In the wee hours of the morning, just as everybody brewing their first cup of coffee, Nintendo decided to strike! Out of nowhere, Nintendo added two hotly-anticipated UbiSoft platformers to the Nintendo Classics app. That's right, fan-favorite Rayman 2: The Great Escape and obscure gem Tonic Trouble are coming to the Nintendo Switch Online on December 17, and, as it turns out, Wario World is available right now. Yeah, that's cool and genuinely surprising news, but are any of these games actually worth playing? The answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, Edge, Nintendo Power and more classic magazines that reviewed these games back when they first came out. Get ready for a Review Crew episode that could honestly change at a moment's notice. There's like a 70% chance Nintendo announces another game while you're watching this.


When you reminisce about the best 3D platformers on the Nintendo 64, you probably remember Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie or maybe even Conker's Bad Fur Day. What you likely don't think about Tonic Trouble, a barely-remembered UbiSoft joint from the creator of Rayman. Released in 1999, this goofy game about a Janitor named Ed was completely overshadowed by one of the biggest (and most expensive) games on the system – Donkey Kong 64. And to make matters so much worse, the game was upstaged by Rayman 2, yet another UbiSoft game made by Michel Ancel. Between DK, Rayman and a bunch of other massive games hitting the N64 in 1999, there's a real good chance that you've never even heard of this platformer. Let's see if there's a reason it was overshadowed or if this obscure UbiSoft classic is a true hidden gem.

We're going to kick things off with Electronic Gaming Monthly, which gave Tonic Trouble a measly average score of 6.1 out of 10. If that seems low, then blame Dean, who gave the game a 4.5 and said: “First, Tonic is so close to Rayman they're practically the same game. They share the same engine as well as that limbless look. The environments come off on the lean side. There's lots of sparsely filled rooms and halls that don't exactly evoke excitement when you travel through them. More variety and stuff to mess with would've been nice.” Crispin wasn't a huge fan, but liked it a bit more than Dean: “Here's a game that's too odd for its own good. Kids will like it. Some levels are really wild and well-conceived, but many go a little overboard with platforms and chasms. As in Banjo, you'll learn new moves that let you reach previously inaccessible areas, and that's what kept me playing ‘til the end.”

When it comes to the lowest marks, Next Generation went with a straight 3 out of 5. They agreed with EGM about the likeness to a certain other platforming hero: “UbiSoft, the company that brought you Rayman, seems to have a thing for game characters with unattached appendages. Ed accidentally spills toxic space goo on Earth, which changes plants into monsters and generally morphs the planet into a trippy, psychedelic playland. Exploring that playland is surprisingly fun. It freely mixes the action of a platform game with exploration and puzzle-solving elements. On the downside, some rooms offer poor camera angles and the environments often feature blunt edges, especially where the rainbow-swirled water meets land.”

When it comes to the higher scores, GamePro liked it enough to give it a so-so 3.5 out of 5. The high score actually belongs to none other than Nintendo Power, which could only muster up a 7.4 out of 10. Scott said that “I'm tempted to say, ‘too little, too late,' but the game has enough surprises to warrant a play.” Jason called it “a quirky stew of genres – puzzles, action & veggies. The fun level doesn't quite match the level of goofiness.”

All in all, the critics couldn't overcome the similarities to Rayman 2, giving it an overall average of 66%. Normally, that wouldn't be a big problem, but in this specific situation, Tonic Trouble came to the Nintendo Switch Online at the exact same time as Rayman, once again forcing the direct comparison. I probably wouldn't have scheduled it like that, but hey, there are a lot of things I would change if I was in control of the Nintendo Classics.

While it never caught fire with consumers, Rayman has always been one of those franchises that the critics have adored. From the 2D original to the 3D sequels and then right back to 2D, this is a series bursting with clever gameplay innovations and stunning world designs. Rayman 2: The Great Escape is no different, pushing the Nintendo 64 to the brink with the help of the Expansion Pak and the type of truly creative levels that you won't find anywhere else. It was a game so good that many critics actually preferred it to Donkey Kong 64, even though the sales strongly favored Nintendo's banana-loving ape. Let's go ahead and dive into the scores.

I normally like to start with Electronic Gaming Monthly, but we're going to save them for later for reasons that will eventually make sense. Instead, what we're going to do is start at the bottom, which means checking in with our old friends over at Edge. Giving Rayman a 7 out of 10, Edge concluded that “even without the use of an Expansion Pak, much of Rayman 2's world is convincing. The superior responsiveness from the controls is equally satisfying. True, at time, certain elements feel unpleasantly linear, but as a decently paced, Mario-inspired platformer for the younger gamer, it serves its purpose surprisingly well.”

As we move up the scale, we see that most of the reviews are hanging out in the 80% region. For example, Game Informer went with a 7.75 out of 10, while Incite went all the way up to a 4 out of 5. You also saw Computer & Video Games give the game a 4 out of 5, as well as Next Generation, who argued that “although it certainly doesn't feature anything in the way of gameplay that hasn't been done before, it does boast snappy, intuitive control and a thoughtful, intelligent level design. Together, they keep the action varied and never leave you lost or feeling cheated. With its cute character design and slick, polished gameplay, Rayman 2 is one of the few titles that can honestly claim to have something to offer any gamer of any age or skill. Pick it up, and you won't be disappointed.”

From there we see that Nintendo Power gave the game an 8.1 out of 10, while Game Fan went all the way up to an average of 90%. That's where Electronic Gaming Monthly sits. With all four critics giving the game a spectacular 9 out of 10, this really was one of EGM's favorite games of the year. Crispin summed it up perfectly: “This game has sleeper hit written all over it. Rayman 2 is more fun than Tonic Trouble and looks better than Banjo. In fact, with the Expansion Pak in place, this thing pumps visuals that had some office passerby asking if I was playing a Dreamcast title. Better still, Rayman 2 offers plenty of gameplay variety, excellent control and fantastic level design. It's not quite as fun as my favorite 3D adventure game, Banjo-Kazooie, but it's close.” Shawn agreed, noting his amazement: “Rayman 2 is surprisingly awesome. I figured it'd be another uninspired 3D action/adventure. I was very wrong. There are a ton of imaginative and fun mini-games and gameplay elements in each of the levels, and the graphics are some of the best I've seen on the N64 to date. And get this: The control and camera don't get all that touchy like most 3D games.”

If you still aren't convinced that Rayman 2 is awesome, then let's check in and see why GamePro gave the game a perfect 5 out of 5. “From water-skiing to rocket riding, from whale chasing to spider-fleeing, and from Tarzan-style swinging to ... well, camouflaging yourself in a bush, Rayman 2 is a heck of a good time. Its fresh characters, gorgeous environments and exciting action will engross platform gamers at every turn.”

With an overall score of 83%, this is exactly the kind of Nintendo 64 game needed on the Nintendo Switch Online. While overshadowed by amazing 3D platformers from Nintendo and Rare, Rayman 2 is not to be ignored and I love that a whole new generation of gamers will finally have a chance to see what all the fuss was about. If you're an Expansion Pack subscriber, definitely give Rayman 2 a play.

After originally debuting in a Super Mario Land game, Wario spent a decade jumping around Nintendo portables -- he was a mainstay on the Game Boy, he reinvented himself with the WarioWare series on the Game Boy Advance and he even dabbled in 3D with his own Virtual Boy game. Outside of the puzzle game Wario's Woods (which is really more of a Toad game when you get down to it), the money-loving scoundrel had not starred in his own solo console adventure. All that changed in 2003, when fan-favorite developer Treasure turned Wario into a GameCube hero. The result is an admittedly short game that is more about action than platforming. It's a stark reminder that not every franchise or character works in 3D, a lesson that both Nintendo and Treasure learned the hard way. Let's see what the critics thought of Wario's home console debut.

What you're going to quickly discover when looking at the Wario World reviews is that pretty much everybody agreed. As crazy as it sounds, there's only a 12-point swing between the highest and lowest marks. For that reason, we might as well start at the bottom and work our way up, beginning with Electronic Gaming Monthly, who gave Wario World a disappointing 6.8 out of 10. CJ was conflicted: “On the one hand, I like Wario World. It feels like an old-school 8-bit Nintendo platformer perfectly remade in 3D. The levels are tight, fast and fun – less about aimless exploration and more about reflex-testing action. But on the other hand, I'm a little disappointed that it's so short and simplistic, and that it doesn't take more advantage of the GameCube's hardware. Plus, we hardly get to see a hint of Wario's innately evil personality.” Jennifer was not impressed: “I'm with CJ on the cool level design, but that's pretty much it. Wario's mindless punching gets real old real fast. Enemies respawn so quickly that pummeling them gives you no advantage. Plus, the fiercely annoying boss battles had me fuming, hurling away the controller and shouting expletives at the screen. Wario World might keep you entertained – if you like that sort of self-flagellating frustration.”

We don't have to go very far for the next highest score, because it's GMR giving the game a 7 out of 10. That turns out to be the same grade Edge gave the game in their 126th issue. “There are niggles. The game doesn't always provide enough enemies where you need to use their dazed bodies as deadweight for stomping tasks, and when it does, the collision detection can be more miss than hit. The decision to include extra, buckshee bosses takes the edge off the game's exuberant pace. But if Wario World was a little platform game, and it is, it would be a very good one. And it is.”

When it comes to Wario World's highest score, that belongs to GamePro. But don't get too excited, because even they couldn't muster up anything more than a 4 out of 5. “While $50 is a bit much for a game that's over in a weekend, Wario World deserves a play from all platform aficionados. It's barely longer than Wario's Game Boy titles, but you'll savor every moment and hunger for more once it's over. Has Treasure finally shaken its unevenness? Well, it's getting there.”

If you've ever wondered why Nintendo hasn't gone back to a 3D Wario game, these reviews might be part of the reason. It's not that the critics disliked Wario World, but rather that they were underwhelmed. It was too short and didn't live up to the other games published by Nintendo. It earned an overall average of just 72%, which is substantially lower than what you expect from the company. That said, it's definitely worth playing, especially when you're not paying full price for it.