Releasing at the end of August, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle sets out to reinvent what fans know about a Mario game while also giving Mario fans a style of game play not found in the Nintendo games. Announced at Ubisoft’s E3 press conference back in June, the developer announced the new game would be made in partnership with Nintendo and that it would feature a cast of characters from the Mario franchise as well as characters from their own Rabbids series.
After stumbling upon a giant vortex in the sky spewing out mischievous Rabbids, Mario must gather his friends as well as four heroic Rabbids to close the vortex and save the Mushroom Kingdom! Players can assemble a team of their own choosing from a cast of characters that all include different abilities including: Mario, Peach, Yoshi, Luigi, as well as the four heroic Rabbids.
For the first time in a Mario game, Ubisoft has crafted a turn based tactical RPG (think of XCOM for Kids) that challenges players to think outside of the box to clear the objective. Players must use their wits to overcome each level’s puzzles, combat and exploration as this isn’t your typical Mario game with things left about for you to stumble upon.
Combat
Instead of jumping on Goombas or throwing fireballs at Koopa Troopas, Mario and company will be using some heavy powered machinery for this adventure. For the first time in any Mario game, the main weapons of choice will be guns of different varieties. Since each character belongs to a different class, many will have weapons that can give you an advantage in battle. For example, Luigi is the game’s main sniper class so if you are on a map with high ground and lots of pesky rabbids then Luigi would be a perfect addition to your team.
Combat in this game is seen from a God’s eye view as players strategically place their team members in battle. Each team member gets to move and attack once per turn and the enemy Rabbids also follow this rule. To properly win a battle, players must use their wits and strategies to make it past those pesky Rabbids.
Each game world you visit will be guarded by a mid-boss Rabbid and a Boss Rabbid who waits at the end of your level. To take down the boss you must first complete the level and be fully equipped to survive the battle. To do so, players must use the Battle HQ screen to level up their characters, skills and weapons.
With over a 150 weapons and countless techniques to master, combat will always be a different experience!
Exploration
No Mario game would be complete without being able to traverse around the world collecting items and collectables. In Kingdom Battle, players will control Beep-O (a roomba-esque device) to lead their team of heroes on their quest to close the vortex and send the Rabbids back where they belong.
With four worlds to explore, including the Ancient Gardens, Spooky Trails, Lava Pits, and the Sherbet Desert, players must dash and blast around the worlds finding items and power ups to help their mission. All the worlds will be guarded by a Boss and be filled with extras!
As Ubisoft has announced the game will have a Season Pass, there will definitely be more worlds for players to explore and fight in!
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle will honestly be one of the more peculiar games available on the Nintendo Switch, but it isn’t one that you should turn your nose from. At its core, the game is a large jam-packed world full of enemies to destroy and secrets to uncover with the charms of a classic Mario game. Plus if the press at E3 who got to play the game have any say… the game look like it is going to be a smash hit!!!
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle releases on August 29th, 2017 exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
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