Rayman (series): Difference between revisions

[[Rayman 1|The original ''Rayman'']] was released in 1995. At the beginning of the [[Rayman (Atari Jaguar)|Atari Jaguar version]], [[Rayman]] is seen frolicking with a group of [[Electoon]]s while they gravitate around the [[Great Protoon]], a glowing orb of energy which seems to be [[the Heart of the World]] under another name. Later, a dark and mysterious villain known as [[Mr Dark]] appears, stealing the [[Great Protoon]] and defeating [[Betilla]] the Fairy as she tries to protect it. When the [[Great Protoon]] is removed from its rightful place, [[the Glade of Dreams]] is cast into imbalance, and nightmarish creatures like [[Antitoon]]s, [[piranha]]s, [[Livingstone]]s and [[hunter]]s begin to proliferate, capturing the scattered [[Electoon]]s and imprisoning them in [[cage]]s. [[The Magician]] calls upon [[Rayman]], asking him to free all of the [[Electoon]]s, defeat [[Mr Dark]] and restore the [[Great Protoon]] to its rightful place. [[Rayman]] receives [[the Magician]]'s call while relaxing in a hammock, giving him the thumbs-up and responding ‘No problem!’ It seems that [[Rayman]] has become lazy, confident and self-assured since defeating [[Jano]]. At this time, [[Rayman]] apparently lives in a house on a beach, though his home is never fully seen (the very first level of the game, [[Pink Plant Woods]], is named the Primordial Forest in the original French edition, suggesting that this is very close to [[Rayman]]'s birthplace). He then travels through [[the valley]]'s six different lands, rescuing [[Electoon]]s and defeating powerful bosses. Along the way, [[Rayman]] meets his creator, [[Betilla]] the Fairy, for the first time; she gives him several powers to help him on his way, and is kidnapped by [[Mr Dark]] for her efforts. [[Rayman]] eventually reaches [[Mr Dark]]'s lair in the [[Candy Château]], where the villain transforms himself into monstrous hybrids of the previous five bosses. Ultimately [[Rayman]] defeats [[Mr Dark]], rescues [[Betilla]] and returns the [[Great Protoon]] to its rightful place, restoring the balance of [[the Glade of Dreams]].

===''[[Rayman Junior]]''===

From 1996, [[Rayman]] appeared in several educational computer games designed especially for children, notably a game based on [[Rayman 1|the original ''Rayman'' game]] in which the player has to solve several reading and mathematics questions throughout modified versions of the original levels. This game had several names, and was released for the Sony PlayStation in 2000 as ''[[Rayman Junior]]'' in Europe and ''[[Rayman Junior|Rayman Brain Games]]'' in North America.

==''[[Rayman 2]]''==

[[Rayman]]'s next adventure, ''[[Rayman 2]]'', features a darker story and somewhat more realistic environments. Prior to the opening of the game, [[the Glade of Dreams]] is invaded by an army of [[Robo-Pirate]]s from space, led by the diabolical [[Admiral Razorbeard]]. The [[Robo-Pirate|pirates]] enslave tens of thousands of innocent creatures, imprisoning them on their colossal flying ship, the ''[[Buccaneer]]''. [[Rayman]] joins a resistance movement, and travels with his friend [[Globox]] to [[the Great Forest]], where the [[Robo-Pirate|pirates]] are massing. In the middle of a fight, [[Rayman]]'s powers suddenly disappear – he receives a telepathic message from [[Ly]] the Fairy, who tells him that the [[Robo-Pirate]]s have just smashed [[the Heart of the World]], scattering the one-thousand [[Yellow Lum]]s across [[the Glade of Dreams]], destroying the cosmic balance and stripping [[Rayman]] and [[Ly]] of their magical powers. As [[Rayman]] is captured by the [[Robo-Pirate|pirates]], he tells a frightened [[Globox]] to run and find [[Ly]] for help. [[Rayman]] is imprisoned in a jail cell on board the ''[[Buccaneer]]'', and it seems that [[The Glade of Dreams|the Glade]]'s last hope has been lost. However, [[Globox]] gives himself up to the [[Robo-Pirate|pirates]] in order to be reunited with [[Rayman]]. [[Globox]] gives him a [[Silver Lum]], which he received from [[Ly]] and smuggled into the ship. The [[Silver Lum]] restores [[Rayman]]'s ability to shoot with his [[magic fist]], allowing him to smash into a vent and escape. [[Globox]] accidentally knocks [[Rayman]] off the ''[[Buccaneer]]'' and they both fall to the ground.

Produced in 1999, ''[[Rayman: The Animated Series]]'' was a short-lived television series with little connection to the games. In the first episode, [[Rigatoni]], the villainous boss of an intergalactic circus, captures [[Rayman]] and takes him to his circus. [[Rayman]], however, does not take this and jokes around with [[Admiral Razorbeard|Razorbeard]], who is now portrayed as [[Rigatoni]]'s servant. [[Rayman]] finds out how badly the other circus freaks are being treated and helps them escape. Angered, [[Rigatoni]] phones [[Inspector Grub]] and tells him to find [[Rayman]] and his new friends and bring them back. Meanwhile, outside the vast city of [[Aeropolis]], [[Rayman]] and the gang see an old man struggling to fix a car. The man promises he will let them have the car if they can fix it and [[Cookie]] (one of the other fugitives) successfully manages to do so. After evading [[Inspector Grub]], they seek refuge in what seems to be the detective's house.

===[[Rayman 2 Forever|''Rayman 2 Forever'' (Game Boy Color)]]===

''[[Rayman 2 Forever]]'', also known simply as ''Rayman 2'' in North America, follows the same gameplay style as seen in [[Rayman (Game Boy Color)|the previous Game Boy Color game]]. The story is similar to that of ''[[Rayman 2]]'', but with far less characters and plot elements. All of the levels are based on ''[[Rayman 2]]'', though they still play in 2D. The game reuses assets and music from [[Rayman (Game Boy Color)|the previous Game Boy Color game]]. It is the first handheld ''Rayman'' game to include a save system other than through passwords, this time utilizing the cartridges battery save.

==''[[Rayman 3]]''==

At the beginning of ''[[Rayman 3]]'', [[Rayman]] and his best friend [[Globox]] are sleeping in a forest in [[the Glade of Dreams]]. Nearby, a [[Red Lum]] sees something so terrifying that it transforms into a malevolent [[Black Lum]] known as [[André]]. [[André]] converts other [[Red Lum]]s to [[Black Lum]]s simply by touching them. By stripping the wool from animals, the [[Black Lum]]s weave costumes for themselves, becoming new enemies known as [[Hoodlum]]s. [[André]] schemes to infect [[the Heart of the World]], using its energy to create an unstoppable [[Hoodlum]] army.

When [[Rayman]] eventually makes it to the [[Robo-Pirate|pirate]]'s stronghold, he is once again faced with [[Admiral Razorbeard|Razorbeard]]'s machine, the [[Grolgoth]]. Upon defeating it and [[Admiral Razorbeard|Razorbeard]], [[Globox]] is rescued and the [[Black Lum]] flies out from his mouth. [[Globox]] then goes on to tell [[Baby Globox|his children]] how he saved the world, with a little help from [[Rayman]].

===''[[Rayman: Hoodlums' Revenge]]''===

In ''[[Rayman: Hoodlums' Revenge]]'', a handheld spin-off of ''[[Rayman 3]]'', it is revealed that part of [[André]]'s spirit remained in [[Globox]]'s body when [[André]] was expelled. The spirit of [[André]] summons back the [[Hoodlum]]s to get their revenge on the world for being defeated. One of their plans is to create a clone of [[Reflux]] to kill [[Rayman]].

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===[[Rayman Raving Rabbids (Game Boy Advance)|''Rayman Raving Rabbids'' (Game Boy Advance)]]===

In 2006, [[Rayman Raving Rabbids (Game Boy Advance)|the Game Boy Advance version of ''Rayman Raving Rabbids'']] was released. It is not a party game, but a 2D sidescrolling platformer, very similar in gameplay to [[Rayman 3 (Game Boy Advance)|the Game Boy Advance version of ''Rayman 3'']]. The game is essentially a fusion of Phoenix Interactive's ''[[Rayman 4 (cancelled prototype)|Rayman 4]]'' project and [[Ubisoft|Ubisoft Montpellier]]'s original ''[[Rayman Raving Rabbids (cancelled prototype)|Rayman Raving Rabbids]]'' platformer. The story is closer to that of [[Rayman Raving Rabbids (cancelled prototype)|the cancelled ''Rayman Raving Rabbids'']]: [[the Glade of Dreams]] is invaded by an army of vicious [[Rabbid]]s, which are led by a colossal war machine known as the [[Rabbids' ship]], and [[Rayman]] sets out on a quest to take them down. The levels and art style, however, are closer to those of Phoenix Interactive's ''[[Rayman 4 (cancelled prototype)|Rayman 4]]'' project. Many of the game's levels are either locations from [[Rayman 1|the original ''Rayman'' game]] that Phoenix planned to revisit, or locations that were originally designed by Phoenix's concept artists. The game features familiar enemies like [[Livingstone]]s, [[Antitoon]]s, [[hunter]]s and [[piranha]]s. Along the way, numerous characters from ''[[Rayman 2]]'' and ''[[Rayman 3]]'' make cameo appearances – most notably [[Ly]] the Fairy, who plays a major role in the game. [[Rayman]] eventually destroys the [[Rabbids' ship]] and restores harmony to [[the Glade of Dreams]] once more.

==''[[Rayman Origins]]''==

''[[Rayman Origins]]'' is a 2D sidescrolling platformer sequel released in 2011. At the beginning of the game, [[Rayman]], [[Globox]], [[Polokus]] (named in the game as Bubble Dreamer) and some [[Teensie]]s are sleeping peacefully on a branch of [[the Snoring Tree]], when a nearby microphone carries the sound of their snoring all the way down to the [[Land of the Livid Dead (UbiArt games)|Land of the Livid Dead]]. An undead [[Granny]] becomes increasingly irritated by the racket, and furiously sends an army of [[Antitoon|Darktoons]], [[Psychlops]] and other nightmare creatures to invade [[the Glade of Dreams]]. The heroes are captured and imprisoned. When they break free, they find that their enemies have gone on a rampage, capturing [[Electoon]]s and locking them up in [[cage]]s. Since the [[Electoon]]s are the stuff of [[Polokus]]'s dreams, this has caused the bonds that hold [[The Glade of Dreams|the Glade]] together to begin fraying. The heroes set out to free the [[Electoon]]s, which gradually build bridges to new locations that they can visit, and the [[nymph]]s (including [[Betilla]] the Fairy), who are being held prisoner by [[Antitoon|Darktoons]]. Along the way, the heroes must collect [[Lum (UbiArt games)|Lums]], which they can trade to [[the Magician]] for more [[Electoon]]s.

==''[[Rayman Legends]]''==

The next game in the series, ''[[Rayman Legends]]'', features gameplay and graphics very similar to those of ''[[Rayman Origins]]'', but takes place in a more grounded setting, based on myths and legends. The initial leaked trailer seemed to suggest that certain toys will be able to unlock additional content in the game, a feature pioneered by ''Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure''. However, [[Ubisoft]] stated that the trailer did not indicate any actual items in the final product. The game was formally announced on E3 2012, and was initially Wii U exclusive. However, the final game was delayed many times, and ended up being released in the third quarter of 2013 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PC and the PlayStation Vita. The game was also released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in February 2014.

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===''[[Rayman Adventures]]''===

''[[Rayman Adventures]]'' is, similarly to ''[[Rayman Jungle Run]]'' and ''[[Rayman Fiesta Run]]'', a 2D running game. Unlike the previous games, the player can now freely change direction, and if a gamepad is connected, have complete free control of the character. The game is available for free on iOS and Android devices, and therefor focuses on micro-transactions in the form of [[Gem (Rayman Adventures)|gems]], which can be used to purchase items and speed of waiting times, and costume packs. The game has received the most updates out of any ''Rayman'' game, and is as of today still being updated with new content.