M-M-M-MONEY SAVER!

Despite not owning an Xbox One, I've been consistently tempted to make the plunge with all of the Games with Gold titles Microsoft has given out. Even the less exciting months have had at least one strong title, but January is just loaded with good stuff. Killer Instinct Season 2 Ultra Edition is the obvious standout, but having Rayman Origins available is damn awesome (especially with Legends just being added to backward compatibility).

Along with that, you'll be able to grab The Cave, a Ron Gilbert-directed puzzle platformer, and Deathtrap, an action RPG set in the world of Van Helsing. Deathtrap will be available for the entirety of January while the other titles have limited windows. The Cave will be on offer from January first until the 16th with Killer Instinct and Rayman Origins filling in from the 16th until the 30th.

The best part about the Ultra Edition of Killer Instinct is that it comes with the classic Killer Instinct 2 arcade game. Microsoft actually did this in January with Killer Instinct Season 1 Ultra Edition being available on Games with Gold, so anybody lucky enough to grab that has a ton o??f conte?nt to work through. That new story mode sounds great, too, so color me jealous.

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Free game

Rayman Origins is five years old this year and I can't think of a pure platformer I've enjoyed more in those five years. As part of Ubisoft's dirty 30 birthday celebration, it's free as hell to download right here. Just sign in with a Uplay account.

If this celebratory freebie is news to you, note that you've (also, I've) missed out on a free copy of Prince of Persia: Sands of Time and Splinter Cell. F?our more mystery games will be released in the coming months as well.

The post Good-ass Rayman Origins is ?free as hell today, come get it appeared first on Destructoid.

August 17

Rayman Origins probabl?y should have been bigger than it was. Ubisoft noted that the game was "profitable," but refrained from calling it a rip-r?oaring sales success, and only pushed 50,000 units in its first month of release.

Even so, it lives on as one of the great new multiplayer platformers? of our time, and you can get a chance to correct your past mistakes by playing it for free on PC. Ubisoft has announced that as part of its 30th anniversary festivities, everyone can nab the game for free on August 17 on the official Club Ubisoft site.

Do it! And brin??g extra c?ontrollers and friends with you when you do.

Ubisoft Club [Twitter]

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Oo-na nee-na glou glou~

Experience Points is a series in which I highlight some of the most memorable things about a particular game. These can include anything from a specific scene or moment, a character, a weapon or item, a level or location, a part of the soundtrack, a gameplay mechanic, a line of dialog?ue, or anything else about the game that is particularly noteworthy and/or awesome.

This series will no doubt contain spoilers for the games being discussed, so keep that in mind if you plan ?on playing the game for the first time.

This entry is all about Rayman Origins. Feel free to share some of your own f??avorite things about the game in the ??comments!

Dance Dance Ray-volution

Rayman Origins is just about the happiest game I've ever played. Every little aspect of it seems to be built around the sole purpose of making players smile. For example, achieving almost any goal will cause Rayman and friends to break out in dance. Whether he completes a level or simply rescues a few Electoons, Rayman can't help but celebrate by bust?ing a groove.

Each of the characters have their own dance moves, but Rayman's got the best moves by far. He seems to really like disco, as much of his dancing takes inspiration from that. He also has this really weird dance whenever he rescue??s Electoons, where he sort of humps the air a few times while swinging his hands back and forth with a wild grin on his face. It makes me laugh every time.

One of the funniest scenes in the game also revolves around dancing. When Rayman encounters the Magician in the Moody Clouds, the antagonist suddenly drops a funky beat. Of course, Rayman will take any opportunity to break into dance, so he busts out some of his sweet disco moves alongsid??e the Magician. They look to be having fun dancing together before the bad guy runs away unexpectedly while Rayman is still too busy moving to the music. It was all jus??t a clever ruse! And you have to admit, tricking someone into dancing so you can get away is probably one of the best escape plans ever.

Musical Lums

Rayman and friends aren't the only ones having a good time. If there's anything that will get players dancing along to the game, it has got to be the King Lums. Lums are the collectibles of Rayman Origins; they're these h?appy little yellow dudes who hover in the air and play musical notes when t?hey're collected. They're everywhere.

King Lums are a little bigger than your typical Lum, and they wear big gold c?rowns so they're hard to miss. Grabbing a King Lum will trigger a short, incredibly happy tune which causes all the other Lums to turn red and start dancing, meaning they're? worth double points until the song ends. Gotta move fast and collect as many Lums as possible before the music stops!

I??t's almost physically impossible for me to not dance at least a little bit after grabbing a King Lu??m. I always catch myself bobbing my head, moving my torso, or tapping my foot to the melody. I just can't help it; it's the happiest, catchiest music!

Slap-happy friends

Playing Rayman Origins with friends is a hilarious ??experience. Technically, everyone is coo?perating to finish the level, but things can get competitive very quickly.

You see, not only are players able to punch and slap enemies, but they can even beat?? their friends up as well. Smacking your friends doesn't cause damage, but it does make their characters yell out in ridiculously exaggerated?? pain, which is really funny to watch.

It's pretty much an eventuality that every cooperative session of Rayman Origins will turn into a slap-fest at some point. It's difficult NOT to hit your friends, even if it's an accident, which will inevitably cause them to hit you right back. And thus the f?riendly fighting begins. Who will win in a slapping contest: Rayman or Globox? There's only one way to find out!

In the belly of the beast

The bosses in Rayman Origins are fantastic. There's a fat, googly-eyed bird; a thorn??y plant monster with a huge head; a giant, eel-like sea drago?n; and a dragon chef suffering from severe heartburn.

The ailing dragon chef, named El Stomacho, is definitely my favorite one. This boss's level is called "My Heartburn's for You," which is just about the best level name ever. He's so big that he swallows Rayman and friends whole, meaning the boss fight actually takes place inside his stomach. Rayman will have to avoid streams of flame and rising stomach acid as he waits for an ope??ning to attack. This dude's heartburn is no joke!

After each attack, there's a brief cutscene as the camera cuts outs??ide to El Stomacho himself, who looks like he's about to barf wi??th all of this activity upsetting his stomach. Finally, Rayman manages to escape back out the way he came, as he's launched out of the dragon's mouth along with a huge burst of flames.

The massive dragon then shrinks down considerably to a tiny little lizard chef and breaks into dance with Rayman. In fact, all of the major bosses shrink down into these adorable little forms and start dancing after be?ing defea??ted, and it always makes me happy. They weren't really bad guys after all!

Treasures and tribulations

Rayman Origins may seem like a fairly simple platformer at first, as ?most of the levels are straightforward and dying only brings Rayman back to the beginning of the room he's currently in. The main game isn't too ??difficult.

The Tricky Treasure levels, however, are an e??ntirely different story. Each world has a Tricky Treasure level which is unlocked after freeing a certain number of Electoons. As their name might suggest, these levels are seriou??sly tricky! Each treasure level is a race to the finish where every action counts. Slip up even once, and it could be over very quickly. Rayman only has one shot at success, or else he has to start the entire level over from the beginning.

Some of these levels are particularly brutal. I had to run a few of them over and over again until I knew every move I had to make by heart, to the point where I felt as though I could probably beat it again with my eyes closed. It was like Super Meat Boy levels of punishing platforming in this cute, cartoon-y Rayman game, and I loved it!

Plus, the music for these levels is fantastic! I didn't even mind that the music was being repeated ad nauseum, because it was so upbeat and catchy. I'd often find?? myself humming along as I ran, only for the song to be cut short by some choice curse words whenever I died again.

No country for old grannies

I thought the Tricky Treasure levels were difficult enough, and then I came to the Land of the Livid Dead. Hol?y cow, you guys!

The Land of the Livid Dead is a secret final area only accessible after beating every Tricky Treasure level and returning the crystal teeth to the old man in the Snoring Tree. It's a dark, gloomy underground graveyard full of thorny, eyeball-laden vines, pillars of flame, and angry grannies! That's right, angry grannies. The Land of the Livid Dead is populated by irate, undead grannies who won't hesitat??e to kick Rayman off their lawn. They're kind of the greatest thing ever.

This area is an intense mega-marathon to the finish line. Luckily there are checkpoints, but even so, getting to the end is no easy feat. Once again, I got a sense of the crazy Super Meat Boy difficulty of the Tricky Treasure levels, a?nd this quickly became my favorite area in the game.

The level ends with a super ridiculous boss battle against a giant, hairy, many-eyed monster, who is busy painting her nails, singing a silly tune, and bathing in lava when Rayman interrupts her. She lets out a horrified scream (in a much deeper tone than her singing voice), and tries to shake Rayman off of her arms as h??er spiky bracelets slide around. She's such an unexpectedly bizarre final boss, and the perfect way to end such a great game.

Oh, and I can't forget to mention the music from the Land of the Livid Dead, which is heavily inspired by Ennio Morricone's soundtracks to classic Spaghetti Western films such as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. It's my favorite music in the entire game (which is saying a lot, since all of the musi??c is fantastic). Lucky for me, too, because I had to hear ??that music A LOT.

Glou Glou

I'll round this post out with another wonderful soundtrack selection. While it's not my personal favorite, the music from the Sea of Serendipity is definitely the most iconic music from Rayman Origins. The tracks "Lums of the Water" and "The Lums' Dream," both subtitled "Glou Glou," feature nonsensical vocals by the Lums. These peaceful, dreamy songs play while Rayman and friends are swimming around under the sea. It's impossible for me to listen to these tracks without smiling. They're beautiful and adorable, and they fit perfectly in the world of Rayman.

Past Experience Points

.01: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
.02: Shadow of the Colossus
.03: EarthBound
.04: Catherine
.05: Demon's Souls
.06: No More Heroes
.07: Paper Mario
.08: Persona 4
.09: Final Fantasy IX
.10: Mega Man Legends

The post Experience Points .11: Rayman Origins appeared first on Destructoid.

In a bizarre turn of events, Ubisoft has been fairly quiet about the actual release date and price of their 3DS iteration of Rayman Origins -- but that all changed as of today. Rayman Origins 3D will launch on June 5 at $29.99, presumably because Ubisoft knows people won't pay $40 for a game that's basically on? every other platform known to man at this point.

Despite the fact that this is probably the worst version of the game based on the demo (which is available now), it's still pretty serviceable. If for some reason the 3DS is your only gaming option, I'd still recommend givi?ng this version a try -- you shouldn't miss out on one of the best games of 2011.

Rayman Origins 3DS release date, price announced [Gamesradar]

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As you may already be aware, a demo for the 3DS version of Rayman Origins became available as part of?? today's Nintendo eShop update. Ubisoft wanted to make sure that you found out, so th??ey passed along this trailer.

The demo itself consists of three stages which offer a good overall sense of what the full game contains. There's a ??traditional platforming stage with hidden areas to explore, as well as one of the forced scrolling platform levels. And, finally, one of the shoot-em-up mosquito stages appears to round out the pack.

I loved this game on Xbox 360 and this feels like a pretty good translation of the experience, albeit with cloudier visuals and less frames of animation. The 3D effects make the backgrounds look terrific, though, as ?there was plenty to work with in terms of creating a sense of depth already. Much as I enjoyed it, I have to confess to turning that effect off pretty fast, as my rapid and energetic pressing of buttons kept making the 3DS angle shift to make the image out of focus from my perspective.

My bigger issue is with the circle pad. You might as well forget it's there and go straight for the Directional Pad. Sure, any self-respecting platform game player would have done that automatically, but some of us have a penchant for self-torment. That spongy thing feels absolutely useless for the level of precision I'm used to having in this game. The D-Pad is much better but I'm still struggling more than I expected I woul??d. I'm not sure if it's the game or my relative inexperience with the layout on the 3DS, but something is affecting my timing.

I suggest you give the demo a try before you decide if you're going to shell out for this portable version of Rayman Origins. It appears to be a pretty solid port to the handheld -- often no small feat, to be clear -- but if you have the ability to play one of the other versions for console or Vita, I'd probably encourage you to go that route?. If you have no other option, it's still going to be a pretty great game, I suspect, but I think I'm likely to skip this release.

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I'm hopeful that Rayman Origins will have a long-tail success; it would be tragic for a game this aesthetically pleasing to go unplayed by the masses. As of today, you can grab it on Steam or directly from Ubisoft for an affordable $29.99.

There's a demo as well, and as expected, the game looks stunning on PC. Perhaps best of all, if you scroll down the list of game details on Origins' Steam page, you'll see the always pleasant "No 3rd Party DRM." That's ??what I like to see, especially from these folks.

The post R?ayman Origins out today for PC via digital distr??ibution appeared first on Destructoid.

Late last night, a demo for Rayman Origins mysteriously hit Steam. If you haven't played it yet, either because you don't own any consoles o?r you just plain missed it, go do yourself a favor and d??ownload the demo now.

Rayman Origins was one of the best games of 2011, and one of the greatest platformers in recent memory. Hopefully this does well enough on PC to help contribute to the coffers of a sequel. It's nice to see Rayman back in action (sans the terrible Rabbids), and he's not done yet! Origins will be released on March 29th on PC, and you can pre-purchase it on Steam, or pretty much every other retailer, for $29.99.

Rayman Origins demo [Steam]

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Once again, Rayman Origins is a 2D side-scrolling dream come, except this time it's on a smaller screen. One of the best and most beautiful games of last year returns on the PlayStation Vita for launch, and I had absolutely no problem playing it one more time for this review.&n?bsp;

Rayman Origins (PlayStation Vita)
Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
Released: February 15, 2012
MSRP: $39.99

I'll make this easy on both you and I by stating that outside the absence of the console version's multiplayer modes, Rayman Origins almost a perfect copy of its bigger brother. All of the high-resolution art, brilliant animation, delicious platforming and varied gamepl??ay from the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game made the transition to the small screen nicely. 

It's a shame that Ubisoft couldn't work in the ability to slap around cooperatively with three other friends for the Vita version, ?especially seeing as how many other Vita launch games have managed to include online functions. Multiplayer could have been a key selling point for those that loved playing the console version with friends. Instead, this version gets a Ghost Mode that lets players blast through unlocked levels as speed runs, with? the ability to share their best times with friends. It's a neat feature, but hardly a replacement for what was one of the best features of the original release.

It's almost unbelievable to see how vivid and colorful Rayman Origins is on the Vita. Even if you've seen the game before, you need to see it again on Vita's OLED screen where its rich imagery seems to pop out at you, and its motion is so smooth that it looks like the most luscious animation ever created is playing between your palms. The level of artistry is so high in this game that it seems criminal to not look every single little morsel of 2D art on every sin?gle screen. I think it's safe to say that you've never seen anything like this on a portable game system. 

If you want a better look, the Vita-only zoom feature comes in handy. Opening pinched fingers on the touchscreen pulls the camera in closer on Rayman and/or his friends, giving you a better look at the sometimes too ?zoomed out action. There are times when your character is a bit too small in a level, even on the Vita's large screen, so this feature helps make up for that. The pinch-zooming is also quite useful for enjoying this game's lavish artwork. Just make sure you've cleared out any enemies before you start appreciating the scenery.

Rayman Origins plays as good as it looks. Brilliant platforming design takes you from standard jumping and baddie squashing in the beginning to polished, magnificently balanced, and sometimes downright challenging gameplay closer to the end. Before you know it you're a platforming master, making wall jumps, slides, butt stomps and air glides like a pro. All of the learned abilities can later be folded back into earlier levels, giving the game some measure of replayability. This?? game'??s varied gameplay types, which include swimming, fighting and even shoot-'em-up stages, are as fun as ever.

The good news here is that it all plays beautifully using the Vita's top-notch d-pad and face buttons. In fact, I've enjoyed it more this time around as the d-pad seems to bring me closer to the action. When the action ramps up to its most challenging (and oh boy, does it ever) you only have your lack of focus and skill to blame, as the controls for the Vita version of this game are spot?-on.

It's a shame about the lack of multiplayer, but Rayman Origins is still 2D platforming at this console generation's finest. This is a huge, deep, challenging, artfully crafted masterpiece that is now portable, which opens the door for even more gamers to get lost in its goofy and delightful world. If you've somehow missed Rayman Origins in last year's crowded ho??liday release season, and you plan on getting a PlayStation Vita, make sure you include this in your laun?ch day purchases. This game is too lovely to be missed. 

The post Review: Rayman Origins (Vita) appeared first on Destructoid.

Usually we don't do these kind of "PSA" posts for retail games, but with Ubisoft sending the poor game out the same week as Saints Row: The Third, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Halo: Anniversary and even its own Assassin's Creed: Revelations, I figured the poor game could use some help.

Whatever big-name game you're planning on? buying this month, don't forget about this one. By all accounts, is absolutely fantastic and a joy to behold, so at least consider it, or download the demo to see how it feels. 

Well, this is my good deed done for the day.

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According to Ubisoft, the commercial performance of Rayman Origins could help get Beyond Good & Evil 2 developed quicker, with sales VP Tony Key stating more sales would give creator ??Michel Ancel more freedom. 

"Ultimately, Rayman is [Ancel's] original creation, and if all the people that love Beyond Good & Evil understand he is more than a one trick pony ... and that if Rayman: Origins does well, it gives him more leeway for other opportunities because he has to build up his studio," explained Key when asked by Industry Gamers. "Just like how Beyond Good & Evil had a whimsical style but included gameplay for adults, Rayman: Origins&n????bsp;will appeal to more than just younger gamers.

"Beyond Good & Evil HD is doing very well on PSN an??d Xbox Live and there's a lot of people coming back, and if they choose to do a?? sequel the audience is bigger than before."

So let me get this straight, Ubisoft. You're going to release Rayman Origins in the same month as Modern Warfare 3, Skyrim and Assassin's Creed: Revelations. You're going to release it on the same day as Saints Row: The Third, and just before Skyward Sword ... and you're telling us that its fucking sales performance may be used as a measuring stick?

Fuck you.

Oh, and while I have you -- stop using Beyond Good & Evil 2 as a hostage to try?? and generate sales of other games. It's pretty damn obvious and about as tast?eless as a baby with a boob job.  

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So, here's a funny story about my experience reviewing Rayman Origins. Sometimes when we receive a game fo??r review, it's not exactly the final code, but a build intended to run on a version of the console hardware which isn't the standard one sitting in your home. This can occasionally caus??e some hiccups in the process, as last minute bugs might need to be worked out or some otherwise completely unexpected (and likely non-standard) issue crops up that the consumer who buys the game on launch day will never experience.

In this case, I had played through approximately 40% of Rayman Origins when I went back to the console and fired it up for the second time, only to discover that my save data had been corrupted. All of my progress was completely gone. As a reviewer, I realize that this situation is not going to happen to players who buy the game and have to keep that in mind in my assessment, but it can be frustrating from the perspective of working to accomplish the goal of writing the r?eview.

Except, with Rayman Origins, it wasn't. I did not care one ??tiny bit that I would have to play through thi?s entire game again.

Rayman Origins (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 [reviewed], Wii)
Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier
Publisher: Ubisoft
Released: November 15, 2011
MSRP: $59.99 

The very first thing you will notice upon firing up Origins is its stunning presentation. The opening cutscene does more than merely set the stage for the loose and light story, which sees Rayman and friends saving the Glade o?f Dreams from encroaching nightmares. It also sets a tone for the entire experience, cleverly demonstrating the elements of rhythm which touch all aspects of the gam??e. Everything from the crisp/vibrant graphics to the upbeat/complex music merges together to create a complete experience that's better than the sum of its individual parts.

Nowhere is this rhythm more apparent than in the expert stage design. The goal of the game is to free Electoons, little pink balls with fabulous ponytails whose power allows Rayman greater access to the worlds connected to the Glade of Dreams. Every stage allows the opportunity to free multiple Electoons through a??chieving goals including stage completion, collecting certain? amounts of musical (and sleepy) "Lums" during stages and by finding hidden Electoons in secret areas.

Where the rhythmic aspect comes into focus is in the arrangement of these objects within the levels. It's one thing to simply walk through a stage. That will award you with one Electoon at the end. But to collect them all, you'll have to find the stage's specific rhythm and fit yourself into it. Touching certain plants and platforms in a stage will cause Lums to pop out in your path and give hints to how to achieve the proper tempo and direction to follow. Feeding into this design flow are valuable "King Lums" which double the value of all ot?her Lums you collect for a short period of time, vital to achieving the high quantities necessary to free Electoons when the stage is finished.

The beat may be faster or slower from one stage to the next but it's always present and finding it will allow you to fly through a level satisfyingly while still achieving a level of thoroughness in terms of collecting, if not on your first run through, usually by the second. It's the kind of pace-based platforming fans of titles such as Donkey Kong Country know all too well, but it also features some of the most gradual difficulty progression?? I've ever seen for a game which starts out so simple and ends so challenging.

This is because, for the first half of the game, you're still unlocking new moves. At the start, Rayman can't even attack until part of the way through the first stage, limited to running and jumping. By the time you're ready to face the game's larger challenges, you'll have become skilled ??in abilities that include gliding, wall-running and -- for better or worse ?-- swimming through levels built around easing you into the complexities of using them with the proper timing to traverse quickly and fluidly to the end.

That swimming is a bit of a sticking point. Rayman does feature a "water level," dedicating around fifteen percent of the game's stages to a world centered around swimming. While never specifically bad, they feel a bit sluggish because you're incapable of moving quickly through water (holding the run button helps but still feels slow) and it drags down the pacing a touch. ?That said, Ubisoft Montpellier does use that slowness to its advantage frequently, ratcheting up the tension in some of these swimming stages through some rather tightly timed sequences that keep the pressure on.

For all its bright color and charm, Origins gets to be a pretty tough game. Thankfully, while the series has gone back to its roots in terms of design, it's adopted modern conventions as well. There are no "lives" to worry about and death merely returns you to a checkpoint which is rarely more than a few seconds back from where you bit it. But at best you'll only ever be able to take one hit from an enemy or an environment and live, owing to a heart power?-up collected in stages which tak?es that hit for you, so there's still a sensitivity towards old-school design without alienating the player.

There is another way of giving yourself a defense against the nightmares plaguing the Glade and all it takes is a friend or three. Rayman Origins features drop-in/drop-out cooperative play for up to four players at a time and as long as one of you stays alive to free injured players from bubbles in which they become trapped when hit, progress through a level remains possible. This is, of course, assuming you don't want to lord your superior ability to collect Lums over your pals and knock them into obstacles and enemies with friendly fire (accidental or otherwise) attacks. Playing with multiple people at the same time can make the game fairly chaotic, mitigating almost all of the advantages of having those players to fall back on to achieve compl?etio??n, but making the game fun in an entirely different way as you smack (and smack talk) your way through.

In addition to the platforming stages, which comprise the vast bulk of the game, most of the game's worlds are concluded with a side-scrolling, shoot-em-up stage where you ride a flying mosquito. They serve a dual purpose for transitioning out of one world and into the next, while at the same time make for a delightful change-up from the rest of the game without feeling out of place. They also feature what is in this reviewer's mind some of the most enjoyable music in the game. There isn't a lot of music in videogames which features the kazoo (probably for good reason) but the lig??ht tone and vibrant energy of the game is all the better for it here.

Even after you've completed the objectives necessary to finish the story, there are still considerable challenges for you to tackle. Revisiting stages allows yo??u to attempt speed run goals and each world features a forced scrolling stage, unlocked only after you've attained sufficient Electoons, which in turn opens up the secret, "Night of the Livid Dead" world. This area of the game will test your mettle like nothing else you've seen, accomplishable only through exacting jumps, constant motion and full exploitation of enemies and environmental objects.

I adored my experience playing Rayman Origins and I'm certain that anybody with a love for 2D platform games will feel the same. It stands tall in the field as being one of the best of its kind in this console generation and supplies ample hope that there's not only plenty of life still in that genre, but in Rayman as a franchise.

The post Review: Rayman Origins appeared first on Destructoid.

Rayman Origins is out next week. Sadly, yet understandably, there isn't a noticeable buzz surrounding the title -- certainly not at the level of productivity-enders Modern Warfare 3 and Skyrim.

It is a full-priced 2D platformer, which rubs some people the wrong way. However, and I can't stress this enough, I'm not going to be surprised if Rayman Origins ends up being my favorite game of 2011, based on what I've played of it so far. Fan of clas??sic Rayman or not, you owe it to yourself to try the demo.

It's pretty much happiness incarnate. Conrad will have the review up before the game hits store?? shelves. It's not too late to get this one on your radar.

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Have you ever wondered what might be lurking inside the colorfully vibrant innards of an over-sized cartoon dragon? Well this new Rayman Origins trailer gives you a sn??ea?k peak at what you might encounter.

Rayman Origins, as the name suggests, goes back to it's?? 2D platforming roots but also takes a page from Mario's book by adding four player co-op. It really stands out among the crowd of recent platformers through the use ??of high quality sprites and stylized environments. I just love the expressions of joy on Rayman's face; you can tell that the artists on this game really enjoyed bringing that character to life. 

Rayman Origins will hit store shelves November 15 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii. But as great as this game looks, I wonder how much content the game will provide considering that this title was initially conceived as a downloadable.

The post Dragons and Bubbles in this Rayman O??rigins trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

The Rayman Origins booth at the EB Games Expo on Australia's Gold Coast was an area I thought would be largely ignored. Given the hours people were waiting to play Battlefield 3 or merely watch a section of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, I wa?s under the impression Ubisoft Montpellier's reboot/prequel to the Rayman series would be all?? mine to play at my leisure. Not so.

For two days, I couldn't get near the thing. Milling around the two screen set-up often, I had no chance to get hold of the Xbox 360 version they were showing. Only due to blind luck did a third player spot open up and I sat down with a kindly couple to play Rayman Origins.

2D platformers have seen something of a resurgence in recent years, with one small caveat. Most of the resurgence has been due to downloads. Braid, Super Meat Boy, Outland and even Shadow Complex have made a significant impact on the genre. Rayman Origins, though, will be asking full price when it is released on a disc in November; a change from its initially planned format as an episodic, downloadable title. But this shouldn't worry a??nyone who has a chance to play the game befo?rehand.

Like a smack to the face, the game is downright gorgeous. Its striking ?art style of painted colours and vibrant backgrounds look good in screenshots, but to see it in motion on a huge screen is impressive. The controller I picked up belonged to series character Globox (the big blue one) as the couple next to me was contro??lling Rayman himself and one of the insect 'teenies'. 

I learned later that the?? game moves at 60 frames per second and this came as no surprise. Even with three characters (out of four) playing and a ton of other madcap insanity on screen, Rayman Origins moves so smoothly it's almost not even worth thinking about. It's as if the game has never even heard of the concept of 'framerate issues'.

The action itself is pretty familiar to anyone who has played platformers. Running, jumping and using the environment to fight enemies and collect items is pretty standard here. One thing I noticed as we were playing was the obvious similarity to New Super Mario Bros Wii. The? frantic multiplayer co-op even places you in a bubble when you die th??at can only be burst by another player to allow you to continue.

Having now played both games, though, I can say the co-op felt a bit over the top in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, whereas here it seems more suited to the gameplay. Using other players to help you get items seems to be more of a focus in Origins, and less emphasis is pl?aced on the frustration of accidentally causing another player's death.

Being propelled across the screen via wind ducts and trampolines is only enjoyable due to the game's precis??e controls. There are so many precarious edges and deadly spikes in the environment that it becomes tense not to die at every turn and if the controls were even a tiny bit less responsive, some frustration would creep in. 

I never expected a Rayman game to be this enchanting. A lot of it has ??to do with how the game looks, but the characters and the overall feel of the game is j?ust so charming it's difficult to put down even in my brief stint with it.

When the demo ended, the couple next to me didn't have much to say. They simply nodded and left. As if ??to say "Yeah, we?'ll be buying this one". Honestly, as it stands now, I don't blame them.

The post Hands-on: Rayman Origins appeared first on Destructoid.

With a game so closely connected to France, it's fitting that this Rayman Origins collector's edition is restricted to Europe. Doesn't make it any less painful ??though, since I think I'd really like to have this one. It's not the most luxurious colle?ctor's edition in the world, but it's pretty sweet. 

The edition comes in a neat little slipcase that unfolds into a diorama, and contains the game, a soundtrack, and 50-page "Art of Rayman" book. Definitely looks worth ?picking up for fans of the ser??ies.

For you Euro folk, the edition costs £??;54.99 and will hit your territories on November 25. North Americans will be able to pick up the vanilla edition on November 15. I hope it performs well and proves to publishers that 2D platformers can still do well at ??retail.

Ray?man Origins Collector's Edition Coming E?xclusively to Europe [Xbox 360 Achivements]

The post Chec??k out this Europe-only Rayman Origins limite??d edition appeared first on Destructoid.

If you pre-order Rayman Origins from Best Buy, you get one of those inflatable bags that bounce back up when you punch them. Remember those? They had things like Bugs Bunny or Hulk Hogan on them, and they were such a scream!

Best Buy is bringing back our childhood with a little desk-sized version of the "slapping bag," featuring Rayman's new buddy Globox. Just order the game through this page to get it.

Rayman Origins is due out November 15, which is very brave. I hope it gets support though, as I think ??publishers should have more confidence in 2D?? platformers. 

Rayman Origin?s Gets A Desktop ‘Slap B??ag’ For Preorders At Best Buy [HotBloodedGaming]

The post Rayman Origins gets ‘slap bag’ with Best Buy pre-order appeared first on Destructoid.

So good. Look at it! At this point, Ubisoft really can't give us anything else to make me want Rayman Origins more. The graphics whore in me is all ooh-la-la about the visuals, but it's the 2D platforming roots at my very cor??e that call out for t??his game. 

This new trailer, found on GameSpot, shows all the varied worlds of Origins: Seaside, underwater, snow-capped mountains, icy valleys, and fire-drenched?? caves. Oh, and huge battles with some really crazy-looking bosses. All beautiful. 

The end of the?? trailer is a bit strange, but we'll let that slide for now??.

The post New Rayman Origins trailer takes you?? around th??e world appeared first on Destructoid.

Console quality in portable games is officially here with Ubisoft's Rayman Origins on PS Vita. I say this because the Vita version I saw today looks a lot like its console counterpart. There may be slight differences, but in no way would I say that it's worse. The game is still beautifu?l, and the Vita's OLED screen makes it look even more crisp and vivid than it did on a HDTV when I saw it last. 

This pretty platformer does have some touchscreen tricks up its sleeveless sleeves. iPhone style pinch-to-zoom is supported for the game's camera, letting you pinch to zoom out or open two fingers to zoom in. It was pretty much exactly what I wanted already; portability is just the icing on the cake. Put? one of my most anticipated games on my most anticipated game system and I'm ha??ppy.

Rayman Origins only supports one player on the Vita.? Makes sense.

A platformer?? of this caliber going portable from console and losing little to no visual quality is unheard of. I can't wait to get my hands on the full game.

The post TGS: Rayman Origins on Vita looks like a PS3 game appeared first on Destructoid.

2D platformers fell out of favor with publishers a long time ago, which is why titles like Rayman Origins make me happy. Here's a shamelessly old school platformer, and it's looking da?mn sexy. 

This new trailer shows off some of the accolades won at E3, and invents a few of its own. I'd say it deserves the?m from what we've seen thus far.

The post SDCC: Have a cute trailer for Rayman Origins appeared first on Destructoid.

To quote Chad Concelmo, Rayman Origins is SO RIDICULOUSLY AMAZING!

Everyone who saw the game can agree with Chad's excitement as it really is a gorgeous looking game. Gabrielle Shrager, lead story designer on Rayman Origins, filled us in on where Rayman's been all these years and the new direction?? they've taken the series.

The post Interview: Here’s what makes Rayman Origins so amazing appeared first on Destructoid.

My biggest surprise of E3 was, without hesitation, Rayman Origins.

The decision to shift from being a digital title into a full retail release makes perfect sense, now that we have the game's E3 showing behind us. If you saw the on-stage demonstration of Rayman Origins, you ??know w??hat I'm talking about. Holy f*ck, if you don't mind my saying.

This trailer above captures much of the magic. Such a great return to form. Take a look a?t the gorgeous new screenshots, while you're her??e.

The post E3: Rayman Origins traile??r, screenshots l??ook phenomenal appeared first on Destructoid.

It's been a good long while since we last heard about about Rayman Origins, an honest-to-God side-scrolling Rayman platformer with naught a Rabbid in sight. It was supposed to be an episodic digital download game with the first episode arrivin??g aroun?d Christmas 2010. According to the latest Game Informer, it looks like plans have changed.

In addition to new game details, such as the inclusion of four-player local co-op, it was annou??nced that the game is now a full disc title. According to series creator Michel Ancel, this switch was made because it was more fitting for a "true sequel."

This news makes me happy. I have no issue with traditional side-scrollers arriving on digital service??s, but I'm not a fan of the assumption that they can't work as boxed titles anymore. This demon??strates confidence on Ubisoft's part that the game can succeed in the retail space.

Rayman Origins will touch down on the 360 and PS3 this holiday.

Game Inform?er 218 det?ails (Assassin's Creed, Rayman Origins) [Game Informer via NeoGAF]

The post Rayman Origins is now a retail title,?? coming this holiday appeared first on Destructoid.