It seems the Wii isn’t short of mini game compilations lately, what with Warioware, Monkey Ball, Sonic and now Mario Party on the scene it seems we’re getting too many. Why would you need another? If by chance you already own several party games then this would need to be something special or need a hook that the others don’t offer. While Rayman Raving Rabbids is not without its faults, you’ll find this is definitely one of the better choices out there.

Instead of your usual platformer, Rayman Raving Rabbids takes the form of a selection of mini games each taking advantage of the Wii remote and its capabilities. There are next to no platforming elements included here so those of you expecting a normal Rayman game will be disappointed. However don’t be so quick to write it off.

Even though this is a mini game marathon there is oddly a story mode found in here. Rayman is having a picnic with his fellow Globox friends until they are all kidnapped by the evil rabbids. Thrown in an underground prison every day he is then lead to a coliseum in which he must perform four mini games to impress the rabbids followed by a longer fifth. Doing so will turn them from enemies into supporters and his reward after which will be… a plunger! After completing the challenges it’s back to his cell where he uses this plumbing tool as a step for a ladder to climb out. Day by day Rayman collects more plungers getting closer to a window above his room where eventually he hopes to escape.

While the story and reasoning for actually performing such mini games are very very loosely tied together you won’t really care as the game is screaming with character and charisma. You’ll get booed, thrown about like a rag doll and even have a line of bunnies playing trumpets as you leave your prison cell. They are all very well animated and more importantly really funny to watch. And that is Rayman’s biggest selling point. The game is really funny.

Oddly enough Rayman isn’t the star of this game as it’s actually the rabbids that clearly steal the spotlight. Their quirky attitude and ridiculous actions result in some hilarious set pieces. You’ll shoot them with plungers, kick them like a football and even groove to music with them. It’s all totally random and that’s what makes it stand out from the crowd.

As far as the games themselves go, they are great fun and will always raise a smile at the very least. Using both the remote and the nunchuck you’ll need precision, stamina and timing for over 70 games. One minute you’ll be waving both controls up and down in order to send a bunny flying through the air, the next spinning the remote to make Rayman hammer throw a cow on a chain. Throughout the game you’ll come across a whole collection of random objectives and nearly all of them are great fun and work well.

Along with an assortment of random shorter games there are also three longer types. First up is the on-rails shooter that involves you aiming with the Wii remote at the screen and shooting wave after wave of bunnies and robots. It’s great fun and shows how the Wii is perfectly built for an arcade shooter. Next is the racing game where Rayman rides on a giant creature against five other bunny racers which is handled with the analogue rather than any tilting of the control. There is also a speed boost which you active by whipping your monster with the remote. This is an okay activity but pales in comparison to the other two. Finally there is the dance game that involves shaking both the controls in time with on-screen commands. It’s simple yet very fun and addictive.

If there was one criticism about the selection of games though, it’s that some are repeated too often. While it’s great to have more songs for the dancing game and environments for the on-rails shooting the same can’t be said having a mini game repeated with a slight variation such as more obstacles or a little harder when it comes to difficulty. But this isn’t too big a deal as it’s only a handful that actually repeat.

Alongside the story mode is a challenge option that throws the same games at you but unlocks humorous videos as a reward. High scores are the aim here and some are so unbelievable difficult trust me when I say it’ll take an absolute eternity to get you status to 100%. And if you want to play with some friends that’s also an option too.

You start off by pimping out your Rayman with Grandma wigs, Goth clothes and even a football kit then tackle game after game to see who is the better bunny beater, dancer or cow thrower. Sadly though a lot of the games can’t be played simultaneously but rather taking turns. It’s acceptable with certain games where it can’t be helped but some seem like they could easily have been played all at once. This can take a while to get through having to sit through four turns every game and it really isn’t as fun as making fools of yourselves at the same time. But as far as multiplayer games go this is still good fun.

The game isn’t truly mind blowing when it comes to visuals but the design and style definitely is. The rabbids, Rayman and the wacky environments all look slightly basic but give off more character than most other games can only dream of. As for the audio that is slightly better. The music is very upbeat and you’ll find some licensed tracks too like the “Pulp Fiction” theme. The rabbids are not only funny in how they look but also how they sound. Their crazy screaming and yelling again add to the whole character of the game. You have to admire Ubi Soft for creating new characters that can even compete with the likes of the veterans we’ve gotten used to now.

Rayman Raving Rabbids is a great way to show off what the Wii is capable of and you’ll find it extremely hard to find any game that makes you laugh this much. It’s a shame the multiplayer isn’t as great as it could be and some games repeat themselves to often but other than that it’s definitely one of the best mini game titles out there.

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