In 1995, the original Rayman was released on PC. I didn’t get a chance to play it until 1997 when my family received our new Compaq Presario PC. This 2D side-scroller was colorful, fun, and relentless on its pure difficulty in its later levels, but was so unforgettable. So, naturally when Rayman 2: The Great Escape came out in 1999, I had to pick it up on my Nintendo 64 immediately, and this became my favorite entry to the series, even though Rayman Legends certainly is a masterpiece. The last time we have seen a 3D Rayman was in 2003, entitled Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc. So where is Rayman 4, or any other Rayman adventure, and when will it grace us with its presence?
Being a long time fan of the Rayman series, I do know Rayman 4 was in development, but was scrapped in 2005 by Ubisoft, and some of the games remnants were used in the game boy advance version of Rayman Rabbids. The thought of Ubisoft canceling this project nearly 16 years ago does not give me the warm and fuzzies that I so desire, leaving a void in my gaming library. With the release of other games such as the 2D Rayman Origins in 2011, and Rayman Legends in 2013, or the off-shoot games such as Rayman Arena in 2001, or Rayman Raving Rabbids in 2006, I have not had the highest of hopes for a 3D return. So then the question is, when will we receive a main line 2D Rayman?
The latest on Rayman is its mobile release in 2019 titled Rayman Mini, and as of late, the supposed frozen outline of his silhouette in the ice in Super Smash Brothers Ultimate has caused some stir that he will be a DLC character in the game, but other than that we have not heard much about him. We have encountered way more of his Rabbid counterparts in the limelight with titles like Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, and the upcoming sequel slated for a 2022 release Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope. Have the Rabbids stomped out our helicopter-haired hero? So where is Rayman? And when will Ubisoft bring him to the forefront once again? I hope a plan is currently in Ubisoft’s radar.
Do you foresee another 3D Rayman in the works or do you believe that 2D is where Rayman will flourish? What are your favorite Rayman titles, and would you like to see Rayman in Super Smash Brothers Ultimate like I do?
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Featured Picture: N4G
Rayman in Ice: NintendoSoup
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