Anyway, this is some most interesting footage! Like many have said before, it's cool to see stuff like the Xowar chase, scrapped moves and old versions of the Laser-Washing Powders in action.
Droolie wrote: Wed May 06, 2026 5:59 pm
Some of the older powerups like the double fist charge (is this the "Razibus"?) looked awesome too.
Agreed, it would've been awesome to have that double fist charging move...
Droolie wrote: Wed May 06, 2026 5:59 pm
Seriously, it seems like every time they try to add rideable creatures/mounts to a Rayman game it gets cut! It happened in Rayman 2 2D, Rayman 3, Rayman Raving Rabbids and Rayman Legends.
I know, right? What does Ubisoft have against non-mosquito mounts? Though to be fair, you can ride walking/flying shells in Rayman 2 and a giant warthog and a bat in the final version of Rayman Raving Rabbids, so I guess they're just very selective about rideable creatures.
...wait, when was this considered for Rayman Legends?
Rayman and Globox riding Goaties to climb up the Summit Beyond the Clouds
Globox swimming really fast with Rayman on his back
Rayman climbing between the two walls like in Rayman 2 (is that a flying bomb the Lavomatrix is firing?)
...And probably a lot more things that I haven't noticed! We're gonna need to document all this to RayWiki, so please share anything notable you can think of here, it will help a great deal towards that!
I mean, the first time I read the word I assumed the K was silent. But then I realized that the characters were pronouncing it, so I was like, OK Then many years later I realized it sounded similar to the ancient Phoenician endonym…
Funny how the comparison with the Lord of the Rings appears in both the Teloru documentary and the old unreleased story showcase!
This is some absolutely crazy footage, it looks almost nothing like the final game, it resembles R2 if anything. Interesting how there's a clip where Hoodlums inflate before popping like in RO, maybe this inspired that?
I remember in Tonic Trouble, some enemies also swell after being popping.
Speaking of Tonic Trouble, I found that many of the sound effects in Madder videos are from this game.
I have watched some of the videos, some things I noticed (some of them have already been mentioned):
- Rayman could remove a Heckler's armour without the Heavy Metal Fist (but instead maybe using the Power Fist from R2).
- Rayman runs away from pirahna in underwater segment.
- Rayman could charge and use both fists at the same time.
- The hoodlums actually set foot on the ship and fight Rayman.
- The way the Hoodoo is defeated is very creepy, the head explodes and the body colapses like clothes with nothing in them.
- I think I saw an unique looking hoodlum throwing boxes...
- Poor Globox, he was called "nice bit quite stupid" in the narration.
Also, I noticed some hoodlum animations that I haven't seen before, I'll leave the GIFs here.
That's a very interesting footage! It looks like an improved Rayman 2, and it looks pretty cool despite being a prototype! It would have been interesting to see Rayman throwing both of his fists at the same time, or even controlling the Wooglah.
It was cool seeing Xowar in action, but honstely, maybe it's because we've "mythologized" how it could be, the footage looks very simple
Elite Piranha wrote: Sun May 10, 2026 6:01 pm
I think I saw an unique looking hoodlum throwing boxes...
Could that be Scaleman? According to his description from the RaymanZone's VIP-zone, he was "supposed to be able to throw crates at our hero".
DaveRattlehead wrote: Sun May 10, 2026 6:22 pm
It was cool seeing Xowar in action, but honstely, maybe it's because we've "mythologized" how it could be, the footage looks very simple
Yeah, I also found it a bit underwhelming, but I imagine it could have been made to look a lot better with improved effects and animations.
I also was underwhelmed by the Xowar lmao, I expected him to be much more wild and feral while chasing Rayman (kinda like his run animation in the secret room of the Tower of the Leptys) but it's probably because this is a really early build or it could also be that after a certain point the chase was supposed to get more intense
It is so delightful to see something so refreshing regarding the game. Wooglah's section is some fever dream-type stuff. It's kind of funny that some of the presented segments have almost everything changed (at least slightly) except the animation that survived so many years. It is great that this developer has finally decided to share something more substantial for the matter, even after 23 years.
Edit:
Did someone take interest in the music used in part 2 with the audio included? For sure you can hear the final (?) game's soundtrack and The Batman Theme, but what else? Especially, I would like to know more about the 7:35 music origin.
Hunchman801 wrote: Sun May 10, 2026 6:36 pm
Could that be Scaleman? According to his description from the RaymanZone's VIP-zone, he was "supposed to be able to throw crates at our hero".
- It is indeed Scaleman, a.k.a. the Kagalpha, hurling crates at Rayman before inflating himself with helium.
- I never thought Snoot would be this huge, it's way bigger than the statue in Razoff's mansion.
- Air currents in the world of the Knaaren, in the modding community know as "toby", said to have destroyed a large number of Knaaren.
- Special Invaders was most likely a cut level, where the bonus level ends, you can see in the footage there is a tunnel behind the mushrooms to continue the level. Pretty sure balloons was also cut level as part of Looming Sea/Summit of Fury.
I always thought that those minigames were just a way to reuse cut content, so I'm not too surprised. Same with the Snoot: it was said to be a hippopotamus-like character, and I had no reason to expect a dwarf hippopotamus here.
Now this "toby" thing is interesting. For those who haven't seen it, the information we have about it seems to come from the fix.lvl file of the Rayman 3 PC demo:
Rayman, tu peux utiliser le Toby au dessus de toi en faisant l'helico !
Or, in English:
DEBUG NOTE : To activate the toby (warning, that destroys a big number of Knaarens), push CROSS UP and CIRCLE
Rayman, you can use the Toby above you by doing the helicopter!
Obviously that was a placeholder name, but the mechanic is intriguing.
Rayman 3 is my favourite game of the franchise, and all this new info about the making off and the prototype it has made me absolutely crazy with joy!!
I HOPE that one day this prototype (probably dating from late 2001; it's clearly a transitional prototype between the edgier, darker Rayman 3 and the comedy game we ended up with) will be leaked and we can all play it.
It SUUUURE looks better than the original... But there's no timeline and it's intended to be Patreon-funded, meaning if it ever releases, it will probably be in a long time.
English translation:
For over 20 years, a legendary sequence from Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc has intrigued players and continues to captivate the community: the deleted Xowar level.
Originally planned as the final boss of the Clearleaf Forest, this gigantic gorilla was meant to chase Rayman in a frantic chase across a level entirely dedicated to this sequence. But like many elements during video game development, this section was cut before the final release.
And yet… it was never forgotten.
Even in 2026, the game's original developers discussed this lost sequence in several behind-the-scenes videos of Rayman 3's development. Thanks to these recent archives and elements recovered from the game files, it's now possible to glimpse what this level could have truly become.
Today, this project has a clear objective: to fully recreate the lost Xowar level as a playable mini-game faithful to the original universe.
The mini-game will feature a massive chase sequence inspired by iconic Crash Bandicoot scenes. Rayman will have to flee the Xowar across plains, caves, and wooded paths, avoiding obstacles, enemies, and environmental traps in a setting faithful to the spirit of the original game.
The project relies on extensive reverse engineering and reconstruction in Unity using the original game files and data restored via Raymap.
Several tools have already been developed specifically for this reconstruction:
- automatic export of 3D models;
- retrieval of original textures and animations;
- extraction of enemies and objects;
- retrieval of environments;
- reconstruction of original lighting;
- complete integration of assets into Unity.
Today, the reconstruction of the environments is already well underway, and the first areas of the level have been recreated with their original assets and atmosphere.
The next objective is to finalize:
- the gameplay;
- Collisions;
- Xowar behavior;
- Cutscenes;
- Cameras;
- Playable web integration.
Every contribution will directly help revive a lost sequence from Rayman 3 and transform this legendary level into a fully playable experience.
The mini-game will begin in a calm atmosphere in the heart of the Clearleaf Forest.
Rayman will arrive in the area and gradually explore the surroundings before heading down towards the entrance of the main course. The player will be able to admire the scenery and environment before the action truly begins.
Once the area is reached, the original cutscene from the game — “xow_cinematic_ca” — will trigger with its original shots showing the Xowar's arrival.
After this introduction, a screen will explain the mini-game controls:
- Movement;
- Jumping;
- How the chase works.
Then the race will begin.
The camera will adopt a fixed, dynamic top-down view, traversing the level's various environments. Rayman must flee the Xowar through:
Throughout the sequence, the Xowar will pursue the player with its original animations restored:
- xow_run for running;
- xow_hit when it jumps or destroys obstacles;
- xow_paf when Rayman is caught, triggering a Game Over followed by a fade to black.
At the end of the level, Rayman will reach an area too narrow and dangerous for the Xowar to continue its pursuit.
The original boss ending animation — xow_death — will then trigger, giving way to a calm and mysterious atmosphere.
The player will then discover an environment inspired by the doctor's house in Clearleaf Forest, creating a natural connection to the original game.
Several elements cut from development will also appear:
- The Flabar, seen in the original opening cinematic;
- The character Glute;
- Other content removed from the final game.
The goal is to recreate a true lost expansion for Rayman 3, faithful to the spirit, animations, and atmosphere of the original game.
What are the subscriptions for?
Subscriptions on this page directly support the project's development and accelerate the complete reconstruction of the Xowar level.
Each contribution helps to:
- continue developing the mini-game in Unity;
- finalize the gameplay, collision detection, and chase mechanics;
- integrate and restore the original animations;
- optimize performance, especially for a browser-based version;
- develop and improve the technical tools for exporting and rebuilding;
- refine the visual effects, lighting, and atmosphere;
- improve the staging and cinematics;
- dedicate more time to restoring deleted content.
Beyond providing support, subscribers will also have access to exclusive content related to the project at various stages of its development.
The different tiers will also allow for:
- the online release of the browser-based mini-game;
- the publication of the project's source files;
- Sharing the tools and scripts developed during the reconstruction.
Who is leading the fundraising?
Passionate about Rayman 3 for many years, we have been working for several months on restoring the deleted Xowar level through extensive research, archiving, and reconstruction using Unity.
The project relies on the original game files, data restored via Raymap, as well as several videos and development materials recently released by the game's developers.
Hundreds of hours of research, reverse engineering, and testing have already allowed us to reconstruct a significant portion of the environments and integrate numerous original assets into Unity.
The goal of this fundraising campaign is to allow the project to take the next step: transforming this technical reconstruction into a fully playable mini-game, faithful to the spirit of Rayman 3.
This project is entirely independent, driven by passion, and conceived as a video game preservation initiative focused on lost content from the original game. This is an unofficial fan-made recreation created to revive and preserve a forgotten part of the game.
This fan game is developed on a non-profit basis, and all images and sequences shown are from a work-in-progress version and do not necessarily represent the final version of the project.
Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc, as well as all associated elements, characters, names, and content, belong to Ubisoft. This project is entirely independent and is neither affiliated with, endorsed by, nor supported by Ubisoft.
Then many years later I realized it 
But there's no timeline and it's intended to be 