It’s not every day that one gets to play a game using one’s butt. With Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party, you can do just that. Moving further and further away from its platform roots, the Rayman series is fully embracing the Wii’s interactive features, emphasizing socialization through gameplay.

Players can choose solo or multiplayer mode. The solo mode storyline follows Rayman’s quest to rid of those wascally rabbids, who have taken refuge in his TV. The rabbids have taken over the airwaves, tainting the programs with their diabolically wacky antics. The game is broken up into seven “days” and you flip through “channels” to play the minigames; all of which make extensive use of the Wiimote and Balance Board. As each day progresses, the minigames become more difficult.

While solo mode is nice, TV Party is really meant to be played with a group of friends. You don’t need to first play through solo mode to unlock the games – you can jump in to multiplayer the moment you buy the game. You can play co-op or battle mode with four other players, or turn-based with eight players.

The first minigame I tried was snowboarding. I hopped on the Balance Board and after watching a brief tutorial by a rabbid on how to maneuver, I was off. I was playing a rabbid, and for some reason I was snowboarding through space. My objective was to pass through rings and avoid obstacles. At first I thought that the board wasn’t sensing my movements accurately, since I wasn’t moving much when I steered. I realized then that, rather than lean my whole body to the left or right to steer as the demo says, it’s better to shift your legs as if you were skiing.