Ubisoft has a month of stay-at-home deals planned

Rayman Legends is a fantastic game, and if you've somehow avoided it since 2013, here's a chance to get it for free. The eye-catching platformer is up for grabs on PC until April 3, 2020, at the Uplay store.

Seriously though, if you haven't run through Castle Rock before, I can't recommend it enough.

This free game deal is a part of a wider initiative underwa??y at Ubisoft in light of COVID-19 and the ensuing stay-at-home orders. The company?? is hosting "a month-long series of offers, trials, and discounts to help everyone who is following health authorities' guidance by staying at home."

If that sounds like something you'd be into – Assassin's Creed and Just Dance are among the "free offers and trials" coming up next – then here's the dedicated freebie website to keep tabs on.

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Dad of War now $20

Sony has just announced that seven new games will be joining its "PlayStation Hits" lineup. A collection of various popular and best-selling titles, PlayStation Hits lets late adopters get some great titles on the cheap. I know I've certainly used it in the past since I'm a cheap bastard. I also missed God of War last year, but I can't refuse it for $20.

I wouldn't say everything below is worth playing, but you can't really go wrong with these prices. You're bound to find something worth enjoying in each title, even if God of War is the clear standou??t. Each new game will be ??available for $19.99 (physically and digitally) starting on October 4, 2019.

• Far Cry 4
• God of War
• Gran Turismo Sport
• Rayman Legends
• The Crew
• Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
• Watch Dogs

God of War, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, Gran Turismo Sport, and more, available at a great new price ??starting October 4 [PlayStation Blog]

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DAFOEVERSE

May is looking a little emotional for PS Plus. To build hype for the launch of Detroit: Become Human at the end of the month, Sony is handing out Beyond: Two Souls on PS4 for Plus subscribers. Now everyone can? experience the brilliance that is Willem Dafoe in digital form!

Along with Quantic Dream's PS3 swansong, Rayman Legends will also be available for PS4 players. PS3 gamers will be getting Risen 3: Titan Lords and Eat Them! while Vita gamers will have access to King Oddball! and Furmins. This is quite the eclectic collection of games, but variety is always nice. Sadly, I can't say I know much about anything beyond the two PS4 games, though I've heard Risen 3 is pretty terrible.

• Beyond: Two Souls (PS4)
• Rayman Legends (PS4)
• Risen 3: Titan Lords (PS3)
• Eat Them! (PS3)
• King Oddball (Crossbuy on PS3, PS4 and Vita)
• Furmins (Vita)

PlayStation Plus: Free Games for May [PlayStation Blog]

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Joined by Burnout Paradise and Pure

In a bizarre (and pro-consumer) move, Rayman Legends for Xbox 360 is now backward compatible on Xbox One. While the game received a native Xbox One version in recent years, I guess Ubisoft and Microsoft are trying to gain some goodwill by not forcing people to double dip on a game they already own. That is pretty admirable, though I think anyone with an inkling of interest in Legends probably bought the current-gen version.

Burnout Paradise was announced as part of the Games with Gold program for next month, but anyone with a digital or retail copy can enjoy the game today on their Xbox One. Disney Interactive's Pure is also now available for play, even though no digital copy exists.?? Suddenly, those two ??dollar GameStop discs are going to be worth something.

I find it strange how a disc-only game isn't being sold digitally ??with this program. Every game requires a download to ensure compatibility, so clearly a ready-to-download version exists. I suppose this is a moot point, but I wouldn't mind having digital versions of a few of these backward compatible games to use on my Xbox 360.

Major Nelson [Twitter]

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The Vita is for Remote Play only

Rayman Legends is a pretty great platformer, and it's coming to the Xbox One and PS4 this week.  To help alleviate some of the questions fans ??have about the PS4 game specifically, Sony ??has provided a fan Q&A piece on the PlayStation Blog.

Arguably the biggest question is from a fan in the Netherlands, who asks whether or not the Vita ca??n be used like the GamePad was on the Wii U. The short answer is "no" - it can only used for Remote Play purposes.

Well, it would have been neat to contro??l Murfy, but it's not really an essential part of the game anyways.

Rayman Legends on PS4: Your Questions Answered [PlayStation Blog]

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A pleasant surprise

The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of Rayman Legends are releasing earlier than expected, Ubisoft has announced. North America is getti?ng t??he whimsical platformer on February 18, while Europe will have it on February 21. Pricing, at least on Amazon, is set at $39.99.

The biggest change for the new versions is undoubtedly going to be reduced load times, which were something of a nuisance on last-generation consoles because of the way levels are selected in-game. As detailed before, there's also costumes based on other Ubisoft p??roperties, exclusive challenges on Xbox One, and TouchPad support on PS4.

Presumably, Legends will look especially crisp running on these new systems, but since this is alread??y one of the best-looking games I've ever played, that's less of a big deal.

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Buy this game already

The previously-announced Xbox One and PlayStation 4 editions of Rayman Legends h?ave been dated for February 25, 2014. Ubisoft has also given spec??ifics about what's new. For Xbox, there's the Splinter Ray, Ray Vaas, and Globox Vaas costumes, plus 10 exclusive challenges to unlock "time-limited Achievements." For PS4, the TouchPad can be used to scratch those darned Lucky Tickets, and the new costume is Assassin Ray.

More importantly, load times have been reduced. These can be fairly lengthy in the current-gen versions, so that's great to hear. I was late to picking up Rayman Legends, but it's quickly become one of my favorites this year. I'm talking top three, easily. That underwater stealth world -- which sounds like the worst thing eve?r, but is quite the opposite, somehow -- blew me away.

If you've yet to play the demo and would like to do so quickly, Ubisoft has a streamable in-browser demo that supports Xbox 360 controllers and mouse/keyboard. How fancy! I wasn't even going to a?cknowledge it, but what's the effing deal with Snoop Lion in this video? Huh?

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It's about time

Anyone that bought Rayman Legends on PS Vita way back in the beginning of September was saddled with the unfortunate surprise of learning that Ubisoft decided to cut the game's Invasion mode from the shipped version due to time restrictions. The publisher's best effort at rectifying the?? situation was to promise that the 28 levels and leaderboard functionality would be patched in at a later time.

That time has finally arrived. Almost three months after Rayman Legends' release, Ubisoft has made the Invasion mode patch available to download, according to the game's Twitter account. The opimists in the crowd can think of it as fr??ee DLC.

Ubisoft's work on this title isn't going to end with the arrival of this update, however. It's been announced that Rayman Legends will make its way to PS4 and Xbox One? in February of next year. As gorgeous and fun as this game is, it deserves to be available on as many platforms as possible. You know, now that the whole "Wii U exclusive" thing ??is a distant memory.

@RaymanGame [Twitter] [Thanks, AyooRyan!]

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Just a couple more weeks here

The PlayStation Vita port of Rayman Legends launched with missing content due to a longer-than-expected development time. Specifically, the console versions' Invasion mode wasn't included on the platform and as annoying as its absence was, Ubisoft at least promised to patch it in via a future update. That update has since been dated for November 26, 2013.

Good. There are also Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of Legends in the works but, frank?ly, I think PS Vita is where it's at for this game. Glad to see it move toward feature pari?ty.

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More versions for people to sadly ignore

In February 2014, Ubisoft will bring Rayman Legends to Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Re??member when this was going to be a Wii U exclusive? At this r??ate, my memory has nearly been wiped clean.

The news originated from an earnings call today where Ubisoft also spoke about Legends' sales, which we previously heard failed to meet the company's expectations. It turns out that the game has sold approximately one million units across all platforms to da??te. How disappointing. I'm ho?peful but not optimistic that these new versions will help that number along.

Rayman Legends Hits Next-Gen in February [IGN]

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But no time frame on when it'll happen

Ubisoft has been under fire lately from the handheld crowd when it was discovered that the PS Vita release of Rayman Legends was missing several levels that were included with the console versions of the game. So, when the publisher's official blog posted an obligatory "Rayman Legends is out now" story, com??menters took the opportunity to ask exactly why the Vita adaptation was stripped-down.

Communications manager Gary Steinman responded and shed some light on the situation. Due to a longer than expected development time, the Invasion mode -- a time-based challenge based off of existing Legends maps -- had to be cut from the final product. However, Ubisoft plans to add Invasion mode via a free?? patch, although it wasn't stated when this wou??ld happen.

It's unfortunate that Ubisoft shipped an unfinished game, even though that's not exactly a rarity in the?? gaming industry these days. At least it sounds like this example will be resolved at some point.

Rayman Legends Out Now [UbiBlog]

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So soon

Rayman Legends is pretty great, so sayeth Jim Sterling, local a??uthority on this sort of thing. So?? is this launch trailer, which shows off the gorgeous platforming action, and up to a quartet of characters moving to the sounds of Michael Franti & Spearhead.

PAX-goers can get a hands-on with Rayman Legends this weekend. Everyone else will have to wait for September 3, for the ??game's proper release. Adjust your hype accordingly.

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NIGHTMARES

So this is a thing.

Corridor Digital made a new SFX-driven action short based on Rayman Legends.? Ever??y role is played by a live actor save for Rayman. And Rayman is...

... uhhhhh...

... my God. It is a monster.

The Legend of Rayman [YouTube]

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Bam-A-Lam

Rayman Origins was an undeniable treasure when it was released in 2011. A masterclass in platform game design, wrapped in a beautiful artistic style and incredible soundtrack, Origins was proof that the mascot platformer can not ?only still work, but can boast all the showmanship of a big-budget, Hollywood-flavored,?? graphically intensive shooter. That, and it was simply adorable. 

Rayman Legends, originally a Wii U exclusive, has suffered a slight dent in its reputation thanks to Ubisoft's decision to delay the game in the name of a multiplatform release. Even so, the pedigree of i?ts predecessor and a brilliant demo has been enough to assure all but the most insecure that Legends is serious business. 

And rest assured, my friends, for Legends is absolutely that.

Rayman Legends (PC, PS3, PS Vita, Xbox 360 [reviewed], Wii U)
Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier
Publisher: Ubisoft
Released: September 3, 2013 (NA) / August 30, 2013 (EU)
MSRP: $59.99

Rayman Legends has a slight story hinged around its rambunctious world, but it's disposable at best. This time around, the Teensies are held captive thanks to the machinations of five nefarious traitors, the Dark Teensies. The world is being swallowed by nightmares, and it's up to Rayman -- along with Globox and a growing army of playable allies -- to sav?e the day.

The platforming action remains largely unchanged from Origins, with up to four players able to jump, punch, glide and stomp their way through intricately designed levels. Perhaps moreso than last time, precision is everything, as just one ill-timed jump can cause players to miss a secret or meet an untimely end. When you hit the zone and make a perfect run th??rough a level, the results are exhilarating and the visuals take on something akin to poetry. Wh?en you screw up, you feel terrible. Once again, each stage is littered with Lums to collect, Teensies to rescue, and secret doors to uncover with a sharp eye and well-timed jumps. 

At times, the need for precision can lead to awkwardness, as even the slightest undesired nudge of the analog stick can make the difference between a character sprinting up a wall gracefully and running dumbfounded on the spot. There are also several times where either clairvoyance or trial-and-error are needed to predict a sudden trap -- and you can always spot these moments because a checkpoint has been cheekily placed before each one. These occurrences can be a little frustrating, especially because when it works, it works so well, and failure to achieve that elegance in platforming is most un?fulfilling. 

Still, it works perfectly most of the time, and it's a ??satisfying experience that fails to ever get old. A new highlight are the musical stages, rhythmic levels unlocked once a world has been beaten. Players are encouraged to rush headlong, timing their jumps and attacks to the tune of a song -- usually a recognizable pop tune given a cute reworking. Charging through a stage while "Black Betty" plays -- complete with enemies singing backup vocals -- is simply inspired stuff. 

The musical levels are but one example of the variety to be found in Legends. Not content to simply provide endless platforming levels, Legends will provide quasi-stealth sections, with players having to avoid searchlights in underw??ater bases, toss in some shooting gameplay with magically-powered fist projectiles, or have players manipulating the environment with the help of Murfy the Fairy. 

In what was clearly included for the Wii U??'s sake, various stages involve using Murfy to pull platforms, cut ropes, or tilt entire rooms. A Wii U copy of the game was not provided for review, but Murfy's actions will be controlled o??n the GamePad screen using touch controls. As with everything, timing is essential, as players will be required to pull, push, and snip things at just the right moment -- and sometimes judge when not to interact with an object at all, lest it be a nasty trick to box you in. 

On the provided Xbox 360 copy, this gameplay is rendered down to its basest functions -- press a button when near an interactive object, and Murfy will automatically do what you need to him to do. It's a simplistic system that feels somewhat pointless on any other machine than the Wii U, but given my feeling that Murfy's entire inclusion was little more than a meaningless tech demo anyway, I'm not exactly distraught by the reduc??ed emphasis -- not least for the fact that some levels can move so fast, I'd rather be pressing a single button than messing about with touchscreens. 

There are also boss stages, replacing the mosquito-mounted flying levels from Origins. This change was,?? I feel, slightly for the worse, as the mosquito levels were amazing fun and the bosses are all comparatively mundane and formulaic. The??y still have their fun moments, and are hilariously designed, but I can't say I found them particularly exciting. 

The meat of Legends is contained in five distinct worlds, each brimming with personality and packing memorable levels and the occasional stunning setpiece. It really says a lot that a humble 2D game, through the power of pacing and engaging art direction, can be just as jawdropping as any CryEngine-powered visual overdose. Moments in Legends are built on thrills that can go?? toe-to-toe with far? less humble, immeasurably more extravagant titles. 

It'll take you maybe around six hours to complete the five main worlds, but there's plenty of content beyond simply that. As well as the need to replay stages to collect Teensies and unlock more playable characters, a whole host of rebuilt levels from Rayman Origins are included, as well as special challenge stages that change each day, and record scores online to crown a single winner. Beaten stages can be "invaded" with new monsters and subsequent rewards, and there's also a fun 2D football game for multiple players.&??nbsp;

As rewards for beating stages with enough Lums, players can unlock Lucky Cards which, when scratched, either award a free Teensie, more Lums, an Origin level, or a Creature. Creatures are displayed in their own l??ittle gallery, and give out Lums on a daily basis. Collecting Lums is required to unlock all the playable characters, so it's well worth building up one's menagerie -- as if the silly designs of the Creatures themselves weren't encouragement enough. Lucky Cards must be scratched to reveal winning panels -- another Wii U? contrivance, haphazardly performed using twin analog sticks on other consoles. 

It goes without saying that the visual design of Rayman Legends is absolutely beautiful. The cartoon style of Origins has been given a facelift, with extra detail, shading, and subtle 3D elements. The added touches make for a handpainted quality, animated with fluid flawlessness, an??d exuding the kind of rich color scheme that truly pops on an HDTV. Things are more detailed, but avoid the visual clutter that could have been had as a result. 

Similarly, the audio is top notch, with amusing sound effects and an impeccable soundtrack. The music is as energetic as ever, and the aforementioned musical stages are a delight for the ears. If anything can be said of Rayman Legends, it's that nobody was asleep at the wheel ??when it came to the p??resentation of the whole package. 

Rayman Legends is occasionally flustering, and sometimes seems to demand more than a conventional controller is capable of. The surprisingly slapdash jury-rigging of Wii U features on other systems is glaring in its inelegance, too. However, we're still left with an impressively designed platformer that proves itself a worthy followup to Rayman Origins, making a f??ew notable om?issions, but adding some excellent new ideas of its own. 

Charming, funny, and only sometimes exasperating, Rayman Legends is the kind of game that makes this industry a better place for its exist??ence. 

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Musical level featuring The 5.6.7.8.'s

Every time I see another one of these musical levels from Rayman Legends, I curse the fact that the game isn't coming out until early next month. Here's what happens when The 5.6.7.8.'s "Woo Hoo" gets introduced to the world of Ray?man. Good things. Good things happen.

This one may not be face-melting in the way Castle Rock was, but it's another fitting song choice? for?? the quirky series. How utterly delightful.

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A neat little extra

During today's Nintendo Direct, Satoru Iwata confirmed that Rayman Legends will feature exclusive Mario and Luigi costumes for Rayman and Globox. This is basically Nintendo's answer to the platform specific costumes of Splinter Cell and Assassin's Creed (although the latter is still comin??g to the W??ii U).

Rayman Legends is still thankfully on track for an August 30th release ?date in Europe, a?nd September 3rd in North America.

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Ubisoft gets a bingo on its multiplat scorecard

Ubisoft has announced that Rayman Legends will be coming to PC on September 3 in North America, joining its sister versions on Wii U, PS3, Xbox 360, and PS Vita. Anybody preordering the digital version on PC will also get Rayman Origins for free. 

The game's multiplatform status and resulting delay was quite the controversy, upsetting Wii U fans as it did. At least today's announcement can come wi?thout a similar nasty surprise. 

Good news for PC lovers. Legends will hopefully be pretty terrific. Enjoy some PC screenshots in o??ur gallery ??to celebrate.

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More, more, more: That's how Rayman Legends likes it

Rayman Legends is finally almost here. The delay of the Wii U version after the announcement of PS3, 360, and Vita ports seems worlds away, but I'm finally about to embark on the evolution of the gorgeous, 2D platforming goodness I fell in love with in Rayman Origins. Better still, this past half year of extra development time has brought about a lot of additions to the game th?at we wouldn't otherwise have seen.

Series creator Michel Ancel called Legends "the biggest Rayman game ever," as well as the most polished. There was trepidation even at Ubisoft Montpellier when the game got pushed back because, Ancel noted, the team "didn't hear about how [they] would be able to use that time." Turns out, they were able to cram quite a few more things into Legends, ??along with churning out several excellent ports.

In addition to the addictive Kung Foot minigame I posted about earlier, Legends has gained "Invasion" levels, an antagonistic appearance by Dark Rayman, new 3D bosses, and complete remasters of the team's favorite levels from Rayman Origins.

Rayman Legends (Wii U, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation Vita)
Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release: September 3, 2013

"When we look at it now, honestly, the delay was a good thing," lead game designer Emile Morel said. "Right now, I don't see what more we could add to it." Seems all these recent months spent weren't idly wasted on thumb twiddling, because Legends is bloated with great content.

The Invasion levels are a mixture of existing assets. Legends is separated into different, self-contained worlds, each meant to "feel like an adventure," and provide some of the cohesion and framing its predecessor lacked. In the Invasion levels, the disparate worlds collide in an unholy union. ??Each main level has its own Invasion level that will unlock at various points in the game when it can be assumed your skills are u?p to snuff; for example, an early Invasion level might not unlock until you clear a more challenging world.

Each Invasion has a 60-second time limit in which to save three Teensies that are strapped to bottle rockets at the end of the level. If your seconds start spilling over, Teensies ??start getting astronomical with a punctuality that Nicholas Cage would admire. 60 seconds.

These challenging, fast-paced levels seem to be a nice analog for some of my favorite Origins levels, the rhythmic chest chasing levels. They require deft timing. Things get complicated in harder Invasion l??evels when Dark Rayman? begins tailing you and you have to avoid him without sacrificing momentum or timing.

As for the remastered Origins levels, "some of the levels we changed them almost entirely," associate producer Greg Hermittant noted. I played a few of the early ones which were much intact, save for the aesthetic boost with Legends' look and lighting, and the addition of Teensies to save scattered throughout the levels. Apparently some Murfy functionality was even added to some of the remastered Origins levels.

"When they asked me what's the best version," Morel said, "pick the system you like to play on." Indeed, the main dividing factor in the Rayman Legends experience comes down to whether you want to use a touchscreen or not. While I find the touch scree??n functional to be novel, I also find it slows the game down more than the traditional controls, in which Murfy is mapped to a face button and will automati?cally go approximately where he should be.

"We wanted to make sure when players start a level with Murfy they wouldn't groan and want a more classical level," Morel explained. "We want to keep the rhythm of Rayman." Using Murfy with the Xbox controller was relatively painless. "You have one more button to press, but you can play very fast." Having to occasionally watch out and direct Murfy definitely added a new wrinkle that I could sort of appreciate as I got into the groove and worked the extra layer into my strategy (I did all the speed runs in Origins), though I'm still hard ?pressed to say the addition is entirely wanted. ;

The 3D bosses at the end of each world also add a small, but welcomed layer to the experience. At the end of the newly shown off Fiesta de los Muertos -- which you play much through after having been transformed into ??a chicken -- you fight a giant, 3D luchador who menacingly sits behind the field of play and tries to squash you with his fist.

Legends is the biggest Rayman ever and I'm beyond excited to play it to death.

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Kung Foot: Enter the...foot

Last week, Ubisoft held an event for Rayman Legends, a game that's been a long time coming thanks to a delay on account of incoming multiplatform ports. While I figured we might just about have seen everything we need to know about the much anticipated platformer, Rayman creator Mich??el Ancel and company had a few more surprises up their sleeves, one of which was the multiplayer minigame Kung Foot.

Kung Foot was conceptualized as a sort of one-off, fun addition, marked as something you "can play with your friends, maybe at night, drinking or not." It bears resemblance to Sportfriends' insanely fun and simple BaraBariBall, but without the death pits. As you can see in the header, it's just pared dow?n soccer, basically, but it's fabulously fun.

Kung Foot support up to four players, which means you can throw goalies into the mix. Even with just two players, it's a blast, as you hit the soccer ball and try to score more goals than your opponent before time runs out. Simple, done before, still great. Naturally the ball speeds up after each hit and things go hectic. It has the addictive, adversarial spirit of a lot of simple browser games like Just the Tip. I can see myself wasting a lot of time on it. As Ancel noted, "this is the biggest Rayman game ever." Stay tuned for more.

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Shame it's not out yet!

The E3 2013 Ubisoft press conference got off to an unusual start, but it wasn't long before the company made it to Rayman Legends which looks, simply put, phenomenal. We also got a nice CGI trailer that had me wanting another full 3D Rayman title, though between this and the excellent Rayman Origins, I almost don't want to admit that.

T?he only real ?problem is that September 3, 2013 isn't here yet.

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Just get it

There aren't many games out there where you just know you're going to buy it after the second you see it in action. Rayman Legends is one such game, and I've played it on every platform it's coming out for now. Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U, and yes, even the PlayStation Vita version which was just announced.

The demos I played were all based on underwater levels like the one you see in the video above. The stealth aspect was pret??ty neat, as you can't just go running through it without a care in the world like other levels. Then I got to play musical Mariachi Madness stage that was a lot of fun, but super difficult to master.

My hands??-on time wrapped up by fighting this giant crazy robotic dragon that's going to require a lot of communication with your friends if you find yourself playing through it cooperatively. Communication in the form of "stop f*cking up and do what I say goddammit!" Trust me, it's fun.

Rayman is largely the same on each platform with some minor differences here and there. The important thing is that they all have wonderful visuals, the gameplay is solid, and the entire concept is so damn charming. Really, it's a no-brainer picking up Rayman Legends when it's r?eleased on Sept?ember 3 in the US and on August 30 in Europe.

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Launching alongside console versions

Ubisoft has confirmed that former Wii U exclusive Rayman Legends will be coming to the PlayStation Vita as well as Xbox 360 and PS3. It'll launch alongside it??s bigger console brethren in ?late September. 

The Vita alternative boasts five exclusive levels utilizing the system's rear touchpad, as well as two exclusive costumes -- a Prince of Persia outfit for Rayman, and ??Sam Fisher gear for Globox. All the local and online multiplayer features will be making their way to the littler version. 

Rayman Legends is due August 30 in Europe, S?eptember 3 in Nort??h America. 

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Spies like us

The newest Rayman Legends trailer might take place under the sea, but that doesn't mean you can expect singing crabs and mermaids. Well, actually, that would have been a reasonable expectation; Rayman does have a tendency to be heart-warmingly adorable at all times.

Rather, this video puts a particular emphasis on the stealthy side of the platformer. Legends requires manipulation of the light and dark to take on new ene?mies ??and infiltrate different areas of levels.

For those that are already sold on Rayman Legends, Ubisoft announced some interesting pre-order bonuses through GameStop. Xbox 360 users will have a Splinter Cell costume available for Rayman, while Assassin's Creed outfits are the?? exclusives for Rayman ??and Barbara on the PS3 and Wii U, respectively.

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Also, Mega Man 4

Today is a happy day for Wii U Rayman fans, as the Rayman Legends Challenge App is live today on the eShop. It features a challenge mode that can be played either solo or co-op, and it'll have daily and weekly challenges, as well as a mix of levels until the game's proper launch??. It's basically one of the only significant exclusives the Wii U eShop has ever gotten to date, so enjoy it.

Meanwhile on the portable front the 3DS is getting Mega Man 4 (3DS VC, $4.99), Crazy Construction (3DS eShop, $4.99), and Color Commando (DSiWare). The Wii Virtual Console is getting Sengoku (900 Nintendo Points). Not a whole lot this week really, but hey, a maj?or free? game is pretty sweet.

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Ubisoft with the olive branch

Though Wii U owners may still be steamed about the big Rayman Legends delay, Ubisoft's hoping to make up for it on April 25 with the exclusive eShop release of Rayman Legends Challenges -- a free series of l??evels for Nintendo's lil' system. 

Four modes, including the Wii U-only Dragon Mode, will be playable, offering weekly challenges a??s well as the opportunity to race against a friend's ghost data. 

Rayman Legends is coming to Wii U, as well a??s Xbox 360?? and PS3, in September. Will the Challenges keep y'all satisfied until then?

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Ubisoft Montpellier is making good on its promise of additional content

The Wii U-exclusive Rayman Legends demo coming out this month will co??ntain the full online challenge mode. A nice treat, sure, but that still doesn't change the fact that t??he game was already finished and should have been out by now. If Ubisoft wants to entice scorned gamers, it'll have to do a little bit more than that.

Series creator Michel Ancel and senior game manager Michael Micholic feel the same way you do, thus they and the Ubisoft Montpelier team have been working hard to make the final game even better. In an interview with Official Nintendo Magazine, the duo explained that the extra dev time was used to create a hefty amount of brand new content. Micholic states, "Trust me, the things we are adding aren't minor. We're not talking about adding some polish ??here and there, but 30 new levels and several new bosses."

Considering Rayman Origins was roughly 60 stages long, we're essentially getting an extra half of a game at no extra cost. That to me makes the delay to September 27 a lot more bearable. I know it's not g??oing to be enough for a some of you, but at least you can appreciate the effort.

Rayman Leg??ends delay: 'I wasn't shocked by the backlash,' says Michel Ancel [Official Nintendo Magazine]

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Okay then

In a third-party release schedule for Wii U, Nintendo dropped additional details on the impending Rayman Legends demo. Pegged as arriving late this month, the demo will contain the game's full onlin?e challenge mode.

According to Nintendo, we'll be able to play four levels, one of which, "Murfy's Dungeon," is exclusive?? to Wii U. (Yes, really.) Of course, Ubisoft will put out extra challenges on a daily and w?eekly basis -- this is a challenge mode, after all -- though I'm not sure how long such a thing can hold our attention. The September 27 launch isn't exactly right around the corner.

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So sweet it's giving me a tootache

If Rayman Legends becomes any more charming, I'm going to rip off my pants, run down the streets of my town, and whistle the twee tunes of Rayman Origins. I guess, I'm going to have to because THAT ??trailer.

Using Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" isn't an inspired choice in media, but the way Rayman Legends incorporates i??t into a level is pretty original. I bet it'd be even more impressive if you stumbled into it in the game without having seen this clip. I guess you'll never know. Sorry, I think?

You'll be able to experience this "Eye of the Tiger" stage along with the rest of Legends' twee antics on Xbox?? 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii U come Se??ptember.

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Seriously?

According to Ubisoft France's studio boss, Rayman Legends is going to be a huge system seller for the Wii U, succeedin??g where Nintendo itself has so far failed. Xavier Poix expects the delayed platformer to work magical wonders. 

Poix was bigging up the Wii U to GI.biz, denying suggestions that Nintendo's console was a disappointment. ?;

"We don't have any disappointments compared to the installe??d base," he said. "We are just hoping that Nintendo's results for Wii U will be a bit bigger.

"Selling a new way of playing can take some time, and we know the power of the brands from Nintendo and we know from the fans that the majority of what will be the system sellers are not yet available. And on our side, Rayman will be one of them for sure. We really expect Rayman to be a huge system seller on the console."

I'm looking forward to Legends, and do not wish to disparage the Rayman series, but ... really? Even when Legends was exclusive to the Wii U, I wouldn't have thought Rayman a massive enough brand to actually be considered a system seller, especially with Ubisoft's often dubious promotion of the series. 

This is before we get into the fact that Ubisoft is now releasing the game on Xbox 360 and PS3, and has delayed the Wii U version so all three versions become available at the same time -- during a period when all eyes are going to be on Grand Theft Auto V, no less. 

I hope Rayman Legends does well, I really do, but if Ubisoft's expecting it to sell Wii U systems in the face of all that, I would love some of it?s obviously quite powerful array of hallucinogenics. 

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Michel Ancel joins the cause!

Continuing to prove it has no love for Ubisoft's decision to delay Rayman Legends, the dev team behind the former Wii U exclusive is campaigning for a swifter release ??date. Developers have situated themselves outside Ubisoft Montpellier with a clear message -- free Rayman!

Joining the outcry is Rayman creator and design icon Michel Ancel. Meanwhile, Ubisoft's Facebook page is besieged by a "Free Rayman" movement, as gamers appeal to whatever shred of human decency may yet lurk in the blackened hearts of publisher executives. Oh yeah, they're still mad, son.

I wish 'em all the best. It's exasperating to think we could be playing Legends almost immediately and we can?'t for no good reason.

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