It’s been nearly 20 years since the armless, legless and neckless Rayman burst on to the video game scene.
And next month, he’s back in Rayman Legends, the latest installment in the long-running series. This time, Rayman and his companions Globox, the Teensies and new friend Barbara tumble through a series of enchanted paintings, each depositing the group into a different mythic world and launching a new adventure.
While the game will be available for PS3, PS Vita, Xbox 360 and PC gamers, it was originally conceived as a Wii U exclusive — and developer Ubisoft Montpellier took full advantage of the Wii U’s unique properties.
In addition to co-op gameplay allowing four players to simultaneously journey through Rayman’s world, a fifth player can now take control of the game environment as well via the Wii U GamePad. As old Rayman pal Murfy the Fairy, the GamePad player can take out enemies, manipulate platforms, cut ropes to clear a path and more.
Benjamin Mouret, technical director of art on Rayman Legends, recently promised 40 new levels in the game and about 20 hours of fresh gameplay to keep players riveted into Rayman’s mysterious new world.
Meanwhile, Ubisoft is also dishing out all kinds of special content for Wii U players, including a pair of special costumes exclusive to the Wii U which allow you to play Rayman and Globox dressed as Nintendo icons Mario and Luigi. There’s even a new “soccer mode,” which lets players take a quick interlude from the game’s mysteries and pair up for a little 2-on-2 soccer — or as those crazy Euros call it, football. How’s that for cool?
Rayman Legends hits U.S. store shelves Sept. 3, following its Australian release Aug. 29 and in the U.K. Aug. 30.
