Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party

18 Dec 2008 at 11:21:21 by
Systems used to review this title: (WII)

Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party marks a return to form for the series and is a reminder of just how much fun manic minigames can be. But even the introduction of balance board support can't hide the fact that the Wii's gaming landscape has moved on since those halcyon launch days when hardcore gamers (rather than soccer moms) hoped to monopolise Nintendo’s attention.

Rayman Raving Rabbids was one of the few third party launch titles that suited the Wii. The combination of crazed cute bunnies, minigames and Wii controls simply made sense together. The game demonstrated that Ubisoft and Nintendo shared an understanding of their target audience.

It was a little surprising, then, that the follow-up didn’t work . Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 followed the same path as the first game, but failed to bring anything new to the table, or in fact deliver the same quality as the first game. Some levels, such as the pre-rendered shooting stages, were simply too slow and badly implemented to be any fun at all. Accordingly, it didn't really sell, although this was perhaps an early sign of the shift towards a more casual audience for the Wii.

Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party bites the bullet and attempts to shift the series into casual gamer territory. A few years on from the original, this has to be seen as a sensible move. With Nintendo’s admission that casual gamers comprise a large part of its audience, this is where the real money lies for Wii developers. However, even with this in mind, TV Party still just about hangs onto its hardcore gamer roots, and still keeps the almost forgotten Rayman in the title.

The game is structured around a series of TV channels that provide a cute way to unfold differently themed content as players progress. Each channel has its own related set of games and challenges. Each of these last no longer than a few minutes and remind us that this really is a minigame collection. The menus and presentation all follow suit and continue the TV channel theme. It's only a minor aspect of the game but certainly contributes to the overall experience and the sense that there has been some care and attention applied here.

Whether you’re skiing down a rabbit-infested course or mimicking an overweight yoga instructor, there’s an impressive level of detail on offer it’s mostly enjoyable stuff. Some of the minigames have clearly been inspired by other successful titles - the Mario-Kart-style tractor racing springs to mind and is one of the more successful games Rayman has to offer.

The game is not without a few questionable moments, however. Some games simply fail to deliver either fun or excitement while others are initially quite engaging but seem fairly shallow on repeated plays. Replayability is key to a minigame collection and it’s something that other Wii titles such as Wario Ware and Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games deliver in spades.

Whilst the original Raving Rabbids game took advantage of its unique position in the market at the time of the Wii launch,  this latest version has to work a lot harder to impress.

The inclusion of a balance board control option is supposed to be TV Party’s trump card. Other minigame collections have yet to fully exploit the Wii-Fit peripheral (although a Wario Ware: Tilt is a mouth watering inevitability). The majority of solo games have a balance board option, where you can introduce this additional control method to expand the repertoire of required movements.

However, while this adds a little novelty to this experience, it doesn’t significantly improve the gameplay. In fact, the balance board features seem a little tacked-on - a marketing-inspired afterthought. Don't get me wrong, I'm more than happy to have a reason to pull the board out from under the sofa, but I just found it hard to see what it actually adds to the experience. Couple this with the fact that you can only use one balance board at a time (eliminating any multiplayer balancing) and you’ll soon return to the Wii-mote and Nunchuck.

However, despite the gimmicky control options,  this is a game that delivers some solid gaming highs. Get together with a bunch of friends and you will undoubtedly have a lot of fun. Some of the zombified bunny antics are downright hilarious. It is also a real return to form after the poor showing of Rayman Raving Rabbids 2.

But when seen alongside some of the comparable experiences now available on the Wii, TV Party starts to look a little dated. By trying to service both those who remember Rayman and his hardcore beginnings and those casual family gamers, Ubisoft has created a game that is neither one thing or the other. Perhaps it's time to say a fond farewell to our limbless hero and bite the casual gaming bullet for the next iteration of the series.

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