Switch
Switches are electrical components which trigger various mechanisms that can be used to progress through levels in the series, they often are seen to open doors or activate platforms which Rayman can then use to traverse across areas that he could not otherwise.
In the original Rayman
In the original Rayman game, switches form an important part of Joe the Extra-Terrestrial's underground flying saucer network. These switches change the direction of the flying saucers which move along the wires on which they are found. They resemble levers and any failure by Rayman to punch them quickly enough will often result in him being caught into a trap. They are found only in the Caves of Skops.
A switch used to manipulate the path of the flying saucer
In Rayman 2
The Pirates have cluttered the environment with switches which activate strange machines and open various doors. To make it work, just shoot at it.—Manual, Rayman 2
In Rayman 2, switches created by the Robo-Pirates are commonly found in their fortresses, ships and other installations. These switches are quite large, with a red lever and a bulb on the top which lights up when the switch has been hit. They can only be turned on once, except for one in the Dreamcast version of the game, found at the top of a Robo-Pirate stronghold in the Iron Mountains, which controls a door leading to the next section of the level and can be turned on and off indefinitely.
There is also a switch that looks exactly same as regular switches, except this one has a yellow lever and can be activated by stepping on them. In other areas, such as the Marshes of Awakening, the Iron Mountains and the Prison Ship, switches can be seen where the lever is yellow as opposed to red, these switches tend to require being ran over by a shell, or by water-skiing with Ssssam.
There are also timed switches in the shape of a circular red button, which when activated, glow red and start ticking. These will temporarily enable or disable a mechanism for a set amount of time, and as such, quick timing is key in order to progress.
In the Sanctuary of Rock and Lava, triangular shaped switches appear with similar behaviour to the circular red switches, they will not keep their mechanism open for long. However, unlike mechanisms controlled by the circular red switches, the mechanism the triangle switch is controlling will slowly recede until fully deactivated, as opposed to remaining on for the allotted time, then immediately switching off when time runs out.
Rayman comes across a switch in the Fairy Glade, at an early point in Rayman 2.
An activated timed switch, located in the Bayou
A deactivated timed switch, located in the Echoing Caves
A switch unique to the Sanctuary of Rock and Lava
An activated switch in the Pirate Factory
A deactivated switch in the Pirate Factory
In Rayman M, Rayman Arena and Rayman Rush
Shoot on the switches, you will open hidden passages... or move the environment to stop your opponent.—Manual, Rayman M
In Rayman M, switches are square-shaped and bear images of spiders (Beginner League), piranhas (Advanced League) and Robo-Pirate heads (Expert and Extreme Bonus leagues), and come in two colours: red and green. They can be used to open secret passageways, open traps or change the nature of the race track to hinder opponents.
In Rayman Arena, switches appear in the form of large red buttons, which turn green when activated.
In Rayman Rush, all switches have an image of the Robo-Pirate head, and are green in colour.
In Rayman 2 Forever
Rayman 2 Forever also features switches, which are used to disable electrical barriers that prevent Rayman from progressing.
In Rayman 3
A very handy binary tool. It can be used to do just about anything, except – perhaps – turn the lights down low. It’s far too smart. You need a dimmer switch to do that.—In-game description, Rayman 3
In Rayman 3, switches come in different forms; for example, some are activated by the pressure of Rayman's feet when he stands on them, and some are activated by being punched, much like the switches in the previous games. The switches and their mechanisms which appear in this game originate either from local inhabitants or the Hoodlums.
Notable switches which appear in Rayman 3 are:
- In the second level of the Fairy Council, a pressure switch is encountered that controls a door which does not conceal any entrance. This pressure switch will be active for a set amount of time, in which the door is closed, this is used to catch up to a terrified Globox, who took Rayman's hands.
- In the fifth level of the Fairy Council, a pressure switch is hidden atop a hidden path in the chamber of the Heart of the World, it will open a concealed door leading to a secret room with plenty of gems.
- In the Clearleaf Stadium, Rayman will need to step over three out of five active switches in turn to spawn a Shock Rocket can of Laser-Washing Powder. The currently active switch will light up and must be reached in time, or the sequence will reset and he will need to step over a new set of three.
- In the Land of the Livid Dead, there are two hidden switches in the ceiling of Roméo Patti's office, when activated, a panel will open up, giving access to some previously concealed gems.
- In the Desert of the Knaaren, Rayman must place Zombie Chicken eggs on pressure switches to keep them open, these switches tend to control doors, which Rayman will need to pass through to progress.
- In the Chamber of the Leptys, there is a pressure switch which only the Knaaren can activate, they must be lured towards the switch and step over it, after which, the switch is activated permanently. This switch controls a set of platforms, which Rayman will need to use to then ascend to the chamber's exit.
- In the Longest Shortcut, there are many pressure switches that control various mechanisms, be they platforms or doors. Each level in this area has a switch with a crown icon on it, these switches require for Rayman to have collected each crown scattered in the level, which will then open up a door to the next level. Other switches act like the timer switches from Rayman 2, keeping mechanisms active over a certain set of time. Some pressure switches which are connected to a set of doors will have them close sequentially over time until all are closed.
- In the first level of the Hoodlum Headquarters, there is a pair of switches which Rayman and Globox will need to activate simultaneously to raise a gate.
- In the second level of the Tower of the Leptys, there is a cage placed behind iron bars, which retract for a short amount of time when a pressure switch is activated, once the switch has been activated, Rayman must quickly use the Shock Rocket placed next to the switch, and hit the cage before the bars raise.
Levers can also be seen in Rayman 3, but are far less common than switches. Appearing only in the four Hoodlum overrun worlds, they appear to have been manufactured by them, except for those in the Tower of the Leptys, which are more likely to have been manufactured by the Knaaren. Activating a lever yields 30 points.
Notable levers include:
- In the third level of Clearleaf Forest, there is a hidden lever that can only be activated via Shock Rocket and opens a door revealing some gems.
- In the second level of the Hoodlum Headquarters, there is a lever that also can only be hit by a Shock Rocket, but will immediately be deactivated by a nearby Hoodmonger unless it has already been defeated.
- In the second level of the Tower of the Leptys, there is a lever hidden behind a fortified wooden door, in order to access the lever, a fully charged Heavy Metal Fist must be used to break the door. The lever itself will cause a statue of a Knaaren to rotate, revealing another statue with a green gem to collect.
A pressure switch outside the Fairy Council
A wall switch outside the Fairy Council
A hidden pressure switch in the chamber of the Heart of the World
A wall switch in Clearleaf Forest
A hidden lever in Clearleaf Forest
Another lever in Clearleaf Forest
The switches in Clearleaf Stadium
A wall switch in the Land of the Livid Dead
A hidden switch in Roméo Patti's office
A pressure switch in the Desert of the Knaaren which requires a Zombie Chicken egg to be placed atop it to remain active
A pressure switch in the Longest Shortcut
A wall switch in the Longest Shortcut
A special pressure switch that will open only when Rayman has collected enough crowns, exclusive to the Longest Shortcut
A wall switch in the Hoodlum Headquarters
One of the pair of pressure switches Rayman and Globox must activate simultaneously, located in the Hoodlum Headquarters
A lever in the Hoodlum Headquarters
This switch from the Tower of the Leptys will cause iron bars that cover a cage to temporarily retract, and a nearby Shock Rocket must be used to break the cage before the iron bars rise once again.
A lever in the Tower of the Leptys
In the Game Boy Advance version of Rayman 3
In the Game Boy Advance version of Rayman 3, switches are identical to those found in Rayman 2. They are, however, much smaller. They are found in the four worlds of the game, and are mainly used to open doors.
Red buttons also appear in Ly's Punch Challenge 1, Ly's Punch Challenge 2 and Lum Challenge. They are placed on elevators that Rayman can raise in the air by throwing his fist charged at full power on the button.
In Rayman: Hoodlums' Revenge
In Rayman: Hoodlums' Revenge, three types of switches appear. The most common ones are buttons placed on pillars that light up when pulled and trigger a mechanism. Also found in this game are switches placed on the ground, like in Rayman 3. The first type, square-shaped, slab-like ones, needs to stay down to work. In general, it is necessary to use Globox to operate these switches. The second type of ground switch is circular in shape, and a spiral is engraved on it. They trigger temporary mechanisms, like the red buttons of Rayman 2.
In the Game Boy Advance version of Rayman Raving Rabbids
In the Game Boy Advance version of Rayman Raving Rabbids, switches only appear in three worlds. In the Organic Cave, purple switches are found on the ground. In the Sweets world, red buttons are placed on the walls. In the Dark world, metallic levers can be found on the walls too.
A switch in the Organic Cave
A button in the Sweets world
A lever in the Dark world
In the Nintendo DS version of Rayman Raving Rabbids
Red switches appear throughout the Nintendo DS version of Rayman Raving Rabbids. Once hit, they will turn green and trigger an action, such as a door unlocking.
In Rayman Origins
Several types of switches can be found in Rayman Origins.
In many levels of the Desert of Dijiridoos and the Grumbling Grottos, there are yellow buttons, which looks like keys of wind instruments. The hero must hit them when they are on a wall or crush them when they are on the ground. They can make appear or disappear staffs occupied by friendly or evil birds or activate blowers. In the same worlds, there are some sliding switches surmounted by a head sculpture. By jumping on the slide, the hero will temporarily make disappear oscillograms on tight ropes. Then, they must cross the ropes quickly, before that the slide came back up.
In Moseying the Mountain, the hero enters in a cave where some Red Wizards are imprisoned. To save them, they must run on a wall to reach a handle hanging on a chain.
In the Reveal, when the hero climb back up the room where he fought the Mecha Carnivora and the Mecha Mockingbird, they must activate a grey button, identical to the yellow ones in the desert, to deactivate oscillograms on a tight rope.
A switch in Wind or Lose
A handle in Rayman Legends and Rayman Legends
In Rayman Legends
Several types of switches can also be found in Rayman Legends.
In Teensies In Trouble, there are big wooden levers in the levels Once upon a Time, Dungeon Dash and Dungeon Chase. Only Murfy can use them. They can activate or deactivate traps. In the level Quick Sand, the hero must use several handles hanging on chains. They help them to progress by causing the dip of gigantic towers in the sand.
In 20,000 Lums Under the Sea, there are many round red buttons, which turn to green when they are activated. Only Murfy can use them. They make appear or disappear platforms, which can help the hero to progress, eliminate some enemies or be protected from the projectors of the Dark Sentries. In the level Mansion of the Deep, there are two grey buttons on a case. The hero must use them to switch off the electrical supply of a part of the submarine base. At the end of the level There's Always a Bigger Fish, the hero gets rid of Seabreather by using a handle hanging on a chain, which sucks in all the water of the tank where the monster was.
In the level A Madman's Creation!, the hero inadvertently activate the Mechanical Dragon by jumping on a big yellow button. After that, they must shoot on two grey buttons on a case to deactivate electric fences.
In Olympus Maximus, there are small levers and yellow buttons, identical to the ones in the desert. They play a key role in the levels the Amazing Maze and Hell Breaks Loose, where they open doors and activate or deactivate traps.
A lever in Rayman Legends
In Rayman Adventures
The same switches from Rayman Legends return in Rayman Adventures.
A lever used to deactivate electric beams in 20,000 Lums Under the Sea
In Rayman Mini
In Rayman Mini, there are several types of switches as well, mainly found in the Trunk. These mechanisms, such as wooden levers, buttons and handles, trigger various objects, from causing a block to rise or fall so the hero can progress through the level safely, to opening secret compartments containing Lums.