Rayman in the Phantom Show

Rayman in the Phantom Show
Published by	Ubisoft
Developed by	Ubisoft Milan, Ubisoft Paris
Directed by	{{{directed by}}}
Produced by	{{{produced by}}}
Designed by	{{{designed by}}}
Programmed by	{{{programmed by}}}
Art by	{{{art by}}}
Written by	{{{written by}}}
Soundtrack by	Christophe Héral, Grant Kirkhope
Release date	August 30 2023
Genre	Tactical role-playing
Gameplay mode	Single-player
Languages	{{{languages}}}
Platforms	Nintendo Switch
Ratings	{{{ratings}}}
Distribution media	{{{distribution media}}}
Game engine	{{{game engine}}}

Rayman in the Phantom Show is the third DLC of Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, featuring Rayman. It was released on August 30 2023.

In this adventure, Rayman teams up with Rabbid Peach and Rabbid Mario. The Phantom, an enemy previously featured in Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, now works as a studio director for the Space Opera Network, and needs their help as the studio's TV ratings hit a new low.

David Gasman reprises his role as the voice actor for Rayman, while the soundtrack is composed by Christophe Héral, also the composer of the Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends soundtracks, and Grant Kirkhope.

Announcement

On September 10 2022, it was announced at Ubisoft Forward 2022 that Rayman will feature in a DLC for Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, the last of a series of three. A teaser was published for the occasion, showing Rayman's hair in the middle of a row of Rabbid ears.

On June 12 2023, a subsequent teaser was revealed at Ubisoft Forward 2023. In the video, Rayman comes across Rabbid Mario, Rabbid Peach and Beep-0 at a reception, where they seem to be in the process of checking in. Rabbid Peach aims her Triple-Troll weapon at Rayman while Rabbid Mario greets him with a handshake, but the latter falls unconscious when Rayman's hand is pulled from his body. Rabbid Peach then thoroughly observes Rayman's absence of arms and legs, leading him to push her aside.

On August 1st 2023, a new trailer was published, revealing the title of the DLC to be Rayman in the Phantom Show and its release date as August 30 2023.

The announcement of Rayman's inclusion in the upcoming DLC
Rayman's new design
Rayman posing with his new Blaster, loaded with a plunger
Another pose of Rayman with his new Blaster and a plunger

Plot

The game begins with Rayman, having travelled using a shell, arriving at the Space Opera Network, holding a golden ticket decorated with phonograph horns. He soon encounters a Rabbid wearing a cloak and a skull mask called a Stooge, and then exclaims that he knew that the invitation was fishy, and that a Rabbid was behind it. Upon defeating it and other enemies, he exits the Repository and enters the Network Reception.

There, he comes across Rabbid Mario, Rabbid Peach and Beep-0 at the reception, where they seem to be in the process of checking in. Rabbid Peach aims her Triple-Troll weapon at Rayman while Rabbid Mario greets him with a handshake, but the latter falls unconscious when Rayman's hand is pulled from his body. Rabbid Peach then thoroughly observes Rayman's absence of arms and legs, leading him to push her aside. Beep-0 then intervenes, assuring Rayman, whom he calls "Mr. Eggplant", that they are not "run-off-the-mill Rabbids", but heroes. Before they can discuss the situation further, they are ambushed by Goombas and Stooges, and join forces against them.

Upon defeating the enemies, Rayman and the Rabbids introduce themselves to each other and find out that they have all received the same invitation. They praise each other's fighting abilities and decide to team up for the time being. Immediately afterwards, an elevator comes down into the room, and the Phantom comes out of it and towards them. Rabbid Mario and Rabbid Peach, recognizing the enemy they previously fought in the Spooky Trails area of Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, are held back by Rayman as they try to attack him, and the Phantom reveals a bouquet of flowers, appeasing the Rabbids. He goes on to explain that he is now a changed person, no longer corrupted by the Megabug, and that he needs their help to restore the studio's ratings as his actors have left him. The Rabbids are instantly convinced by the Phantom's promises of fame and glory, and while Beep-0 is initially reluctant, he is eventually won over by flattery. The heroes are then tasked with performing in three different locations, the Western Set, the Medieval Set and the Pirate Set.

It quickly turns out, however, that all three sets are overrun with creatures of Darkmess. In the Western Set, where the Phantom is shooting a movie titled The Ballad of Plungerhands McMurdy, the heroes are tasked with punching wood cutouts of bandits, after which they must defeat their leader, a Bravado called "Iron Hands" Sydney Rabbidwhacker. In the Medieval Set, where the The Double Marriage of the Careless Shepherdess is being shot, they are pit against a live action dragon played by a giant Flamin' Stooge. Finally, in the Pirate Set, where the Phantom is shooting Captain Opera-Beard and the Bumbling Brigands of Toilet Water Bay, the heroes must fight a Sea Stooge and defeat a kraken.

Once all three tasks have been completed, the Phantom congratulates them and asks the team to join him by the elevator in the Main TV Studio. Rayman shows wariness, but they nonetheless ascend to the Control Room, where the Phantom reveals his duplicity, explaining that he had been plotting his revenge the entire time and only manipulated the heroes into ridding the Space Opera Network of Darkmess. With the help of his newfound fame, as the studio is now number one in the galaxy, he intends to defeat the heroes as part of one last performance. Breaking the fourth wall, he notably taunts Rayman for having become irrelevant and fallen second to the Rabbids.

In battles reminiscent of when he was first encountered, the team eventually defeats the Phantom, destroying the spotlights that provide him with immunity. Beep-0 claims that he was never fooled by their old enemy's promises, but this is quickly dismissed by Rabbid Mario who reminds him that he has already fallen for it once. Rayman then exclaims that it was nice to fight alongside Rabbids for once.

Having found a functioning warp portal, Rabbid Mario and Rabbid Peach decide to head back to Princess Peach's castle, having not found the actor career much to their liking, while Rayman chooses to stay for some time, explaining that the Rabbids here at the studio are actually trying to do some good and simply need some supervision.

Beep-0 then goes on to thank Rayman, promising him that he can count on them, should he need anything. Finally, the game ends with Rabbid Mario hugging Rayman and Rabbid Peach exchanging presents with him. In pictures shown after the credits, the presents are revealed to be a Mario cap with Rabbid ears, which Rayman wears, and a Rayman hoodie, which Mario holds in his hands.

Gameplay

Overall, the DLC plays very similarly to the main game, in that it is a strategy turn-based game with overworld exploration. At first, only Rayman is playable, but he is very soon joined by Rabbid Mario and Rabbid Peach. None of the other characters from the the main game are available in the DLC.

During exploration, Rayman can use his telescopic fist to punch objects, including breakable ones, and start battles with enemies. Charging his fist allows it to reach further, while his grappling fist ability allows him to grab objects with it. He is also able to run, though he will be temporarily stunned if he bumps into an obstacle. In a stark contrast to his platforming roots, Rayman cannot jump during exploration, and must instead rely on other means to move vertically, such as ramps, ladders, stairs, jump tiles and Rabbid-shaped cannons and warp pipes.

In combat, this is possible using jump tiles and the team jump ability, and he can also move around using flying rings. Unlike Rabbid Mario and Rabbid Peach, Rayman cannot equip Sparks, but he possesses the Blaster and Plunger Guard weapons, and can use the Vortex and Rocket costumes, which grant him passive abilities and equip him with new weapons and abilities, namely the Vortex Blaster, the Vortex Guard and the Vortex Pull with the Vortex costume and the Rocket Blaster, the Rocket Ride and the Rocket Guard with the Rocket costume.

Rabbid Mario and Rabbid Peach's movesets are unchanged from the main game: while the former is equipped with the Dukes and possesses the Counter Blow technique, the latter is equipped with the Triple-Troll and can use the Heal technique. They can, however, equip two new Sparks, Selfie and Cryoquake, which they are revealed to have rescued after defeating Cursa. Their skill trees have also been condensed, merging multiple upgrades from the main game into fewer spots.

Quests

References to the Rayman series

This article or section needs to be rewritten and/or expanded.

Rayman in the Phantom Show contains numerous references to the Rayman series:

Rayman travels to the Space Opera Network via a shell. The crashed shell can still be found in the Repository
"The Rayman Show", the track played when Rayman first arrives at the Space Opera Network, remixes multiple themes from the Rayman games. Firstly, a remix of "Chasing a Dream" from Rayman Origins' Land of the Livid Dead can be heard. Shortly after, the main theme of Rayman Legends, "The Tower of Babel", is heard. Near the end of the song, a remix of the main theme played in Teensies in Trouble is played as well.
Replicas of Mr Dark's hat and cloak can be found hanging on a wall in the Repository
A replica of Barbara's helmet and hair can be found
A replica of a plum juice barrel can be found
Replicas of the Magician's hat and staff can be found
A replica of a tree from the Dream Forest with a plum growing on it can be found
Replicas of all four Masks of Polokus can be found
The standard skin of Rayman's Blaster is based on a mosquito
Rayman's Plunger Guard weapons have the shape of a plum
The Legendary skins for the Blaster, The Dukes, and the Triple-Troll are based on Betilla, Globox, and Grand Minimus, respectively.
One of Rayman's idle animations is playing a guitar, the same way he plays an air-guitar at the end of certain music levels in Rayman Legends. Furthermore, the guitar he plays is identical to one found in a promotional artwork for the same game.
When Rayman wins a battle, he strikes his iconic peace sign pose from the UbiArt games
Various props of Globox can be found
A poster of a cowboy toad can be found in the Western Set
A replica of the giant yellow submarine from Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 can be found
Before the final battle, the Phantom mentions Globox and Mr Dark
An animatronic of Grunderbite can be found in the main quest The Medieval Set. Upon completing it, Rayman exclaims that he is reminded of his time at Castle Rock.

There are also multiple replicas and props from Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle.

Replicas of Mr Dark's hat and cloak hanging on a wall in the Repository
Replicas of the Magician's hat and staff
A replica of a tree from the Dream Forest with a plum growing on it
A replica of the first mask of Polokus
A replica of the second mask of Polokus

A replica of the second mask of Polokus
A replica of the fourth mask of Polokus
The crashed walking shell in the Repository
A replica of the yellow submarine from Rayman Raving Rabbids 2
A replica of Barbara's helmet

Hidden message

Prior to the game's release, creative director Davide Soliani shared a message with the community, revealing that a "secret hidden message" would show upon 100% completion of the DLC, and adding that he is on a mission to "bring Rayman back to the glory he deserves".^[1]

The hidden message in question is shown to the player after completing all quests and obtaining all weapon skins and memories, and is as follows:

The bleakest dark yields to the faintest light; a light that exists within each of us. You are not alone, we are a multitude, linked together by a thin red thread that sews together our hearts and souls. Tighten the knot and we will be together forever, lighting the way.