Ah, that is a strange system! I suppose I'll just have to be happy with what I end up with... and leave any customization to my signature, I guess. I think I had guessed as much, at least a little bit. Not about the contests, though...
I'm not very used to forum communities anymore, I guess. But I think that this one is probably a little more involved than the ones Ive been to...
Anyways. I suppose it's good that he went the route of a proper gaming mascot. Though it honestly wouldn't have been too bad to have a little job on the side, as it were, as an educational tool for children. The popularity of a gaming icon could easily be exploited in this aspect, and probably still has a potential to be lucrative, even today. Plus, people kind of have a problem with being stupid these days, and school sucks the fun of living out of everything, as I understand it (I was homeschooled after elementary, so my information is second-hand), let well enough alone learning, so this might help to remedy that.
I actually think that Rayman could stand to have a little bit more character development- or at least some world development. I haven't actually played most of the games, if any of them (I can't remember if I got to try it on my brother's PS1 years ago or not; not even sure if he still has the game somewhere), so much of my experience is second-hand, regrettably; but as far as I can tell, the second game is the only one that truly expands upon the lore at all.
Also, I have a huge problem with his nebulous origin story. It was never actually referenced in the game itself (why it still gets to be called "Origins" I've no idea; it's not even the first in the series chronology- although I can't remember which games it goes between), except for the weird and vaguely disturbing cutscene from the Vita version that I could only suffer a few moments through before diving into the comments to find out precisely "what the hell".
It just seems... dumb to me, to have him be made by Betilla when a huge part of his deal was the "what is he, and where did he come from?" part. It's some seriously cruddy retconning, if you ask me. But then, I'm a fan of more extensive lore in videogames, and enjoy it in the few I get to play. I like the idea of worlds actually being, well, worlds; involved places with their own histories and inner workings. But I digress; I fear that his own history is becoming a bit muddy and confusing. I'd like it if the thing that was never actually shown in the game in the first place, be retconned for a more satisfying conclusion- one that has more build-up, maybe even to the point where it takes several more games to explain.
I'm kind of rambling here; it's not like I'd actually get to play any of these hypothetical games, anyway. I simply cannot afford it- believe me, I'd like to... I really would. I can't even play the games from series that I have had a far greater, more lasting devotion to, than this current resurgence of interest and affection for a relic of my own past. (Although I suppose I have known him for longer!) But, I can't help but babble on in a somewhat sleep-deprived state about how I feel he has a lot of character potential. He doesn't have to be all deep and brooding; he just has to be... well, a person, basically. He needs a bit more fleshed out personality than what he's got, one that's consistent (not that what's already there, however inconsistent, is a bad base to go on).
I'm sorry, I'm having a hard time making sense- or rather, I'm having a hard time understanding what I'm saying, myself, and therefore, am probably meandering a bit, as it were. I'm having issues concentrating.