# Hands On: Rayman Legends Retold — Somehow, Legends Returned… But Actually, Why? ✨🎮
Alright Evil Source fam, buckle in because my two hours of hands-on time at Ubisoft's mysterious Legends event in Montpellier (I also peeked into Milan studio along the way) left me with a *massive* question: why are they retelling this legend after 13 years when the Definitive Edition already existed? 🤔 So yeah, I've played through Rayman Legends like four times now since PS Vita in 2013—Switch 'Defin' edition in 2017 (shoutout to that Kung Foot tournament structure), Wii U original back during my late-to-the-party switch in 2022 when the GamePad touch controls for Murfy tickling and rope-cutting were delightfully fiddly yet deeply tactile, then a replay last month before traveling—and I'm still loving it each time. But here's where it gets genuinely interesting: Brand Producer Loïc Gounon (who now calls Wii U "maybe actually the best platform of all" despite them delaying from console-exclusive status to chase better sales across other systems) and Production Director Alessandro Arndt Mucchi walked me through how they tried starting fresh on their own foundation, expanding that almost-nonexistent story where our mysterious dark figure lurks. They even mentioned drawing inspiration from New Super Mario Bros. alongside Donkey Kong Country Returns during Origins development—something I never connected before—and yes, no more Mario 64-style canvas jumping; we can say goodbye to the beloved technique!
Now here's my actual excitement because there ARE genuinely new things beyond just a fresh coat of paint: Rayman Brand Producer Loïc Gounon introduced us entirely to the seventh world "World of the Livid Dead" (where I only caught level one before time ran out but oh man) packed with fully aimable Fairy Radiance powers—beams you shoot at purple Radiance-infection enemies and obstacles that open fresh paths forward. We also got four shiny new musical levels, five additional platforming stages woven throughout the original adventure, plus a brand-new navigable world map replacing those beloved canvas-jumping moments; they threw in updated Kung Foot rule modifiers with arena layouts too (because nothing says "we care" like improving your side-game). The absolute highlight though? Fresh 3D Dragon Ride sequences between worlds where you hop on and navigate enemy-filled on-rails obstacle courses defending ten Teensies perched across Rayman's back—only two were active during my playthrough but honestly I laughed more than expected at the "Imagine More Dragons" title alone, with that vague Star Fox energy from the flame-shooting movement being genuinely charming. ✨
And then there's THE visual overhaul (I've never seen a Rayman game look this much like itself before). Art Director Guillaume Arvieu told me their entire challenge was celebrating and staying respectful to those original visuals while building new beauty around them—no "we remade Ocarina of Time in Unreal Engine" sheen ruining everything, which means fully-voiced cutscenes with characters I never realized had voices (Rayman's Ugly-Sonic-esque teeth literally stole my attention from the gameplay), substantially more detail across every world—from Frog-town backdrops of what's now The Stinkbog to woodland creatures crawling everywhere in stages—and a brand-new camera system occasionally shifting perspective mid-stage for better spatial awareness. Design Director Roman Petitmangin explained they're deliberately using that new orientation specifically to create "something even more comfortable" while showcasing deeper stage design, making the whole thing feel alive in ways none of us experienced before. My honest verdict after everything? This IS a safe retelling—but safely done well feels infinitely better than recklessly remade wrong. Are you excited for this nostalgic return or do you think another Legends is overkill at this point?
Source: https://www.nintendolife.com/previews/hands-on-rayman-legends-retold-somehow-legends-returned-but-why
Alright Evil Source fam, buckle in because my two hours of hands-on time at Ubisoft's mysterious Legends event in Montpellier (I also peeked into Milan studio along the way) left me with a *massive* question: why are they retelling this legend after 13 years when the Definitive Edition already existed? 🤔 So yeah, I've played through Rayman Legends like four times now since PS Vita in 2013—Switch 'Defin' edition in 2017 (shoutout to that Kung Foot tournament structure), Wii U original back during my late-to-the-party switch in 2022 when the GamePad touch controls for Murfy tickling and rope-cutting were delightfully fiddly yet deeply tactile, then a replay last month before traveling—and I'm still loving it each time. But here's where it gets genuinely interesting: Brand Producer Loïc Gounon (who now calls Wii U "maybe actually the best platform of all" despite them delaying from console-exclusive status to chase better sales across other systems) and Production Director Alessandro Arndt Mucchi walked me through how they tried starting fresh on their own foundation, expanding that almost-nonexistent story where our mysterious dark figure lurks. They even mentioned drawing inspiration from New Super Mario Bros. alongside Donkey Kong Country Returns during Origins development—something I never connected before—and yes, no more Mario 64-style canvas jumping; we can say goodbye to the beloved technique!
Now here's my actual excitement because there ARE genuinely new things beyond just a fresh coat of paint: Rayman Brand Producer Loïc Gounon introduced us entirely to the seventh world "World of the Livid Dead" (where I only caught level one before time ran out but oh man) packed with fully aimable Fairy Radiance powers—beams you shoot at purple Radiance-infection enemies and obstacles that open fresh paths forward. We also got four shiny new musical levels, five additional platforming stages woven throughout the original adventure, plus a brand-new navigable world map replacing those beloved canvas-jumping moments; they threw in updated Kung Foot rule modifiers with arena layouts too (because nothing says "we care" like improving your side-game). The absolute highlight though? Fresh 3D Dragon Ride sequences between worlds where you hop on and navigate enemy-filled on-rails obstacle courses defending ten Teensies perched across Rayman's back—only two were active during my playthrough but honestly I laughed more than expected at the "Imagine More Dragons" title alone, with that vague Star Fox energy from the flame-shooting movement being genuinely charming. ✨
And then there's THE visual overhaul (I've never seen a Rayman game look this much like itself before). Art Director Guillaume Arvieu told me their entire challenge was celebrating and staying respectful to those original visuals while building new beauty around them—no "we remade Ocarina of Time in Unreal Engine" sheen ruining everything, which means fully-voiced cutscenes with characters I never realized had voices (Rayman's Ugly-Sonic-esque teeth literally stole my attention from the gameplay), substantially more detail across every world—from Frog-town backdrops of what's now The Stinkbog to woodland creatures crawling everywhere in stages—and a brand-new camera system occasionally shifting perspective mid-stage for better spatial awareness. Design Director Roman Petitmangin explained they're deliberately using that new orientation specifically to create "something even more comfortable" while showcasing deeper stage design, making the whole thing feel alive in ways none of us experienced before. My honest verdict after everything? This IS a safe retelling—but safely done well feels infinitely better than recklessly remade wrong. Are you excited for this nostalgic return or do you think another Legends is overkill at this point?
Source: https://www.nintendolife.com/previews/hands-on-rayman-legends-retold-somehow-legends-returned-but-why