Of all the innovative ways the Nintendo Wii allows games to be played, never have gamers been required to use their butts.

Ubisoft wants to change that.

The company’s newest title for the Nintendo Wii, “Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party,” utilizes your glutes to sled on a yak, surf in space, break it down on the dance floor and enjoy all the pleasures you never thought you could have in the self-proclaimed “first game in the world that you can play with your rear end.”

“TV Party” is the third game in the classic “Rayman” series to feature the Rabbids, hilarious rabbit-like creatures.

However, this time the Rabbids have found their way into your television set, where you can play a plethora of mini-games based on television spoofs. You will partake in activities from shooting zombie chickens on the “Cult Classic” film channel to cooking burgers to feeding them to a giant whale creature on the “Raving Channel.”

Featuring more than 60 mini-games to be unlocked by playing through the game’s short single-player mode, “TV Party” is clearly a party game at its heart.

With the possibility to play with up to eight people, “TV Party” challenges Wii owners to hone skills ranging from dexterity and balance to precision and speed, while shaking the Wii Remote. Coupled with gameplay modes that utilize the Wii Wheel and Wii Balance Board, “TV Party” finally allows you to dust off those unused peripherals to create a complete Wii experience.

The Wii Balance Board is used to its full potential by allowing players to sit, stand and dance while applying pressure on the device as a gas pedal. However, the entire game can be played without using the Wii Balance Board, which is actually less frustrating and easier.

Trying to shift your body weight by sitting on the Wii Balance Board to sled down a mountainside is much more difficult than simply moving the Wii Remote and Nunchuk right and left.

Another issue with “TV Party” is the lack of variety in gameplay modes. Many additional mini-games are rehashes of the same music, racing and/or shooting format.

The most repeated sequences are the dancing and instrument modes.

Featuring licensed songs like Britney Spears’ “Toxic,” the instrument mini-games are played by shaking the Wii remote to play the drums, guitar, piano and sing the vocals.

Although these are fun sequences, it seems unusual that the drums and vocals are performed the same way. Also, the controls are not entirely responsive, meaning players will lose more points than they should.

The dancing games have you make movements and motions on the Wii Balance Board in synchronization with music to make this a refreshing addition to the game. However, this mode has similar drawbacks, with unforgiving and unresponsive controls that make you look not only silly, but frustrated as well.

As for online content, you can use accessories you receive for high scores in single-player mode to dress your Rabbid and share photos with your friends online.

There is much unrealized potential here, as many of these games would translate well online.

Nevertheless, “Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party” is a hilarious game that will guarantee a fun evening with friends despite repetitive mini-games and technical glitches.

lifeline@cm-life.com

E-mail the author: Eric Joyce