Rayman (1995) vs Gex (1995)

I always found these games somewhat similar in that they were released at the less popular platforms first (Jaguar and 3DO) and then got a second chance, ported to PS1 and Saturn. Both are obviously 2D platformer games, released at the twilight of the 2D mascot platformers genre, and both were quite good. Which one do you prefer?

I kinda liked Rayman more.

It was also a better graphical showcase at the time IMO.

Rayman's probably the better game, but Gex is probably more fun to play because of how crushingly difficult Rayman gets.

Both great games, but Gex never appealed to me as a character, so I'll go with Rayman (better art too).

Doesn't 3DO Gex only run at 30fps?

Even choosing between all versions of each, I never liked Gex but Rayman was very cool at the time.

Astal!!! Well, not really.

Gex only looks good on the 3DO IMO. The PS1 version is a green fest and the Saturn version suffers with dithered "transparencies".
Rayman looks great on all platforms but best on the Saturn IMO.

And Rayman on the Saturn totally crushes Gex on the 3DO in terms of graphics and music. Rayman is a better game, I think, but I prefer Gex because it's more straightforward IMO.

Both are fun but Rayman is a damn good game so.

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Originally Posted by Barone

Astal!!! Well, not really.

Gex only looks good on the 3DO IMO. The PS1 version is a green fest and the Saturn version suffers with dithered "transparencies".
Rayman looks great on all platforms but best on the Saturn IMO.

And Rayman on the Saturn totally crushes Gex on the 3DO in terms of graphics and music. Rayman is a better game, I think, but I prefer Gex because it's more straightforward IMO.

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Can you explain what you mean? The graphics are tinted green in the PS1?

I like Gex on the 3DO a lot, but the 30fps scrolling is tough to get used to. I played it after a night out at the bar once and got nauseous. I've never played Rayman, would like to own it on the Saturn.

Having had both for PC, and knowing the PC version of Rayman was a bad port, I'll go with Gex. At least to my knowledge it was a faithful port.

Although Rayman was probably the better platformer between the two.

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Originally Posted by zetastrike

Can you explain what you mean? The graphics are tinted green in the PS1?

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The PS1 palette sucks compared to the 3DO's AFAIK.
And whoever converted the artwork didn't make a stellar job; actually the conversion seems to be even worse on the Saturn in some aspects but at least it has a wider color palette compared to the PS1.
In these small images it may not look like a big difference, but the fucked up gradient transitions are already noticeable for the background. When you put it on a TV, I think the overall result is pretty bland on the PS1 IMO.
Gex itself is greener on the PS1, I think its palette didn't have the exact same colors.

3DO/Saturn/PS1/PC
http://www.gametronik.com/site/rubri...ex%20(E-U).PNGhttp://www.gametronik.com/site/rubri.../Gex%20(E).pnghttp://www.hardcoregaming101.net/gex/gex-1.pnghttp://www.mobygames.com/images/shot...ow-scary-s.gif

Hehe, i remember BITD, when this 2 games were announced for the Jaguar and 3DO, i tought to myself: Cool, this 2 characters are going to represent the Jag and 3DO, and duke it out for next-gen mascot supremacy :p!. Oh boy, was i naive, hehe.

I like both games. Rayman is better, but Gex is fun too.

And as usual, Baron comes up with an obscure, but very cool observation. I love to read things like that. Ah Baron, you should make your own site about that sort of stuff, you know, comparisons between ports, talk about cool game engines for its respective console, etc. Yeah, you should do all that work, while i just sit here and read about it, hehe :cool:. Actually, i find many of your posts so interesting, that it gets me to try the games you talk about, and look for whatever obsevation you made.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Barone

Astal!!! Well, not really.

Gex only looks good on the 3DO IMO. The PS1 version is a green fest and the Saturn version suffers with dithered "transparencies".
Rayman looks great on all platforms but best on the Saturn IMO.

And Rayman on the Saturn totally crushes Gex on the 3DO in terms of graphics and music. Rayman is a better game, I think, but I prefer Gex because it's more straightforward IMO.

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Any comparison for Rayman? I know the Jaguar version has less features than CD ports but what exactly is different?

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Originally Posted by j_factor

I love Rayman, but even though the Playstation version was the best selling one (as well as the best selling PSX launch game), it doesn't really come to mind for me. The Saturn port is a smidge better, and is the only one I own and have played extensively; the Jaguar version was the original, as well as having certain little details specific to it that TheSonicRetard (I think) went over in a thread a while back.

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Here (I'd just take the part in red with a really good grain of salt, because AtariAge + Jaguar, you know: BOOOM!):

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Originally Posted by TheSonicRetard

The graphics in the PS1 release are in no way superior to the Jaguar version. the Jaguar version runs at a higher resolution, and has more layers of parallax. The people at atari age claim the Jaguar version displays 65,000 colors at once while the PSX version displays 32,000 colors, but I dunno if that's true. In any case, the PSX version is visually inferior.

The Saturn version is a bit of a push compared to the jaguar version because the lots of the art is different (exclusive to the saturn). They're displayed at the same resolution, so it comes down to which art you prefer.

The Jaguar version also has a few areas that are very different from their Saturn/PSX version, and band land is way better on the Jaguar because you don't slip and slide around. It's much less frustrating and better designed.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by TheSonicRetard

The first version of Rayman I got was the saturn version, near launch. I liked it, but gave up at bandland when it got infuriatingly difficult. I gave it another go on the GBA years later and found it unplayable due to how scaled in the screen is. I yet again gave it another chance when I got the PSX version at a garage sale, but found that version far inferior to the saturn version in many, many ways.

Finally, I got the jaguar version last and absolutely fell in love. There are a lot of minor level design changes in the jaguar version that aren't in other versions that make it slightly easier in some spots, and much harder in other. For example, Bandland no longer has slippery floors where you constantly push forward without the ability to stop, so in that regards it's easier. However, in the other version, the intertia mechanic of bandland facilitated a number of jumps that would be impossible on the jaguar version - a like timing your jump to a dip in the road so that you go flying through the air to a far off platform. Since you don't have this built up high interia in the jaguar version, the space between where you leap and where the end platform should be is filled in with complex platforming paths, rather than air.

It adds up to a game that I found much more enjoyable after numerous attempts to get deep into the game. I've since completely beaten the jaguar version 100%, and even went back and finished up the saturn version (using a PAR code to get past bandland with infinite lives) and I found that, even in later levels, I found myself enjoying the level design in the jaguar version quite a bit more.

It's a preference thing, I can completely understand how the entirely different graphics in the saturn version would be more appealing to one person, or how they might prefer the slippery bandland over the complex platforming, stuff like that. The Jaguar version really clicked with me. I can't personally understand how anybody could prefer the PSX, GBA, or GBC versions of the game, though, since they're inferior to the Jaguar, Saturn, and PC versions in a number of technical ways, but I don't sweat it.

Keep in mind that the Jaguar version of Rayman was the lead version. It helps that Rayman is one of the best jaguar games, too. I'll admit that, when i picked up the jaguar version, I wasn't going in looking to fall in love with the game again, but rather attempting to obtain every must-have jaguar game. My enjoyment was a pleasant surprise.

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The Saturn version colors and music really shine IMO.
This rather old comparison also points some other interesting details:
http://www.gamezero.com/team-0/artic...d_head/rayman/


Also:









I forgot to post this one too:
http://www.game-rave.com/psx_galleri...yman/index.htm



I'd add that more recently I compared the sound and noticed that the PS1 version has better ambient sounds, with stereo panning. But the Saturn regular sfx sound clearer IIRC.

Does anyone know of any in-depth comparison of Gex? Like I said before, I assume the PC version is a faithful port, but I would love to see some evidence to support it.

Just wanted to point out that the Jaguar version is the one with the least amount of parallax, not the other way around. TheSonicRetard in Barones quote, mentioned that the Jaguar had more parallax, but i am pretty sure its the one with the least amount.



AtariAge user, Isgoed, also pointed out the following diferences, so all credit goes to him:

We've played 4 or 5 worlds and these are the biggest differences we noticed, the Psxversion has:

-In some levels 3 layered backgrounds, with sometimes a fourth layer in the foreground, this is cool.
-The use of colors is better, the platforms/trees etc. look as they are placed AT the background, while the Jaguar has them placed IN the background.
-In some levels, there seems to be used a higher resolution, like the butterflies, or the chrome pipes in the music levels.
-The character Rayman has more animations, and there are more different trees/plants added.
-MUCH more fx than the Jag, this raelly adds to the game.
-Of course the cd music/background sounds, it's a personal taste of which you like more.
-Some really cool effects, like dark clouds and lightning, or beautiful falling rain (Tarayzan level), while the Jaguar has nothing special added in these levels, they are just plain.
-In the music levels, you slide at the chrome pipes, and can run prettty fast and fly through the air, instead of just walking, like Jaguarvers.