Rayman/WMG

The Murfy/manual antagonism in Rayman 3 is borne out of an actual disagreement in the dev team
OK, bear with me, it might not seem so at first glance but it makes soooo much sense when you think about it. So, many people find Murfy annoying. What if this included some of the people making Rayman 3? And the game ended up that way because they used this conflict constructively and brilliantly brought it in the game in the form the antagonism between Murfy and the manual?

Wait, don't go! Don't believe me? I have evidence, my friends:
 * the antagonism carries to the actual, physical, dead-tree manual, where Murfy (and Murfy alone) is described in a very bad light, going as far as to suggest Murfy only got the coach role from string-pulling—which immediately prompts a footnote from Ubisoft stating these comments are the sole responsibility of the manual. Moreover at some point the manual becomes more familiar and reveals tips to get more points that it specifically mentions are not given by Murfy in-game, so it seems to be trying to get our favor.
 * The Press Release mentions that Murfy can spy into Hoodlum camps undetected and come back with advice, but as we know Murfy is no longer seen after the Fairy Council in the actual game. This likely means this role was actually written, and possibly implemented, but ready to be cut in the final editing of the game (which they did) as the debate was likely still ongoing and they decided at the last moment.
 * Conversely, in you look at the in-game "cutscene" where they find the first powerup, there is a fade to black and back between the part that involves Murfy and the second part where Rayman is alone. The most likely explanation is that the cutscene scripts and other such scripts were planned so that they could easily take out Murfy from the game entirely without affecting the important parts.

All this shows there was a fundamental debate in Ubisoft between the pro-Murfy and the pro-manual that continued as the game was developed, with in some aspects all options being kept open until the last minute where the compromise we know (Murfy only in the Fairy Council) was applied, and in other aspects the debate being brought to the game in front of the player in the form of the antagonism between Murfy and the manual. I cannot imagine this opposition being written deliberately, there has to have been a parallel internal debate in the dev team for the game to have ended up that way.

Hoodie!Rayman is an Alternate Universe counterpart of the original Rayman.
Somewhere betwen disaperense of important characters like Ly, Polokus and Globox's family, the differences in the personalities of Rayman and Globox and well.. everything about Rayman Origins; this becomes a growingly valid explanation.

Rayman's hands are Master Hand and Crazy Hand
Just look. Both are disembodied hands. Who could those hands possibly belong to? Who is the only known being with hands not attached to his body?
 * Well, considering EVERYONE in Rayman's world has hands like that...
 * At least in the first game they do.

Rabbids are another type of Ork. Just lagomorphic rather than simian.
DAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Continuity, centered on Globox
Origins

Was Globox as a child, mischievous. Actually, Globox was abandoned as a child for being deformed (too big for his age), and was dumped on Raymans planet.

Rayman 1

Something horrible happens at the end of origins, which causes globox to be seperated from rayman. Globox ends up in a forest on the planet he came from, where he meets Uglette, is able to move on from the trauma and the two become mates. Globox still wonders where rayman is, and the two scout to find him. After his children are born, he becomes tied down to the forest he lives in and let's rayman go. This happens over a few years, kind of like the period Simba spends out of the loop with Timon and Pumbaa.

The events of rayman were seen through raymans eyes. He had the mentality of a small child. Behind the curtians, Betilda was pulling many strings to help rayman, acting as a kind of Mama Bear. Rayman also considered her mommy figure of sorts.

After Rayman 1

Sometime after globox has settled down, rayman starts questioning his roots. Betilda tries to read his mind, tells him about globox, causing rayman to remember. As she does this, she also learns of Raymans purpouse, but neglects telling him, not wanting to lay that burden on him, especially because of his wish to find globox. She let's him go out into the world on his own.

Rayman learns that globoxes species is based on the other planet. As a token of gratitude for saving the electoons, the great protoon sends him there. On his journey, he meets the characters he greets as old friends in Rayman 2 (like clark and ssssam). He also meets Ly, who gives him his energy ball throwing ability (the gravity of the planet differs, rayman cant toss his fists). This journey also lasts a few years, in which time raymans planet, and betilda, are invaded and killed by the robo-pirates. Rayman is oblivious to this.

Ly is told by Polokus that the robo-pirates are coming, and learns of raymans importance. She tries to seek out rayman, but becomes caught up trying to keep as many people alive as she can. She is wherever there is an attack. Rayman is still oblivious to the entire existence of the robo pirates, as is globox.

Rayman and globox meet, the group spend the night together but wake up to find the forest is under attack. Ly is there trying to gather survivors. Rayman tries to fight, but is given a severe electric shock that knocks him out. Globox is also caught. The pirates attempt to get uglette and the kids, but are foiled by Ly's interference and the difficulty of rounding up the kids. Ly is able to free globox and his family, but the pirates prioritize rayman, realizing he must be important, and Ly is unable to free him.

Ly is then shot and captured. While she is weak and is limited in casting magic, she tosses a lum to globox. Rayman's power. While globox carries this lum, she is able to communicate with him telepathically.

Globox and his family escape, and after a few days globox is contacted by Ly, telling him that the lum must be returned to rayman. Globox eventually agrees to get himself arrested to give the lum back. Rayman has been interrogated but has told the pirates nothing. Globox is tossed in raymans cage, claiming he can make rayman talk.

Rayman 2

Events of rayman 2 happen... Theres a reason globox children are found in the woods of light. They were waiting for dad. When captured the third time before the final boss, he might have had a third lum for rayman that let Ly know he was in danger and get down safely before the ship was destroyed. It does not make him any less brave for leading rayman on, since it seems only Ly can start the communications.

Rayman M Uglette divorces Globox for reasons of spending too much time with rayman or something. Dark Globox is how he percieves uglette after this.

Rayman 3

Still Divorced. Not happy about it. Has resorted to Snark. May be a small time drinker (aside from the plum juice andre forces him to drink). May be on third planet or in the future Teensies are still around, as are statues of Ly and the pirates.

Globox's raindance is a side-effect of silver lums
In Rayman 2, (in the level The Canopy), we see Globox doing a rain dance several times to help you on your way. After this level ,we never see the rain dance again. As he kept at least two silver lums for Rayman by ingesting them, it's possible that a side-effect of the lum was giving him this power- but after he gave the second one to Rayman, the power barely lasted the rest of the level, before he lost the power as a result of not having the silver lum around anymore.

Murfy is jaded in Rayman 3 because...
At the end of Rayman Arena, all the characters beat him up for being so annoying, which is why he acts so sarcastic.

How the different continuities fit together - not taking Rayman Origins into account.
Why don't we see the world from the first game again? Because it was destroyed. Rayman, as the only survivor, wound up by means unknown in the Rayman 2/M/3 universe, the Glade of Dreams. (Probably as "chosen of the gods", as is suggested in Rayman 2.) The animated series happened between Rayman 2 and 3. Razorbeard returned to the Glade of Dreams, kidnapped Rayman and sold him out to Rigatoni. At some point after the series' short run, Rayman manages to make it home. (Where did the other freed captives go to? Stop asking difficult questions.) And Tonic Trouble happens, of course.

The games are told from Rayman's point of view...
...which explains why in the first game everybody looked like him. He was quite young and it didn't click that the other creatures had limbs where he didn't. The upcoming Origins is him flashbacking, explaining why the characters that DIDN'T have limbs in game one do have limbs now.

Rayman one was actually a test.
"Hey, we just made this guy who's supposed to guard us from all threats. Let's put him through the hoops by making up some wacky scenario with fake macguffins and a villan who's too vague to be identifies and hunted down later on!" Remember: These are fairies.

Land of The Livid Dead from Rayman 3 is heaven and the one from Rayman Origins is hell
In Rayman 3, everything is beautiful and peaceful and area is guarded by Ghost teensies, instead in Rayman Origins, where everything is dark, twisted and area is full of Zombie Grandma's. In Rayman universe, the both places for after-life have the same name.