Rayman level 07: Into the pit´s heart

      In Rayman´s Designer engine, the A to B typical goal of a platformer videogame is also accompanied by a primary task of collecting blue orbs called "tings", normally 100 tings you must collect if you want to reach the goal sign and consider the level finished. As that, you can take advantage of the mechanic by creating obligatory paths that could be left behind if it wasn´t for the obligatory collectibles that the blue tings are.

I am explaining this because all of my levels designed here have this property. As a special trait exclusive from my creations, I also made another optional collectible which are 100 dark blue tings scattered across the map. These dark blue tings have the function of guiding you across the level, they aren´t mandatory to collect and don´t affect the game whatsoever.

   "Into the pit´s heart", originally called "The super mushroom" (I was only 10-12 years old). Spoiler alert: there´s no super mushroom at the end but actually a big tree tentacle creature. The high tier enemy from the JUNGLE.MAP in Rayman thay I like to include as the latter challenge in levels.

This level starts to divert from the "snail shell level" concept I was moving in the first maps. Here we start at the bottom left of the level, in a place that makes a homage to the second stage from the level "Swamps of forgetfulness" from the original game.

Soon after we reach the first long vine to climb in, we´ll see that up our heads there´s another homage zone, in this case, reminiscent to the first stage of "Moskito´s Nest" level, where most of the stage was in the water level road but up your head there was an area full of explorer type enemies. Here is more of the same.

After leaving this part we´ll find our first checkpoint detained by some enemies ("checkpoints" in Rayman are actually living standing still photographers). What comes next is moving and fighting your way across some long islands in the pit (hence the name). I say fighting because until now the level has met a lot of enemy blobs. This is about to change.

Once you meet the plum navigation section the fighting pace changes to a platforming one, having to avoid prickly fruits and using three vines as main path. Because we reach a vertical wall (symbolized by the leafs and vegetation in the right "wall" of the map).

Because the vines have some thorn parts, the player will have to leave the vine path to enter some small sections with the presence of antitoons and swinging pointy fruits (and flying piranhas in the secret life area). Eventually, we´ll reach the top of the map and now is time for moving platforming travel, having to jump with precise to reach proper land (all while above our head, the "ceiling" of the map, is populated with more leafs and vegetation).

Once on solid soil. We´ll find a big tentacle flower which we can avoid fighting it by using surrounding platforms. From here the path is straight, entering a narrow cave with some enemies and finally meeting the exit, guarded by an enemy hunter.

Video time.