Rayman 3

You can't keep a good Rayman down. Despite the hurdles placed in his way by nature – he's a dog-like creature with no arms or legs, and ears that spin like helicopter blades – Rayman has been a big hit in several console games. Now Gameloft is bringing the cheery little fella across to mobile, for a fun platform adventure.

The plot is… well, it's very French. It concerns creatures called Lums, who are basically little red balls of fluff. One called Andre has turned himself into an evil Lum, with the aim of taking over the world. It didn't work for the Tribbles in Star Trek, so why he thinks he can succeed is anyone's guess.

Anyway, the narrative also features an army of Hoodlums and a Crossroads of Dreams, but you don't need to be concerned with that. Suffice it to say, Rayman's job is to foil the whole nefarious plot. How? By running, jumping and shooting his way through nine colourful platform levels, of course. It's what he knows best.

And that's Rayman 3 in a nutshell. It's a resolutely old-skool platformer that offers simple controls, characterful enemies and, despite its age, some of the purdiest animation we've seen in a mobile game.

If you're a fan of the console games, you'll recognise most of the characters as Gameloft has kept faith in the baddies that made Rayman famous. Better yet, he's also kept most of his skills in the transition from console to mobile. So he can run and jump, but a press of a button makes his ears twirl around, providing a slower descent (and thus the ability to reach out-of-the-way platforms by gliding down).

Fighting the bad guys is a case of hitting '5' to throw a punch. That's literally throw a punch – Rayman lobs his disconnected fist at enemies, with it boomeranging straight back to him. Along the way you collect yellow shiny balls – get them all to unlock a bonus level – while red shiny balls replenish your energy.

It's packed with neat touches, too, like the manner in which you grip on to ledges with your fingertips before pulling yourself up, and the fluid way you monkey-swing underneath some platforms. He doesn't say much, but he doesn't have to – Rayman has bags of character on mobile, making the game instantly appealing even if you've never played his console games.

Criticisms? It's over a bit too soon, and doesn't feel super challenging. As such, it's more a fun time killer than a game that'll keep you playing for months. Nevertheless, there are plenty of mobile gamers who want exactly this kind of accessible fun. If that's you, give Rayman 3 a try.