Rayman does a better job at sycnhronizing the player's actions with the music, while Wonder mostly has you play the level normally while music affects the surroundings. Overall I think Rayman's approach works better for these kind of levels, but they both had different visions which they did well.

i love how rayman legends has covers of actual songs for their music levels

All this does is make me miss Rayman. Rayman Orgins and Legends were such wonderful platformers all around.

It feels like Wonder makes music a part of the level, with the surroundings and enemies being affected by it, and playing to the beat being encouraged, while ultimately being designed similar to a regular level. In Rayman though, the music IS the level, essentially; these are carefully crafted obstacle courses with just one solution, that being following the music. Everything you do has to be synced, because anything else would equal death.

I feel like wonder has its music levels be a level with good music and potential benefits when you jump to the music. While rayman has it as a requirement to be on time, getting the rhythms and beat down

its amazing how well Legends holds up. Its literally so underrated.

I always loved the music levels from Legends, they were a nice change of pace and really had a sense of reacting to the rhythm! I’m honestly surprised they didn’t make a whole game using that idea..

Finally someone made a comparison between these two, i got some huge rayman legends vibes when the trailer for mario wonder first came out.

in mario, you can just ignore your enemies while they're enjoying their time. in rayman, those beats are your cue to kill your enemies otherwise they will kill you.

There's no question, Rayman, I liked what Mario did but Rayman music levels are on another level

Still remember grinding that last level from Rayman for perfect scores whenever I was bored. Good times. Anyway, I'd say both have their own merits. Rayman requires to be on-rhythm, but due to the generally shorter level length and streamlined design, it's easy to get back and try again. Meanwhile, Wonder merely encourages staying on-rhythm, giving players a lot more freedom to explore and look for secrets at their own pace.

Wonder's music levels are great, but Legends takes this without a shadow of a doubt

Rayman really did make you feel like you were jamming to the music as you played the levels, with one missed note meaning you could end up dead, while Wonder has far far too much allowance for mistakes.

Marios got that Akuma pose like he just did raging demon

For me, it's gotta be rayman, I mean how can you not love the music levels

rayman legends hands down. the mario wonder music levels are too slow, and often have you waiting for the music to catch up. rayman legends forces you to keep up with the song, not the other way around.

I like Rayman's music levels more than Mario Wonders, but they have both memorable and great music levels

Apples to oranges I say. They're reminiscent in terms of making music and rhythm part of the level gimmick but they clearly aim to do very different things. Rayman has a lot more spectacle and offers an adrenaline rush (which is why I think most people's choice will be Rayman) but the levels are also a lot more simple and less varied than the levels in Wonder. When you get into a music level in Rayman you know exactly what you're getting, only the song and theme is different. When you get into a music section in Wonder you have no idea what to expect nor how it will impact the level. Rayman forces you to play a certain way or die. Wonder maintains the flexibility and player expression typical of the Mario games. I think both approaches are equally valid and I love them both. Edit: It will never cease to amaze me how you can make a post that praises both things equally and people will still find something to argue about.

The art in both games are incredible

Though I like mario wonder music levels, it can't be enough to defeat Raymans.

Raymans first game was heavily musically oriented. They went back to music during legends returning to the roots that made the first great. Mario has iconic music and it’s nice to see them touch up on it. They aren’t perfect at it but there’s room for improvement. Music ties people together really well. So when something has a natural rhythm people will gravitate towards it.

Rayman Legends does it better because there's no stopping!!

Oh man, I didn't even get to the last music level in Rayman; the game was just too hard. But those levels were without a doubt amazing.

I am so glad you did this cause Rayman Legends was my first thought when Mario Wonder was shown.

I think Rayman is better. The levels are well designed and very creative. Also because EVERYTHING lines up with the beat. Mario Wonder’s music stages look good though!

Mario constantly says, "Who hoo,wha haa,weehee" when jump just ruined the music

Rayman does it in a different style though. If anything, SMBW does it similar to Mad Rat Dead where you need to do your actions in beats and some of the stage elements also move in rhythm, but otherwise there is no actual rush most of the time along with no real penalty for not following the beat or going offtune as long as you actually avoid the stage elements. Whereas Rayman is more akin to an auto-scroller, that has less freedom, but also tighter interaction with the music, and strict penalties for any slip-up. Granted Piranha plant parade reprise is pretty close to rayman style thanks to being an auto-scroller. (and really should be in this sample since it's pretty much the 2nd best music level after the final boss)

The focus in Rayman Legends on synching everything to the music means there's only one way to complete the levels, there's no room for exploration, they're basically on rails. This isn't bad by any means, it completely changes up the gameplay. Rather than a platformer it becomes more of a rhythm game. You never stop holding the run button and charging forward, honestly the fact you can do that is kind of a formality, because you can't move back, or you die. You're basically just timing the jump and attack button presses. Later versions of these levels make the screen far less useful for visual cues, relying even heavier on audio. These sequences are basically scripted, but they're fun to pull off nonetheless. Wonder is obviously much, much, easier. Some of these levels just reward you for jumping to the beat, regardless of which part of the song it is. Nothing about the song itself corresponds to any part of the level. The challenge levels involving the platforms that disappear after a certain amount of beats, those are some of the hardest levels in the game in my opinion, since you actually have control over the characters' movements, unlike in Rayman, where you just run forward. You have to go back and forth, navigating the level as the tempo increases, deciding whether or not you want to spend some beats collecting a purple coin or not. In Rayman, you're pretty much guaranteed to be getting the Teensies if you stay on the single path before you. These Wonder levels have the capacity to be unforgiving but are fundamentally different from the Rayman ones. They're cute in Mario, but more badass feeling in Rayman.

As someone who has played both games, I think rayman just feels more satifsfying

Feels like Rayman is much more melody based while Mario seems to have a mix of rhythm and melody. While Rayman's requires you to go through the song in one way (Following the melody of the song, which is different from the rhythm), Mario has the option to follow it if you want, because you'll get a bigger reward.

Rayman music levels > Mario music levels

Thank for reminding me about the black Betty level in rayman! Gave me great memories I gotta play this again sometime

raymans music levels were always top notch and got you excited

Rayman has pretty good music, the only great in wonder in my opinion was the one with the piranha plants

Both because I remember listen to the Rayman legends music when I was playing it, but the Mario music is also good, so I like both 😊😎👍

Mario’s is good but Rayman is the unbeaten king at these music levels!

Rayman origins and legends have some of the best soundtracks I've ever heard

Rayman but marios is still pretty good

What I’ve realised about this game is it has Rayman’s music theme, Mario Odysseys creativity but still that 2D Mario feel

Ramón really do a better job in music levels, Wonder's ones are calmer while Rayman's ones have more action, synchronization and freneticism

Ray Leg is a real musical stage. Wonder is just a stage with music playing in background.

I'm personally more impressed by how wonder incorperated music into it's level design, as where raymond feels like it's making a level based off the musical track. Wonder feels less limited in scale, anything could start singing ANYHOW- where in Raymond every musical stage was based off an already famous song. Those tunes does some of the lifting there, and originality always impresses me more than a take on something. That being said Raymond Legends was the game I hoped Mario Wonder would take after, I love both od these games WAY too much. ❤❤

For me, Super Mario Bros. Wonder has more 3D world vibes with the music levels, especially that one with the Tetris blocks, and Rayman has awesome levels, creative designs, and banger music levels, but I can see the difference. I just say the Cap Jump Badge, but overall Rayman Legends better.

Might be the nostalgia might be the great tracks but rayman will always be number one in the musical level department. Edit: I mean comparing jump jump jump to castle rock it’s obviously gonna be no Contest. Team castle rock for life

Rayman Origins and Legends are the best platformers till this day. I love Mario games but there’s levels.

Wonder is incredibly awesome but I have to give it to rayman, ist challenging and the your moves really synch with the melody

Rayman 100% even though I jammed to this myself ❤

Rayman levels look like music levels with platforms, while Mario ones look like musical-based platformer levels. The focus on these Rayman levels is having you play something resembling a level to the beat of a high quality song, while the focus on these Mario levels is on making a high quality platforming level interact with the music. Like the Mortal Kombat music level by composer on Mario Maker 2. Or the Gerudo Valley one. I don't think anyone did it better, because they're going for something different.

Not a fair comparisson since the objective that both games are trying to achieve is completly different. Rayman Legends wants you to move in sync with the music, one mistake and you're dead. While SMBW wants to surprise you with its "wonders", you were in a normal level but when you touched a flower all of sudden it became a musical.

Rayman Legends still holds up to this day,the levels and music levels are way too good.

Rayman takes it 100% in this case

Rayman seems to be made where the most precise movements are some of the only moves you can make without failing. While the Mario Wonder music levels are easiest when followed to the beat but are technically best done out of beat if you want the best times. Clearly, there are vastly different ideas behind the level design that make it hard to really compare. If they both attempted the same thing then there could be an argument for either being better or worse. It's like vanilla ice cream vs chocolate, they are both flavored ice cream but aren't meant to be comparable

Rayman is far better because like everyone else in this comments section I'm a contrarian and love licensed music!

I thikn Rayman feels more hardcore. You can easily screw up there and be frustrated with time, while MarioWonder is tailored to get more and more hard, but not to this Kaizo level where you need to do all the jumps correctly in a fast pace, where you can clearly screw up. So I guess if you're more hardcore, Rayman if for you.

Rayman Legends music levels absolutely blew my mind when I first played them all, then their 8-bit remixes. Mario Wonder music levels were cute and fun but to me there's no comparison.

this brought back so many amazing memories, i used to play raymam legends religiously

There is more than one charm when it comes to music levels in games: 1. Player inputs being executed in sync with the music feel extremely satisfying. Rayman shines in this aspect, because it forces the player to sync up their input, otherwise they would fail the level. 2. The surroundings being incorporated into the musical theme neatly. This is where Mario shines, because it adds even more variety than Rayman with enemies, coins, platforms, lighting etc. which all tie in seamlessly into the music. However the player is not always forced or incentivised to sync up his inputs.

Gotta say, to me, Rayman wins this one hands-down. I got Legends ages ago, on a sale, so I could play it with my niece and nephew when they came to visit - but I still find myself going back to it on occasion, just to play through those musical levels. That sense of moving with the music, skating through what would otherwise have been a nigh-impossible platforming challenge just by sticking to the beat while constantly being mere millimeters from disaster... no way Mario's little acid-trip outings can compete with that.

I say rayman because it was actual music levels It feels that the Mario one is too forgiving meanwhile the rayman actually feels satisfying because it’s also to good classic songs

All this proves is we need a new Rayman for the 90s era platformer revival to be complete.

I like the stuff in wonder but Rayman is a lot better in my opinion. I may be biased because I used to play Rayman legends when I was young.

Love both these games! I think the Rayman music levels are better, but both of these are classics at the top of the platformer genre, and should be played by everyone that loves this style of game.

I haven’t played Mario Wonder yet, but by looking at this video I’d have to go with Rayman. The Rayman levels were so much fun and so fast paced. You die a lot while learning them, but once you master them you feel like a champ. The synchronization of all of the action with the music and the personalities of the enemies makes it top notch.

The rayman music levels were incredible

I dug the Mario Wonder approach but the Rayman approach feels more satisfying overall

Mario mostly focuses on timing with simple repetitive beats. Aside from that gimmick, they're basically standard levels. Rayman has custom obstacle courses that use the sounds of the game to make the beat sound like popular songs, helping the player get a sense of the rhythm by remembering the beats of the song, and when performed properly, giving the player the same sense of satisfaction you might see from someone mastering a song in Guitar Hero.

Raymond takes the crown here.

Mario Wonder is a masterpiece but Tropical Freeze and Rayman Legends still do everything better even after all these years

Rayman is just another Tuesday. Mario is literally trippin balls each time it happens.

I prefer the originality of wonder and just the game in general lol

at least someone is talking about the inspiration of rayman in mario wonder

I played both games, but I prefer wonders' version of music levels. I like having to mix in both natural movements with timed movements, and legends felt very restrictive to me. Legends still is legendary tho

Rayman IS better, no doubt.

Rayman Legends is an incredible game, I urge everyone to give it a try! I will be getting Wonder for Christmas as I’m low on cash at the moment.

I feel like raymans music levels are better simply because they focus on the music slightly more, in wonder they still have the sound effects while rayman tones it down a bit. Idk know though, thats what i think. I also like how rayman puts more of a challenge on the level that wonder does, not that wonder doesnt, its just that youll die more in rayman legends than mario wonder

I think both did good but personally Rayman I better

The rayman community has been summoned

It seems like for Rayman music matches player but for Mario wonders it's like a rhythm game so player have to match the music

Rayman will always have a place in my heart

Rayman has a much greater focus on the music and it's basically an auto scrolling rhythm game here. There's no exploration or deviation, just jump to the music or you lose. Mario is more spontaneous and open ended, built around the gameplay, but changing the experience. You play, and there's a beat you can play to, not a beat you have to play to.

Mario's music levels don't compare to Rayman. In Rayman, you are the conductor of an intense orchestra. You have to sprint and move exactly to the beat or the flame/beast/ghouls catch you and you die, needing to start from the beginning. One false move and you die. Lose your momentum and you die. Not to mention the remix music levels are insane and require doing a level pitch perfectly while the screen warps, inverts, blurs, spins, it's insane. Mario's music levels have no rush, and are slow and dull in comparison. The music is not as good and overall looks flat and lifeless with barely any enemies. Like just jump when a ball rolls towards you, compared to swimming through a complicated cavern with a giant monster chasing you while you have to rescue teensies along the way to pass the level or you have to do it all over again. Mario wonder isn't even in the same league.

Rayman Legends got it right with the music levels. Real level design based around the music. Mario Wonders isn't even close.

Rayman Legends clears easily: their approach is absolutely amazing, rhe music IS the level itself: every move, enemy you destroy flows smoothly there. Make a mistake and it shows 😂. Plus it helps being able to actually HEAR THE MUSIC. I love the new Mario voices but listening to the first minute of "WAHAHA" got very annoying REAL FAST. Edit: In Legends case: it also helps that they're actual stages and not just a piece of a another level.

En mario wonder seguir el ritmo es opcional en algunos casos pero en rayman legends es imprecindible seguir el ritmo para ganar

I do love Mario Wonder. But it doesn't have Black Betty. "Woah-oh, Black Betty, Bam balam, woah-oh, Black Betty, Bam balam-"

Rayman cover of eye of the tiger was dope

wow, the Rayman legends song levels bring me back. it's a shame that Mario wonder didn't do it the same way.

Mario looks better because the enemies, scenario, magical things all sing along too. That creates a quite fantastical level design with every level trying to do something different.

I think Rayman did it a lot more organically. The fact all musical levels are auto-scrolling "forces" the sync far better. Mariachi Madness is a prime example of that.

Rayman straight up remixing Eye of the Tiger into another banger!

Rayman offers a flamenco cover of Eye of the Tiger? Now that’s something we needed but didn’t deserve.

Rayman has an unique art style, well done covers of classic songs, a much more fluid, interesting and challenging level design and the FX are toned down so you can enjoy the music (which is required so you can match your actions with the tempo). Mario... Is not even close to any of that. Slow gameplay, ok music, yahoo constantly... Nah man, this is an easy pick. I love Mario games' OST but can't compare to Rayman.

100 percent rayman like come on

rayman legends was such a fun game. i had 100% complete the game, i had so much fun doing so. wish they made another like it or similar.😢

I miss the Rayman Series

Did anyone else noticed they played "eye of the tiger" in that first Rayman level they showed!?

Rayman 100% Rayman is just better.

I love the new modern tone in 2d Mario with wonder and its music levels but rayman just holds so much nostalgia when me and my brother played the music levels

i prefer having to interact with the level as it changes to the beat over playing a rhythm game But i dont recall legends having as many level types as wonder so there they create something quite different whereas wonder has 4 or so different stage types to break up the pace so when it comes to something musical they can just be regular levels

Well, Rayman DID do it first and its visuals are more appealing and the songs are great and everything is done to the beat of the music……. But Mario automatically wins because it’s Nintendo. That was sarcasm by the way. Rayman Legends is better.