Common Sense Media Review
By Chad Sapieha
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
TV-based motion-sensing game loaded with cartoon hijinks.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Rabbids Invasion: The Interactive TV Show
What's It About?
RABBIDS INVASION: THE INTERACTIVE TV SHOW uses about 20 episodes from the kids' TV show of the same name as the basis for a motion-tracking game designed to be played with friends or family in groups of up to four. Cues appear onscreen in each episode directing players to perform various tasks. They may need to locate a specific item by pointing at it, mimic a goofy pose, or make a certain gesture repeatedly and as quickly as possible to rack up points. Some activities require a bit more precision than others -- like one in which players use their hands to manipulate an on-screen cursor to swat flies or grab floating dollar bills. The goal is simply to earn more points than the people you're playing against. After each episode, points get added to a running total, and presents -- including new episodes and objects that appear in a photo booth activity -- are given as you reach various milestones. Additional episodes are available as in-game purchases.
Is It Any Good?
The bunny-like Rabbids are the modern equivalent of Loony Tunes. So it should come as no surprise that, after first developing Rabbids games, Ubisoft made a TV show based on them -- or that things have now come full circle, with the TV show itself becoming a game. In fact, the best part of the game is the show. Some of the Rabbids' antics are so funny that they divert players' attention from the game, providing opportunity for quick thinkers to take advantage of their rivals' giggling distraction.
But the game itself could do with a bit of work. Point allocation is seemingly random. One player might get five points for pointing at a specified object, another player might earn 20 for pointing at another object a few seconds later. Plus, like all motion-sensing games, the camera doesn't always properly interpret players' movements, which can lead to frustration, especially during pose-mimicking activities. Still, most of the fun comes from watching the show, and there are about four or five hours' worth of shows to work through. Rabbids Invasion: The Interactive TV Show should be good for a few evenings' worth of entertainment; just don't expect to still be playing a month or two after you've purchased it.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the impact of violence in games. Consider a human hitting another human on the head with a frying pan. Now consider the same scene enacted by cartoon creatures. What, if anything, is different about how you feel about the two scenarios? Why do you think that is?
Mild mischief can be fun, but how do you know when to draw the line and when you're heading into trouble or potentially even danger? Is it tempting to copy the kind of hijinks that characters like the Rabbids get up to?
Game Details
- Platforms : PlayStation 4 , Xbox 360 , Xbox One
- Skills : Communication : friendship building , Health & Fitness : exercise , movement
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : UbiSoft
- Release date : November 18, 2014
- Genre : Exergaming
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : January 15, 2022
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate