Rayman's world has been placed into danger by Globox, who ate the Dark Lord Andre and is now enraged, causing the Hoodlums to seek revenge on the world. Rayman must find a cure for Globox and save the day.
Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc is a 3D third-person platform game where Rayman jumps and punches his way through colorful levels, with Globox tagging along and commenting on the action. Rayman's main weapon is his fist, which can shoot projectiles that get stronger when charged. The game is divided into several worlds, each with multiple levels. The player's progress is saved automatically after each level, and must complete a mini-game to surf through light beams in a psychedelic environment between the worlds.
Rayman can find power-ups that give him special abilities, such as shooting tornadoes or flying for short periods. These are necessary to defeat enemies, bosses, or access new parts of levels. The player can also free Teensies trapped in cages, which grant health boosts and other bonuses when collected.
Completing levels with high scores unlocks humorous animations and mini-games. The Game Boy Advance version links to the Gamecube through a link port, allowing for exclusive mini-games and downloadable content.
The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions are straight ports of the original game with improved graphics and added mini-games.