Rayman

Rayman
Genre(s)	Platform
Developer(s)	Ubisoft Montpellier Ubisoft Sofia Ubisoft Casablanca Ubisoft Milan Ubisoft Paris Ubisoft Bucharest Ubisoft Shanghai
Publisher(s)	Feral Interactive Gameloft Nintendo Ubisoft
Creator(s)	Michel Ancel
Platform(s)	List Android Atari Jaguar Dreamcast DSiWare Game Boy Advance Game Boy Color GameCube iOS Microsoft Windows MS-DOS N-Gage Nintendo 3DS Nintendo 64 Nintendo DS Nintendo Switch OS X PlayStation (PS1) PlayStation Classic PlayStation 2 PlayStation 3 PlayStation 4 PlayStation Portable PlayStation Vita Sega Saturn Wii Wii U Xbox Xbox 360 Xbox One
First release	Rayman 1 September 1995
Latest release	Rayman Mini 19 September 2019
Spin-offs	Raving Rabbids

Rayman is a franchise of platform video games, created by video game designer Michel Ancel for Ubisoft.^[1] Since the release of the original Rayman game in 1995, the series has produced a total of 45 games across multiple platforms.

The series is set in a fantastical, magical world which features a wide range of environments that are very often based on certain themes, such as "the Eraser Plains", a landscape made entirely of stationery. The core games of the series are platformers, but there are several spin-off titles in other genres. The protagonist is Rayman, a magical being renowned for his courage and determination who, with the help of his friends, must save his world from various villains.

Games[]

Main series[]

Spin-offs[]

Raving Rabbids[]

Other[]

Characters[]

A sketch depicting an early iteration of Rayman where he has limbs

• Rayman is the main protagonist of the series. He has no arms, legs or neck, though he has hands, feet, and a head that are able to move independently from his body.^[4] Due to his lack of arms, Rayman is able to throw his fists in long-range punches at his enemies, and in some games is even able to project balls of energy from his hands. He is able to glide by spinning his hair like helicopter blades. He is typically found wearing white gloves, a red neckerchief on a purple body with a white ring in the center (the neckerchief was replaced with a hood in later entries), and yellow trainers (again, slightly modified in the later games). He is voiced by David Gasman, Steve Perkinson and Douglas Rand in the video games and by Billy West in the animated series.
• Globox is Rayman's dimwitted best friend and sidekick. Although easily frightened, he has often demonstrated his courage and has a heart of gold. He and his wife Uglette have over 650 children. In Rayman 3, he is voiced by John Leguizamo.^[5]
• Barbara is a spunky, red-haired princess warrior and barbarian who first appeared in Rayman Legends, becoming the first human being to be playable in the main series, simultaneously with another sister and eight other cousins who can be rescued throughout Legends. She is armed with a flail battle axe, whose head can be launched forward from the shaft to strike foes from a distance, and uses a magical winged helmet to float through the air, mimicking Rayman's helicopter hair ability. Barbara also returns in Rayman Adventures, having cut her long hair to neck level and exchanged her axe with a shovel.
• Betilla the Fairy is a benevolent fairy. After failing to stop Mister Dark steal the Great Protoon, Betilla assists Rayman in his quest by granting him various new abilities as the game progresses. Betilla reappears in a similar role and with a new curvaceous design in Rayman Origins, where it is revealed she was the one who created Rayman. She also has 5 sisters, who may also have contributed to the creation of Rayman.
• Ly the Fairy is a benevolent fairy who assists Rayman through the course of the second game. She is voiced by Kim Michelle Broderick.
• Murfy serves as a guide to Rayman. He has a hasty nature, unable to deal with failure. He appears bored with his job and cannot be bothered with trivial details. His race is depicted as mischievous and described as "cultivated hedonist". He is voiced by Billy West.
• The Teensies are a magical race of ancient, diminutive and wise creatures created by Polukus.
• Polokus, known as "Bubble Dreamer" in Rayman Origins and Legends, is a divine being and, according to Rayman 2, is the creator of Rayman's world. During the plot of Rayman 2, Polokus is sleeping and can only be awoken with four masks that Rayman is tasked with collecting.
• The Magician is a magical being that helps Rayman on his journey in both the original Rayman and Rayman Origins. At the end of Rayman Origins, The Magician, now a Teensie, is revealed to be the villain of the game, having been inspired by Mr. Dark, the villain from the first game, and replacing him. In Rayman Legends, he reappears and clones himself to create five separate Dark Teensies for Rayman and his friends to battle.

Reception[]

Rayman was named the Best New Character award of 1995 by Electronic Gaming Monthly.^[42] Since his debut in 1995 on the Atari Jaguar, Rayman has become a popular and recognisable video game character, known for his trademark helicopter power and lack of limbs.^[4]

Other media[]

Rayman appears as a collectible trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, appearing as a fully rendered model sent to the developers by Ubisoft themselves along with Globox and Barbara.^[43] Rayman appears as a playable character in Brawlhalla.^[44] Rayman also makes an appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a spirit.^[45]

Rayman has been the subject of a short-lived animated television series in 1999, Rayman: The Animated Series, which was produced as a tie-in to the video games, though significantly different from the source material. Only four episodes were made.

In 2019, another animated TV series was announced to be in works at Ubisoft Motion Pictures.^[46]

Notes[]

References[]

External links[]

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Rayman

• Official website