The scene: E3 2006. You're in a room designed to grab your attention, full of flashing lights, pretty girls, and of course all the latest games. Suddenly, a loud scream echoes from one of the booths. What was the scream? The shriek of someone's head being ripped off in the latest Tom Clancy game? A new character in the latest Far Cry title? No - it came from a strange looking white alien bunny with a plunger. That day we learnt that bunnies couldn't play sport, and bunnies couldn't vacuum - however we did learn that bunnies do like to dance - and an 11 year old punk girl waving a crazy little joystick around (later revealed to be a Wii controller) was scared of bunnies with plungers (very odd).

jump rope goth style

Since then, we have seen Rayman and the Bunnies popping up in "Bunnies Can't" videos to mark all the major US holidays (including Halloween and Thanksgiving) as well as an assortment of others, in what is undoubtedly one of the best marketing campaigns I have ever seen for a game. They even showed up in cameos in completely unrelated games such as Far Cry Vengeance - and all without actually showing much in-game footage. I have to admit this lead me to wonder if the game (and in particular the game play) would live up to the hype... To my great delight it did.

Once entering the game the storyline was simple, a mild mannered Rayman having a picnic with his Globox friends, when he is ambushed by alien rabbids. The Globoxes are kidnapped and dragged underground, while Rayman is taken to a coliseum prison cell by a large muzzle-wearing rabbid named Serge. When I opened the box, I expected a third-person platform game along the lines of Sonic The Hedgehog, or Crash Bandicoot, but to my surprise Rayman Raving Rabbids was not like that at all. Rayman is forced into the coliseum to perform over 70 mini games to obtain enough plungers so he can escape from his prison cell. The game is set up in rounds of five games, three of which test your skill and speed, the fourth involving making Rabbids dance, and fifth involving saving a Globox (or racing a cow). Once all five are completed, you earn your plunger and a little more respect from the Rabbids at the coliseum.

The mini games are what make Rayman Raving Rabbids such a unique and fun game. Combined with the new Wii controller, not only is it fun but it also gives you a workout - I can safely say I have never exerted so much energy on a game before. Using the nun-chuck controller, all your skills are challenged, be that speed, timing or steady hands. As you enter the game, some of your first challenges involve moving your arms up and down like legs running around a map to drop a bomb of to a rabbid before it goes off; launching a cow attached to a chain hammer-throw style using the Wii controller as the handle to the chain; and of course there is the simple jump rope. Later in the game you have to navigate your way around a minefield, flying on a bat-like creature collecting pigs and putting them in a sty, and of course there is pulling worms from a rabbid's teeth.

bunnies can't shut doors

Each of the games have a score you must achieve, perhaps beating a set time, crossing a certain distance, or winning a race. Almost all of these challenges were easy to pick up and control with the exception of one. This game involves four different colour radios with a rabbid to match. You need to hit the radios, making the bunnies dance, and then hit them while they are dancing. Unfortunately this mini game is buggy and not all movements of the Wii controller register, This makes a game that should take 60sec take up to 8min making you quickly lose.

The next part to winning a day's game involves making bunnies dance. Rayman stands on the middle of the stage, while rabbids come at him from both left and right, You must move your controller when the rabbids get to a certain spot on the screen, much like Guitar Hero or Dance Dance Revolution. This mini game is made up of rounds (verses of a song) - in each round you must hit enough rabbids to achieve a score, giving you points and adding a rabbid to your chorus line, once the rounds are completed and enough points are scored you win the round.

The final part of each day is typically made up of Rayman in a third person shooter setting, the goal of which is to save a caged Globox - and of course being Rayman, you need to replace any sort of weapon with a plunger. These rounds also have some bonuses - shooting a radio will make all the rabbids dance and make it easier to shoot them, as well as some bosses to make things a little harder. I have to admit I found these rounds semi-challenging but quite repetitive. The movement is automated so the only controls you have are aim, shoot and reload, and I felt that it was somewhat restrictive, however the game wasn't designed as a serious third person shooter so I am unable to mark it down on that.

John "Rayman" Travolta

While you progress through the days, you obtain clothing and music as prizes as well as the respect of the rabbids. The music can be used to listen to while you are back in your prison cell and the clothes can be used to customize your look as the game continues (I took up a nice little gothic number and used that for most of the game). You also notice your room changing as you become more popular, you get a carpet and chandelier, and when you are in the coliseum, you see banners cheering you on.

Once the single player game is completed, the game still has some playability left up its sleeve. Challenge mode allows you to compete with your friends in the true party game fashion. All of the mini games are on offer so there is plenty of opportunity to test your skill against your friends, family, parents. Plenty of time can be wasted with these games and because they are score based, you can also try and outdo yourself.

Overall I think this is a great game and in conjunction with the Wii controller a awesome combination. I found it hard to pick on to many things with the game. Excluding the controller not working correctly on the radio mini game, it is an excellently made and executed game. Rayman Raving Rabbids appeals to all ages and I would love to be able to give it a 9, but with the bugs in the Radio mini game I will give it a high 8.