When a console is considered casual, it becomes a playground for developers who want to revel in the party game genre. These games are less popular on the PS3 and Xbox 360 than they are on the Wii, maybe because they appeal to the kind of market who would be more prone to purchase Nintendo’s decidedly more casual console. But the Wii U is here now, and it has much more hard-core appeal than the original Wii. That said, it is more of a bridge-gapper than a full-blown hardcore device, and for that reason party games are still going to be popular for this particular platform. The Wii U will still have many casual adherents.
Ubisoft came out very strongly in support of the Wii U, and among their numerous launch titles is a party game that is as irreverent as it is hilarious:Rabbids Land. Yes, the Rabbids, with their googly-eyes and crazy antics are back, this time in full HD. The premise is simple – the Rabbids have taken over a theme park that they were previously refused entry too, and are now making use of the various attractions to compete in a game. The attractions form the numerous, often zany, mini-games to be found in Rabbids Land, while everything is tied together with a board-game style concept. The players move their Rabbids around the board and get penalties and bonuses, as well as participate in mini-games, in a bid to win.
While up to four players can take on a game at a time, only two will ever compete with each other in the various mini-games. These two players consist of the player who originated the randomised game by landing on a square, and one other player selected at random. One player will use the game pad, and the other a Wii remote, either with or without a nunchuk attachment. This means that it can be enjoyed with maximum players, even if you only have one Wii remote. The mini-games are varied and tend to make use of all different kinds of game pad control ideas, from the stylus through to the gyroscope and microphone. The implementation of the game pad’s functionalities is fairly well done, although nothing will really take the player by surprise. As a whole, there is nothing truly revolutionary here, but Rabbids Land is not about changing things. It is about providing a group of players with tons of crazy fun, which it does beautifully. Whether it be blowing up ships with breath-powered penguins or trying to rescue crates of fireworks from Rabbids with arsonist tendencies, the variety in the mini-games and the overall irreverent – even cruel – humour inherent in the title makes it very enjoyable.
Rabbids Land is not out to redefine genres, nor is it out to make any grand, sweeping gestures. It is there for fun, and as a result, it doesn’t tend towards much depth. As a single player game it gets extremely frustrating, with the AI often outpacing the player in the mini-games. But as a party game – as it was intended – it really is fun, as long as you don’t expect any kind of earth-moving experiences. It is good fun for family and friends with a competitive edge, and the decent graphics and sometimes strange concepts that the game introduces make for an entertaining session of party gaming.
Walt Pretorius
Publisher: Ubisoft
Distributer: Megarom
