Nintendo Wii Fanboy

Reader Joshua is one lucky dude. He managed to score a copy of Raving Rabbids TV Party from his local GameStop. Being that they specialize in games, we're surprised to hear about them violating the street date for this title. Sure, it's only a week early, but while Joshua is sitting at home, enjoying his game, we're writing about him enjoying his game. Oh, how we wish we were him!

If you're looking to score a copy early, you might want to hit up your local GameStop, as Joshua suggests. They might do the same thing for you. And if you're looking for some video from the game, hit up Joshua's site here.

When Friedrich Nietzsche wrote his famous philosophical work Beyond Good and Evil in the late 19th century, odds are he didn't think that it would be a source of inspiration for video games over a century later. Namco proved him wrong with their trilogy of Xenosaga RPGs, each of which had a subtitle referencing a Nietzsche work (such as "Jenseits von Gut und Böse"). But it's another wannabe trilogy that owes its moniker to Nietzsche that's up for recognition.

Beyond Good & Evil was published at the height of the Christmas rush in December 2003, and despite its war-on-all-fronts release on the GameCube, PS2, Xbox, and PC, it simply failed to sell. The game received widespread critical acclaim, but competition from other games caused it to be given a jarring price drop mere weeks after its release. Even so, those in the know played Beyond Good & Evil and saw it for what it was -- a fantastic adventure with a unique world and an appealing cast of heroes. And though it took four years, Ubisoft finally gave a sequel the green light -- so it's time to show the original game some much-deserved love.

Looks like the rumors were true!

Now, before you start getting your hopes up, close your eyes and take a deep breath. Once done, then give a click on one of the images below. Those graphics are pretty darn sweet, eh? Well, we're not saying the Wii isn't capable of such graphics, just that the likelihood of this being an Xbox 360 and PS3 reveal is high. We're not going to rule out the game arriving on Wii, though. The first title was multi-platform (this blogger has the GameCube port of the first title), so let's hope Ubisoft puts the second game out on all systems.

After checking out the screens, head past the break for a video.

We don't have to tell you how charmingly insane those little rabbids are. Even when it comes to Wii Fit, they just have to find their own delightfully ridiculous way of doing things. Well, it would seem, based on the teaser trailer above, that you can look forward to a third installment in the Rayman Raving Rabbids franchise. Hard to believe, we know, seeing as how a lot of you bought the previous titles in the franchise.

Who's excited about a new Rayman Raving Rabbids game? Anything you'd like to change in the new game that you weren't all that happy about in the last two games?

Those of you with weak hearts, you might want to double up on your medication for this one. Michel Ancel, the dude responsible for the amazing Beyond Good & Evil and the Rayman games, has apparently confirmed with a French magazine that not only is work on Beyond Good & Evil 2 underway, but it's been worked on for over a year. We doubt there are words that can describe how you're feeling right now, so just hug your monitor right this instant. Go ahead, we're doing the same.

Okay, done? Good. Now, the only problem with all of this is that Ancel also said that Ubisoft did not green-light the project. With a total of 10-12 people working on the pre-production, we've got our fingers permanently crossed in hopes that Ubisoft will see that this sequel needs to happen. Also, we're going to keep this one labeled as a rumor, for now, considering how often we hear about a sequel to this game, only to have our hopes and dreams shattered.

If you work at Ubisoft and are reading this, tell your bosses that everyone wants this! Oh, and tell them to make it for the Wii, as well.

[Via Joystiq]