Kung Fu Rabbit Review‏

Despite its relatively shallow pool of content, if there is one genre that the Wii U is served well by, it is the humble platformer. From Mario to Rayman and Giana Sisters to the fantastic, Mutant Mudds, the Wii U is certainly the place to be if you like jumping on stuff.

Adding to the relatively long list is, Neko Entertainment’s enjoyable, if slightly repetitive, Kung Fu Rabbit, a platformer that, while unlikely to worry the likes of Mario or Rayman, is a very solid game in its own right, and one that comes with one of the smallest price tags on the Nintendo eShop.

With it only likely to set you back a few quid and often included in the eShop sales, Kung Fu Rabbit’s price point belies its surprisingly robust wealth of content. With 60 mission to get through (albeit brief ones) and 20 bonus missions unlocked later in the game, there is certainly plenty of challenge to get through and a fair few hours’ worth of content. Add to that a ‘hardcore rabbit’ mode unlocked once you finished the first 60 levels (all 8o missions with more difficult enemies) and for those willing to overlook its minor issues, Kung Fu Rabbit will offer one of the best value packages currently available on Wii U or 3DS.

While Kung Fu Rabbit stands as an inarguably handsome game, many will point towards its lack of distinctive locations as its one obvious fault, and while that is true (you will see a lot of dojos), Kung Fu Rabbit’s distinctive art style does make the repetition that much easier to bear. It would have been nice to have a bit more variety, but given the price point and the latter levels’ emphasis on challenge, this is not an issue that had a major bearing on my enjoyment of the overall experience.

In a game of this ilk, it’s the core mechanics that will always reign supreme, and despite not doing anything particularly new for this well-worn genre, Kung Fu Rabbit does more than enough right to make it a welcome addition to both the genre and the eShop library. The basic platforming is solid with jumps, slides and wall-jumps all feeling precise and accurate.

The weaponry and upgrades, while relatively basic, also fit into the structure well, providing just enough incentive and new ideas to keep players pushing ahead. What kept me hooked though was the simple inclusion of collectible carrots. With 3 basic and 1 especially well-hidden, golden carrot to collect in each stage, 100% completion requires some careful exploration and a fair degree of skill. It’s a simple and obvious inclusion for a muti-staged platformer, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t fun or, in this case, extremely addictive.

It may not have the polish or esteemed history of its more illustrious platforming comrades, but Neko Entertainment’s, Kung Fu Rabbit is an enjoyable, addictive and aesthetically pleasing take on the genre. It does get a tad repetitive towards the end and the first 15-20 levels are arguably too easy for their own good, but once you get going, Kung Fu Rabbit offers up a solid challenge and a wealth of content at an absolutely bargain price.

REVIEW CODE: A complimentary Nintendo Wii U code was provided to Bonus Stage for this review. Please send all review code enquiries to press@4gn.co.uk.