Rayman, the disembodied head-and-hands character once thought dead when the franchise started cranking out mediocre games, is apparently poised to make a second entrance. Ubisoft has recently announced that a new Rayman game is in development, and will be the fourth game in the Rayman storyline.

The new Rayman game, as yet untitled, is being developed by Ubisoft’s acclaimed Montpellier studio, the same studio that has also developed other critically acclaimed games such as Beyond Good & Evil and King Kong. Michel Ancel, the original creator of the Rayman series, is heading the project. “Rayman is one of the brands that encapsulate Ubisoft’s ability to create characters and universes that appeal to all kinds of players,” said Yves Guillemot, chief executive officer at Ubisoft. “We are expecting this new Rayman video game to sweep players off their feet.”

The new Rayman game is expected to hit store shelves during the holiday season of 2006.