Here is my review of Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 for the Wii! I know, it came out in November, but amid the flood of holiday releases I thought you might have missed out on it. And this blog wasn’t up yet in November. Here’s the review!:
Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 for the Wii: Review.
Score: 8.9 out of 10
Bad Points: These rusty graphics aren’t worthy of the quality gameplay.
In this, the second installment in the Rayman Raving Rabbids series, you will play through a series of over 50 minigames, each of which makes great use of the nunchuck and Wii-mote in a variety of different ways. There have been some changes this time around, and for the better. Gone is the stagnant arena, as you are set free to travel to different exotic locations around the world for your objectives, some of which are themed to suit the place.
The shooting minigame is also changed, as the backgrounds are now actual video taken from your destinations around the world, with the zany rabbits superimposed on them and getting into mischeif with the locals. The shooting, with it’s hand-drawn reticle and silly rabbit targets is goofy, but solid fun with good, responsive control and even some “boss” targets thrown in for good measure.
The dancing disco bunnies from the first game have been replaced by a full band minigame where you choose an instrument and wave and shake your nunchuck and controller to the rhythm. No matter which instrument you choose, it feels similar to the controls of the dancing game, which is a good thing because this feature was one of the most fun elements last time around.
The “raving rabbids” or rabbits (a play on words that reflects the rabbits’ psychotic nature) in Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 are my favorite characters EVER in a video game. This is the funniest game I’ve ever played, and funny naturally goes hand-in-hand with FUN. I find myself laughing out loud constantly while playing this game. The rabbits, their antics, their voices, and their mannerisms are gut-bustingly hilarious, and I want to keep playing to see what mayhem they get into next.
Once you unlock minigames by beating them, they become available in Free Mode, and this time you can BE the bunnies! Even better, you have a plethora of costumes to unlock for the bunnies that you can use on them in free mode, in addition to Rayman’s costumes… but everyone knows this game is all about the Rabbids now (sorry, Rayman!). The ridiculous costumes include pirates, hula girls, and many more. My personal favorite is the outfit of Ubisoft character favorite Altair of Assassin’s Creed. (Bunnies Creed!)
The minigames are varied, silly, and fun, and use the Wii-mote and nunchuck in different ways. This game really offers excellent Wii-mote control and takes full advantage of it’s potential. Anything you can do with a Wii-mote, this game has it covered! The frantic nature of most of the minigames gives a great level of excitement. You can play them alone, or play multiplayer with friends for a real party experience. But this is definitely a minigame collection that does not require additional players to be fun. Some of the minigames include: eating chili peppers and belching fire to cook chickens, balancing huge plates of sandwiches without dropping them, webslinging through a concrete jungle like a certain comic book hero, and so much more.
The graphics don’t live up to potential, and it’s the biggest reason my score is not higher. True, Wii games don’t stand out for graphics compared to it’s 1080p and 1080i compatible counterparts. But the Wii is capable of better, and this game deserves it. But when all is said and done, the graphics are quickly overshadowed by the fun and hilarity, and this blemish should not stop anyone from buying the game.
As far as Wii games go this is an absolute must-buy. If your Wii is collecting dust like mine was, it’s time to pick up Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 and dust it off!
