When it leaked this past May, the internet offered Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle a lukewarm reception. Now that Ubisoft has officially revealed its poorly kept secret, however, the climate around it appears to be changing altogether.
Ubisoft Makes 'Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle' Official
Ubisoft unwrapped Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle during its E3 2017 press conference, giving everyone a look at the crossover arguably no one ever asked for, since fusing Mario with Ubisoft's frenzied pack of Rabbids comes as a totally mismatched combo. But the trailer proves that notion wrong.
In fact, the Nintendo Switch subreddit stirred amid the news, surprised by how good the game looks now that it's been supplemented with a trailer. Some even describe the game as a crossover of three games: Mario, Rabbids, and popular science fiction video game franchise XCOM.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle Gameplay
Xavier Manzanares, producer at Ubisoft Paris, described Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle as a turn-based tactical adventure. He also showed a brief gameplay footage of the game. Players can use up to four characters in a chain, either from the Rabbids or Mario roster.
The main game then starts, at which point its similarities to XCOM begins showing, especially since players take turns deploying troops, attacking aliens, and more. The player may send their characters to different blocks scattered throughout the given tactical zone, where they can do a number of things, such as hide behind cover, flank, or do a sneak attack.
How 'Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle' Came To Be
Video game legend Shigeru Miyamoto made a surprise appearance at Ubisoft's conference to talk about the game. He said he encouraged the developers not to create a platformer or a jumping game, presumably when Ubisoft and Nintendo's collaboration entered its early stages.
"Try to make a Mario game that has never been made before," according to Miyamoto, as translated.
Davide Soliani, the game's creative director, met Miyamoto in 2014, himself a colossal fan of the Mario and Zelda creator. Needless to say that the collaboration thrilled Soliani.
"When me and my team were told to work with Nintendo, with a game that could feature both Mario and the Rabbids, we immediately understood it was a lifetime opportunity," he said. "We spent night and day working on the best way to merge those two worlds together, and find something unique for both Mario and the Rabbids."
Nintendo's relationship with Ubisoft dates way, way back. The French video game publisher has continued supporting Nintendo's consoles over the years, such as the Wii and the Wii U. Just Dance, for instance, debuted on the Wii in 2009, and that series has gone on to sell more than 65 million copies to date.
"[Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle] was a very exciting challenge for all our teams ... I think we have done something you will love," Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said during the presentation.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle launches on the Nintendo Switch on Aug. 29.
Thoughts about Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle? Has your perception of the game changed now that Ubisoft has finally explained exactly what type of game it is? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
