was released for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network on March 20, 2012. 2D versions were developed for the Game Boy Advance, Mobile and N-Gage. A follow up game, Rayman: Hoodlums' Revenge, was released for the Game Boy Advance in 2005. The intro features the song "Madder" by Groove Armada.

The settings for rayman 3 were pretty amazing, there were a number of different locations you could go to, ranging from swamps to mansions to even different worlds, and with the release of this game in HD 9 years after the original the game brings back those classic maps and makes them look so amazing, the flow of the maps is amazing and the way everything looks in HD is crazy. Although the game isn't as free-roam-able as the 2nd game it still was pretty awesome. also the use of unique puzzles that you need to figure out to get to a ledge rayman isn't possible of climbing, may be as simple as putting a plum on a giant sharpened log or getting a unique power up and flying up there. Overall i would say the setting was absolutely brilliant.

The gameplay has certainly taken a different approach since the previous game, now instead of throwing balls of energy, rayman literally throws his fists at enemies, when you first get to use this i just found it to be smart and simple it was quite easy to use and just as easy to kill enemies with, also with the lock on ability if enemies are blocking to many of your fist throws you can hook around them for a nasty suprise! As you start progressing in the game you start to find these little cans on the floor with a variety of colours, and these cans give rayman a special power to use, usually to progress in the level as there is a puzzle in your way, but you can only use them for a limited amount of time and some last longer than the others. The green one makes you throw mini tornados which can be used on special platforms, and an attack no enemy can block. The blue one gives rayman claws attached on long chains, personally my favorite as you can use it to swing from hanging rings and take enemies out from a further distance, also hold on the the attack button and it electrocutes the enemy you've clinged on to. The red one gives rayman heavy metal fists with can be used to 1 hit kill enemies and destroy doors. The orange one gives rayman a rocket which he can fire to kill bosses or help with puzzles. And the yellow one which gives rayman the ability to use his hair to fly up, rather than glide. Overall the gameplay was fantastic and i really enjoyed it.

Well with the HD remastering all i can say is that the graphics were brilliant everything had a better look, water falls, explosions, cut-scenes, the words that appear on screen when you kill an enemy. Everything was just brilliant about this game. Everything looked so much better than the original and im glad they remastered this classic!

In general, the game has been received positively. Overall, the game has been praised for its graphics and sound quality, but is more hit-or-miss on the gameplay and sound style. IGN lauds the game for the voice-acting, calling it "exactly what the Rayman franchise has been begging for", whereas GameSpot notes that the dialogue for the game is "trying too hard to be self-aware and hip". Reviews also note that the gameplay sets into what can become an obvious pattern.