Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is the worst kept secret of E3 2017. We all knew it was coming, we just didn’t know if it would come from Nintendo or Ubisoft’s press conference. Well, along with other Ubisoft press conference predictions, this turned out to be present and 100% true.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle Blends Strategy and Style
After Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto joined Ubisoft’s Yves Guillemot on stage, Ubisoft went right into showing off gameplay from this new Mario/Rabbids crossover. It’s a tactical game in the vein of X-COM, but it has the jolly vibes of your typical Mario title.
The trailer showcases Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Yoshi alongside their Rabbid doppelgangers. They then go into battle against a number of Rabbid enemies, including a massive Rabbid version of Donkey Kong. The mashup is an odd blend of traditional Mario style and the Rabbids subseries’ quirky tendencies. It will be interesting to see how linear the final game ends up being.
The trailer didn’t showcase much active gameplay, but it was preceded by a brief gameplay demonstration that showed off the game’s unique battle system. Each character, human or Rabbid, can actively take cover behind blocks, shoot laser guns at enemies, and catapult each other into strategic locations.
The characters can wander around the colorful, pleasant over world. In this version of the Mushroom Kingdom, Rabbids have taken over and it is up to these eight motley heroes to take it back.
Mario has crossed over into different genres in the past. But this unique blend of Nintendo and Ubisoft may prove to ignite a own franchise of its own. After all, Rabbids originated from Rayman Raving Rabbids, a Wii mini-game compilation based on the Rayman franchise. Still, a mash-up of a spin-off may just be what the Switch needs. Only time will tell.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is due on August 29th, exclusively for the Switch.
