The game also comes with an arcade section that includes several shooting challenges. You'll unlock different environments as you play the main game. It's very innocent shooting though, so don't fear for your little ones; the ammo is just toilet plungers, and the bunnies jump off the screen when they're shot. The shooting is as precise as shooting with toilet plungers can be. After every five shots you have to reload with the A button; this makes the game slower and somewhat frustrating, even if it's more true-to-life.

Two players can play against each other, trying to up their score; if you prefer it, you can just play alone. The Jukebox lets you play the songs you've played at the end of each trip. They're sung by the bunnies with their funny bunny-voice, but you should recognize at least some, as they're part of everyone's pop culture. Both of these features, the arcade and the jukebox, are located in The Plaza. The character customization is there as well. There are five bunnies plus Rayman floating around the menu and you can select any of those and dress them up to your liking. You'll unlock the outfits little by little, and you'll be surprised to see how cute a gingerbread bunny can be, or a pirate, a ninja, and even Spider-Man! Rayman's suits are funny as well. He can be a hippie, a punk, and much more. The bunnies' wardrobe is much bigger though, and that's where the fun is at. You can select any of these characters when you're ready for some Free Play.

Even though the gameplay is rather weak, the look of the game has improved, expanding its scope to include locations all around the world. Since the bunnies have invaded the Earth, you'll find them singing in the rain in the USA, serving "burgerritos" in South America, doing laundry in Japan, or charming a snake in a subway station downtown Paris. The lower resolution of the Wii compared to the other next-gen platforms doesn't allow for the smooth and sharp graphics we're getting used to admiring in every other game. Even with all the details they threw into these worldwide scenarios, the visuals are a bit blocky in general. The animations are quite well-made however. There are many funny scenes that will make you laugh, just like in the first game. The colorful scenes and cartoonish bunny figures are still there, but now they look funnier than ever with the multitude of garments they'll wear plus their spontaneous and wacky facial expressions.

The sound of the game is not really top-notch. The soundtrack is there but is not very noticeable. The sound effects are loud, quirky, and a bit primitive in some cases. The Waba-bawaba-ba-waaaaaa sound the bunnies make is repeated throughout the game; it's unrelenting, repetitive, and it gets to be obnoxious after a while. It should have been used more strategically, like in the first game; instead, it's a constant part of the game's soundtrack and it loses its comical effect. I wouldn't mind hearing the bunnies telling real jokes once in a while, since the game is based on wit and laughter.

The cutscenes that introduce each mini-game are hilarious in most occasions, even if the bunny sounds are mostly unbearable. The game wouldn't be as popular if it wasn't for the comical aspect of it. I think they might as well make a cartoon out of this and leave it at that unless they can design fun and challenging mini-games that make the next game absolutely fun to play! At this point I'm not sure there will be a next one, and I wouldn't vote for it unless they promised to pack it with great multiplayer fun.

Rent it, play it with your friends, and see what you think. I'm not saying you can't have fun with Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 if you're in good company, but you'll probably agree with me in that the mini-games are a little weak. The game includes 60 new games, so there's some fun to be had the first time around, but that's about it. I give this game three crazy rabbids out of five! How about you?

By Maria Montoro
CCC Site Director

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