I readily concede that by GameSpot terms, I am very old. So when I bought Rayman: Origins along with Saints Row 3, I wasn't entirely surprised by this exchange with the cashier:

"One for you and one for the kids, eh?"

"Uh, no. Rayman is for me. Saints Row is for my brother."

AND I AM NOT ASHAMED.

I'm not gonna buy Modern Warfare or Battlefield. I'll get Revelations eventually, but not at full price. Skyrim can wait. But I WILL HAVE MY RAYMAN. It's 2D, and adorable,and it's good simple fun to play. And my wife can play with me by dropping in or out whenever she feels like it, and so can my buddies whenever they come over. By sitting next to each other on a couch. 'Cause I'm OLD and I like sitting on nice furniture when I play my video games.

In the usual Christmas rush of big flashy action sequels, UBI Soft has thrown us old timers (and the young 'uns)a bone by releasing a very well-made 2D platformer. At least Nintendo fans have Zelda and Mario to cling to; the HD twins have just about nothing for the nostalgic. So here's a toast to UBI Soft and the Rayman crew: thanks for not forgetting about us. I had a Donkey Kong Country Returns-sized hole in my heart, and this will fill it nicely. I don't want the market to return to 1988, but the occasional time warp feels nice.