Rayman 2 is one of the best video games ever. Not even ever made, just ever. I have very scientific-looking charts and graphs and statistics and one of those Jacob's Ladder things to back up this theory. When it came out in 1999, there was not a 3D platformer that oozed with more style, personality, and inventive platforming action, and six years later the only game to even contest its position is the amazing-in-its-own-way Psychonauts.

Michel Ancel, creator of Rayman and creative force behind Rayman 2, Beyond Good & Evil, and Peter Jackson's King Kong The Original Game Based On the Marketing Department's Needlessly Long-Winded Title, had minimal involvement in Rayman 3, but he's back on board for Rayman Raving Rabbids. This is very good news.

In the sole in-game screenshot released so far, Rayman is riding a giant spider while hunting down a pack of criminally insane rabbits. Also, he's got a pink afro. I could maybe do without the pink afro, but the crazy rabbits are totally right-on. Evil rabbits are exactly the kind of foil that Rayman needs. What really sells the whole thing for me, though, is this other promotional image that Ubisoft released.

Nintendo has been putting on these Apple-style airs about the Wii name, and all you've been hearing is icy marketing language about how the name works across different markets and creates synergy and a bunch of other meaningless, nonsensical garbage that just makes people hate the name more. This marks the first time that anyone actually involved with the Wii has acknowledged and celebrated how ridiculous the name is.

Anyway. Rayman Raving Rabbids is now high on the list of games I want to play at E3.