Bubble

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A typical bubble, as it appears in Rayman Origins.

Bubbles are major elements in the series since Rayman Origins. All of the environmental components and creatures that form part of the Glade of Dreams are made out of bubbles, created by the Bubble Dreamer's bubble-blowing pipe. The bubbles generated by the pipe reflect all of the dreams and unconscious creations that the Bubble Dreamer makes while he is asleep. Although this is the way in which everything is created, it also impacts negatively the balance of the nature in the Glade, as the Bubble Dreamer has no control over his dreams, often creating nightmares by accident; in spite of this, Electoons have some connection with the dreams generated by the Bubble Dreamer, and their power helps to maintain harmony and serenity in his mind.

Every creature living in the Glade of Dreams is born as a bubble, takes its own form, and dies as a bubble.[1] When a creature dies (Not necessarily a creature created by the Bubble Dreamer, but anyone who inhabit the Glade), its body inflates taking the form of a balloon until it explodes; this act is formally known as "bubblizing". The process of bubblizing and the strong relation between bubbles and dreams are notable for being one of the strongest canon-breaking elements in the franchise, as bubbles and their magical properties started to take an important role in Rayman Origins and continued on in later games, but have never been seen in previous Rayman games.

Role

As bubbles compose everything in the Glade, they assume various roles through the game. Roles include:

Collectables

Bubbles can be found anywhere in the levels, containing single Lums, groups of Lums, hearts, and more uncommonly, Skull Coins, Lum Kings and Blue Punch gloves. Some objects like for example water lilies, produce bubbles which means these objects contain hidden collectibles. Bulb-o-Lums also contain air bubbles inside. Items contained in bubbles must be collected as quickly as possible, as they disappear after a short period. A rare case of a Darktoon trapped inside of a bubble can be seen in the level Savage Swarms at the Grumbling Grottos; instead of collecting it, the players must slap it to defeat the Darktoon.

A special kind of roulette bubbles was intended to make an appearance in Rayman Origins. These bubbles rotated between various collectables, including Lums, Blue Punch gloves, hearts and lives. This concept was scrapped from the final version of the game.

Vitality

Bubblizing takes an important role in-game. When most of the characters are defeated (this includes Rayman and his friends), they inflate like bubbles, although being bubblized can be avoided if the player carries a heart as protection. In the case of enemies, they add one or several Lums to the players' score, depending on the game, when they get bubblized. In Rayman Origins, Rayman Jungle Run and Rayman Fiesta Run, the enemies float for a short period in their bubblized form after they get hit for the first time. Popping their bubbles in Rayman Origins while they are floating gives the player a bonus Lum. This bonus can be multiplied if the player is carrying a singing Lum King. The bonus Lum mechanic was removed in later games due to its pace-breaking nature, and bubblized enemies explode automatically since Rayman Legends, excluding Rayman Fiesta Run.

In multiplayer mode, players can move their bubblized bodies with the analog stick. To go back to life, they must move close to another player and receive a slap. This gives the player an opportunity to return to the stage and continue playing; however, if all of the players are bubblized at once, they will all explode and return to the last checkpoint.

Game Lums from bubblizing an enemy
Rayman Origins 1
Rayman Jungle Run 0
Rayman Legends 5
Rayman Fiesta Run 0
Rayman Adventures 10

Platforms

A different kind of bubbles make an appearance in the Gourmand Land. These bubbles come out from the mouths of Sleeping Dragons and can be ridden as bouncy platforms as they float. In order to keep a balance in the altitude with their weight, the players must constantly jump on top of the bubble, avoiding any spiky obstacle that could pop the bubble.

Unlockables

Bubbles as seen in the Snoring Tree.

Several bubbles containing smoke inside can be seen at the Snoring Tree. By collecting a certain amount of Electoons indicated by Murfy, the smoke of one of the bubbles will disappear and a new character will appear dancing inside of it. By touching the unlocked bubbles, the player is able to choose a different character; as long as the player keeps collecting Electoons to restore the Bubble Dreamer's mind, the number of playable characters will increase. Two players cannot choose the same character until The Mamma of All Nightmares has been completed.


Gallery

References

  1. E3 2011: IGN Live Commentary, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3tXLyii_YU