The man behind Rayman, Michel Ancel has revealed that he is not a fan of Nintendo's tubby moustachioed hero Mario.

After being called the French Miyamoto, Ancel revealed a deep respect for the and creator as well as a love for the Zelda games. He confessed that he doesn't enjoy playing the Mario games though.

Ancel explained: "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."

He continued: "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."

Ancel has enjoyed a renaissance this with the release of Rayman Origins which launched to a hail of critical praise and Metacritic scores in the high 80s.

Thanks Gamasutra.

By Ewan Aiton