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6) Rayman Legends
Released: Wii U, 2013
“It’s like a moving painting” was my initial reaction to playing Rayman Legends. Ubisoft had already done a stellar job returning Rayman to his 2D platforming roots with Rayman Origins on Wii and 3DS, but despite playing (and loving) that game, I still wasn’t prepared for the wonders of Legends. The game was unabashedly unique, taking everything from Origins and amping it up to eleven. The character and level designs felt like they came straight from a Pixar or DreamWorks movie, while the gameplay flowed smoother than silk.
Legends tightened Origins‘ play controls, while also incorporating special rhythm stages, where Rayman’s movements and attacks were timed to the music. Ubisoft also added some clever touch screen challenges to Legends that took advantage of Wii U’s GamePad without feeling overly intrusive. With over one hundred levels to complete and a variety of secrets to discover, Legends was a magical platformer that easily lived up to its own name.
I wouldn’t consider Muramasa a platformer. I think it’s more of a 2D hack and slash. Otherwise, great list. It’s good to see Tropical Freeze get some recognition.