Ray Breakout: Difference between revisions

'''Ray Breakout''' is a hidden minigame which can be played only in the Atari Jaguar and PC/MS-DOS versions of [[Rayman 1|the original ''Rayman'' game]]. The minigame is essentially a ''Rayman''-themed version of the Atari-developed arcade game ''Breakout'', replacing the paddle with [[Rayman]] and replacing the bricks with [[plums]].

In the Atari Jaguar version of ''[[Rayman 1|Rayman]]'', ''Ray Breakout'' is unlocked by entering the code 1364 during the introductory animation in which [[Rayman]] is seen chasing his various body parts and assembling himself. The code is given after the player has beaten [[Mr Dark]], at the end of the credits. However, the code is also hidden in the main game in the third phase of [[Anguish Lagoon]]. While Rayman rides [[Bzzit]], the friendly [[mosquito]], four clusters of [[Tings]] in the shape of the numbers '1', '3', '6' and '4' are passed, giving the player a hint as to how the minigame is accessed. These Ting clusters are only present in the Jaguar version.

In the PC/MS-DOS version of ''[[Rayman 1|Rayman]]'', ''Ray Breakout'' is unlocked by a number of different methods, depending on the particular edition which is being played. In the original edition of the game, it is unlocked by typing the code 'b76b7081' on the map of [[the valley]] after the player has broken all the [[Electoon]] [[cage]]s and defeated [[Mr Dark]]. In the edition of the game that was included with the various [[Rayman Designer|Rayman Designer bundles]], it is unlocked by typing 'cbray' '[TAB]olivier' after finishing the game instead, presumably because 'b76b7081' was too difficult for players to type and remember. However, it can also be unlocked in the [[Rayman Designer|Rayman Designer bundles]] before the game has been completed by typing '[TAB]cbrayal[BACKSPACE]' on the map of [[the valley]].

In the Atari Jaguar version, at the beginning of ''Ray Breakout'', the player finds [[Rayman]] doing a handstand (an ability which he had in [[Rayman (early production)|early versions of the game]]) on a pink, square-shaped platform which is floating in a dark area. The minigame is themed around the character of [[The Magician]], with his theme playing throughout the minigame The floor of the platform is decorated with yellow moons and stars, and its walls are decorated with yellow stars as well as images of The Magician's hat and baton. A large image of The Magician's hat, set in front of a large pink star and surrounded by four orbiting spheres, is also the only visible part of the otherwise black background.

With his feet, Rayman is balancing a white ball which, like the yellow buoys in the game's [[Eat at Joe's]] level, bears the name of [[Joe the Extra-Terrestrial]], while a number of identical balls to the right of the screen indicate how many tries Rayman has left. A formation of [[plums]] of various colours – red, purple and orange, the same colours as [[spiky fruit|spiky fruits]] – is floating at the top of the screen. These plums all have the standard green leaves, however. When the player presses the 'jump' button, Rayman kicks the ball, setting it in motion; after this point, the gameplay is almost exactly like that of the original ''Breakout'' game, but with a ''Rayman'' theme. When the ball hits a red plum, it changes to a purple plum; when the ball hits a purple plum, it changes to an orange plum; when the ball hits an orange plum, the orange plum disappears. The goal of the minigame is to get rid of all the plums.

The gameplay mechanics in the PC/MS-DOS version of the ''Breakout'' minigame are exactly the same as in the Jaguar version. The scenery is of slightly higher quality, and the chip-generated rendition of [[the Magician]]'s music is replaced with the CD-quality version. Most of the stages in this version are heavily redesigned, though some remain in a similar state to the ones in the Jaguar version. In the bottom-left corner of the screen, there is now a counter telling the player how many vanishable [[plum]]s remain in the current stage. The special plums are recoloured in this version – the green plums with grey leaves are now green plums with green leaves, and they grow darker and eventually vanish if the ball hits them enough times; the pinkish-orange plums with brownish-red leaves are now grey with green leaves; and the blue plums with pink leaves are now blue with green leaves. Flashing plums are now more common – a plum is almost always flashing in this version, making it substantially easier to maintain spare tries (though the maximum number of balls visible on the right side of the screen is only two, and this is an accurate representation of the number of spare balls Rayman has). Instead of always releasing [[Tings]], flashing plums also release [[Golden Fist|Golden Fists]], [[Speed Fist|Speed Fists]] and [[Big Power|Big Powers]]. If the player runs out of balls, the message ‘See you soon’ is displayed and they are returned to the map of [[the valley]]. If the player manages to complete the entire minigame, they are granted infinite [[continue|continues]].