Critic & User Reviews
IGN Review of The Rub Rabbits
Back in 2004, Sonic Team pounced at the window of opportunity left open by the introduction of Nintendo's DS handheld. The team took to the task of exploring the new platform's unique functions by creating Feel the Magic XY/XX, a somewhat risqu? plotline of a lovestruck boy set to win the heart of his dream woman by performing a set of "tactile-based" mini-challenges. Its unique look, sound, and, of course, theme definitely made Feel the Magic XY/XX stand out among the launch line-up crowd, but ultimately it suffered the usual launch line-up blues: it lacked depth and variety.
So, with a strict deadline no longer a part of the development cycle, the Feel the Magic team has been able to explore more of the creative side of this unique universe. Enter The Rub Rabbits, a continuation of the world established in Feel the Magic. This new game doesn't stray too far away from what the team created in its original product, but the sequel does feel much more complete with tons more things to do, to play, and to experience. Because it's based entirely on the 2004 launch title, The Rub Rabbits! does lack a bit in the originality department, which is, honestly, the only major, harsh criticism of this fun new game.
In this adventure, players once again assume the role of a heart ached young bachelor who's suddenly fallen head over heels in love for a girl with whom he's just crossed paths. Each mini-game gets the lad closer and closer to getting the girl, but unlike Feel the Magic where that's the ultimate goal, in The Rub Rabbits grabbing her as your girlfriend is only the beginning of the storyline. A majority of the game involves a fun little love triangle where love is lost and found multiple times throughout the course of more than 32 different challenges all strung out in a row.
It's clear that the game designers created certain challenges to make the user look as foolish in public as possible. There are a lot more microphone-based mini-games this time around, so if you easily get a little lightheaded blowing air onto the system you may find yourself a bit out of your element in The Rub Rabbits. Some levels push the mark of safe vs. sexual - massaging your girlfriend in the dark to keep her warm is easily the game's highest low point. There are some mini-game moments that are clearly recycled from Feel the Magic - you'll find, for example, the "sift through the sand" challenge moved over into The Rub Rabbits! as a later challenge. But there are others that truly explore the designers' creative juices as well as the programmers' ability to put 3D on both screens this time; Feel the Magic "faked" the engine across the dual display when in reality only one was handling 3D at the same time.
Many of the challenges also take advantage of the "portable" and "handheld" nature of the Nintendo DS by requiring players to rotate the system 90 or 180 degrees to play some games. Realistically this is only to right-side up the view so that the designers can use the touch screen for situations that require the view to be on the right or the top instead of having all the action on the bottom 100 percent of the time. The different minigames are all over the place in difficulty - some early games will take several tries to get right, while others players will be able to finish without even blinking. There are the occasional challenges that control a little too unresponsive, with failures that can be more blamed for poorly recognized touch than user error. These wonky modes are very infrequent, though, and you'll easily learn the little control quirks needed to get through them.
Even when the main quest is over, that's only half the experience. Along with a second story that beefs up the challenge of the unlocked mini-games, there's also a slew of multiplayer options and other touchscreen gadgets that brings The Rub Rabbits! closer to Wario Ware in goofiness and random variety. Some of the mini-games can also be played wirelessly across multiple systems, and there's even a Twister-style mini-game where players pass the system from person to person without goofing up the on-screen directions. It's these extras that take the sequel up a few notches higher than the original and flesh out the experience more than the launch title ended up becoming.
The Rub Rabbits! lifts its name from the Feel the Magic's cast of characters that helped the player's persona with his girlfriend situation. And even though the reasoning behind this moniker isn't immediately known in the sequel, it does become apparent but only for those who have played the original game. It's a neat little plot twist that fans of the launch title will understand, and it's a cool payoff for the first portion of the game.
The Japanese version of this game hit shelves late last year with a title that loosely translates to "Where Do Babies Come From?" This title makes sense when seen in context, since players can, literally, find out where babies come from by taking part in a cooperative mini-game that will create a baby from different inputs. This user-created baby is The Rub Rabbits! equivalent of Nintendogs' bark mode, where players can trade custom textures used to doodle up their in-game babe's garments. It's a cool little addition that might not be explored by the masses as Nintendogs' bark mode has been since that game's release, but who knows, you may stumble upon the occasional Rub Rabbits! baby while wandering random locales.
Because the game lifts all of its style from Feel the Magic XY/XX, it loses some of its charm because its overall feel has already been exposed a year ago. Much of what made the original game so unique was to see how "out there" the development team would take the "love" theme, and honestly The Rub Rabbits doesn't take it that far away from the original game. Its more of an individual episode of a potentially extended series, and as fun and funny as The Rub Rabbits! is, it doesn't feel like a new experience.
©2006-02-03, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved
So, with a strict deadline no longer a part of the development cycle, the Feel the Magic team has been able to explore more of the creative side of this unique universe. Enter The Rub Rabbits, a continuation of the world established in Feel the Magic. This new game doesn't stray too far away from what the team created in its original product, but the sequel does feel much more complete with tons more things to do, to play, and to experience. Because it's based entirely on the 2004 launch title, The Rub Rabbits! does lack a bit in the originality department, which is, honestly, the only major, harsh criticism of this fun new game.
In this adventure, players once again assume the role of a heart ached young bachelor who's suddenly fallen head over heels in love for a girl with whom he's just crossed paths. Each mini-game gets the lad closer and closer to getting the girl, but unlike Feel the Magic where that's the ultimate goal, in The Rub Rabbits grabbing her as your girlfriend is only the beginning of the storyline. A majority of the game involves a fun little love triangle where love is lost and found multiple times throughout the course of more than 32 different challenges all strung out in a row.
It's clear that the game designers created certain challenges to make the user look as foolish in public as possible. There are a lot more microphone-based mini-games this time around, so if you easily get a little lightheaded blowing air onto the system you may find yourself a bit out of your element in The Rub Rabbits. Some levels push the mark of safe vs. sexual - massaging your girlfriend in the dark to keep her warm is easily the game's highest low point. There are some mini-game moments that are clearly recycled from Feel the Magic - you'll find, for example, the "sift through the sand" challenge moved over into The Rub Rabbits! as a later challenge. But there are others that truly explore the designers' creative juices as well as the programmers' ability to put 3D on both screens this time; Feel the Magic "faked" the engine across the dual display when in reality only one was handling 3D at the same time.
Many of the challenges also take advantage of the "portable" and "handheld" nature of the Nintendo DS by requiring players to rotate the system 90 or 180 degrees to play some games. Realistically this is only to right-side up the view so that the designers can use the touch screen for situations that require the view to be on the right or the top instead of having all the action on the bottom 100 percent of the time. The different minigames are all over the place in difficulty - some early games will take several tries to get right, while others players will be able to finish without even blinking. There are the occasional challenges that control a little too unresponsive, with failures that can be more blamed for poorly recognized touch than user error. These wonky modes are very infrequent, though, and you'll easily learn the little control quirks needed to get through them.
Even when the main quest is over, that's only half the experience. Along with a second story that beefs up the challenge of the unlocked mini-games, there's also a slew of multiplayer options and other touchscreen gadgets that brings The Rub Rabbits! closer to Wario Ware in goofiness and random variety. Some of the mini-games can also be played wirelessly across multiple systems, and there's even a Twister-style mini-game where players pass the system from person to person without goofing up the on-screen directions. It's these extras that take the sequel up a few notches higher than the original and flesh out the experience more than the launch title ended up becoming.
The Rub Rabbits! lifts its name from the Feel the Magic's cast of characters that helped the player's persona with his girlfriend situation. And even though the reasoning behind this moniker isn't immediately known in the sequel, it does become apparent but only for those who have played the original game. It's a neat little plot twist that fans of the launch title will understand, and it's a cool payoff for the first portion of the game.
The Japanese version of this game hit shelves late last year with a title that loosely translates to "Where Do Babies Come From?" This title makes sense when seen in context, since players can, literally, find out where babies come from by taking part in a cooperative mini-game that will create a baby from different inputs. This user-created baby is The Rub Rabbits! equivalent of Nintendogs' bark mode, where players can trade custom textures used to doodle up their in-game babe's garments. It's a cool little addition that might not be explored by the masses as Nintendogs' bark mode has been since that game's release, but who knows, you may stumble upon the occasional Rub Rabbits! baby while wandering random locales.
Because the game lifts all of its style from Feel the Magic XY/XX, it loses some of its charm because its overall feel has already been exposed a year ago. Much of what made the original game so unique was to see how "out there" the development team would take the "love" theme, and honestly The Rub Rabbits doesn't take it that far away from the original game. Its more of an individual episode of a potentially extended series, and as fun and funny as The Rub Rabbits! is, it doesn't feel like a new experience.
©2006-02-03, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved