Would Mario by any other name be as much fun? In the case of “Rayman Origins” it just might top the reigning platformer king.

                Platformers are some of the most classic games that can be played, they are just as popular today as they were when the original Super Mario World was released in the 1980s.  “Rayman Origins” is a platformer at heart, but manages to execute it to near perfection. On top of this, the game also gives players the option of playing the game co-operatively, working together or against one another to reach the end of each level.

                There are a few aspects of a platforming game that must be done well in order for the game to be fun.  The first is to have an accurate, consistent and fun physics engine.  If the on screen character doesn’t jump the same way every time or react as quickly as the player can, a fun game can quickly become frustrating and impossible.  While the game can be hard, the player needs to feel as if it was a mistake they made that led to falling off a ledge or jumping on a bad guy, not the game cheating them.  “Origins” does this extremely well.  While the levels can be extremely hard, I never once felt as though the game had cheated me or was unfair. 

                Another aspect that platforming games need to do well to succeed is to have intriguing and interesting level design.  “Origins” is done in a fun art style that is very bright and goofy looking.  The creatures and levels are just as much fun to look at as they are to jump, fly and run past.  From the obligatory underwater levels to lush jungles and slippery glaciers, each of the different levels in Origins offers a bit of flavor that makes the game that much more fun to play.

                What sets this game apart from other sin its genre is the multiplayer it offers.  While newer Mario games also offer multiplayer, they can be a bit tricky at times.  Players can get stuck behind one another or run into each other, preventing gamers from making perfectly timed jumps that become necessary as the game progresses.  “Origins” implements a perfect mix of player interaction without preventing gamers from having fun with even 4 players playing at one time.  Players can lift one another up if both enter the same movements into the joystick.  They can also smack one another which can send characters careening off course, usually resulting in hilarity.  But the characters do not bump into one another or get stuck on one another, a little change that makes this game immensely more enjoyable than any of the New Super Mario Brothers games.

                The only caveat when it comes to playing “Rayman Origins” is that the game can be extremely difficult.  Not for the faint of heart or the short tempered, even experienced gamers will get stuck on certain levels.  However, it is not so hard that the game becomes impossible or no fun to play.  While I am not normally a fan of these types of games, the multiplayer aspect makes this one a must have.  On top of the social aspect, the accurate physics engine works at developing gamers hand eye coordination, often requiring gamers to move their characters across the screen at high speeds from one narrow ledge to the next.  Even if it is played solo, “Rayman Origins” is not to be missed by gamers of any age.