Rabbids (series): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 12:38, 2 November 2017

The Rabbids series, also known as Raving Rabbids and Rayman Raving Rabbids until 2009, is a party and platformer video game series developed and published by Ubisoft. It began with Rayman Raving Rabbids in 2006. The series branched apart after the general positive reception of the antagonists known as the Rabbids in their video games and media, and the very small involvement that Rayman had in the first three games. During this branching process, the Rabbids started their own adventures in Rabbids Go Home, while Rayman returned to his platforming roots in Rayman Origins. The Rabbids are still part of the Rayman universe, as can be seen in Rayman Adventures where they made several appearances, but their role has been diminished since then.

Unlike the Rayman series, the Rabbids series features a universe more focused on real life human civilization, pop culture and satire on society, with the Rabbids exploring Earth and trying to conquer it with the little knowledge they have on the complex human lifestyle.

Rayman Raving Rabbids

The first game in the series is titled Rayman Raving Rabbids and was released in 2006. It features Rayman as the main protagonist and is the first game in the Rayman series to have a party games focus. The game was originally released for the newly released Nintendo Wii and had most of the minigames centered around the Wii Remote. The game was later ported to Windows PC, Sony PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 with the controls being adapted for analog control and mouse movement.

The game begins with Rayman taking some baby Globoxes out for a picnic, which is quickly disrupted by the sudden invasion of a species new to him - the Rabbids. He and the babies are captured and taken to a Colosseum, where he becomes the Rabbids' source of entertainment. The objective of the game is to pass the many challenges that the Rabbids give to Rayman in the form of minigames. The minigames were originally designed to demonstrate the possibilities of the Wii's motion controls, but were soon after adapted to other consoles with regular controls.

The game is split into fifteen in-game days, with each of these days containing five new challenges. At the start of each day there are four challenges to chose between, with only three of those being obligatory to continue. Once at least three are finished, the fifth challenge opens up which acts as a sort of final test of the day. When that challenge is finished, Rayman is taken back to his cell with his new award - a plunger. After beating all of the challenges, Rayman is able to escape using the plungers he has earned after each day of success. He soon realizes that he had left the babies behind, and tries to return for them through a hole a Rabbid had made, but he gets stuck for some time, leading to the ending of the game.

The game also features a multiplayer mode for most of the minigames, in which the players take turns to play the same minigame and try to obtain the highest score.

Rayman Raving Rabbids (Game Boy Advance)

The Gameboy Advance version is, unlike the console versions, a 2D side-scrolling platform, similarly to that of the GameBoy Advance version of Rayman 3. It also features a more familiar cast of characters, including Ly, Globox, Teensies and Murfy. Unlike the console versions it features a backstory for the Rabbids explaining the reason for their behavior. Apparently they were once a very kind species, to the point where others made fun of them. They have since plotted their revenge.

Rayman Raving Rabbids (DS)

The Nintendo DS version is, similarly to the Gameboy Advance version, a game focusing mainly on 2D side-scrolling. Unlike the Gameboy Advance version, it does also have a big emphasis on minigames and other styles of gameplay, including one where the player has to use the stylus to clear obstacles for Rayman on the screen. The story this time around is more in line with the console versions, having Rayman being captured and taken to a Colosseum and forced to entertain the Rabbids. However, the baby Globoxes are nowhere to be seen, and Rayman instead has to defeat the Rabble Droid to escape, rather than earning Plungers.

Rayman Raving Rabbids 2

In 2007 a sequel was released for the Nintendo Wii under the name Rayman Raving Rabbids 2. The game takes place soon after the events of Rayman Raving Rabbids where Rayman learns that the Rabbids are planning to take over Earth. He attempts to infiltrate their base by dressing up as one and imitating their behavior, while following them all over the world and collecting as much information as possible to use as a warning to the Earth's inhabitants. This is the first game in the series to not take place in the Glade of Dreams, and the first one to be entirely focused on 4-player minigames. The game doesn't have a defined ending.

Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 (DS)

A Nintendo DS version was released in 2007. Similarly to the console version it focuses entirely on minigames. Most minigames this time around require the usage of the stylus and take advantage of the dual screens. The game also features a local multiplayer mode where up to four players can connect their systems using WiFi.

Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party

Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party is the third game in the original trilogy and the final game in the series to use the Raving Rabbids title. The game was released in 2008 for the Nintendo Wii.

In the game Rayman is being chased by the Rabbids, as he hides in a small house in the forest. The Rabbids mysteriously travel into the television set inside the house, after a strike of lightening crashes into them. The Rabbids harass him and even creatures living outside the home for an entire week, by meddling around with the TV. Rayman attempts several ways of keeping the Rabbids stuck inside the TV from annoying him, including throwing the TV outside, but to no avail. It is then that the TV cracks and the Rabbids are set free to chase Rayman again. This game is similar to the previous game, but has an 8-player mode and balance support for some of the minigames. It is also the first game in the series to not feature Rayman as a playable character. His main appearances are in the cutscenes.

Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party (DS)

A Nintendo DS version was released in 2008.

Rabbids Go Home

Rabbids Go Home was released for the Nintendo Wii in 2009. It was the first game in the series to not have Rayman's name in the title and to not feature him in the game.

The game takes place on the outskirts of a bustling city set on Earth where a group of Rabbids hang around in a junkyard, bored of partying, and wanting to go home. The problem is, they don't even know where they came from, so they cast the moon as their new home. They notice the piles of junk around them and decide that by making one pile bigger with even more junk, they could reach it. Two Rabbids then take a shopping trolley and search around for things to toss onto the pile, before setting off to the city to look for more junk.

This is the game that separated the Rayman series from the Rabbids series, as it takes place in a more realistic and civilized universe. This is also the first home-console Rabbids game to not be focused on minigames. The player takes control of two Rabbids who run a shopping trolley collecting all the things they can in a similar way to Katamari Damacy.

When the last level is beaten, the game shows the ending, in which a Rabbid who stands on a globe to see how far the moon is, attempts to hug the moon, but realizes that they do not have enough stuff. Then, bombs appear on the pile, in which the pile blows up, sending the stuff back to the humans. The explosion however also sent the Rabbids up to the moon.

Rabbids Lab

Rabbids Lab is a standalone version of In Ze Wii Remote, a customization feature in Rabbids Go Home, which was released for Wii-Ware in 2009. It costs 500 Wii points and takes up one channel in the Wii menu.

Rabbids Go Home (DS)

A Nintendo DS version was released in 2009. Unlike the console version of the game, it is a strategy based puzzle game akin to games such as The Incredible Machine and Mario Vs Donkey Kong 2. It is also the first and only game in the series to have enhanced features only for use on the Nintendo DSi, and is the last game in the series to be released on the Nintendo DS.

Rabbids Go Phone

Rabbids Go Phone is an app for iOS devices which was released in 2009. The game was created to help promote Rabbids Go Home. In this game the player plays with a Rabbid trapped inside the phone. Players can stretch the ears, shake the phone, or blow through the phone receiver to mess with the Rabbid. The game is quite similar to the In Ze Wii Remote activity in Rabbids Go Home. The menu to the game also allows the player to customize a Rabbid to send to friends via emailing and read comic strips and watch video for Rabbids Go Home. The game has since been removed from the Apple App Store.