Rayman

Just as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was the film that elevated cartoons from lowbrow movie-house fillers to an art form, Rayman may be the title that finally ennobles the adolescent world of videogames. This gentle adventure is so lovingly drawn (the animation recalls Disney in its prime), so perfectly scored (the best game soundtrack I've ever heard), and, most important, so responsive to player control that it makes most other games seem primitive in comparison. (About the only thing pedestrian about it is the plot, in which the cheerful, gangly Rayman sets out to save his fellow ''electoons'' from the forces of evil.) If you own a next-generation system, this game is a must-have; if you don't, it might be worth picking up a Saturn or PlayStation just to savor Rayman. A+