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Good: Presentation, sound, use of DS hardware

Bad: Some annoying minigames, repeat missions, too similar to Feel the Magic

What???: Throwing snowballs at a robot bear will get you women?!

Back when the DS had a shortage of enjoyable games (in the first couple months of the system launch), Feel the Magic XX/XY was one of the few that were fun and really utilized the system's hardware. It featured numerous minigames, mostly focused on the task of netting a girlfriend. The Rub Rabbits is a direct sequel, and will seem very familiar to fans of the original. While the first game was certainly odd, this new title is filled with even more Japanese lunacy and hyperactive minigames.

Gamers assume the role of a lovelorn, nameless protagonist who is competing for the affection of a certain girl. Unfortunately for him, he is not alone. Countless other men are pursuing her, and the first several levels are based around beating them out. You'll start out by racing the others up an escalator in an effort to bring her a rose first, and end up trying to scoot close to her while watching a fireworks show.

The next "phase" of the game is the actual dating of the girl. You'll warm her up in the dark, put ointment on her wounds and make her a dress out of leaves. Along the way, a somewhat insane girl arrives who is in love with your character. The gamer is captured and tied up, and must complete several minigames in which you avoid this girl (who goes as far as launching "lovebombs" out of a cannon, which you must avoid).

Several of the minigames are absolutely ridiculous, such as the one featuring stampeding robots and men with top hats on a snowy mountain. Some of these are extremely challenging, but players can use a "skip button" once during the course of the game to bypass an especially difficult objective.

Rub Rabbits makes great use of all of the DS's hardware, incorporating the microphone and a huge amount of stylus/touchscreen use. In fact, you won't even press the face buttons at all in this game, it's purely touchscreen and stylus. Some minigames use the mic and stylus in conjunction with each other, such as my personal favorite that involves aiming a blowgun with the stylus and blowing into the mic to shoot it. Others will make you rotate the DS sideways or upside-down to view the action appropriately. This game is one of those that could have only been done on the Nintendo DS, and it's handled very well.

Everything is wrapped up in a very colorful and entertaining visual package with a unique art style. All of the characters have jet black skin, and you can't even see their facial features. Sound effects and music are all lighthearted and funny, and help to set the mood of the game. The cutscenes and "plot" are pretty nonsensical, but I'm pretty sure that Sega didn't set out to make this game an epic story.

When it comes down to it, The Rub Rabbits is a fun distraction, but ultimately is too similar to Feel the Magic XX/XY. Later missions seem to lose the uniqueness of the beginning and several are just repackaged versions of earlier minigames. The Rub Rabbits is worth a rental for most and maybe a purchase for big fans of the original.

Graphics: B+

Sound: B+

First Play: B+

Last Play: C

Gameplay: B-

Overall: 79% C