Rayman Legends rhythmically runs to the Wii U

The latest color-soaked and fun-filled Rayman adventure, Rayman Legends, is shaping up to be a potential must-have title for the upcoming Nintendo Wii U. Ubisoft Senior Game Manager Michael Micholic and his team took full advantage of their time during Ubisoft’s 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) press event to showcase the platformer and its touch-friendly, co-op-centric gameplay.

Players can assume multiple roles depending on which Wii U-compatible controller they choose to use. The Wii U Gamepad maneuvers the pixie-like Murphy who can interact with the environment through a series of swipes and taps. Gamers can also use the Pro Controller to control Rayman and Globox for a more traditional experience. Even Wiimotes will be compatible with the release.

Characters will depend on each other to successfully traverse levels. During one part of the demo, Murphy adjusted the heights of platforms for Rayman and Globox to jump on. Later, the Gamepad-wielding player used the controller’s gyroscopic features to rotate a spiky platform onscreen.

In Micholic’s words, “The combination of sticks and buttons and touch-based gameplay create an infinite amount of co-op combos.”

But the real highlight of the demo came when the team played through a Bit.Trip Runner-like rhythmic sequence. Going along with the game’s work-together motif, Rayman, Globox, and Murphy sprinted through a vibrant level, performing jumps and attacks in sequence with the driving background music. The action was fluid and fast, culminating with the trio successfully finishing the run — complete with guitar-shredding characters surrounding the heroes to celebrate their achievement.