The
sequel to the highly original "Feel The Magic
XY XX" is as strange, innovative and irreverant,
but not quite as original.
by Cole Smith
February
10, 2006 - The
sequel to Feel the Magic, The Rub Rabbits, incorporates
the touch controls, dual screen and microphone like
few DS games ever have - with the exception of the
original. It's a quirky, fun game that is sure to
appeal to awkward, pubescent teen males as you are
given the opportunity to interact with a virtual girlfriend.
You can play games with your love interest such a
tennis and golf, entertain her, fight with her, have
her try on different clothes and even have a baby
with her. There's nothing graphic in the game so parents
need not worry. It's all presented with a sense of
humor in hopes that the nerds won't get too stimulated.
Consisting
of various mini-games, the object in The Rub Rabbits
is not merely to get the girl but to explore what
to do beyond that. The original, Feel the Magic, was
focused solely on getting the girl. This game gives
us more options and overall deeper gameplay - just
don't expect Diablo as most of the mini games aren't
really that challenging. There are some multi-player
modes in which players might actually be able to corral
some young nubiles into playing it with them as you
only require one copy of the game. You can even play
a few games using just one DS and pass it around.
After that it's up to you how you "play"
the rest of the situation out.
The
story begins as you watch a lovely gal head up an
escalator. In an effort to try to get to here before
she gets away, you have to rub the screen to slow
the escalator down to make it to the top. At the same
time, other suitors are on her track, so it's also
a race of sorts which lets you experience some panic.
To add further depth to this love connection, there
is a girl that falls in love with you. She's after
you and treats the other girl as a rival as she tries
to get her out of the picture.
Some
of the mini-games are tacky and pseudo sexual but
as I mentioned there is nothing graphic. The character
models are black silhouettes so not only don't you
see any virtual skin, you don't even get to see a
face. These tacky mini-games include touching your
girlfriend in the same places that she touched you.
It's a memory game of sorts. Another game involves
giving her a massage, in the dark, to keep her warm.
Probably the most controversial mini-game is the one
that requires two players to hold on DS system in
an effort to make babies. Both players, preferably
a boy and a girl, hold down buttons on the game while
they answer a few questions. After that, they cut
a cake together (it requires teamwork) and wind up
with a baby. The baby can then be sold on the black
market
just kidding
but oddly enough you
can give the baby away to other players. These babies
are actually called the Rub Rabbits and you can do
things such as design clothing for them and create
different ones based on your answers to the questions.

Successfully
completing these mini-games will result in you obtaining
hearts which are the currency in the game. You can
use them to unlock items or purchase things such as
outfits for your girlfriend that you can have her
try on. Remember, you don't get to see her naked you
naughty fellows. All you will see is a black silhouette
wearing some clothes. This game could obviously be
a lot more risqué but it's just been designed
to titillate so as not to draw any fire from watchdog
groups. All I have to say is that it's a shame that
games like this, with inoffensive sexual content,
take more heat than games where you get to blow people's
heads off.
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