Video Game Vintage Title: Rayman Raving Rabbids

Rayman Raving Rabbids

Rayman Raving Rabbids, known in French as Rayman contre les Lapins Cr�tins , is a spinoff in the Rayman series released by the French company Ubisoft as a Wii launch title. The game consists of 75 minigames. The game is primarily designed with the Wii Remote in mind, but is also available on Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS, and Xbox 360.

Ubisoft released a sequel to the game, Rayman Raving Rabbids 2, in November 2007, and released the third game in the series, Rayman Raving Rabbids: TV Party in November 2008. The fourth game in the series, Rabbids Go Home was released in 2009, though only on the Wii and DS systems. A fifth game, Raving Rabbids: Travel in Time, was released in 2010. A sixth game, Raving Rabbids: Alive & Kicking was released in 2011 only for Xbox 360

Rayman Raving Rabbids Plot

The game begins with a cut-scene showing Rayman having a picnic with the local Globox kids. Their picnic is interrupted when an earthquake erupts and the Globox kids sink into the ground while 3 Rabbids appear in their place. Their commander Sergue� kidnaps Rayman and throws him in an arena with angry Rabbids, several armed with weapons. Rayman must complete his first trials now, and afterwards Sergue� takes him to his cell and gives him a plunger. Initially they jeer him, but as Rayman completes more trials, they grow bored, and eventually he even becomes popular among the Rabbids and they cheer him on, in addition to making his jail cell more hospitable. Eventually, Rayman amasses a collection of plungers as rewards for completing the trials. By building a ladder out of all his plungers to reach the window, Rayman manages to escape and free himself. Once liberated, he remembers the Globox kids and attempts to return through one of the Rabbid holes to rescue them, but winds up getting stuck in the hole.

Rayman Raving Rabbids Gameplay

The game features two different modes of play - 'Story mode' (or adventure mode) and 'Score mode'. In story mode the game follows fifteen days of Rayman's imprisonment by the Rabbids. Each day, Rayman ((Raymondo)) must complete at least three trials, followed by one special �boss trial�, such as a first-person rail shooter using plungers, or a racing game in which the player controls a warthog and uses a flyswatter as a riding crop. Completing trials earns Rayman various costumes and matching music, including Gangsta, Raymaninho (a portmanteau of the title character's name and football star Ronaldinho), Disco, Gothic, Caramba, Rock'n'Roll, Granny, DeeJay and Bunny. Trial completion also earns plungers and after accumulating enough, Rayman builds a ladder up the edge of his jail cell and escapes to freedom. In Score mode, the player can repeat past trials in an attempt to improve their score or as a multiplayer party game.

Reception
The game has received mixed to positive reviews. IGN and GameSpot complimented the game's "sick sense of humor" and a heavy emphasis on fun, as well as the design of the bunnies and the game in general. Reviews highlighted the story, music and sound, and said that gameplay is addictive and optimized for the Wii. A few critics claimed that other developers of Wii launch titles had simply ported their games and "tacked on" Wii controls. It is currently one of the highest-selling third party games for the Wii. The game was subsequently released on other platforms, including the PC, PS2, and Xbox 360. Reviewers in general found these versions to play at an inferior level to the Wii version due to the game's controls having been optimized with the Wii in mind.

Several shortcomings were cited. Some of the minigames were described as "duds", being unenjoyable or broken; the game could not run in progressive scan mode; and not all of the trials had multiplayer opportunities, "reducing the game's potential as a party game." Nintendo Power stated that a lot of promised features had been cut out. The Wiire awarded this game with Family Friendly, Ease of Use, and Multiplayer Mayhem awards.

The reception of the Nintendo DS version was more negative. GameSpot gave the DS version a 5.9/10 and commented that the game had unsightly graphics and it was too short. IGN gave the DS version a 6.5/10, and wondered why Rayman Raving Rabbids played so well, but looked so awful.