Rayman Legends Retold is shaping up to be a worthwhile retelling of the original game, but for those who love couch co-op, the updated Kung Foot Evo minigame that's included with Rayman Legends Retold is the real MVP.

I recently got a chance to play nearly two hours of Kung Foot Evo at the Ubisoft offices, and it is the reason why Rayman Legends Retold is on my personal "most wanted" list. Trying to describe the basic mechanics of Kung Foot Evo doesn't do it justice. It is a simple game mode, so it may not sound like much. There is brilliance in that simplicity, though.

Kung Foot Evo is basically soccer ("football" for anyone who isn't American) meets Smash Bros. Two to four players are matched up on a single-screen arena with the goal of scoring goals. The twist? It's all done Rayman style.

First off, Kung Foot Evo arenas are vertical, so there's plenty of jumping and running around. Hitting your opponent to gain an advantage is allowed. Random power-ups can keep a match fresh, and crazy bank shots can pull a win from the jaws of defeat.

We started off with a fresh save of Rayman Legends Retold, so initially, Kung Foot Evo only had the default classic arena available. It was a standard, multilevel arena, and it was a good place to learn the basics of control.

Initially, we both played it safe, but after the first few rounds, the competitive spirit kicked in, and both of us were attempting riskier and more aggressive moves. For better or worse, defense wasn't really part of the playbook for either of us, so it was a constant push for ball control. This led to more attempts on goal. We quickly realized that goals could be made from midair as well as oblique angles.

It also meant some of those risks didn't pay off, like the time my opponent's shot fell short, just in front of the goal. I was able to grab it and get it across the arena in time to score a point of my own. Of course, I also had a few goofs of my own, like the time I tried to block my opponent's goal shot, only to knock it in and score an own goal.

Kung Foot Evo relishes those highlight moments with instant replays. This is both for bragging rights as well as to give you a breather for the next round.

As we played, new arenas and modes opened up. For example, we had the option to play with a time limit or to play to a certain point goal. Goals themselves could equal one point (great when you have equally matched teams), or goals could be randomly worth one to four points. The latter allows for big point swings, and it also means that no one is ever really in the lead. A single four-point goal can suddenly make any match competitive again.

We didn't get to see many alternate arenas, but we did unlock the Spikes arena during the play session.

Spikes is exactly what it sounds like: The arena has moving platforms with spikes on them. The spikes can deflate the ball and temporarily eliminate a player. In a one-on-one match, an elimination meant a full 10 seconds of solo play. Because the risk was very much worth the reward, both of us were constantly trying to bait the other into the spikes.

Another way to eliminate a player is with the death power-up. Once collected, a countdown starts. When the countdown reaches zero, the player holding the power-up "dies" and is off the field for 10 seconds. However, you can pass the death power-up by touching the other player. Much like the spikes, this made for some interesting risk-versus-reward play. On the one hand, you don't want to touch the other player, but on the other hand, you can't give them free rein or you're just giving up points for no reason. Blocking a shot may mean getting the death power-up passed to you, which then leads to a mad dash to pass it back.

According to the development team, Kung Foot Evo unlocks are random, so the number of combinations expands exponentially as you play. They promise thousands of possible combinations.

Kung Foot Evo is appealing because it is basically the Smash Bros. gameplay loop distilled down to its simplest form. No, it doesn't have a whole lot of depth. You don't have to worry about mastering frame timing or anything like that. It's just pick-up-and-play competitive gaming with plenty of variety. Solo players will be missing out, but if you're a family who games together, Kung Foot Evo could easily become a regular part of your rotation.