Buy Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition

The Nintendo Switch left quite a mark in the first months after its release. It wasn't an entirely smooth experience, as the surprise unveiling blindsided several publishers and developers. The actual game lineup was incredibly lackluster except for a few publishers taking a chance by bringing over older ports — and Ubisoft was one of those companies. After releasing the surprisingly robust Mario + Rabbids, the company gave another jump-and-run figure a chance: Rayman.

Initially released in 2013, Rayman Legends has since been released on almost every imaginable platform, including the often-neglected WiiU. The Nintendo Switch iteration is labeled the "Definitive Version," which is a bold claim since not much seems to have changed since its original release. Is there enough here to warrant a purchase over the other versions?

What made Rayman Legends special was the AAA treatment that it received in a genre that is seldom blessed with known talent and significant funding. The results were excellent back then, and they still hold up beautifully today, especially as a hybrid console/handheld game.

The story of Rayman Legends is quickly brushed over. Rayman and his friends find their world under attack. Evil forces have kidnapped the Teensies, and we have to free them. That's about all it needs to get us started. It almost seems like a reference to its genre friend, Mario, because all levels are hidden behind magical paintings that pull us into their world.

The main campaign features six distinct worlds — or legends — consisting of several stages, bringing the total number to around 70. The primary objective of each level is to find and rescue the Teensies, which are well hidden across the stage. Between 3 and 10 Teensies can be found per level, and we receive bronze, silver or gold rankings based on how many we discover in our run. There are also golden Lums to collect in each level, earning us lottery tickets to win further in-game materials and unlock levels.

The stages and worlds start out relatively simple and play out as expected, but the momentum is different. Our game character moves significantly faster and more fluidly than he did in his previous outings, and we can chain together attacks, jumps and wall-jumps in one fluid motion. Players are rewarded for fluid and fast movements, but there's still room for experimenting. To collect everything and achieve gold ratings, we need to wander off the beaten path a bit. The general layout encourages you to find secluded areas, so players need to master skillful movement and also keep an eye out for exploration opportunities.

The controls are crucial. As in previous versions, Rayman and his friends control well and minimize frustrating situations when we hit the occasional rough patch. It always feels like we're in control, which is of utmost importance for a 2D platformer in general, but especially when it enables fast and fluid movement as much as Rayman Legends does. Within a short amount of time, we're able to run, jump and smash our character through the colorful worlds with style and skill, which is as satisfying as Rayman Legends gets. Completing the same things over and over again wouldn't be fun, but luckily, Rayman Legends is jam-packed with more content beyond the main stages.

Each stage offers some gameplay variety. Sure, we jump on platforms all day and hit bad guys, but soon enough, we're soaring through the air on updrafts or bouncing off bumpers to gain new heights. Levels and worlds may change the objective a bit, and instead of having us explore a level without time constraints, a wall of flames may chase us, or we may transform into a duck. While the latter scenario is more of a gimmick than a game mode, Rayman Legends knows how to keep the gameplay fresh. The highlight of the game is the musical levels, which feature well-known rock songs. Every jump and action we take is carefully constructed as a chain reaction to build up the sounds that comprise the song. It is the brilliant idea of merging Guitar Hero and a platformer — perhaps enough to warrant its own game.

The main campaign is not the only source of stages. Rayman Legends also features 40 remastered levels from Rayman Origins, updated for the game and unlocked by winning them via the aforementioned lottery tickets. The tickets also unlock little monsters that generate additional Lums and other goodies to help us rank up within the game.

A well-received part of the original WiiU version was also included. During the campaign stages, we sometimes have to rely on Murphy, a flying frog-like creature that can interact with levers and enemies to secure our safe passage. While we were able to control our flying friend via the gamepad in the WiiU, this option was carried over to Switch, but the console has to be undocked for obvious reasons. It works well and is a nice addition, but it obviously doesn't work as well as the WiiU's gamepad/TV combo.

All of this combined makes Rayman Legends the best 2D platformer we've had the pleasure of experiencing in recent years. Rayman Legends also includes more than 30 unlockable characters, including some very cool references to other Ubisoft and Nintendo games. The title also offers local co-op for up to four players to blast through the levels. It's chaotic fun and perfectly suited for the Switch's emphasis on couch co-op play. If the stages aren't competitive enough, there is also the Kung Foot game mode.

Kung Foot is a competitive minigame that lets up to four players face off against each other either in local co-op or wireless play (if you have more than one console and copy of the game ). The Definitive Edition also adds a simple tournament mode. If you've already played Kung Foot in previous versions, you'll be familiar with its simple but satisfying chaos. Two teams try to punch or kick a ball into the opponent's goal, but the fast-paced over-the-top presentation and execution make every match a fierce battle. It isn't the biggest mode in Rayman Legends, but it may be the most fun when played with others. It would've been nice to see an online option added for Kung Foot and the game's general co-op mode.

The only online mode comes in the form of four challenges that we can unlock. We can partake in daily and weekly challenges and unlock extreme versions of both. It mainly lets us compete on leaderboards and displays other players' ghosts to race against for glory and Lums.

On the technical side, there isn't much more to say. Rayman Legends is a beautiful, hand-drawn platformer that has not aged a bit. It runs buttery smooth, plays well, and is fun for gamers of all ages. The Switch Definitive Edition is just as good as the original releases, but the additions are too slim to warrant another purchase if you already own the game on another platform. The loading times of the title are significantly longer than on other platforms, which seems odd but may be connected to the aggressive file compression (the game takes up less than 3 GB of space if purchased digitally). Overall, the loading times are reasonably fast, but it's a factor to consider since the other platforms don't experience any loading times.

The game runs and looks beautiful in handheld mode and is perfect for playing on the go since the short levels and stages make it easy to drop in and out. This is especially true if you want to get a co-op match of Kung Foot going or want to tackle a stage with a friend in tabletop mode. As all characters are on the screen at the same time without limiting the view, co-op is very manageable when viewed on the small screen with shared Joy-Con controllers.

Rayman Legends is still one of the best 2D platformers around, but the Switch iteration certainly isn't the "definitive edition" of the game, but rather a well-made port with some minor additions. If that doesn't bother you and the prospect of Rayman on the go seems fun enough, it doesn't get better than this. If you have access to the game on another platform, it would make sense to play it there instead. The negligible additions don't warrant the higher price tag on the Switch at the moment.

Score: 8.4/10