Skip to content

Nintendo: The Creator Behind Platforming Classic Rayman Says He Doesn’t Enjoy Mario Games

Rayman Origins creative director Michel Ancel has told Gamasutra that while he has respect for Shigeru Miyamoto and is a fan of the Zelda franchise, he just can’t get into the Mario games.

“I will tell you something terrible — I don’t really enjoy playing Mario games. I don’t like gliding, I don’t like its inertia, and I don’t like not being able to give some slaps! It’s a fabulous series, and I understand that people love it, but it’s not my cup of tea.”

“I used to prefer Ghosts n’ Goblins, Heart of Darkness, Another World — games with a focus on the narrative side. Beyond that, I find Mario‘s controls very interesting, but I don’t buy it. I can’t help but seeing the ropes of the game, even if it works.”

Michel Ancel has been referred to as “the French Miyamoto” which is something he says he’s deeply honoured by, but he admits he’s very different from Nintendo’s legendary games designer.

“I’m very different from Miyamoto.”

“I really loved the idea of introducing artistic features in games — that is to say the storytelling, the artwork, music — and to get everything together in the best possible alchemy. We have two different approaches, two different tracks.”

182 thoughts on “Nintendo: The Creator Behind Platforming Classic Rayman Says He Doesn’t Enjoy Mario Games”

      1. EnjoyVideoGamesPlz-Girl

        Says the person who said “I don’t care about graphics” on earlier topics.
        I like how you change your opinion to try to make other companies bad. /sarcasm (:
        And judging from the content your comment, you probably never ever played Rayman.

    1. That’s his opinion and he has the right to say it. All we need to do is respect what he said. If you don’t enjoy Rayman, nobody tells you to be addicted to it or something. Stop being such a fanboy and be a funboy. Play all the games!

      1. lol anyone who saids something anti-nintendo is considered a sony fanboy, hating a pikachu pillow makes you a sony fanboy.

      1. magi are u crazy!!! i am not a sony fanboy!i dont give a shit for this company.and something more i know 1000 million times better than you about games.u suck troll.i am 100% nintendo fan and i talways tell the truth about the company!u suck get lost

        1. And this is the example of why retarded monkey shouldn’t be allowed to use computers.
          In short: “I’m peteriuss and i’m a Nintendo Cock Sucker, i love to feel the semen of Nintendo every time they say something goo, and defend them when they do something bad, like the little bitch i am, if any intelligent gamer told me something i don’t like,i will say HE S A TROL, SONY FANBOI!!!1!!1!!!! with my bad grammar.”

          That’s what it says when i traduced it in Google Translator, so it have to be the truth.

      1. How could you of played that game 11 years ago it’s just come out. Stop making us all look like silly fanboys. It’s actually a pretty good game and is available on wii.

      2. you know, you could just let people have their own opinions. You know, the things you say don’t sound very smart at all.

      3. Oh well, what do we have here.
        peteriuss, haven’t you learn your lesson?
        Stop being a Nintendo Cock Sucker and enjoy other things.

    1. I don’t agree with ya, i love Mario games a lot more than Rayman, not saying it sucks, but is not better, at least in my opinion.

  1. … Oh noez? How is this even post-worthy? He’s allowed to not like Mario, especially since he even acknowledges that they are good games that he personally doesn’t enjoy.

    1. Ditto. Whatever happened to different strokes for different folks? Does it matter? Not everyone has to like the same things lol.

    1. as a kid and i guess now, its hard to chose, i always chose classic sonic over classic mario, but nowadays i dont like this new speed feeling from sonic games. i gotta try they new sonic, looks like the best sonic in quite a while. 3d mario has always toppled 3d sonic tho. super mario 3d land has become my favorite mario game ever. i just 100% it

  2. Let the flame war begin!
    But please wait, until I got my popcorn…

    Seriously, everyone likes other things and hate other things or just
    can’t like them, because of other interests. So if he don’t like
    it, okay.

          1. Careful examination shows that he may be a troll, but he sure as hell doesn’t know it. He does it on other stories.

            And please, don’t call others idiots unless you’re looking for some trouble.

  3. gyes and u sickr if u are here.if some1 wants to play mk7 online letsplay at 8 o clock(european realm).because i dont know how can i join to u.

          1. ^^ This ^^ You gotta be kidding. You can be a Die Hard Nintendo Fan (like myself, look at my icon) but not really like some of their games. Mario isn’t my favorite, Zelda on the other hand is. I can enjoy both games, but given the chance…Zelda > Mario

  4. Well im a big Nintendo fan but I don`t like Zelda to be honest I have played many of the games and just haven`t got into them like the creator of Rayman. I like every other nintendo game except Zelda and Kirby games, I think kirby is too “girly” to be honest and so are alot of Nintendo games, there`s no hardcore. But I still love nintendo and I prefere there techniques over Microsoft and Sony, Ninty Is Brill.

    1. Well I agree with most of your comment that people can like different things…but Kirby is not girly. Just because he’s pink?

      Sorry, but he’s a killer! He swallows innocent animals and monsters whole and uses his power for his own self gain. XD, seriously Kirby what’s wrong with you?

  5. The man is just saying that he doesn’t like Mario. It’s a personal opinion, grow up people and just accept that not everyone like Mario.

  6. Im so mad I wasted money on the special edition, the wiimote looks like crap, the game is terrible and the CD has mistakes in it.

    1. Woo! Trolls! And tip for later life- Look at photos of the things your buying. And I’m sure Nintendo are so sorry that music that THEY COMPOSED has mistakes in! They made it and you seem to think they made it “wrong”? Still, you’re just a troll, just a level lower than peasant on my popularity list. Just want to get my opinion heard.

      1. Congrats. If it truly is a troll, you just gave him what he wants: attention. Do you want to continue with that smug streak?
        >”just a level lower than peasant on my popularity list.”
        …Really?

        1. Awwww it’s cute, he’s mad, awwwww.
          Give me a break, it’s not my fault that most of the people (and by people i mean peteriuss) are Nintendo Cock Suckers.
          And no, it’s not suppose to be in that way, i love Nintendo, but i’m not retarded.

  7. Eh everyone has their own tastes. And read what he said, he doesnt like Mario but can appreciate the quality of the games. Thats allowed. I love Mario, my favourite platformers ever, without fail, but i really like rayman origins aswell.

    He wasnt bashing the series, he was actually very respectful of it, thats allowed, and stop the flaming fanboy wars people, its getting very immature and quiet boring at this stage

  8. The hero is so dumb…..

    I loved Rayman (not the game, the hero, lol) when I was young, I thought he was cool. Now I think he’s so damn gay….. When you grow old and a hero becomes stupid, it’s not really cool for the franchise….

    Mario, you want it or not, he is a classic, and still fun to play.

    Sonic, although I don’t really like the games anymore (because the gameplay makes it so that you don’t have enough time to enjoy the levels I think… imo), I still think he’s awesome. Maybe I played too much Sonic the hedgehog 2 back in the days on my GameGear :) Hardest game in the universe…. never got to pass that game actually without the cheat to go right to the final level…. I beated Nega Sonic but never got all the chaos to get to the real ending against Egg….. dammit….

    Oh, I almost forgot…. Crash Bandicoot…… LOLLLL

    As a conclusion with no links to what I just said : any of you guys miss the good ol’ competition Sega vs Nintendo??? I’d trade Sony anytime for Sega…..

      1. I enjoy the peace with less bickering fantards these days but sucks what happened to Crash and Spyro I loved them until the end of the PS1 era.

          1. I wouldent want to see one… after it left playstation it went to hell! especialy the newest one!! I really wish Insomniac or sony would take spyro back. If they did then by all means remake it for PS3 only!

    1. Well, welcome to the new generation.
      Full with pointless HD and 3D features, lots of stupid ass fanboys, and least but not worst Shooter! Shooters every fucking where!

  9. Guys! Don’t be like that! We have different taste of gaming! It’s ok that you like this and they don’t like that! Let’s me tell you this! All my friends, they don’t like Nintendo, everyday they keeps making jokes about Nintendo in order to make me mad!? Well, I acted normal and everything went fine! not a big deal! Remember, we are unique!

    1. HOW THE FUCK IS IT POSSIBLE TO NOT LIKE THE VERY BEST VIDEO GAME OF ALL TIME HAVE YOU EVEN PLAYED IT IT’S A FRICKIN’ MASTERPIECE ANYONE WHO SAYS SOMETHING BAD ABOUT IT DESERVES TO DIE A SLOW AND PAINFUL DEATH YOU SHOULDN’T BE ON THIS BLOG IT’S FOR US NINTENDO FANBOYS ONLY NOW GTFO AND PLAY YOUR FAVORITE CALL OF DUTY GAME OR JOIN THE SONY BJ-LINE ‘CAUSE WE DON’T WANT YOUR KIND HERE YOUR PRESENCE DEFILES NINTENDO AND ALL ITS GREATNESS!!!!!!

      ^That post is about you, my friend! =)

      1. Listen, it’s his opinion. He doesn’t like it. He didn’t say the game sucks. There is a difference between fact and opinion. When you try to pass off your opinion a fact, I can see the problem, but that is not the case here.

  10. He was nice about it, not everyone HAS to like Mario, but at least he respects the character and series. And if you’ve played Rayman but not Rayman Origins, don’t knock it. Origins is by far the best Rayman I’ve ever played. XBL and PSN have demos, try it if you have either system.

    But honestly, I don’t care that he doesn’t like it, we all have different tastes in games, and that’s fine. Just because I don’t like Call Of Duty doesn’t mean all my friends who play it hate me, we all like different stuff. Don’t bash on him because of it, he wasn’t rude or hateful towards the series in the way he said it. There’s really no need to hate on him.

  11. I don’t like Zelda but I agree its a good series just not my cup of tea and I am sorry he doesn’t like Mario partly because Mario doesn’t bitch slap like Rayman does in Origins..Rayman 2 was awesome but since then I haven’t enjoyed the series.

  12. He’s allowed an opinion. And he declared it very respectfully. He could have said he hates mario and thinks its stupid or something but instead just pointed out how he knows they’re amazing games, but they’re just not for him. Which is fine. I’m the same with Metroid for example, I can see they are amazing games but I just don’t enjoy them.

    Anyone getting offended by what Michael Ancel said is an idiot.

  13. What’s wrong with both? And for the record Michel, play Mario’s RPG works. Those actually pull off the narrative side of things.

  14. This is cool with me. As long as he’s not being a dick about it, he doesn’t have to like mario, but respect it. I really enjoyed his Rayman game! It definitely rivals even some of the best 2D Mario games. All of you haters must not have played it if you disagree! Great graphics, pacing, and gameplay. I love it.

  15. BTW

    Shigeru Miyamoto > Michel Ancel

    That guy is nobody…

    And Super Mario Bros OWNS all other plataformer games… (always)

  16. sigh*…

    I’ve liked many MANY games, but didn’t like zelda 2, which people say that it’s the best game ever… so I totally respect his opinion and taste. Many of us like Fifa, but don’t enjoy PES, even though they’re the same… xD

  17. he doesnt like the game and gave a valid reason, without hating it, acknowledge that its a great series and did it respectfully… this is the type of man i respect.

  18. I love rayman but hey dude did you just say that you don’t like mario? Well that’s a problem coz my friend mario is aweosme and bashing his way through every game made even if nintendo were milking it.

  19. i liked the first Rayman game on PS but the others are meh. i will buy origins when it is cheaper. if he doesn’t like mario then thats his opinion. i prefer mario over every other platform though

    origins graphic look really awesome btw

  20. I enjoy the Rayman series more then Mario, I just always found them more entertaining I loved the voice acting, Graphics and gameplay in Hoodlum Havoc and it just hooked me, don’t get me wrong I loved Galaxy and 64, But just because Rayman isn’t as well known as Mario dosen’t make it a bad game, Mario is just milking with his side games now ( Like his new monopoly game) but his main games are still very well done.

  21. Bah Pointless comment I don’t need to know if one man in the world dosn’t particularly like Mario to be honest no one I know actually does except my self.

    btw what is up with these fanboy comments no one needs you complaining every time someone gives there opinion and calling them fanboys…..

    Gary Oak does not approve of posts about random people not liking mario

  22. Actually I think a better way of summing it up would be that both he and Miyamoto have different ways of approaching the same thing.

    I will admit that I’m not as keen on 2D Mario’s since World because I don’t get on well with the controls for some reason. I much prefer the proper 3D ones like 64 and Galaxy. I’m actually not massively keen on NSMBW for this reason (also I hate the save system).

    1. Kind of, Mario games are more for patient people who likes puzzles and enjoy adventures.
      Sonic games are for people who want to get to point A to point B, RIGHT FUCKING NOW, that, and the music is Awesome!

  23. You know, i like this guy.
    This dude actually DO have a reason of why he don’t like Mario, and the most important thing, he is being respectful.
    Unlike to that stupid reviewer who gave Mario Kart 7 a 5 without any reasons AND they told us we are wrong.
    Some people are just very stupid.

  24. Well I’ve never played a Rayman game so i can’t really compare them to Mario. Not that i would two different games and styles. I kinda respect this guy he gave his opinion in a sensible way. That being said I’d most likely grab and play a Mario game first since i still have yet to gain any interest in Rayman. At least he likes Zelda :).

  25. Pingback: Michel Ancel no disfruta los juegos de Mario : Dswii: Novedades y análisis de Juegos Wii y Juegos 3DS

    1. i just dont like rayman.i dont know whats ur opinion but i still dolt like the game.one more thing.i cant wait for playstation 4 to fail because of their stupit price.(1000$)hahaha.know u see that companies steal ur money exept from other like sega or nintnedo.

      1. Nintendo Cock Sucker in my radar.
        Oh, nevermind, is just peteriuss crying and raging while imagining having gay sex with Nintendo Staff, cute :3

  26. Pingback: Nintendo Wii U 3DS Wii – Nintenderos.com » Blog Archive » A Michel Ancel no le gusta Super Mario

  27. lol some of you guys are trolls

    I love mario games. I love rayman games. I don’t see any problems with this guy. Opinions are opinions. Although I do like Rayman Origins as a platformer compared to NSMBWii even when they took a few ideas from that game.

  28. Fair enough, I can see how someone just might not be into the style of gameplay that Mario commonly is. Funny how people get offended if someone doesn’t like their favorite game IP, who cares?

  29. Pingback: Michel Ancel: “No disfruto de los juegos de Mario” : Dswii: Novedades y análisis de Juegos Wii y Juegos 3DS

  30. Pingback: Big Nintendo fucking NEWS!Miyamoto Steps Down at Nintendo Legendary creator to focus on smaller projects. By Richard George « New Age

Discover more from My Nintendo News

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading