As you’d probably expect on a Nintendo system, there’s a plentitude of different platformers available in the eShop, whether traditional side-scrolling, mascot, or otherwise. The thing is, even though many of these titles can be approachable for less experienced gamers, I’m not sure I’d consider most to be ideal for newcomers. That doesn’t mean the games need to be overly simple, I think it’s important even early on for games to include some more challenging techniques rather than merely coddling the player. I think it’s just one of those things where you can play some games and sense whether they’ve been designed with players in training or not, and whatever those intangible qualities may be, I believe Rabbiman Adventures generally has them.

The first smart decision was making the main character a kid, immediately making everything feel more accessible on a basic level. Your motivation at the beginning is also very simple in terms of its appeal, and that’s simply finding and saving your siblings, which is also simple but relatable. From there it’s really all about the core gameplay, which is more technique-driven than you might guess, but is also implemented in a way that mostly avoids frustrations by feeling pretty forgiving on a general level. Yes, you’ll need to make some tougher jumps by learning to leverage your double jump before throwing your hat and teleporting with it, but on a general level the moves and timing necessary to pull this off still feel approachable and just forgiving enough not to seem cruel. All that said, if you want either your brains or dexterity challenged a little more, you’ll have the option to go off the main path to tackle locations with a specific puzzle to solve, or some more dexterous platforming to tackle, meaning the game does a fair job of trying to cover all skill levels in some way.

In terms of things that may not make it as strong as some of its competitors, the first is that you’ll really need to decide whether or not it will keep you engaged if you’re a more experienced gamer. It’s absolutely a very playable and enjoyable time, but I’ll admit that on the whole it’s a bit on the slow side and probably easy overall for your average player. Perhaps the issue that may bug some gamers the most though will be something the game telegraphs in its name, which includes Rabbi in it, and that’s the obvious ties to Judaism in some of its characters and designs. That’s by no means any sort of accusation that it’s overdone or an issue, it’s just important for people who could be bothered by that to know about it up front, in case the title itself wasn’t enough of a warning on its own. The great thing is that the game remains extremely open-minded and positive about pretty much everything, including different cultures, so there’s no need for it as an issue, but I don’t doubt some people may not be comfortable with it regardless. All that said, if you’re simply looking for a decent family-friendly platformer with some challenges, but that still explains itself well and feels friendly to younger gamers, this is a great choice.