Yes, it is similar. Instead of a Hall of Doors, you explore several places to go to the levels themselves (although, they don't leave you clueless). In R2: TGE, wasn't there a Yellow Lum and Cage icon? Now it's Yellow Lum and Familiar Spirits. Collecting 10 Familiar Spirits (once again, not cluelessly wondering when you get 10) will unlock a bonus level that you must see Ly for. And there are much stronger pirates. Like the ones that require 10-15 hits to destroy them, while they have rocket launchers that they constantly fire. Those rocket launchers can cost a good bit of energy, too. Plus, they lock-on. So there are stronger pirates. Along with more tunes while fighting them. There is a Magic Well where you get powers. The Stone Circle is where you revisit levels. There's a guy named Bzzit (very resembling to Moskito from Rayman 1) who is trapped in The Bayou and leads you to the Lost Island (Sanctuary of Water and Ice) for the first mask. Yes, a lot. And a lot more.