Rabbids Go Home

Did You Know?

• The game's music was performed by Fanfare Vagabontu, a Moldovan Romani brass band, and inspired by Romanian folk music.
• A 12-track soundtrack was released on the iTunes Music Store on November 17, 2009.
• The game includes licensed songs such as 'Take Me Home, Country Roads' by John Denver and 'Boogie Wonderland' by Earth, Wind, & Fire.

Plot

After the events of TV Party, the Rabbids become bored with Earth and decide to build a pile of junk to reach the Moon, which they mistake for a giant light bulb. A family of Rabbids in a junkyard, including newlyweds, sets out with a shopping cart to gather human objects from the city. They transport the collected items through the sewage system via toilets, adding them to their growing pile. As the pile rises, humans revolt and form the Verminators to exterminate the Rabbids and reclaim their stolen belongings. At the game's end, the Rabbids still cannot reach the Moon despite gathering nearly everything from the city. The humans bomb the pile with time-delay explosives, launching it into space. The humans celebrate briefly but panic as the junk falls back, leaving the city in ruins. In space, the Rabbids celebrate reaching the Moon, though they are caught in its gravitational orbit.

Development

Rabbids Go Home was in development for three years. The team created a coherent storyline to keep the Rabbids fresh within an adventure game context. The Rabbids were conceived as representing emotions pushed to the extreme, while human characters were designed as their opposite—overthinking, emotionally restrained, and physically atrophied. Jacques Exertier described the clash between the two as an allegory for internal decision-making debates.

The visual setting was inspired by the period between 1945 and 1975, emphasizing mass consumption, and used simple colors and geometric shapes to caricature uptight humans and sterile urban environments. Ubisoft Montpellier developed a proprietary game engine called LyN specifically for this title. The game was announced on April 9, 2009. Following a rumor about inappropriate language, Ubisoft denied a recall from United Kingdom shops on November 17, 2009, and the game was subsequently re-rated as a 12 in Europe.

Reception

The Wii version of Rabbids Go Home received generally favorable reviews. Pedro Hernandez of Nintendo World Report praised its inventive Wii Remote uses, accessible gameplay, deep customization, soundtrack, and humor, but noted repetitive gameplay and inconsistent framerate. NGamer UK found the game witty, charming, and fun without Rayman. GamesMaster UK called it witty, energetic, and hugely entertaining.

Matt Casamassina of IGN described it as more inspired and ambitious than Rayman Raving Rabbids. Chris Scullion of Official Nintendo Magazine UK considered it the funniest game on the Wii, with tight controls and a fantastic soundtrack, though too easy. Aceinet of GameZone highlighted its humor and ever-changing gameplay. Aaron Koehn of GamePro noted its odd tone but found simplicity tiresome.

Dan Pearson of Eurogamer said the Rabbids' constant enthusiasm could be draining. Annette Gonzalez of Game Informer praised animations but found sequences repetitive. Matt Leone of 1UP.com remarked that licensed music and customization added personality. Nintendo Power called it a step in the right direction despite difficulty issues. Tom McShea of GameSpot praised character creator and unlockables but found early levels too easy and repetitive.