Rayman
1995 · Platform · PlayStation
Overview
Rayman (1995) is Michel Ancel's platform game, in which a limbless hero throws his fist to free the Electoons from Mr Dark. It became the best-selling PlayStation game of all time in the UK.
Deep Dive
Mr Dark steals the Great Protoon and defeats its guardian, Betilla the Fairy, and captures the Electoons. Rayman, whose hands float free of his body, crosses six worlds to free them, punching enemies with a "telescopic fist". Every level hides six Electoon cages, each world ends with a boss, and 100 Tings earn an extra life. Critics praised its animation, atmosphere and music, but often noted how hard it was, and GameSpot faulted its scarce save points.
Developer Story
Michel Ancel created the character as a teenager and led the design. Ubi Soft released the game for the PlayStation in North America on 7 September 1995, followed by Jaguar, Saturn and MS-DOS versions. It had sold 900,000 copies by 1997 and reportedly more than 3 million in all.
Did You Know?
- Development moved from the Atari ST to a Super NES CD-ROM version, then to the Atari Jaguar; the cancelled Super NES version was rediscovered in 2016.
- It was a PlayStation launch title in North America and Europe.
Sources & further reading
- Rayman (video game) — Wikipedia
