Switch

The Pirates have cluttered the environment with switches which activate strange machines and open various doors. To make it work, just shoot at it.

—Manual, Rayman 2: The Great Escape

Shoot on the switches, you will open hidden passages... or move the environment to stop your opponent.

—Manual, Rayman M

A very handy binary tool. It can be used to do just about anything, except – perhaps – turn the lights down low. It’s far too smart. You need a dimmer switch to do that.

—In-game description, Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc

Switches are electrical components which trigger various mechanisms that can be used to progress through levels in the series, they often are seen to open doors or activate platforms which Rayman can then use to traverse across areas that he could not otherwise.

In Rayman 1

A switch used to manipulate the path of the flying saucer

Switches form an important part of Joe the Extra-Terrestrial's underground flying saucer network. These switches change the direction of the flying saucers which move along the wires on which they are found. They resemble levers and any failure by Rayman to punch them quickly enough will often result in him being caught into a trap. They are found only in the Caves of Skops.

In Rayman 2: The Great Escape and its remakes

Rayman comes across a switch in the Fairy Glade, at an early point in Rayman 2.

Switches created by the Robo-Pirates are commonly found in their fortresses, ships and other installations. These switches are quite large, with a red lever and a bulb on the top which lights up when the switch has been hit. There is also a switch that looks exactly same as regular switches, except this one has a yellow lever and can be activated by stepping on them. In other areas, such as the Marshes of Awakening, The Iron Mountains and The Prison Ship, switches can be seen where the lever is yellow as opposed to red, these switches tend to require being ran over by Shell, or by water-skiing with Sssam.

There are also timed switches in the shape of a circular red button, which when activated, glow red and start ticking, these will temporarily enable or disable a mechanism for a set amount of time, as such, quick timing is key in order to progress.

In the Sanctuary of Rock and Lava, triangular shaped switches appear with similar behaviour to the circular red switches, they will not keep their mechanism open for long. However, unlike mechanisms controlled by the circular red switches, the mechanism the triangle switch is controlling will slowly recede until fully deactivated, as opposed to remaining on for the allotted time, then immediately switching off when time runs out.

The Game Boy Color adaptation also features switches, which are used to disable electrical barriers that prevent Rayman from progressing.

An activated timed switch, located in The Bayou

An deactivated timed switch, located in The Echoing Caves

In Rayman M

File:OnandOn-MenuPic-RaymanM.JPG

All the switches of Rayman M, as shown in On and On's menu

Switches are square-shaped and bear images of Robo-Pirate heads, spiders and piranhas, and come in two colours: red and green. They can be used to open secret passageways, open traps or change the nature of the race track to hinder opponents.

In Rayman 3

A foot switch that can be activated exclusively by Knaarens

A switch as seen in the Land of the Livid Dead

In Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc, switches come in different forms; for example, some are activated by the pressure of Rayman's feet when he stands on them, and some are activated by being punched, much like the switches in the previous games. They also appear in the sidescrolling Game Boy Advance version, in which they are used to open gates.

In Rayman Origins

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In Rayman Legends

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