After being skipped over for every installment of Super Smash Bros. and being outshined by the rabbits that once held him captive, Rayman is finally crossing paths with gaming golden boy Mario – a crossover that has been theorized for decades is now being realized in Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope.
When the Rabbids threw Rayman in a prison cell in 2006, no one could have guessed that’s where the Ubisoft mascot would fade into obscurity. Rayman, for some, was Ubisoft’s Mario or Sonic. However, the evil rabbits from outer space would lock him up, throw away the key, and steal his place in the limelight.
Now, Rayman is not only meeting up with Mario – he’s also returning to a home console for the first time in over a decade.
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Rayman & Mario Together At Last
During the June 2023 Ubisoft Forward, a new teaser for the Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope final DLC featuring Rayman was revealed. This time, instead of disembodied hair, we saw Rayman interact with Mario Rabbid and Peach Rabbid.
The DLC is slated to release later this year and will be the last bit of new content for the tactical RPG.
That said, we still haven’t seen Mario and Rayman come face to face. It’s never officially happened, making this one of the most anticipated video game crossovers. But it begs the question, in what capacity will these two icons meet? Will Mario and Rayman be controllable characters and fight alongside one another, or will the limbless hero from Ubisoft take Mario’s place, once again missing out on a long-awaited collab?
As for Rayman’s staying power, it’s not looking favorable. As of writing, neither Ubisoft nor Nintendo have posted on Twitter or uploaded the new teaser to YouTube. Meaning if it weren’t for Rayman’s cult following, those who missed the live broadcast wouldn’t even realize Rayman is back.
Maybe we will see Rayman fully realized in another 3D game soon, or perhaps this is the last we will see of our purple-shirted protag.
