Rayman | |
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Current Rayman logo used since Rayman Origins
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Genres | Platform |
Developers | |
Publishers | |
Creators | Michel Ancel |
Platform of origin | Atari Jaguar |
First release |
Rayman 1 September 1995 |
Latest release |
Rayman Adventures 3 December 2015 |
Spin-offs | Raving Rabbids |
Rayman is a platform video game series created by Michel Ancel and owned by Ubisoft. The original Rayman was a 2D sprite-based platformer similar to those of the 16-bit era. The series centers on a limbless humanoid named Rayman. Rayman 2: The Great Escape moved the series into 3D, and added more variety to the gameplay with new actions such as being pulled through a marsh by a snake, riding a rocket, and the ability to temporarily swim in water. Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc kept the same core platforming of Rayman 2, but added timed power ups and had a bigger emphasis on combat. The handheld entries in the series have remained similar to the sprite-based original in gameplay in that they are mostly 2D; Rayman DS and Rayman 3D are the only exceptions to this, as both are ports of Rayman 2.
Rayman Raving Rabbids, which was at first planned to be a traditional platformer, turned into a mini-game collection late in development after the developers were able to try out the Wii Remote and Nunchuck. Early trailers for the game and early information portray it having a darker atmosphere than is typical of a Rayman game, and show Rayman riding animals including a giant spider. Rayman could alter his appearance, and his dancing style with it, and dance to entrance the Rabbids. Ultimately this idea was scrapped, and replaced with motion-based mini-games similar to those in WarioWare: Smooth Moves. Rayman Raving Rabbids was also released on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, and PC despite being made around the motion-sensing Wii controller, and simply replaced physical actions with traditional button presses and stick movements. Rayman M features Rayman characters racing on foot through platformer-like stages and battling in a separate arena mode. There has also been a Rayman educational game, Rayman Junior, which focused less on gameplay and more on learning.