Balloon

• This article is about the floating object. For other uses, see Balloon (disambiguation).

A balloon is a common object found regularly in the Rayman series.

In the original Rayman

In the original Rayman game, balloons appear in the sixth part of Eat at Joe's, in the Caves of Skops. They are yellow in color with the word "Joe" written in white. They are used by Rayman to cross a large body of water, and are sometimes pushed by large-nosed fish.

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  A yellow balloon in Eat at Joe's.

In Rayman Designer

Balloons appear in Rayman Designer and its spin-offs as core gameplay elements in several levels, and players can also add them to their own custom levels. They appear as purple balloons bearing the white letter ‘R’ – thus giving them a resemblance to Rayman's symbol – and levitate in one spot. Rayman can inflate them by punching them with his telescopic fist; when he stands on them, they deflate within a fraction of a second, creating new platforming challenges not present in the original game.

These balloons also appear in Rayman Collector's le bouingue minigame, where Rayman must pop them with the help of Bzzit.

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  Rayman charging his fist to punch a balloon.
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  Rayman and Bzzit in le bouingue.

In Rayman 2

The hot air balloon at the end of the first phase of the Iron Mountains.

In Rayman 2, a hot air balloon also appears at the end of the first phase of the Iron Mountains, where it takes Rayman to the second phase. Another one can also be found in its remake, Rayman Revolution, in Rainbow Creek, where it takes Rayman to the Precipice. Since the two hot air balloons are identical, it is possible that they are the same one.

In Rayman 3

In Rayman 3, balloons make a much more prominent appearance than they do in any other game in the series. Both Rayman and the Hoodlums use balloons as a means of traversing various kinds of otherwise impassable territory.

Large balloons known as Hoodlum airships carry various Hoodlums from one place to another. They bear crude insignia on their sides depicting Black Lums. Sets of smaller balloons are used by individual Hoodlums as a means of quickly moving across reasonably large gaps and are usually found deep within their territory. The Hoodlums like this method of travel because they believe "it’s exotic, it’s sporty and it weeds out the clumsier soldiers". A single Hoodlum holding one of these balloons is capable of flight, but if they are attacked while holding a balloon, the Hoodlum inflates and is immediately defeated; if the Hoodlum is standing on the balloon, then the Hoodlum falls to the ground and attacks. Rayman often finds their chains of balloons unattended, and can use them as platforms; touching one will cause it to pop, sending Rayman bouncing high into the air. They quickly re-appear so that they can be used as platforms once more. One minigame, simply titled ‘Balloons’, revolves solely around this type of type of travel; Rayman must use chains comprising hundreds of balloons to cross a series of ships and icebergs in the Looming Sea.

The cages in which the Teensies are imprisoned are usually found suspended in the air by a floating balloon, which disappears when the cage is broken.

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  A small balloon, as seen in Rayman 3.
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  The title screen of Balloons.
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  A Hoodlum Zeppelin in Rayman 3.
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  A cage suspended in the air via a balloon.

In the Game Boy Advance version of Rayman 3

A balloon in the Game Boy Advance version of Rayman 3.

In the Game Boy Advance version of Rayman 3, balloons are coloured yellow and green, and will automatically inflate upon Rayman's approach. They burst immediately after Rayman has bounced off of them, but will reinflate soon after.

Names in other languages

Language	Name
English	Balloon
French	Ballon
German	Ballon