The Menhir Hills

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This place is guarded by a walking shell. I heard that it may be possible to tame it.
Murfy instructing Rayman on how to pass through the Menhir Hills, Rayman 2

The Menhir Hills is a location from Rayman 2 and its remakes, although it is absent from the Game Boy Color version. It is characterized by its focus on riding walking shells, its short length (one of the shortest levels in all versions of Rayman 2), being the only level other than the Fairy Glade and the Marshes of Awakening that Rayman must re-visit at least once to complete the game, and being the first level in the game to give Rayman a sidekick – in this case, Clark the Giant.

When Admiral Razorbeard seized Rayman's world, the Menhir Hills was the construction site of two Robo-Pirate training facilities: the Military Academy and the Elite Troop Training Center. These facilities largely cut the hills into three segments.

Original version

The Menhir Hills
The Menhir Hills
The Sanctuary of Water and Ice The Canopy
Connected to {{{connected to}}}

Lums 50 Cages 8

Phase 1

When Rayman first arrives in the Menhir Hills, Murfy immediately appears right in Rayman's face and warns him about the nearby academy's walking shell. Murfy hints that the shell may be tamable, and Rayman shortly does just that. By riding the walking shell, Rayman is able to cross a patch of nettles to reach the Military Academy.

Rayman enters the Academy to find two Henchmen 800 asleep; though the sign outside hints at sneaking past them, the Robo-Pirates are of the weak variety and are fairly easy to defeat (though particularly in all versions but Rayman Revolution this is the first time multiple Robo-Pirates are encountered at the same time) (it should also be noted that there are more than two Robo-Pirates in the Academy in Revolution, some of which being hidden). Whatever the player has Rayman do, the hero must continue on to leave the small Academy.

Phase 2

After taming another walking shell, Rayman crosses a nettle patch and must dodge and weave through crates and the nettles that protrude in the various tunnels he goes through. The end of the ride leaves Rayman at the entrance of the Elite Troop Training Center. As intimidating as the name is, Rayman soon finds there's nothing to worry about: Clark has already taken care of the students inside. The inside of the Elite Troop Training Center appears as a separate part in the Nintendo 64 and Nintendo DS versions.

Clark is not feeling well; apparently, while fighting the Robo-Pirates he accidentally swallowed a robot part. Clark's future will not be bright unless Rayman can bring him the Elixir of Life from the Cave of Bad Dreams.

This requirement forces the level to end immediately, unfinished. In all versions other than the PlayStation version, Rayman must backtrack to the Marshes of Awakening (in Revolution's case, this may be the first visit) to locate the Guardian of the Cave of Bad Dreams. As Rayman does not know the Cave's name prior to his encounter with Clark, the Cave was not accessible prior to the encounter. In the PlayStation version, Rayman may go directly to the Cave of Bad Dreams from the Menhir Hills.

Return

In all versions other than Rayman Revolution, Rayman is again lectured by Murfy about the walking shells when he returns to the Menhir Hills. Rayman must travel through the entire level once more until he reaches Clark.

Revived by the Elixir of Life, Clark busts a wooden wall in the Elite Troop Training Academy, allowing Rayman access to the empty school. Rayman must lead Clark to other wooden walls so that he may break through them as well. In the end Rayman leaves Clark and descends a staircase leading out of the academy.

Phase 3

In the final segment of the Menhir Hills, Rayman must once again tame a walking shell. After doing so, he must ride it up a steep slope and then through a tunnel full of rising menhirs. The tunnel leads to a ‘forest’ full of toppling menhirs Rayman must dodge; the bridge he crosses has a similar set of obstacles. Finally, after avoiding the many menhirs, Rayman and the walking shell leap off a cliff and into a Spiral Door. The level is now finished.

Dreamcast version

The Menhir Hills
The Menhir Hills
The Sanctuary of Water and Ice The Canopy
Connected to {{{connected to}}}

Lums 50 Cages 8

The level is the same as in the original version.


PlayStation version

The Menhir Hills
The Menhir Hills
Whale Bay The Canopy
Connected to The Cave of Bad Dreams

Lums 55 Denys 2 Ludivs 3 Murphys 0

In the PlayStation version, the level is shorter still, with the entire first phase being cut. Therefore, the player has not even completed a single level of the world when they head for the Cave of Bad Dreams. As Murfy does not serve as guide in this version, his segment is also cut (although it couldn't have been anyway, as the area in which it occurs was cut). A stone can be found near the entrance portal in which Ly explains that Rayman must tame the shell. Unlike Murfy, she appears certain that the shell can be tamed, although still does not elaberate on how to do this. The first shell ride is slightly harder with another walking shell following the player, meaning the player will have to constantly swerve around in circles to avoid the enemy shell. A new cut scene has been added at the end of the aforementioned shell chase, in which Rayman ends the chase by leaping from his shell and flying through a large door, which promptly closes. The structure in which Clark is found is also named the Elite Troop Training Academy, which was originally credited to another facility in the here-removed first stage. However, this structure may well have been part of the academy anyway.

Another difference is that the portal which Rayman uses is located within the room in which Clark is found, rather than just outside as with all other versions. Therefore, it appears in the cutscene. However, it is exclusive to the cutscene and cannot be seen or used outside of the scene.

In the first stage, originally second stage, there is a subtle difference in that the bridge Rayman crosses on the shell has had its crates removed. This is notable, however, as the loading screen for this level depicts the bridge with the crates, as seen originally.

Also, there is an additional cut scene when Rayman and Clark part, in which Clark expresses his intent to return home and rest. Rayman asks him if he will join him later, which Clark agrees to. Despite this, Clark has no extended role in this version and is only seen once more in the Tomb of the Ancients, as per other versions.


PlayStation 2 version

The Menhir Hills
The Menhir Hills
The Sanctuary of Water and Ice The Canopy
Hub Globox's House

Lums 50 Familiar Spirits 8

In Rayman Revolution, the Globox's House Teensie explains that Clark went to the Hills and Rayman must follow him, rather than simply stumbling across him as happens in the other versions.

Backtracking

After Rayman has completed the Canopy, he is able to light torches. An alcove under the entrance of the Elite Troop Training Academy holds one of the Menhir Hills' cages, but to reach it Rayman must first light a nearby torch and ride a keg over a large gap. There are also several Yellow Lums behind a laser covered door near the exit of the first phase, but it requires the Rain Mask to open the door.


Trivia

  • The meeting with Clark inside the Elite Troop Training Center is technically still in phase 2, but once inside, the door closes, and Rayman cannot go back to the first part of phase 2. There is a different exit to a small outside area which contains a Spiral Door. It is the only level in the game that has a portal back to the hub that is not at the very beginning. It exists to allow Rayman to exit, if he revisits the level before obtaining the Elixir of Life for Clark.

External links