Summary

The creative director ofMario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, Davide Soliani, has expressed significant interest in returning to theRaymanfranchise with a brand-new game.Sparks of Hope’s third and final DLC, “Rayman in the Phantom Show,” launched at the end of August 2023, where the titular DLC character finds himself transported into a new dimension based on various movie genres. The DLC features the former Ubisoft mascot in a starring video game role for the first time in over a decade, with fans glad to have Rayman in the spotlight, even if it’s via a crossover likeMario + Rabbids.

The last franchise entry in the series was2013’sRayman Legends, along with its definitive edition re-release on Nintendo Switch in 2017. While Rayman himself is a rather recognizable character for longtime gamers, nowadays he has been pushed away in favor of the more recognizable Rabbid characters. He’s been relegated to occasional cameo roles ever since the Rabbids ostensibly took the spotlight from the former Ubisoft mascot. Despite the character’s lack of popularity among modern gamers, the director behindMario + Rabbidswants to bring the limbless wonder back to the spotlight with a new game.

Gameplay screenshot from Rayman Origins

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This desire was expressed in an interview between NintendoEverything and Soliani, where the director was asked if he was potentially working on a newRaymangame. Soliani said if he had the opportunity, he would go for it. He notes that sinceRaymanisn’t tied to any sense of realism, the team could go wild with designing the environment or enemies in creative ways. He notes that their experience working onMario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hopeallowed them to go crazy and create their own creative enemies and artistic environments.

Soliani has an intense passion for the Rayman character, as the first game he ever worked on at Ubisoft wasthe original 1995Rayman. Soliani hoped that with the release ofSparks of Hope’s latest DLC, he could rally theRaymanfanbase to bring back the character into the spotlight after all these years. He also previously teased that a secret message could be found at the end of the DLC if players went the distance to reach 100% completion for said DLC as well.

Soliani has also previously mentioned that he’d love to seeRayman inSuper Smash Bros.or theMario Kartspin-offs as a guest character, though notes that the decision would need to be entirely up to Nintendo and not solely him. While the character would get a trophy inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DSalong with being represented as a Spirit inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, he still remains unplayable in the crossover series. Hopefully, the new DLC forSparks of Hopehelps re-ignite passion for the limbless hero.

Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hopeis available now for Nintendo Switch.

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