Ah, the memories of playing Rayman. I thought the graphics here were so amazing when I played that game, and they still hold up quite well in my opinion, except they are pixelated.
Tile-set etc:
The tile-set is structured differently than a normal jj2 set, because the rock tiles are mostly unmasked and things like the ‘grass’ tiles are masked; which means the space in this level is much more expansive than a standard level around the same size with much thicker masked platforms. I don’t find the unmasked rock tiles distracting at all, since I had years of experience playing Rayman, and I believe other players could get used to that easily. Since the grass tiles are thin, they allow players to see lots of paths in a single screen, which means it’s easy to notice and predict players. The layout is quite complex, but easy to understand thanks to the tile-set.
More tilesets and/or levels should be made with this method as it is easier to make more complex yet easy to understand levels.
Game-play:
I believe this is what battle levels should be like. The level generally flowed where I wanted it to flow, and the dead ends are where I felt they needed be (usually with a carrot or other valuable item). Since the layout is complex, it allows lots of movement, choices, tricks and opportunities for escape. There’s a good feel of exploration.
Definitely host this level, A lot. Balanced strategic and fast paced game-play.
-fs