Rayman: Raving Rabbids review (Wii)

Reviewer: Carrie Scherach

Title: Rayman: Raving Rabbids
Platform: Nintendo Wii
Price: $29.99
Rating: E for Everyone
Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft

Age Range: 7 and up. Raving Rabbids has no violence and gives a humorous story line to follow. Upbeat music, energetic mini-games, and adorably odd rabbits make this game fun for all ages.

Buy It?: Yes. This is a definite buy that is great for family and friends. With up to 4 players, this a great game to get everyone involved. It takes great advantage of the motion and activity sensors incorporated in the Wii remote, for the best Rayman gaming experience yet.

Difficulty: Medium difficulty level. The mini games get harder as you progress through the game, but not impossible.

Learning Curve: Easy to pick up after a few mini games.

Total Hours of Play: About 9 hours

Family Factor:
Rayman fights the enemy rabbids in uncanny, but humorous mini games using bizarre objects, such as plunger guns and space ships. The game consists of races, shooting rabbids, dancing bunnies, and skill games. With no violence and silly antics, this is a definite must for almost any age.

Review:
Rayman begins the game picnicking, when he is approached by a swarm of raving rabbids, and ultimately thrust into an olympic arena with 4 challenges and a first person shooter board per level. After going through various levels, Rayman collects new items and outfits to adorn the cell that he has been imprisoned in if you complete every challenge. Don’t worry—if you can’t finish one of the challenges you can come back at a later time to finish the challenge. After each level he is awarded a plunger, which builds a ladder to his freedom.

The rabbids will win your heart with their hysterical gibberish screams and humorous attacks on Rayman. They blend to scenery with costumes and props as the setting changes with each level, from the wild west to a scary graveyard, and much more.

Raving Rabbids has been designed specifically for the Wii’s hands-on, action capabilities. The game design takes advantage of the Wii controls, with fun games, that get you moving and using the remote and your body to the full extent. A fun game to play with friends and family, Raving Rabbids features various mini-games. The games can be played through to challenge one player in story mode or up to four plays can duel it out as a party game. The games are amusing, and the ongoing humor pulls you into the story. You’ll find yourself and friends laughing as you swing your Wiimote around in circles over your head to see who can toss a cow further, or using the Wiimote and nunchuck as drum sticks while you collect dancing rabbids in a ‘Rock Band’ style challenge to name a few.

Some pitfalls like most games in this genre is the repeatitive music. The developer has spiced things up with offering some classic songs like ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ by having it sung by the Rabbids themselves which is cute for only so long. The up side is that you’ll find yourself singing along. Another negative which may discourage some players is the similarity of the mini-games. It can feel that once you’re half way through the game, you’re just playing the same mini-games over again.

Overall, the game combines the motion-sensor advantage of the Wii remote, with off the wall fun in the mini-games. The games vary from sports and races to shooting and dancing games. With over 70 eccentric games to play, Rayman Raving Rabbids is a definite buy.

Related Games: Mario Party 8, Wario Smooth Moves