Rayman: Raving Rabbids – PC

In a nutshell:
Rayman steps back into the limelight as he's brought in to protect the world from evil alien… rabbits? One of gaming's most beloved platform stars returns in a mini-game collection that makes Wario Ware seem sane.

The lowdown:
Apart from Mario, most other attempts from platform heroes to branch out into other genres has usually ended up in abject failure. Overseen by the series' creator though this features 80 of the weirdest party games ever conceived, including hammer throwing with cows and squirting rabbids with water to keep the door shut on them while they're in the toilet. Not all of the games are as short and simple as that though as this also includes various racing missions, a fully fledge flight game and ten different first person shoot 'em-up levels. Although each mini-game is introduced with a frequently amusing cut scene there's also a fully fleshed out multiplayer mode for most of them, including the shoot 'em-up levels where you get to play as either Rayman or one of the Rabbids.

Most exciting moment:
Whenever you complete a game in the story mode you can replay it any time via the replay mode. When playing the game like this you also get to dress Rayman up in an unlikely range of clothing, from afro wig to flared jeans and winged collars. It's not just for show either as it increases the likelihood you'll get a love letter from the Rabbids in the audience of each game!

Since you ask:
The Rayman series was created by Michel Ancel, France's most celebrated game designer. As well as the first two Rayman games he was also responsible for Tonic Trouble, the award winning Beyond Good & Evil and celebrated movie tie-in Peter Jackson's King Kong.

The bottom line:
Rayman's jump from platforms to mini-games is no misstep.-HARRISON DENT