Hands-on: Messing with history in Rabbids: Travel in Time

The Rabbids are back and this time they’re screwing with history in Raving Rabbids: Travel in Time! The adorable little monster freaks have somehow gotten their paws on a time machine and are wreaking havoc on the time stream. The time machine also happens to be a washing machine. Yeah, let that image sink into your heads for a second. 

This latest entry brings the series back to its roots by focusing on multiplayer mini-games for up to four-players. There’s also a heavier focus on online features that will keep players coming back for more Rabbid chaos. 

Raving Rabbids: Travel in Time (Wii)
Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
To be released: November 9, 2010 (US), November 11, 2010 (EURO)

Travel in Time will contain 25 different mini-games spread across five different gameplay types (bouncing, racing, flying, shooting and navigation.)  I saw two of the mini-games during my hands-on time, the first based on the flying mechanic that took place when Leonardo DaVinci was painting the Mona Lisa. A cutscene plays before the mini-game showing a frustrated DaVinci trying to get a bored Mona Lisa to smile. The Rabbids suddenly burst into the room and the ensuing chaos causes Mona Lisa to laugh.

The mini-game itself was setup like the air races in Diddy Kong Racing. You’re racing through the course vying for first place collecting power-ups to get an advantage. I didn’t care too much for this gametype as I couldn’t quite get the controls down. You need to use both the Wiimote and Nunchuk to steer your Rabbid by tilting the controllers and I ended up running along the ground the majority of the time.

The other game type I played was set during the stock market crash of 1929. The Rabbids start messing with the stock market ticker and make it look like the prices of chickens have soared. Once in the game, teams of two Rabbids tethered together by toilet paper need to collect the boxes located all around the room. Some of the boxes are out of reach but the Rabbids can use each other to reach areas they can’t on their own. Players can also beat the other team up and steal their boxes. As this is a timed game, things got crazy pretty fast. Something about beating opponents up and making them sweat for boxes up was just pure fun.

All of the mini-games are located in different wings of a museum that acts as the central HUB world for the Rabbids. Here you’ll be able to dress up in different outfits (cowboy, caveman, etc) and play some additional mini-games such as dancing and singing. Singing is just made up of your Rabbids screaming notes as they scroll down the screen. More importantly, there’s now a button dedicated to just making the Rabbids scream. You’d think it would get annoying fast, but it never did for me.

Travel in Time will have online features for the first time allowing you to play with others online. There’s also leaderboards and you’ll be able to share your game stats through your Facebook profiles. Pretty impressive that Ubisoft has gone to this trouble for a Wii title as online support is tricking for Nintendo’s money making console.

All in all, Raving Rabbids: Travel in Time is simply pure fun. That Rabbid charm is in full effect and will make for a great party game. Raving Rabbids: Travel in Time will be out for the Wii on November 9 in the US and November 11 in Europe.