Raving Rabbids have invaded your planet and they intend to have their way with you. Once you have been captured by their mega-sized Rabbid, you get thrown into a Roman-style Coliseum to compete in a gangload of events, much to their amusement. If this makes you chuckle, just wait until you start playing for yourself.
Ubisoft pumps out another launch title for the Nintendo Wii and this one shapes up to be a fan favorite.
Graphics
Ubisoft has made a good effort here to show off what the Wii can do. With Red Steel, they pumped out some nice looking graphics for a launch title and Rayman is no different. The only quip I have with Rayman however is that 16 x 9 (widescreen) support was not included. Honestly I must say that there is NO excuse for any Wii title to not have widescreen support. The technology is there so it should be used! With that issue aside, Rayman definitely has some of the nicest graphics of any launch title. It boasts some impressive antiliasing as the amount of jagged edges is kept to a minimum here. The colorful style of the characters is a perfect fit for the Rabbids themselves. I also have to mention that the environments are excellent as they feature some pretty high resolution as far as the textures are concerned and lots of colors that add to the wackiness of this game.
Gameplay
After reading numerous previous and viewing quite a few teaser trailers, I grew pretty excited to get to play Rayman. Would it be easy to play? Would it be as funny as it looked from the aforementioned trailers? Well after inserting the disc, I was treated to a CGI opening that was short, but to the point. It basically shows that Rabbids have invaded your planet and have taken you hostage. At the beginning, you don't have the option of playing any multiplayer games yet. The first order of business is to start playing the single player game and once you have completed each minigame, they would become available in multiplayer mode. Each "stage" is comprised of 4 events/missions followed by a Boss stage. Rayman features over 70 different minigames, some which are rehashed versions of others, but nonetheless fun. Some games range from throwing cows like shotputs, to running your ass off to deliver a bomb. One of the funniest events is when you have 4 Rabbids taking a crap in porta-potties--the basis of this game is to move Rayman's hand in the direction of each porta-potty and shake the nunchuck to close it. Each Rabbid will randomly open their door and as time progresses, they open them up more often and much faster. Funny stuff here, especially at the beginning when you hear them pinching a loaf. Each game is completed either by attaining the minimum score or by surpassing the time frame given.
Playing Rayman for an extended amount of time can actually be quite a workout on your arms so play in moderation. Multiplayer is a hoot and players either compete via split screen or they will take turns. My only complaint really, is that there isn't much of a storyline going on. You get the CGI intro and then you get the CGI ending, so in between there isn't any storytelling going on and I think that was an overlooked part of the game.
I should note that for hilarity purposes, Rayman's wardrobe can be changed each time he is thrown into his cell. His wardrobe ranges from Rapper to Disco guy and even a woman. You an mix and match to make him look as cool or as stupid as you'd like.
Sound
Raving Rabbids screaming at the top of their lungs is hilarious enough for me that other sound effects wouldn't have been necessary (Ok maybe at least some). The music that plays during the minigames have such a cute and funny tone that it makes you want to laugh. Of course, RRR also features a pretty cool soundtrack when playing the dancing minigames. The music found in the dancing minigames can be unlocked by beating more minigames and attaining high scores. The music can be played while you're in your cell and can be changed at will. The score comes off pretty well thanks in part to Dolby Pro Logic II, so if you have a surround sound then you should take advantage. The music is very catchy and I at times found myself tapping my foot.
Lasting Appeal
Though the game can be finished in a matter of hours if you've got the stamina for it, the replay value is based solely off its multiplayer fun. Competing in some of these ridiculously hilarious minigames is even more enjoyable when playing with other friends. Though it's no Wii Sports as far as multiplayer replayability, it's still a good second option when wanting to get your multiplayer fix.
Fun Factor
Most of the reason this game is so fun is because of how funny and off the wall some of the minigames can be. What can be more fun than tossing a cow 120 feet or pumping carrot juice at the face of Rabbids? Multiplayer as I mentioned before is pretty addicting and full of laughter. Though I finished the game in a few days, I find myself playing pretty often when I have friends or family over. This game gets quite a chuckle from on-lookers and that alone is fun to watch.
The 411
As one of the nicer looking games and one of the most fun to play, Rayman Raving Rabbids should not be passed up by any Wii owner. This is a good game to demonstrate some of the Wii-mote capabilities and also ends up being a bit of a workout. Ubisoft did a great job here in taking the Rayman franchise into a bold and new direction. This kind of game cannot be enjoyed on the same level on any other platform. If you want your Rayman fix, then the Wii version is 100% the way to go.
Graphics
8.5
Antiliasing looks great, and the character models are rendered nicely. Lack of widescreen hurts though.
Gameplay
9.0
Excellent use of the Wii-mote. Easy to pick up and play.
Sound
8.5
Not a lot going on but the soundtrack is catchy and the Rabbids sound hilarious.
Lasting Appeal
8.5
Single player game is short, but the multiplayer action will keep you coming back for more.
Fun Factor
9.0
Absolutely hilarious stuff, and the minigames give a nice new take to the Wii controls.
