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Raving Rabbids + Wii Fit balance board = YOGAAAAAAAAAH?
In the above teaser video, which Gametrailers has labeled "Rayman Raving Rabbids 3," you'll note the appearance of one of Ubisoft's lovable and inherently demented hoppy things. While that is often amusing in its own right, this particular Rabbid appears to be figuring out how to properly operate a Wii Fit balance board. While his time with it ultimately results in weight gain, we get the feeling he's trying to tell us about some new use for the peripheral in his next mini-game miasma ...[Thanks, StarFoxA]
The rabbids show us how to use the Balance Board
Love 'em or hate 'em, Ubisoft's rabbids are quite the characters. From this little teaser video that the company sent to IGN, it's also not hard to believe that the bunny-like critters will soon be back on the Wii for Rayman Raving Rabbids 3. Whether the unconfirmed (but likely) game will use the Balance Board, or whether the rabbids are just spoofing Wii Fit remains to be seen.We'd guess that there's a high possibility for inclusion of the Balance Board in the next RRR iteration. Since the rabbid titles are generally full of minigames, the Balance Board will add a lot more possibilities in that regard. As IGN points out, Reggie also said that there were ten games using the board currently in development.We're sure it won't be very long before all is revealed, though, so stay tuned.[Via NeoGAF]
Wii's third-party million-sellers revealed
Ah, how we all knowingly chuckled when Sega predicted it would sell four million copies of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games across the Wii and DS. Like a drunken, rowdy friend boasting of sexual conquests that never actually occurred, Sega's strutting came across as the stuff of fantasy.And then the news came through. They'd sold five million. D'oh!We were reminded of our misplaced Mario & Sonic cynicism again today, after That Videogame Blog listed the third-party games that have shifted one million units on the Wii. Sure enough, the plumber and the hedgehog taunted us from the top of the pile (with 3.4 million sales), while Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (1.8 million), Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition (1.6 million), Rayman Raving Rabbids, Sonic and the Secret Rings, Carnival Games (all 1.2 million), and Red Steel (1 million) sat beneath it.Helpfully, author Ashutosh Chhibbar has also listed those titles that are nearing the magical seven-digit landmark, with Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, MySims, or LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga just needing one last push.
Bunny fact #35: Rabbids don't like cats
Check out this awesome rabbid plush, made by reader Michael Karpinski. As big fans of the rabbids (even if we don't always love the games), we were excited to see such an awesomely made plushie doll in their likeness. What we love even more is this picture of a cat hugging the rabbid, not only because we love cute or funny cat pictures (which we do), but because it makes the expression on the plush's face all the more fitting.To see the full greatness of this plush when it's not obscured by cat arms, make sure to check after the break.
Expect SMG, RRR2, and more; pay less
Starting today until this Saturday, Target will have six of its Wii games for sale for only $37.00! As you can see from the list below, they're not all crap, either! Super Mario Galaxy Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Need for Speed: Prostreet Madden NFL 08 Smackdown vs Raw Most of these titles are already out of stock on Target's online shop, but you should still be able to pick them up at a brick and mortar location. If you've been putting off on buying Super Mario Galaxy to accommodate your Christmas budget, with the holiday now behind us and this great deal, you can make this long overdue purchase without having to feel guilty about it![Thanks, Tofufa!]
Today's most 'dah' holiday video: a Raving Rabbids Christmas
It's been about 363 days since we last highlighted this video, but it's Christmas and we feel it's best to be festive, and Michel Ancel's Raving Rabbids are terrific way to celebrate the holidays. It's time to get into the egg nog with the most eloquent lagomorphs around.For the holiday lovers out there, here's our cheap gift to you. Enjoy the video after the break.
Seizure brought on by DS game leads to banning crusade
After a boy in the UK fell into an epileptic fit from playing Rayman Raving Rabbids on the DS, his mother, Gaye Herford, protested to Parliament that there should be more vigorous safety testing for video games. Should her campaign be successful, any games that could potentially cause seizures will be banned in the UK and game developers will have to adhere to stricter safety standards. Currently, thirty-five Members of Parliament stand behind the proposal. Ubisoft (the makers of Rabbids) responded by saying that the company already pre-screened Rabbids DS for the potential to cause epileptic fits, and the testing showed that the game was unlikely to do so. Managing director of Ubisoft UK Robert Cooper added, however, that the company has made the decision to now test all in-house games prior to release. [Via Pocket Gamer]
Amazon gives us a reason to be jolly
Amazon has put over two dozen Nintendo DS games on sale, some of them marked down as low as 50% of their original price! Some of the titles are trash, but there are more than a few that you should consider picking up. We've listed below the ones that stood out to us, but make sure to check out Amazon's page for the full selection of DS deals. Front Mission - $24.99 Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck - $19.99 Master of Illusion - $19.99 Nintendo DS Headset - $9.99 Prism - $19.99 Spanish for Everyone - $14.99 Don't forget that orders totalling over $25 are eligible for the online shop's Free Super Saver Shipping. Joys be thine, frugal readers![Via CAG]
Todd Mitchell tells us how the Wii sucks for third-parties (again)
Just in case you didn't hear him the first time he said it, Kaufman Bros. analyst Todd Mitchell has reiterated his belief that the Wii only truly benefits Nintendo, and that third-party developers have only seen "isolated successes" on the console. Mitchell's argument may have been aired before, but it's also tricky to dismiss, especially as only two third-party titles have so far broken the one million sales barrier (launch twosome Red Steel and Rayman Raving Rabbids). Then again, when it comes to top-drawer, original Wii software, Nintendo has delivered on a fairly regular basis. With the odd exception or two, can the same really be said of other publishers? [Via Go Nintendo]
Spooftastic Raving Rabbids art
Some would argue that Far Cry Vengeance was beyond help, though we maintain to this day that the Ubiport would have been vastly improved with added Rabbids. Clearly, some swashbuckling young designer at Ubisoft shares our thoughts on this crucial issue.The image above is one of nine spoofs to appear recently on the game's official site, all of which feature Rabbids invading a variety of Ubi's more well-known games. Sadly, none of them come in wallpaper size, which is precisely what these would be ideal for. Oh well.Hop past the break for images of "Bunny Steel," "Bunnies' Creed," and "Rainbow Six Bunnies."
Go stark raving mad for some Raving Rabbids 2 footage
We featured a lot of trailers yesterday, but we admit that perhaps we overlooked one important slice of footage: the above trailer for Rayman Raving Rabbids 2. Now a Nintendo exclusive, the game will only be appearing on the DS and Wii, which were the best versions of that game if you ask us. And looking at this montage of gameplay above, the second title should be another stellar game.[Note: The link over at IGN's video portal is kinda funny, so you might have some difficulty getting to their video directly. We suggest you just enjoy the embedded video above.]
Rabbids just aren't manly
Le Haka des Lapins CrétinsUploaded by ubi Those poor Rabbids. Looks like they may need a testosterone infusion before taking the field against these guys. The latest in the long-running and hilarious promotional campaign for Rayman Raving Rabbids and its sequel couldn't be much more masculine if it tried -- it even features the obligatory fellas-in-a-locker-room bit. Nothing like a bunch of guys in towels to inspire consumer loyalty, right?Our only disappointment thus far is that this time around, the campaign isn't nearly as pervasive. Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 is slated for release next month, and we have only a few Rabbid videos. How can we live in such a world?
Behind the scenes with Raving Rabbids 2
For how much we complain about minigame compilations on the Wii, Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 looks to be quite the treat. We generally enjoy all of the entries in the Rayman series and found the first title to not only be fun, but also funny. The inclusion of the new real life locales spices things up a bit, as well.Any of you looking forward to those crazy rabbids' second outing on the Wii?
Ubisoft dates Haze, Splinter Cell, Raving Rabbids 2, more [update]
Ubisoft has revealed the release dates for all of its major 2007 titles, asking the majority of them to form a neat line in November and proceed to remove the contents of your wallet one by one. You're more than welcome to make a fuss about it, but having the sneaky men of Assassin's Creed and Splinter Cell: Conviction within grasp of your neck renders such action unwise. A more notable entry in the release schedule (as posted by Eurogamer) is Free Radical's sci-political first-person shooter, Haze, previously described as "leading on PS3" in a display of timed exclusivity: Haze (PS3) -- 23 November Oh, you'll be wanting the release date for the other platforms as well: Haze (Xbox 360, PC) -- 30 November [Update: Oh dear, Ubisoft has removed the Xbox 360 and PC versions of Haze from the current release list. We're waiting to hear back from Ubisoft on the matter.] Other key titles dated after the break include Assassin's Creed, Dark Messiah: Elements, Rayman Raving Rabbids 2, Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway, and Splinter Cell: Conviction.
Splinter Cell trailer sneaks onto XBLM
In addition to this morning's surprise Project Sylpheed demo, there is also a trailer for Splinter Cell Conviction. The trailer is the same one released at the Ubidays 07 event last month, so there isn't anything new for Splinter Cell fans to see. Also, the video quality is somewhat suspect, despite the video's label of "HD." Still, it's Splinter Cell Conviction on a larger screen, so we'll take what we can get (of course, we wouldn't mind if Ubisoft wanted to release a cleaner version in the future).If Splinter Cell doesn't float your boat, you can also sink your teeth into a trailer for the Xbox 360 version of Rayman: Raving Rabbids. We watched it, and all we can say is DAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!
Uber Ubisoft Ubidays video roundup
Ubisoft's Ubidays event in Paris spawned almost as many video trailers as it did announcements. Thanks to the wonders of embeddable streaming video, we're able to put them all in a single post for your viewing pleasure and/or displeasure, depending on the game. Naruto: Rise of a Ninja (Xbox 360) Loosely based on the 837,212 episodes of popular anime, Naruto, this cel-shaded action game seems to strongly encourage you to leap through trees, punch older men and generally behave like a ninja who's under the constant scrutiny of kids. No sudden decapitations like that other guy.
Today's multiplying videos: Rabbids gameplay
The second Rayman Raving Rabbids is in production, and GameTrailers has posted a series of in-game clips from Ubisoft's gaming event. The Rabbids trailer and these clips seem to downplay Rayman even more than the first game. (Here's hoping the shipping version has little to do with the appendage-free mascot. Let Rayman thrive in the platformers; he doesn't add much to these mini-game buffets.)See gameplay clips of bunnies spitting carrots, playing baseball, rodeo riding, and serving food after the break.
When artists don't pay attention: Rabbids meet Sam & Max
The boys at GayGamer.net were sifting through their Ubidays press materials and, between deciding whether Double Agent Sam Fisher looked hotter than Conviction Fisher, noticed a very peculiar little thing with the Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 ad. Turns out that it looks very, very, similar to the Sam & Max poster from late last year.Boy of Tomorrow writes, "I'm not the only one seeing a distinct similarity between these two images, am I? Don't get me wrong, Rayman: Raving Rabbids is a fantastic title, but maybe someone should've done a little research on behalf of Ubisoft before they released the image on the right. It's not like they don't have any contact with the Sam & Max games, y'know, Telltale Games actually develops the C.S.I. titles for them."As the French might say, "Le oops!" Granted, the Sam & Max ad is clearly based on the iconic War of the Worlds image of the alien hand on the Earth, but bunny ears popping out of the planet is definitely Sam & Max. We're just imagining how this one got through. It's a fantastic image for Rayman Raving Rabbids 2, it's just too bad it was done six months ago by another game.Oh well, check out the Transformers inspired Raving Rabbids 2 trailer after the break.
Rayman Raving Rabbids to return for Wii, DS
Those rabbids are coming back. NGamer magazine has learned from Ubisoft that they are currently working on a sequel to Rayman Raving Rabbids that will give background on their training for world domination. And lots of minigames, of course.As a game, Rayman Raving Rabbids was an entertaining though somewhat inconsistent collection of great (anything with Disco) and not-so-great (e.g., "Bunnies don't like open bathroom doors") minigames. As a character, however, the rabbids and their hilarious videos have touched us like no other adorable conquistadors ever have. We'll never forget their battle cry: gaaaaaaaahhhh!It's currently unknown whether Sony or Microsoft will see rabbid love, as the Nintendo-centric magazine only mentioned DS and Wii as consoles the game will appear on. A book in the Xbox 360 version's case hinted at a sequel as well, and we expect Ubisoft to ultimately release this on every platform available. No release date has been announced.A collection of hilarious rabbid advertisements after the break.
Ubisoft fourth quarter sales pushed up by warfighters, turtles
Leading to the obvious conclusion: Ubisoft needs to somehow combine the gritty realism of the Tom Clancy franchise with the anthropomorphic antics of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Politically charged yet irresistibly adorable properties like Tom Clancy's Splinter Shell and Tom Clancy's The War on Terrapins are sure to tap into hitherto untapped fountains of marketability and financial prosperity. Not that Ubisoft is currently in dire need of money, mind you. Gamasutra's detailing of L'Ubi's most recent financial report suggests that the publisher is already exceeding analyst expectations by exchanging one type of green for another.The company's fourth quarter sales saw an increase of 37% to $267.5 million, largely instigated by the one million unit success of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 on Xbox 360, as well as the TMNT film-based game which dragged in 1.1 million units in its eight platform-wide net. Sales for the full 2006/2007 fiscal year stand at $923.4 million following a jump of 24.4%, with earlier titles such as Red Steel, Rayman: Raving Rabbids, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas and Petz being key contributors.Ubisoft expects profitability to increase further in the coming year by supporting new-gen consoles and expanding their presence in "the casual market on the Wii and Nintendo DS systems." Oh! We've yet to add casual games into our bubbling cauldron of cross-franchise success! So, that'll be Tom Clancy's Krang Age, then?
