The Rabbids series has done pretty well for itself, considering that it's all about about mentally challenged bunnies doing wacky things.
Previous installments of Rayman Raving Rabbids games have all been about mini games that make use of the Wii's unique controls in perverse and silly ways. Like the one where you used your butt on the Balance Board to steer a Rabbid down a slope.
This game breaks away from the mini game compilation formula by giving the Rabbids an actual adventure – which is nothing new for the Wii – plus a really cool customization mode that may just be the first virtual torture chamber Nintendo's little white monster has ever featured.
What Is It?
Rabbids Go Home is an adventure game where the player controls two Rabbids out to gather all the stuff they can to build a giant pile of stuff so that the Rabbids can climb up to the moon. Clearly, the series hasn't abandoned its wackiness even if it's ditched the mini game format.
What We Saw
I played two of the three available levels and spent a lot of time futzing around with the Inside The Wii Remote feature where you can torture and customize the Rabbids you play in the adventure mode.
How Far Along Is It?
Very, very early days. The game isn't due out until October 2009.
What Needs Improvement?
Shopping Cart Physics: The goal of the game is to fill a shopping cart with as much stuff as possible; but I noticed that no matter how many wet floor signs, guard dogs, fire extinguishers and other junk I collected, the shopping cart always handled the same. As someone who's famous for losing control of her shopping cart at the grocery store, I think it would be way more fun (and challenging) for the cart to have physics that adjust to the amount of stuff the Rabbids collect.
What Should Stay The Same?
Inside The Wii Remote: Players can select this mode from the main menu and spend as long as they want customizing their Rabbids with unlockable items from the game. Once selected, the Rabbid is sucked "inside" your Wii Remote and you're treated to a surreal view of what your Wii Remote would look like if it were hollowed out and the size of your TV. From there, it's all about customizing your Rabbid with unlockable items obtained in adventure mode, like an air pump that can shrink or puff up the eyes, ears or lips of your Rabbid for an even more disturbing, slightly mentally impaired appearance. And when you get bored of that, you can shake your Wiimote or mash buttons like crazy to watch your Rabbid get bounced around inside the hollowed out controller. It's probably a bad thing to encourage kids to torture retarded rabbit creatures – but the Rabbids seem to enjoy the abuse, so I guess it's okay…
Same Old Humor: Anyone who's a fan of the Rabbids' brand of insane humor is going to have a lot to laugh at here.
Final Thoughts
I'm really not sure that the Rabbids – inane, insane little buggers that they are – can inspire enough sympathy to carry an entire adventure game by themselves. They don't talk, they're not that smart and I'm pretty sure they don't do well without air, so what happens when they get to the moon? I might be happy slamming them around a Wii Remote replica, but I'd feel terrible for actually killing them.