Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party (Wii) - Review by Chris

Introduction

Since before the Wii was released, Ubisoft had pledged support in the form of several titles. Come the launch, many of their titles were sub-par but one in particular stood out. Rayman Raving Rabbids started what has now become common place on the Wii, the mini-game craze, and put you not in control of Rayman through a platforming title like we are used to seeing him in but put him in a prison where he had to entertain the raving rabbids in the hopes of escaping. The first title was well received and as a result it has spawned two subsequent sequels, this being the third title. But is it as good as the first or does it fall flat like the second?

Gameplay

Like its predecessors, TV Party doesn't stray away from the mini-game genre and for the most part it remains completely familiar. You'll still go through a series of mini-games to progress to the next available lot but this time it is the way in which this is done that provides a change to the gameplay. As the title suggests, the game plays out in the style of a TV party with you as the player selecting a time slot and choosing one of the available mini-games disguised as a TV show. This is the only big and real change to the gameplay and its setting. The mini-games bare semblances to those found in the prequels and many are carried directly over albeit with a different graphical skin, such as the on rails shooter bits which have thankfully dropped the real world settings found in Rabbids 2 and have gone back to the surreal and comedic takes on various movies. This is both a good and a bad thing for the gameplay. It's good because it maintains a familiar factor for those who have become a fan of the Rabbids series providing gameplay that'll keep those fans happy and provide adequate accessibility for newcomers. However, this is also the problem that is going to become recurring in the series if Ubisoft don't take steps to alleviate it. By sticking to the familiar and providing mini-games that are becoming progressively unimaginative, the title falls in terms of gaining any berth with other mini-game titles, such as the original Rabbids game and Wario Ware. As a result of this, the single player is rather hit and miss, containing a mix of mini-games that are good, bad and just generally frustrating.

However, like many mini-game titles, the game does come into its own when played in multiplayer and this is where you should spend most of your time because it's where the most fun will be garnered. What seems mundane and completely unoriginal in single player blossoms into a fun game when in the company of others, but that feeling of frustration gained from some of the mini-games will continue to linger.

Controls

Mini-game titles, on the Wii specially, are well known for milking the controls to their fullest making the player fulfil certain motions that seem ludicrous. This title doesn't step too far away from this tried and tested formula but it has been simplified somewhat in Ubisoft's want to hit the casual market on the Wii. The game still games good use of the Wii mote making you use it in various ways, from the on rails shooter sections to gesturing to on screen prompts for the music mini-games and even the likes of driving games. However, the game's main problems, the frustration that has been aforementioned, stems from the controls. Unlike the first Rabbids title, and to a lesser extent the second, the controls here feel imprecise and unresponsive, a strange occurrence given that they were well done in the other titles. It seems that in Ubisoft's attempts to gain access to the casual market with this title they have taken a huge step backwards in terms of the controls. Both the Wii mote and the nunchuk are capable of recognising very small movements, something that is necessary in many of the games present here, yet it seems Ubisoft's programming for them has been rather slap-dash. The game does come bundled with Balance Board mini-games designed specifically for use with that peripheral and while these work amicably, it comes down to the originality or lack of it that makes playing these Balance Board specific games a bore to play. It does show great potential for future titles if Ubisoft spend some more time on thinking of original ways in which to use the Balance Board.

Graphics

While not presented as a pusher of the Wii's internal capabilities, the graphics and overall presentation in the Rabbids games has been above standard and it's no different here. The title maintains the cel-shaded look that set the first title out and sticks to it throughout the whole game, with Ubisoft thankfully deciding to not use the real world footage used for the on rails sections in the second title. Everything looks crisp and clean with a decent amount of work having gone into character models and environments, although some environments are very lacking in regards to scenery. Menus continue to provide brightly coloured graphics but they seem rather lacklustre here in part because Ubisoft have tried to make each little icon look like a television with static and this detracts from the overall bright and exuberant graphical presentation. A strange inclusion in this title is the adverts that appear in certain mini-games, accessed by pressing the 1 button. These are presented in the style of a Saturday morning kid's TV program, which is probably the look that Ubisoft were going for, but the need to present them in such a style was unnecessary because some of the comedic humour and feeling are lost in this change.

Sound

The trademark screams and moans of the Rabbids return, thankfully, as well as the cringe inducing music that accompanies many of the mini-games. In the music mini-games, you'll get to hear several tunes from the current pop genre redone in the distinctive style that has been seen before in these titles. However, while the inclusion of pop music will sit well with younger gamers you'll instantly recognise the music, other and older gamers will immediately be cringing at the sound of them playing. Thankfully, this is one area of the game where Ubisoft haven't tried to reinvent although it has to be said that they could perhaps provide some music in a similar style to the first title instead of aiming solely for the mainstream market.

Final comments

Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party continues on with the formula Ubisoft has set out in its predecessors. Yet, unlike many titles which improve upon their originals, this seems to have decreased originality and in no real way reaches the same notes as the first title but it's certainly better than the second. Graphically, it remains the same as it does musically but the controls, in transition from the preceding titles, seem to have gone AWOL and are atrociously bad at certain moments. Should Ubisoft create another entry into the series, and it's a given due to the company who has made them, the controls should be the main focus of attention because how they became to be as paltry as this I don't know. The flaws aside, the title is still incredibly fun in a multiplayer setting yet doesn't quite provide the same level of fun in the single player as the first title. This is definitely a title for when company is around at your house but not for playing on your own.

Pro: Great Presentation, Fun Multiplayer.
Con: Some Severe Control Issues Dog Many of the Mini-Games, Not as Good as the Original.
Final score: 6.5

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