Rayman Jungle Run requires ready reflexes

The adorable, big-nosed and strangely unattached Rayman is on the run through a lush tropical jungle, and he needs help!

Actually, the game should probably be called Rayman Jungle Run, Jump, Fly and Punch, but that was probably too long and doesn’t really roll off the tongue in quite the same way.

The Xbox game Rayman Jungle Run for Lumia is the Deal of the Week, now available for only $0.99 (USD) in the Windows Phone Store.

For less than a buck, you get 70 levels to explore (that’s less than 1.5 cents per level), each with its own charms and each to test Rayman in strange and amusing ways. The game is fast-paced, full of great rapidly moving scenery, and Rayman is one bouncy little dude who deftly defies gravity with his rock-climbing skills.

One thing that is very cool about this app is that you don’t necessarily need to play it in sequential order. Each “World” – such as Jump, Fly, Punch and Wall Run (a favorite of mine) – has 10 levels. You can explore any of the worlds you choose. So, say you start at Jump; you do not need to finish all of those levels to move on to one of the other worlds.

But, you might want to play a few levels within each world to get the hang of Rayman’s movements and abilities before you skip ahead. The challenges do get much harder as you go. And of course, there are obstacles galore – no one said this would be easy.

While you explore the jungle worlds, you collect “Lums” along the way – bright little creatures that are happily willing to go along for the ride.

Oh, and to unlock the final level in any of the worlds, you must first collect five “teeth” in the world you are exploring – I have not found any hidden teeth so far! And, when you complete all 10 levels within various worlds, you can unlock new characters to play in the game, too.

If you have any hints for how to keep Rayman running strong, share your suggestions in the Comments below.