The Original Rayman is Making a Comeback

The original Rayman game from 1995 is making a big comeback, arriving on modern consoles with extra content. This side-scrolling platformer from Ubisoft, which debuted over 30 years ago, quickly won the favor of players, who praised its atmosphere, music, and graphics. In less than four months after its release, Rayman sold 400,000 copies in Europe, and to date, has sold over 3 million copies worldwide. The commercial success of this production led to the creation of an entire video game franchise centered around the title character, which has spawned a total of 45 games across multiple platforms, including 5 core games and several spin-offs.

Since the last game in the main series, Rayman Legends, was released in 2013, fans of the Rayman video game franchise have had to settle for spin-offs and side projects. However, this did not mean that players’ interest in the series had waned. In contrast, the slowly approaching 30th anniversary of the debut of the original Rayman game and rumors circulating on the internet about Ubisoft’s planned remakes gave platformer fans serious hope for a revival of the franchise. Their enthusiasm was further heightened by posts on social media platforms coming from the people involved in the creation of the series, who, while unwilling to reveal details about their plans for the milestone anniversary, indicated that the cult series had not been abandoned.

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The Original Rayman Game Officially Returns

During the February Sony State of Play, it was revealed that the original Rayman will make a comeback to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its debut. Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition will include 5 versions of the first game in the series, which were originally for PlayStation, Atari Jaguar, MS-DOS, Game Boy Advance, and Game Boy Color. This special pack, described by Ubisoft as “the definitive edition of the platforming classic,” will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, and PC for $19.99 starting February 13. Ubisoft also announced that a physical version will be coming to select regions in June.

The anniversary edition will also include additional content that will allow fans to both expand their knowledge of the series’ origins, and help them overcome the challenges contained in the original Rayman game. Players will have the opportunity to try out a never-before-seen SNES prototype, options such as rewind and accessibility features like invincibility and infinite lives, as well as 120 bonus levels from Rayman’s New Levels, Rayman 60 Levels, and Rayman by His Fans. Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition will also include a re-recorded soundtrack from composer Christophe Héral and an interactive documentary lasting nearly an hour, featuring interviews with the creators of the original Rayman, concept art, and design documents.

For many fans of the franchise, the opportunity to return to the adventures of Ubisoft’s iconic protagonist Rayman is also a return to their childhood memories and first steps in the world of gaming. Some of them jokingly claim that the introduction of accessibility and quality-of-life features to the original Rayman will allow them to finally overcome the difficulties they had with the title 30 years ago. The combination of nostalgia and innovation seems to be generating a lot of curiosity among gamers, who are approaching the announcement with excitement and dreams of experiencing the original magic of Rayman once again.

The release of Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition and the community’s reaction to it show that one of the most legendary series from Ubisoft has achieved timeless status. It is also a lesson for other developers not to abandon projects that bring joy to players and create lifelong memories. Although players have not yet had the opportunity to evaluate the revamped and enhanced version of the original Rayman, their initial reception seems to indicate that this love letter to fans of the series will be welcomed with open arms.