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'''''Rayman 2: The Great Escape''''' is a [[Platform game|platforming]] [[video game]] |
'''''Rayman 2: The Great Escape''''' is a [[Platform game|platforming]] [[video game]]. It is considered a classic game, as it raised standards regarding [[3-D computer graphics|3D]], level design and [[game play]], and it had a unique [[storyline]], in which the player could go back to earlier levels of the game and finish certain tasks. It was firstly released for the [[Nintendo 64]], [[Game Boy Color]], [[Personal Computer|PC]], [[Sega Dreamcast]], [[Sony PlayStation]], and was later remade on the [[Nintendo DS]] portable game system and named Rayman DS. It is [[Rayman series|Rayman]]'s first outing in 3-D. |
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== Synopsis == |
== Synopsis == |
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=== Plot === |
=== Plot === |
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[[Image:ratman_2.jpg|250px|thumb|Screenshot of the Fairy Glade, the first level of the game]] |
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Rayman 2 takes place in a world called ''The Glade of Dreams'', which is the same world as the one visited in the original ''Rayman'', though no locations from that game are revisited<ref name="manual-15">Rayman 2 manual ([[English (language)|English]]), page 15</ref>. An army of Robot Pirates, led by [[Admiral Razorbeard]], invades this world and destroys the Heart of the World, the world core. This greatly weakens the resistance's power and disables Rayman's powers, leading to his capture<ref name="manual-3">Rayman 2 manual ([[English (language)|English]]), page 3</ref>. |
Rayman 2 takes place in a world called ''The Glade of Dreams'', which is the same world as the one visited in the original ''Rayman'', though no locations from that game are revisited<ref name="manual-15">Rayman 2 manual ([[English (language)|English]]), page 15</ref>. An army of Robot Pirates, led by [[Admiral Razorbeard]], invades this world and destroys the Heart of the World, the world core. This greatly weakens the resistance's power and disables Rayman's powers, leading to his capture<ref name="manual-3">Rayman 2 manual ([[English (language)|English]]), page 3</ref>. |
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In the course of the game, Rayman frees Globox who had been captured again, and they continue together for a short while until Globox departs again to go find his family. Later, Rayman finds Globox's wife Uglette and learns that he has been imprisoned on the Prison Ship. Rayman also encounters his friend Clark, a strongman who has stomach problems due to eating rusty pirates; to continue through the level, Rayman has to cure Clark by means of an elixir. |
In the course of the game, Rayman frees Globox who had been captured again, and they continue together for a short while until Globox departs again to go find his family. Later, Rayman finds Globox's wife Uglette and learns that he has been imprisoned on the Prison Ship. Rayman also encounters his friend Clark, a strongman who has stomach problems due to eating rusty pirates; to continue through the level, Rayman has to cure Clark by means of an elixir. |
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Eventually Rayman recovers the four masks and awakens Polokus, who makes quick work of the pirates on land. In the air however, he has no power, and Rayman is tasked to dispose of the Pirates' Prison Ship, where Admiral |
Eventually Rayman recovers the four masks and awakens Polokus, who makes quick work of the pirates on land. In the air however, he has no power, and Rayman is tasked to dispose of the Pirates' Prison Ship, where Admiral Razorbeard also has his headquarters. In a final battle Rayman fights Razorbeard, who is controlling a giant robot, the Grolgoth. Eventually Rayman destroys the robot and while Razorbeard escapes in a small escape pod, the Prison Ship explodes. Rayman is presumed dead and only one of his shoes is found, but during his funeral he appears again, walking on a crutch. |
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=== Narrative === |
=== Narrative === |
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By collecting lums, the player unlocks more information about the game world and its backstory, which can be read by standing still and pressing a specific button for some time. Some back story is also obtained through (optional) instructions from Murfy, a "flying encyclopedia<ref name="manual-17">Rayman 2 manual ([[English (language)|English]]), page 17</ref>" who provides explanations on all kinds of gameplay elements. |
By collecting lums, the player unlocks more information about the game world and its backstory, which can be read by standing still and pressing a specific button for some time. Some back story is also obtained through (optional) instructions from Murfy, a "flying encyclopedia<ref name="manual-17">Rayman 2 manual ([[English (language)|English]]), page 17</ref>" who provides explanations on all kinds of gameplay elements. |
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==Gameplay== |
== Gameplay and Level design == |
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Rayman 2 is a breakthrough in the evolution of two-dimensional [[platform game|platform]] games into [[3-D computer graphics|3D]] games. |
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[[Image:Rayman 2 music sample.ogg|100px|thumb|Music sample]] |
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In contrast to its predecessor, which was a traditional [[2D Platformer]], Rayman 2 is a [[3D game]], though it is still in most aspects a [[platform game]]. The player navigates through a mostly linear sequence of levels, fighting enemy Robo-Pirates, solving puzzles and collecting ''lums''. Collecting enough lums gains the player access to new parts of the world<ref name="manual-21">Rayman 2 manual ([[English (language)|English]]), page 21</ref>. Part of the lums are hidden in small crates, in which other freedom fighters or Teensies are imprisoned, and can be obtained by breaking the crates. |
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Gameplay and level design of Rayman 2 are considered outstanding and original. The player is constantly faced with new challenges. The worlds are huge, giving the impression of a fairytale, magic landscape. In Rayman 2, the player can duck, float, fly, jump, strafe, and shoot in order to defeat Razorbeard and his Henchmen. |
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In addition to the main, story-based level sequence, there are also several levels in which the player can gain bonuses in a [[time trial]]. Though these levels have no connection to the story, they are visually similar to the rest of the game and feature several characters and items also found in the "normal" levels. Additionally, by collecting all lums and breaking all crates in a level, the player unlocks a [[bonus level]] in which one of Globox's children races against a robot pirate; when the player, controlling the child, wins the race, he gains full health. |
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==Short description of Worlds== |
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The main weapon available in the game is Rayman's fist, with which energy orbs can be shot. The orbs can be charged before shooting them, making them more powerful. At some points explosive barrels are found, which can be carried and thrown at enemies or structures to destroy them. At various points throughout the game a big, purple plum can be obtained which can be used to immobilize certain enemies, and to ride on surfaces which can otherwise not be touched by Rayman. When riding a plum, the normal controls are not available and the player needs to give Rayman direction by shooting in the opposite direction of the one he wants to go to. |
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===The Buccaneer=== |
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In addition to the plum, the player can also ride robot shells which need to be tamed first, after which they will allow the player to sit on their back and indicate the direction. During such sequences the player can not shoot. In some levels, Rayman gains the ability to fly; in one level by use of his helicopter hair, in another by holding on to a flying gunpowder barrel. |
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The pirate prison ship. It held over 15,000 prisoners during the introduction and is where Rayman is first reunited with Globox. The player takes control after Rayman receives the silver Lum (Giving the fist-throwing ability) to escape from the ship. Not considered a "true" level and more an introduction to prepare the story and not found in the Hall of Doors. |
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== |
===The Woods of Light=== |
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[[Image:Rayman2revolution4.jpg|right|thumb|A screenshot of the cutscene at the Woods of Light]] |
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''Rayman 2'' was released on a wide variety of platforms. There are several differences between the versions. |
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The Woods of Light is the first "true" level of the game where Rayman lands after escaping from the Buccaneer, the pirate prison ship. |
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=== PC === |
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Globox Village is hidden in this world. |
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[[Image:Rayman2-Menu.jpg|300px|thumb|The main menu of the game (PC version)]] |
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The PC version, entitled ''Rayman 2: The Great Escape'', features the sharpest graphics due to semi-high resolution support, compared to the Nintendo 64 and the Dreamcast versions of the product. It is compatible with computers ranging from around the year of 1999 to the present day, although it can sometimes be hard to get the game to run on [[Windows XP]]. Fan-made patches have been released to correct some of the problems that occur on more recent configurations<ref name="patches">{{cite web |url=http://www.rayman-fanpage.de/rayman2/rayman2_hilfe-start_english.htm |title=Rayman-Fanpage.Rayman 2 Help/FAQ English |accessdate=2009-02-06 |work=Rayman-Fanpage}}</ref>. |
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In the PS version, The Woods of Light is renamed The Clearing. |
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===The Fairy Glade=== |
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This is the level where Rayman meets Ly and learns to swing from purple lums. It is a huge level, beautiful, with huge open spaces. It is one of the game's longer levels. |
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[[Image:ratman_2.jpg|250px|thumb|Screenshot of the Fairy Glade]] |
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===The Marshes of Awakening=== |
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In this level, Rayman meets Ssssam and the Guardian of the Cave of Bad Dreams. Except for the beginning of the level, Rayman water-skis through the level avoiding obstacles, pulled along by a magical link to Sssam's scarf after he shoots it. He has a chance to enter the Cave of Bad Dreams, if he knows the name, which, unfortunately, is impossible until the player reaches the Menhir Hills. |
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===The Cave of Bad Dreams=== |
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Rayman can compete against the Guardian of the Cave of Bad Dreams to win the Elixir of Life here. |
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===The Bayou=== |
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Rayman makes his way through a swampy marsh here. You are shot at by the pirates' ships in this level. |
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===The Walk of Life=== |
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Rayman can enter here from the Bayou and possibly earn an energy refill. |
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===The Sanctuary of Water and Ice=== |
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The first mask can be found here. Rayman fights the Guardian of the Sanctuary of Water and Ice, Axel, to get the mask and meet Polokus for the first time. |
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The Sanctuary of Water and Ice does not appear in the PS Version. |
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===The Menhir Hills=== |
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Rayman is introduced to the shell on this level. He needs it to cross thorns blocking the path to the military academy. He also meets Clark inside the elite troop training center, who has just smashed twenty pirates and needs the Elixir of Life (though he refers to it as "life potion") after having swallowed something bad. He tells Rayman the password to enter the Cave of Bad Dreams. In this level, you can also use a flying keg to reach one of the cages, although you learn how to control them only in the Echoing Caves. |
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In the PC version after giving Clark the Elixir, if you keep trying to ram one of the pirate parts, and jump over it afterward, the game will stop for a short time, Rayman will fall into a white abyss, and you will start outside the doors leading to the room Clark is in without getting a green lum. |
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===The Canopy=== |
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Rayman reunites with Globox. Globox can use his Raindance ability to short-circuit the pirates' laser doors and douse fires to help Rayman proceed through the level. |
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===Whale Bay=== |
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This is a very beautiful level, consisting of an aquarium, a beach with a pirate warship wreckage, a cosy lot covered entirely with trees and bay that succeeds very well in fooling the player into believing they're swimming in open sea. Here, Rayman frees Carmen, the whale, from the inside of a [[claustrophobic]] pirate structure in which a walking shell can provide access to a secret area. Carmen leads Rayman to the underside of a wrecked pirate ship, located in a hermetically closed off underwater cave. Through an entrance in the ship, Rayman can reach the vast and beautiful bay above. |
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In the PS Version, Rayman finds Axel and the first mask here. |
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===The Sanctuary of Stone and Fire=== |
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Rayman gets the second mask here. He gets it by defeating Umber. However, Rayman does not fight with Umber directly. Rather, you find and place spheres on the correct pedestals, which is a difficult task. Then, Rayman rides Umber through the lava to the second mask, making sure to jump onto the platform at the end before Umber sinks completely. Rayman does not travel to the Sanctuary of Stone and Fire in the PS Version. |
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===PS Exclusive: The Sanctuary of Lava and Fire=== |
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In the PlayStation version, the second half of the Sanctuary of Stone and Fire is known as the Sanctuary of Lava and Fire. However, the sanctuary's name is not mentioned in any version other than the PS Version, since the two sanctuaries are one level in the N64/PC version. Instead of finding Umber, you find an Umber-lookalike named Colossus and then fight Ninjaws, a Ninja Henchman sent down to kill Rayman and bring Razorbeard the second mask. Unique to the PS version is a movie that takes place just before this level where Razorbeard sends down Ninjaws to kill Rayman and retrieve the second mask. Also note that Ninjaws is one of a series of robots called Ninja Henchmen which are unique to the PS version of the game. |
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===The Echoing Caves=== |
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Rayman learns how to control flying kegs here. This level also features a secret entrance to a part of The Fairy Glade that cannot be accessed otherwise. |
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===The Precipice=== |
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Rayman is chased over a precarious set of wooden platforms by a pirate warship and escapes through the mountains. Gameplay is similar to that of The Bayou. |
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===The Top of the World=== |
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A unique level. Rayman travels on a flying chair and lands inside a pirate stronghold, containing a small bit of stealthy gameplay. |
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This level isn't in the PS version of the game. |
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===The Sanctuary of Rock and Lava=== |
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Rayman travels through the swamps and into a lost temple flooded with lava which is similar to the Sanctuary of Stone and Fire. |
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===The Walk of Power=== |
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Rayman can enter here from the Sanctuary of Rock and Lava and possibly earn a golden fist. This is a race with Ly. |
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===Beneath the Sanctuary of Rock and Lava=== |
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Rayman temporarily obtains the ability to fly and travels through a lava-filled corridor with fire-spewing turrets and thorny plant branches in the walls. At the end, Rayman fights Foutch to get the third mask. Beyond this level, flying with the helicopter will no longer be possible, as the power is disabled after Foutch strikes Rayman when he first enters the chamber where they will fight. |
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===Tomb of the Ancients=== |
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Rayman fights Clark who is brainwashed by the pirates. Zombie Chickens and Tarantulas haunt the area. In this level, after defeating the final boss, the player can enter a hidden area and obtain the 1000th Lum. However, it does nothing more than give the player 100% completion. In fact, it doesn't even change the Lum Counter in the Hall of Doors from 999/999 to 1000/1000. |
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===The Iron Mountain=== |
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Arguably the strangest level of the game; also arguably the most enjoyable. Rayman has to free all of Globox's trapped children to get the 4th mask. This level is unusual because Rayman commandeers a pirate ship to rescue Globox's children. The level starts at a pipeline leading to a massive underground cave. With wooden walls and ceiling, strange sun-like lighting and grass decorating the floor, it gives the impression of a summer retreat for squirrels. In the end, a hot air balloon awaits behind a river littered with crates. |
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The Iron Mountains isn't available in the PS Version. |
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===PS Exclusive: The Gloomy Island=== |
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Much like the Sanctuary of Lava and Fire, the Gloomy Island is the second half of the Iron Mountains, but is fused with the Mountains in the PC/N64 Versions, much like how the Sanctuary of Lava and Fire was fused with the Sanctuary of Stone and Fire in the PC and N64 versions. The island begins at the Reformatory for Disturbing Children, in which a few of Globox's Children are being held captive. The reformatory is a prison camp in which the pirates mechanize their captives, guarded by a colossal robotic creature resembling a chicken. After fighting his way through the interior, Rayman finds a walking shell and gets the opportunity to play around with gravity. He will also be chased by the strange robotic bird. |
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===The Prison Ship=== |
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Rayman makes his way throughout the Prison Ship, searching for both Globox and Razorbeard. The ship consist of two slides, a short puzzle and an obstacle course on a flying shell, none of which align to any expectation of a final stage. |
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===The Crow's Nest=== |
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Rayman fights Razorbeard who is controlling a giant mech, the Grolgoth (which he receives in the prison ship). There are two stages to the straightforward yet challenging fight: a battle on foot and an aerial duel where Rayman must dodge missiles on the flying shell. |
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After defeating Razorbeard, Rayman once again saves the world. |
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In the PC version, during the second half of the crows nest, Rayman flies from gaps in the walls of a room filling up with lava getting powerups that shoot fireballs at the Grolgoth to make the claws slip. In the PS version he is dodging missles while trying to shoot certain missles back at Razorbeard. |
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Also, in the ending sequence, if you wait for all the credits to end and "The End" shows up, you can keep waiting and it will take you to a small mini-game where you shoot letters. |
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== Versions == |
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=== PC === |
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The PC version, entitled ''Rayman 2: The Great Escape'', features the sharpest graphics due to semi-high resolution support, compared to the Nintendo 64 and the Dreamcast versions of the product. It is compatible with computers ranging from around the year of 1999 to the present day, although it can sometimes be hard to get the game to run on Windows XP. Some PC versions of the game have a bug. At specific levels, the game will freeze and request the user to insert the disc. Other XP users has had a strange problem with the graphics, Textures and related don't work, making it look like the 3D was only halfway done. Patch files are available to solve this. The PC version's voice overs were not in English but in an amusing gibberish language. |
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=== Dreamcast, Nintendo 64=== |
=== Dreamcast, Nintendo 64=== |
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=== PlayStation=== |
=== PlayStation=== |
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The PlayStation version was developed by [[Ubisoft Shanghai]], and it was the first one to have the characters speaking English instead of gibberish. Numerous level design changes were made, and some levels were just removed altogether. A good example of this is the entrance to The Cave of Bad Dreams, which is no longer in The Marshes of Awakening, but instead in The Menhir Hills, in front of Clark. There are only 800 Yellow Lums in this version and the number remains the same all through the game (the scene with Razorbeard eating one of the Yellow Lums was changed so that he would eat a Red one instead). Some exclusive characters are present in this version, such as Colossus and Ninjaws (which, in turn, make up for exclusive cutscenes as well). It is no longer possible to choose between the treasure and the elixir in The Cave of Bad Dreams, since the player is given no interaction in the respective cutscene, and Rayman automatically chooses the elixir. Additionally, this version features an exclusive mini-game for players who collect 90% of the Yellow Lums, which is thought to be a very old [[beta_version|beta]] version of Rayman 2, showing a playable 2D level in the same style as Rayman 1. |
The PlayStation version was developed by [[Ubisoft Shanghai]], and it was the first one to have the characters speaking English instead of gibberish. Numerous level design changes were made, and some levels were just removed altogether. A good example of this is the entrance to The Cave of Bad Dreams, which is no longer in The Marshes of Awakening, but instead in The Menhir Hills, in front of Clark. There are only 800 Yellow Lums in this version and the number remains the same all through the game (the scene with Razorbeard eating one of the Yellow Lums was changed so that he would eat a Red one instead). Some exclusive characters are present in this version, such as Colossus and Ninjaws (which, in turn, make up for exclusive cutscenes as well). It is no longer possible to choose between the treasure and the elixir in The Cave of Bad Dreams, since the player is given no interaction in the respective cutscene, and Rayman automatically chooses the elixir. Additionally, this version features an exclusive mini-game for players who collect 90% of the Yellow Lums, which is thought to be a very old [[beta_version|beta]] version of Rayman 2, showing a playable 2D level in the same style as Rayman 1. |
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However, the frame rate is also far lower than the smooth 60 frames per second rate of the Sega Dreamcast version. |
However, the frame rate is also far lower than the smooth 60 frames per second rate of the Sega Dreamcast version. |
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== |
== Trivia == |
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* A special page gives insight into the deeper [[philosophies]] of the game. The more lums the player has gathered, the more information is revealed to the player. |
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<div style="font-size: 90%;float:right;border-left:1em solid white"> |
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* ''Rayman 2'' on the PlayStation version was shorter than its Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast counterparts at the time.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} |
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |
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* There is a bonus level available if you obtain 90% of the game's lum total. The stage is a somewhat Rayman like stage, in which the gameplay returns to the original ''[[Rayman]]'' for the Atari Jaguar. The Antitoons were also exclusive enemies for the original. This only appears in the PlayStation version. |
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|+'''Reviews''' |
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* Due to the fact Antitoons made it to ''Rayman 2'', it was once rumored that Mister Dark was still around, although it could be that they remained after his disappearance and most likely joined the Robo-Pirates. |
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!colspan = 2|Reviews (Original, non-DS version) |
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* The PC, N64, DS and Dreamcast version contains a minigame known as Menezies, which is a text shooter (you are a flying E that shoots periods to down enemy X's, O's and 8's). It can be unlocked by leaving the credits screen open for about fifteen seconds after the scrolling ends. |
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|- |
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* The alien that sells Razorbeard the Grolgoth is from another game made by [[Ubisoft]] just before Rayman 2, named [[Tonic Trouble]], featuring another limbless hero named Ed (though the alien only appears in the pc version of this game). |
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!Publication |
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* Very early into the development of Rayman 2, it was a 2-D game for the Playstation. This was later scrapped for the 3D game that Rayman 2 became. Pictures of the 2D version and concept art (a green villian with a chainsaw) and mentions of powers such as the platform fist were published in gaming magazines such as EGM. |
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!Response |
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|- |
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|[[GameSpot]] |
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|9.3/10<ref name="gamespot" /> |
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|- |
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|[[IGN]] |
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|9.6/10<ref name="ign" /> |
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|- |
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|[[MetaCritic]] |
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|90/100<ref name="metacritic" /> |
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|- |
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|[[GameRankings]] |
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|93%<ref name="gamerankings" /> |
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|- |
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|[[ActionTrip]] |
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|8.9/10<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.actiontrip.com/reviews/rayman2thegreatescape.phtml |title=Rayman 2: The Great Escape Review |work=[[ActionTrip]] |accessdate=2008-01-14 |author=Dejan Grbavcic}}</ref> |
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|} |
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</div> |
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=== Alternate Cutscenes === |
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Rayman 2 was received very well by critics and fans alike. It was lauded in most aspects: gameplay, audio, graphics and controls alike. Reviews praised the colorful, vibrant world and the varied soundtrack and varied gameplay<ref name="gamespot" /><ref name="ign" />. |
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In the PC, N64, Dreamcast and DS versions of Rayman 2: The Great Escape (DS), there is a choice to obtain a large amount of money (which does nothing actually) and then it leads to a cutscene where Rayman is living in an island paradise. Then it returns back to the Yes/No screen. You cannot end in Yes. You must pick no. |
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The reception for the [[Nintendo DS]] version (dubbed "Rayman DS") was mixed<ref name="metacritic-ds">{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ds/raymands?q=rayman%20ds |work=[[MetaCritic]] |accessdate=2007-10-23 |title=Rayman DS Review}}</ref>, citing graphical flaws and camera problems<ref name="gamespot-ds">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/ds/action/raymands/review.html |work=[[GameSpot]] |accessdate=2007-10-23 |title=Rayman DS Review |author=Frank Provo}}</ref>. While it did support controlling the game via the touchpad, this was regarded as sloppy and awkward<ref name="ign-ds">{{cite web |url=http://ds.ign.com/articles/598/598171p2.html |accessdate=2007-10-23 |work=[[IGN]] |title=Rayman DS Review |author=Craig Harris}}</ref>. These problems were partly caused by the game being a direct port of the Nintendo 64 version of the original<ref name="gamespot-ds" />. |
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==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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Revision as of 22:04, 19 February 2009
Rayman 2: The Great Escape | |
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Nintendo 64 game cover | |
Developer(s) | Ubisoft |
Publisher(s) | Ubisoft |
Designer(s) | Michel Ancel |
Platform(s) | Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, PC, Sega Dreamcast, Sony PlayStation, Nintendo DS |
Release | April 10, 1999 (N64 and PC) March 8, 2000 (DC) March 2005 (DS) |
Genre(s) | Platformer |
Mode(s) | Single player |
Rayman 2: The Great Escape is a platforming video game. It is considered a classic game, as it raised standards regarding 3D, level design and game play, and it had a unique storyline, in which the player could go back to earlier levels of the game and finish certain tasks. It was firstly released for the Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, PC, Sega Dreamcast, Sony PlayStation, and was later remade on the Nintendo DS portable game system and named Rayman DS. It is Rayman's first outing in 3-D.
Synopsis
Setting
The game centers on the invasion of the world where the game takes place (the Glade of Dreams[1]) by robot pirates from outer space. In order to repair the damage to the world and defeat the invasion force, Rayman has to collect 1000 pieces (800 in the PS1 version) of the world's core (called Lums) and reunite four magical masks which will awaken Polokus, the world's spirit. Polokus has gone into hiding a long time ago, however as he is the creator of "all that is and will be"[9] he is the only hope of destroying the invaders. The quest for the four masks leads Rayman through a number of different environments; each mask is guarded by a guardian, who needs to be defeated in order to acquire the mask.
Plot
Rayman 2 takes place in a world called The Glade of Dreams, which is the same world as the one visited in the original Rayman, though no locations from that game are revisited[1]. An army of Robot Pirates, led by Admiral Razorbeard, invades this world and destroys the Heart of the World, the world core. This greatly weakens the resistance's power and disables Rayman's powers, leading to his capture[2].
Globox, a friend of Rayman, is later also captured and put in the same cell as Rayman aboard the Pirates' prison ship. Globox restores his powers through a lum given to him by Ly, a fairy. Rayman escapes the prison ship, and is separated from Globox again. He learns that in order to stand a chance against the Pirates, he needs to find 4 ancient, magic masks to awaken Polokus, the spirit of the world[3]. He travels through the Glade of Dreams via the Hall of Doors, a magical place linked to various locations in the world, controlled by the ancient Teensies[3].
In the course of the game, Rayman frees Globox who had been captured again, and they continue together for a short while until Globox departs again to go find his family. Later, Rayman finds Globox's wife Uglette and learns that he has been imprisoned on the Prison Ship. Rayman also encounters his friend Clark, a strongman who has stomach problems due to eating rusty pirates; to continue through the level, Rayman has to cure Clark by means of an elixir.
Eventually Rayman recovers the four masks and awakens Polokus, who makes quick work of the pirates on land. In the air however, he has no power, and Rayman is tasked to dispose of the Pirates' Prison Ship, where Admiral Razorbeard also has his headquarters. In a final battle Rayman fights Razorbeard, who is controlling a giant robot, the Grolgoth. Eventually Rayman destroys the robot and while Razorbeard escapes in a small escape pod, the Prison Ship explodes. Rayman is presumed dead and only one of his shoes is found, but during his funeral he appears again, walking on a crutch.
Narrative
The game is played from a third person perspective and the player has control over the camera, though in some situations this control is limited to only certain angles. At several points in the game the player loses control during cut scenes, wich typically show dialogue between characters. The gameplay is also interrupted by a cut scene taking place in Admiral Razorbeards room aboard the prison ship several times. During these scenes, Rayman is not present.
By collecting lums, the player unlocks more information about the game world and its backstory, which can be read by standing still and pressing a specific button for some time. Some back story is also obtained through (optional) instructions from Murfy, a "flying encyclopedia[4]" who provides explanations on all kinds of gameplay elements.
Gameplay and Level design
Rayman 2 is a breakthrough in the evolution of two-dimensional platform games into 3D games.
Gameplay and level design of Rayman 2 are considered outstanding and original. The player is constantly faced with new challenges. The worlds are huge, giving the impression of a fairytale, magic landscape. In Rayman 2, the player can duck, float, fly, jump, strafe, and shoot in order to defeat Razorbeard and his Henchmen.
Short description of Worlds
The Buccaneer
The pirate prison ship. It held over 15,000 prisoners during the introduction and is where Rayman is first reunited with Globox. The player takes control after Rayman receives the silver Lum (Giving the fist-throwing ability) to escape from the ship. Not considered a "true" level and more an introduction to prepare the story and not found in the Hall of Doors.
The Woods of Light
The Woods of Light is the first "true" level of the game where Rayman lands after escaping from the Buccaneer, the pirate prison ship.
Globox Village is hidden in this world.
In the PS version, The Woods of Light is renamed The Clearing.
The Fairy Glade
This is the level where Rayman meets Ly and learns to swing from purple lums. It is a huge level, beautiful, with huge open spaces. It is one of the game's longer levels.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/87/Rayman_2_screenshot.jpg/250px-Rayman_2_screenshot.jpg)
The Marshes of Awakening
In this level, Rayman meets Ssssam and the Guardian of the Cave of Bad Dreams. Except for the beginning of the level, Rayman water-skis through the level avoiding obstacles, pulled along by a magical link to Sssam's scarf after he shoots it. He has a chance to enter the Cave of Bad Dreams, if he knows the name, which, unfortunately, is impossible until the player reaches the Menhir Hills.
The Cave of Bad Dreams
Rayman can compete against the Guardian of the Cave of Bad Dreams to win the Elixir of Life here.
The Bayou
Rayman makes his way through a swampy marsh here. You are shot at by the pirates' ships in this level.
The Walk of Life
Rayman can enter here from the Bayou and possibly earn an energy refill.
The Sanctuary of Water and Ice
The first mask can be found here. Rayman fights the Guardian of the Sanctuary of Water and Ice, Axel, to get the mask and meet Polokus for the first time.
The Sanctuary of Water and Ice does not appear in the PS Version.
The Menhir Hills
Rayman is introduced to the shell on this level. He needs it to cross thorns blocking the path to the military academy. He also meets Clark inside the elite troop training center, who has just smashed twenty pirates and needs the Elixir of Life (though he refers to it as "life potion") after having swallowed something bad. He tells Rayman the password to enter the Cave of Bad Dreams. In this level, you can also use a flying keg to reach one of the cages, although you learn how to control them only in the Echoing Caves.
In the PC version after giving Clark the Elixir, if you keep trying to ram one of the pirate parts, and jump over it afterward, the game will stop for a short time, Rayman will fall into a white abyss, and you will start outside the doors leading to the room Clark is in without getting a green lum.
The Canopy
Rayman reunites with Globox. Globox can use his Raindance ability to short-circuit the pirates' laser doors and douse fires to help Rayman proceed through the level.
Whale Bay
This is a very beautiful level, consisting of an aquarium, a beach with a pirate warship wreckage, a cosy lot covered entirely with trees and bay that succeeds very well in fooling the player into believing they're swimming in open sea. Here, Rayman frees Carmen, the whale, from the inside of a claustrophobic pirate structure in which a walking shell can provide access to a secret area. Carmen leads Rayman to the underside of a wrecked pirate ship, located in a hermetically closed off underwater cave. Through an entrance in the ship, Rayman can reach the vast and beautiful bay above.
In the PS Version, Rayman finds Axel and the first mask here.
The Sanctuary of Stone and Fire
Rayman gets the second mask here. He gets it by defeating Umber. However, Rayman does not fight with Umber directly. Rather, you find and place spheres on the correct pedestals, which is a difficult task. Then, Rayman rides Umber through the lava to the second mask, making sure to jump onto the platform at the end before Umber sinks completely. Rayman does not travel to the Sanctuary of Stone and Fire in the PS Version.
PS Exclusive: The Sanctuary of Lava and Fire
In the PlayStation version, the second half of the Sanctuary of Stone and Fire is known as the Sanctuary of Lava and Fire. However, the sanctuary's name is not mentioned in any version other than the PS Version, since the two sanctuaries are one level in the N64/PC version. Instead of finding Umber, you find an Umber-lookalike named Colossus and then fight Ninjaws, a Ninja Henchman sent down to kill Rayman and bring Razorbeard the second mask. Unique to the PS version is a movie that takes place just before this level where Razorbeard sends down Ninjaws to kill Rayman and retrieve the second mask. Also note that Ninjaws is one of a series of robots called Ninja Henchmen which are unique to the PS version of the game.
The Echoing Caves
Rayman learns how to control flying kegs here. This level also features a secret entrance to a part of The Fairy Glade that cannot be accessed otherwise.
The Precipice
Rayman is chased over a precarious set of wooden platforms by a pirate warship and escapes through the mountains. Gameplay is similar to that of The Bayou.
The Top of the World
A unique level. Rayman travels on a flying chair and lands inside a pirate stronghold, containing a small bit of stealthy gameplay.
This level isn't in the PS version of the game.
The Sanctuary of Rock and Lava
Rayman travels through the swamps and into a lost temple flooded with lava which is similar to the Sanctuary of Stone and Fire.
The Walk of Power
Rayman can enter here from the Sanctuary of Rock and Lava and possibly earn a golden fist. This is a race with Ly.
Beneath the Sanctuary of Rock and Lava
Rayman temporarily obtains the ability to fly and travels through a lava-filled corridor with fire-spewing turrets and thorny plant branches in the walls. At the end, Rayman fights Foutch to get the third mask. Beyond this level, flying with the helicopter will no longer be possible, as the power is disabled after Foutch strikes Rayman when he first enters the chamber where they will fight.
Tomb of the Ancients
Rayman fights Clark who is brainwashed by the pirates. Zombie Chickens and Tarantulas haunt the area. In this level, after defeating the final boss, the player can enter a hidden area and obtain the 1000th Lum. However, it does nothing more than give the player 100% completion. In fact, it doesn't even change the Lum Counter in the Hall of Doors from 999/999 to 1000/1000.
The Iron Mountain
Arguably the strangest level of the game; also arguably the most enjoyable. Rayman has to free all of Globox's trapped children to get the 4th mask. This level is unusual because Rayman commandeers a pirate ship to rescue Globox's children. The level starts at a pipeline leading to a massive underground cave. With wooden walls and ceiling, strange sun-like lighting and grass decorating the floor, it gives the impression of a summer retreat for squirrels. In the end, a hot air balloon awaits behind a river littered with crates.
The Iron Mountains isn't available in the PS Version.
PS Exclusive: The Gloomy Island
Much like the Sanctuary of Lava and Fire, the Gloomy Island is the second half of the Iron Mountains, but is fused with the Mountains in the PC/N64 Versions, much like how the Sanctuary of Lava and Fire was fused with the Sanctuary of Stone and Fire in the PC and N64 versions. The island begins at the Reformatory for Disturbing Children, in which a few of Globox's Children are being held captive. The reformatory is a prison camp in which the pirates mechanize their captives, guarded by a colossal robotic creature resembling a chicken. After fighting his way through the interior, Rayman finds a walking shell and gets the opportunity to play around with gravity. He will also be chased by the strange robotic bird.
The Prison Ship
Rayman makes his way throughout the Prison Ship, searching for both Globox and Razorbeard. The ship consist of two slides, a short puzzle and an obstacle course on a flying shell, none of which align to any expectation of a final stage.
The Crow's Nest
Rayman fights Razorbeard who is controlling a giant mech, the Grolgoth (which he receives in the prison ship). There are two stages to the straightforward yet challenging fight: a battle on foot and an aerial duel where Rayman must dodge missiles on the flying shell. After defeating Razorbeard, Rayman once again saves the world.
In the PC version, during the second half of the crows nest, Rayman flies from gaps in the walls of a room filling up with lava getting powerups that shoot fireballs at the Grolgoth to make the claws slip. In the PS version he is dodging missles while trying to shoot certain missles back at Razorbeard.
Also, in the ending sequence, if you wait for all the credits to end and "The End" shows up, you can keep waiting and it will take you to a small mini-game where you shoot letters.
Versions
PC
The PC version, entitled Rayman 2: The Great Escape, features the sharpest graphics due to semi-high resolution support, compared to the Nintendo 64 and the Dreamcast versions of the product. It is compatible with computers ranging from around the year of 1999 to the present day, although it can sometimes be hard to get the game to run on Windows XP. Some PC versions of the game have a bug. At specific levels, the game will freeze and request the user to insert the disc. Other XP users has had a strange problem with the graphics, Textures and related don't work, making it look like the 3D was only halfway done. Patch files are available to solve this. The PC version's voice overs were not in English but in an amusing gibberish language.
Dreamcast, Nintendo 64
Entitled Rayman 2: The Great Escape, these two versions are very similar. A few of the differences are: The Dreamcast version has several minigames and numerous changes have been made to the world map and final battle between these versions.
PlayStation
The PlayStation version was developed by Ubisoft Shanghai, and it was the first one to have the characters speaking English instead of gibberish. Numerous level design changes were made, and some levels were just removed altogether. A good example of this is the entrance to The Cave of Bad Dreams, which is no longer in The Marshes of Awakening, but instead in The Menhir Hills, in front of Clark. There are only 800 Yellow Lums in this version and the number remains the same all through the game (the scene with Razorbeard eating one of the Yellow Lums was changed so that he would eat a Red one instead). Some exclusive characters are present in this version, such as Colossus and Ninjaws (which, in turn, make up for exclusive cutscenes as well). It is no longer possible to choose between the treasure and the elixir in The Cave of Bad Dreams, since the player is given no interaction in the respective cutscene, and Rayman automatically chooses the elixir. Additionally, this version features an exclusive mini-game for players who collect 90% of the Yellow Lums, which is thought to be a very old beta version of Rayman 2, showing a playable 2D level in the same style as Rayman 1.
Nintendo DS
The game was ported to the Nintendo DS under the title Rayman DS. Very few changes have been made to the game, though the touch screen is used for control. The DS version is very similar to the N64 one and is almost a direct port (with the addition of the touch screen capabilities, mainly a touchscreen analog stick). Unfortunately, the more conventional D-Pad control scheme (Instead of the touch-analog) was very laggy, making the game harder than anticipated.
PlayStation 2
Entitled Rayman 2: Revolution, this action-adventure version of Rayman 2 was released a year after The Great Escape. The PS2 release of the game featured some enhancements and some level revisions. The Hall of Doors is replaced by a central hub in which to walk freely and discover the game. Razorbeard spits out the last lum a while after he ate it. The major upgrade was that most 2-Dimensional objects featured in The Great Escape have been replaced with 3D models.
However, the frame rate is also far lower than the smooth 60 frames per second rate of the Sega Dreamcast version.
Trivia
- A special page gives insight into the deeper philosophies of the game. The more lums the player has gathered, the more information is revealed to the player.
- Rayman 2 on the PlayStation version was shorter than its Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast counterparts at the time.[citation needed]
- There is a bonus level available if you obtain 90% of the game's lum total. The stage is a somewhat Rayman like stage, in which the gameplay returns to the original Rayman for the Atari Jaguar. The Antitoons were also exclusive enemies for the original. This only appears in the PlayStation version.
- Due to the fact Antitoons made it to Rayman 2, it was once rumored that Mister Dark was still around, although it could be that they remained after his disappearance and most likely joined the Robo-Pirates.
- The PC, N64, DS and Dreamcast version contains a minigame known as Menezies, which is a text shooter (you are a flying E that shoots periods to down enemy X's, O's and 8's). It can be unlocked by leaving the credits screen open for about fifteen seconds after the scrolling ends.
- The alien that sells Razorbeard the Grolgoth is from another game made by Ubisoft just before Rayman 2, named Tonic Trouble, featuring another limbless hero named Ed (though the alien only appears in the pc version of this game).
- Very early into the development of Rayman 2, it was a 2-D game for the Playstation. This was later scrapped for the 3D game that Rayman 2 became. Pictures of the 2D version and concept art (a green villian with a chainsaw) and mentions of powers such as the platform fist were published in gaming magazines such as EGM.
Alternate Cutscenes
In the PC, N64, Dreamcast and DS versions of Rayman 2: The Great Escape (DS), there is a choice to obtain a large amount of money (which does nothing actually) and then it leads to a cutscene where Rayman is living in an island paradise. Then it returns back to the Yes/No screen. You cannot end in Yes. You must pick no.