Strategic, Turn-Based Combat
With a Mario and Rabbids crossover, it’s fair to say that fans weren’t exactly expecting Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle to bring with it some deep, strategic combat. However, that’s exactly what the game has done.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle has two different modes – combat and adventure. In adventure mode, players are able to explore the beautifully detailed worlds that bring the Mushroom Kingdom to life. However, in combat mode, players will engage in battles against all manner of Rabbids in small arena-like stages. With cover, limited movements, and a range of unique weapons and abilities, the game has an XCOM feel about its combat. While we’ve yet to see exactly how it plays for ourselves, the gameplay reveal that the game got certainly has us intrigued.
Variety of Weapons and Enemies
Mario and his crew have always had their own unique abilities and weapons at their disposal. Whether it’s in a more traditional title or one of the Mario spin-offs, there’s always plenty of reasons to choose your favorite character over another. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle looks set to continue this trend, with each of the eight playable characters having their own unique weapons for taking down the enemy Rabbids.
During the game’s announcement trailer, we saw the playable characters holding their own unique weapons, and most importantly, it looks like Luigi has his very own vacuum weapon, too. Oh, and a Rabbid held a giant banana and it was adorable. Exactly how different these weapons will work remains to be seen, but in the gameplay explanation, enemies could be seen suffering from status effects such as burn. It looks like these will be applied depending on the weapons your team is using.
However, it’s not just your team that will have buffs and special weapons at their disposal. During the announcement trailer, a Rabbid could be seen wearing a Piranha Plant costume who then wreaked havoc on poor Rabbid Peach. Enemies could also be seen wearing different outfits, and some larger Rabbids could be seen, too.
Abilities and Skill Trees
Mario + Rabbids Battle Kingdom doesn’t do its abilities and turn-based combat by half measures. In traditional RPG style, the game comes complete with abilities for players to use and skill trees in order to upgrade them to help you tackle the game’s later challenges.
For example, Mario has a Hero Sight ability that allows him to attack the enemy even when it’s not his turn, while Rabbid Peach has a shield ability to protect her from enemy attacks. There are also Rabbid pipes that, as the name suggests, can only be used by the furry creatures. These allow them to traverse great distances on the battlefield, and chain attacks and moves together for devastating results.
Light-Hearted Humor
All you need to do is watch the brief two-minute announcement trailer for Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle to see that the game has got all of that wacky and bizarre humor that the Rabbids are known for. Whether it’s the abundance of sass that Rabbid Peach has, or Rabbid Luigi’s goofy face when he’s got the giant banana at the end, you’ll be hard pressed not to crack a smile as you see these worlds’ two rosters join forces.
It’s great to see that the Rabbids’ humor has remained intact through their transportation to the Mushroom Kingdom. It’s the kind of content that’ll have adults smiling away at just how silly it all is, and kids cracking up as they see Rabbid Peach obsessively taking selfies through the air. Without the laughs, Mario + Rabbids would lose the whole charm of Ubisoft’s cuddly mascots, and it’d ultimately feel more like a turn-based Mario title more than a crossover. Here’s hoping the humor is as strong throughout as what we saw in the trailer.
Multiple Worlds
Just like any other Mario title, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle has a number of different worlds, each with their own unique traits that players will have to overcome while adventuring and facing off against the enemy Rabbids in battle. In the trailer, we could see a desert, ice, haunted/ spooky world, as well as a more generic standard world that players will likely take on first.
It also looked like the Mushroom Kingdom will serve as a hub world in Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, allowing players to explore and take in the iconic sights at their own leisure.
Giant Boss Fights
Now, for this one, we’re making a bit of an assumption, but hear us out. Towards the end of the announcement trailer, we saw our team fully equipped with their own weapons, including Rabbid Luigi with his banana being awesome. However, shortly after that, a giant Rabbid appears out of nowhere repping Donkey Kong’s iconic tie.
As we’re pretty sure this isn’t a playable character, could this be an instance of one of the boss battles we’ll need to take on at the end of a world? If so, there’s a good chance we’ll probably see the likes of Wario, Bowser, and maybe even Metal Mario making an appearance as enemy Rabbids we’ll need to take down. Best get preparing for some epic boss battles in the Mushroom Kingdom now.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is due to release exclusively on the Nintendo Switch on Aug. 29.
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