Rayman Raving Rabbids is a game from Ubisoft which is one of their seven launch titles. How will it play? Will it last? One thing's for sure, it's hilarious!

Story

         First thing to look at is the storyline for it. Unlike most other Rayman games, Raving Rabbids features little storyline, none of which makes sense. But that's a good thing. Basically, Rayman is having a picnic with some Globox's, when they are pulled underground and funny, furry Rabbids come up to take their place. After a moment of peacefully offering food to them, a huge Rabbid comes and kidnaps Rayman. He is then thrown in a Gladiator-style arena to compete with the Rabbids.          It really doesn't make much sense, as you are in fact earning plungers after each day of completing challenges. You stick these plungers on the wall to make a makeshift ladder towards a window. All the while, the Rabbids come to respect you more.

Gameplay

         Unlike other titles in the series, Rayman Raving Rabbids is a minigame compilation, not a platformer. However, that should not deter you as it is really fun. In single-player mode the game is broken down into days. Each day you have four minigames to complete, then you compete in usually a FPS or a race on warthogs. You don't have to complete all four to open the gate to the final game, but if you want to play it multiplayer you have to finish it.          As with any minigame compilation, the first thing that must be looked at is the quality vs. quantity of the minigames. Rayman Raving Rabbids has around 70 minigames, which is definately a large quantity. As for quality, the minigames are deeper then most minigames in other games like Mario Party. They're not at all a five-second WarioWare thing, many last for over a minute. Some are survival, which could go on indefinately but will usually last around 2 minutes at first.          Almost all of the minigames are fun. There's around three that are duds, which is to be expected. The biggest dud in the package is "Bunnies are Heartless with Pigs". In this game you use the analog stick to move Rayman around, and listen to the noises the pig is making from the speaker in the Wii controller. The pig should squeal when you're about to hit a trap, but often it doesn't work and you get fried for no reason. However, aside from this particular mini, almost all of the other games in the package are great and all of them are definately funny.

Graphics

         Graphics are quite well done in Rayman. But this isn't through horsepower, it's through art. The Ubisoft crew have made the Rabbids purely hilarious, you'll be laughing at their screaming and funny ways. The game is also one of the best-looking titles to surface on the Wii, and only better things will come.          The Rabbids are the real star, so they'll get the most graphical atention. They stand upright, with blue eyes and a huge mouth that is used primarily for screaming. Ubisoft has really taken a great art direction with the Rabbids, for, even though they look nothing like rabbits, you'll know what they are instantly. Also, their expressions are perfect, and are guarenteed to make you laugh.          However, not all is good, there are a few things that could use work. Some of the Rabbids don't seem to have had full developement time, as they are a little jagged. Some environments have little glitches, and sometimes in the arena the whole world will jump. However, in the end, none of these things are particularily annoying or always noticable, unless you're looking for them. It's a great looking title.

Sound

         Ubisoft has done a great job with the sound of Rayman Raving Rabbids. The Rabbids make the most indescribable little huh? sounds that will instantly make you laugh. When you whack a large Rabbid with a plunger (don't ask) they'll make funny Whap! sounds. The Rabbids will scream and go nuts at times. Overall, the Rabbids make the perfect sounds.          The music is also well done for each minigame. The FPS ones have the best music selections, as they are the longest of the games, while other minigames usually have a non-memorable tune that varies from game-to-game. One of the great things, though, is that the music never really gets annoying or repetitive, something which I applaud Ubisoft for.

Controlls

         Each minigame has different controlls. However, I have never really had a problem with any of it. A lot of the games will use the point-the-Wii-controller-at-the-screen controlls, so make sure you're confortable with that. However, the controlls perfects fit the other games. In a whack-a-mole game, you point with the Wii controller and use the nunchuck to whack. In cow tossing, you whirl the controller like a lasso and hit A to throw the cow. In a maze gmae (you know the roll a ball in a maze games you'll find in dollar stores? Or, just think Super Monkey Ball) you'll lay the controller on your palm or hold it in that position, and tilt it to tilt the playing field, so as to direct a ball to the goal. Overall, the controlls work.

Multiplayer

         Just a quick comment for this section. There is multiplayer support, however there is one fact about it that confuses me. Rayman Raving Rabbids is definately a part game, however a lot of the minigames seem to use alternating controlls where you take turns. The ones that do use simultaneous play, which includes the FPS ones, are really fun. However, some of the games could have been simultaneous but aren't. Still, it's funny even if you aren't playing and will definately bring laughs all around.

Conclusion

         Rayman Raving Rabbids is a game I'd definately suggest you pick up this holiday season. It's full of laughs and screaming Rabbids, and will be funny for people who are and aren't playing it. The Rabbids are great, there is a wide selection of funny minigames, and it's sure to be a hit at parties.

Pros

Cons

8.5/10