Pads & Panels

Title: Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party

Platform: Wii (Also on DS)

ESRB Rating: E10+

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft Paris

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

It is hard, nearly impossible, to flat-out hate a Rayman Raving Rabbids game. The brainchild of French developer Michael Ancel, the inane humor really takes over in the Raving Rabbids series, combining brilliant sight gags with great slapstick humor, all while playing to the Wii’s multiplayer party game strengths. Unfortunately, Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party proves it is possible to be a bit disappointed in a Rayman game.

The format is mixed up drastically in the third installment of the series. The premise is great. The Rabbids have taken control of a television network and create programming day in and day out through the mini-games players control. The style is even enhanced with advertising mini-mini-games that play into their longer counterparts.

But the games remain mostly the same, and they are starting to become repetitive. Even though TV Party offers the only decent support of the Wii Fit Board outside of the fitness genre, and some fun variations on its core use (butt controlling), the games all feel like more of the same. And despite a good sense of humor that’s still in place, the formula is starting to get stale.

While lambasting rhythm games such as Rock Band (with a Rabbids take on classic tunes) and shooting plungers at critters proved incredible fun the first two times around, there isn’t enough to make it a new experience in TV Party. The problem is compounded by the Wii’s motion controls, which seemingly take a step backward with problems of responsiveness and generally clunky gameplay.

When a room full of people remains mostly silent despite a wealth of toilet humor and hectic mini-games, maybe it is a sign that the joke is wearing thin with the Raving Rabbids series.

For more info, www.ubi.com

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