Mario’s Best New Replacement Is Officially Arriving Next Month

As games grow more ambitious, the wait between installments in beloved franchises often grows longer. Even Mario fans know the feeling: Nintendo’s last mainline 3D adventure was Super Mario Odyssey in 2017, while its most recent 2D outing was Super Mario Bros. Wonder in 2023. For anyone craving another colorful platformer, a familiar limbless hero offers an appealing alternative.

The Limbless Hero Returns

Rayman Legends Retold is scheduled to launch on December 3, 2026, for Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, Windows, and PlayStation 5. Originally set for October 1, the game was delayed after going gold, with Ubisoft saying it needed more time to “make sure every detail gets the care it deserves.”

Like Mario, Rayman stars in platforming adventures filled with playful worlds and larger-than-life villains. Armed with helicopter-like hair and a remarkable ability to punch without arms, he leaps and fights his way through imaginative levels to protect his magical home. The series’ cartoonish charm and inventive obstacles make it a natural fit for fans of Nintendo’s mustachioed hero.

As its title suggests, Rayman Legends Retold revisits 2013’s Rayman Legends, a 2D adventure with a whimsical medieval twist. Rayman must rescue five warrior princesses and confront the monsters unleashed by an evil magician.

The remake promises to build on the original with additional levels, challenges, costumes, minigames, 3D dragon-riding sequences, and an entirely new chapter. Fully voiced cutscenes also bring back David Gasman as Rayman and Billy West as his flying companion, Murfy. And there is another adventure included in the package.

Another Classic Gets an Upgrade

The collection also includes an enhanced edition of Rayman Origins, the 2011 game that established the 2D platforming style later refined in Legends. Although it does not receive the same story additions and cutscenes as its successor, the remaster features sharper visuals, an improved frame rate, new collectibles, and other refinements. Together, the two games offer a substantial helping of updated platforming.

For Mario fans looking for something to play over the holidays, Rayman Legends Retold could be a welcome change of pace. With its fantastical settings, expressive characters, and satisfying jumps, it celebrates many of the qualities that make the genre so enduring.

Source: Polygon