Title: Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Cost: $59.99
Rating: Everyone 10+, with cartoon violence, comic mischief and mild language
Score: 7/10
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is an irreverent, casual and fun crossover of Nintendo's Mario franchise and Ubisoft's Raving Rabbids games, and is the first and only tactical, turn-based title in the Mario universe.
So what is a Rabbid? Originally, Rabbids were the antagonists of the Rayman platformer series, but France-based Ubisoft spun them off as protagonists in a number of game titles and even a TV show. The term used in French meant cretin rabbits, and Rabbids are known for goofy antics and causing mayhem wherever they go.
So how did these two worlds collide? The Rabbids, using their Time Washing Machine from the Raving Rabbids game, end up in the basement of a young female scientist who is a Mario fan. They grab her invention -- a visor able to merge any two objects -- and after all heck breaks loose, the time machine transports a horde of altered Rabbids, along with a robot that looks like a floating Roomba, to Princess Peach's castle.
Many of the Rabbids have been corrupted by being merged with creatures from the Mario universe, such as Donkey Kong and a Piranha Plant, and Mario must team up with familiar heroes, such as Luigi and Princess Peach, and less familiar heroes such as Rabbid versions of Luigi, Peach and Yoshi, to save the Mushroom Kingdom.
Gameplay-wise, Kingdom Battle is clearly inspired by the XCOM franchise, the current king of the turn-based tactical genre, but it also works pretty hard to maintain its own unique identity. Players control a squad of three units, each with their own special abilities. Mario can head-stomp, Peach (and Rabbid Peach) can heal, Luigi uses a sniper rifle, and so on.
The squad is really mobile, and positioning plays a large role in winning battles. Characters can perform "team jumps," launching each other through the air, as well as dashing melee attacks and transporting themselves through the ubiquitous sewer pipes.
As players win battles and explore more of the Mushroom Kingdom, they'll find lots of unlockables, such as 3-D models, artwork, songs and weapons. The characters will also grow stronger, unlocking new and more powerful versions of abilities. The battles themselves are sort of a puzzle, where the player must figure out the most efficient way to take out the enemy using positioning, height advantages, combo attacks and weapon choices.
Kingdom Battle is a fairly family-friendly title -- many of the other titles in the genre tend to be rather brutal and violent. There's no blood in the Mushroom Kingdom, after all.
The humor can be a bit sophomoric -- such as a Rabbid version of Donkey Kong, who scratches his rear end with hapless plumber Mario.
However, family friendly doesn't mean this title is for children. The game is actually rather difficult. Every battle has an option for an "Easy" mode that grants the hero characters more health, but even so, tactical prowess is required to identify weaknesses and plan a strategy to defeat a small army of enemies. This game would probably be best appreciated by kids who are at least 12.
There's lots to do in Kingdom Battle. Levels can be replayed to achieve better outcomes; bonus missions unlock as the game progresses; and there's even a versus mode and cooperative play mode for multiplayer action.
The gameplay and tactics are not as deep as the XCOM games. There are cover systems in both that offer varying levels of protection from attacks, but in Kingdom Battle it's simplified: No cover means a 100 percent chance to hit; low cover means a 50 percent chance to hit, and high cover means no chance to hit.
There is a wide variety of weapons available, though, some with special abilities, such as being able to bounce enemies off the map, light them on fire or cover them in sticky honey that roots them in place. Squads can be customized before every battle, so players can switch weapons and tactics, or swap out injured heroes for healthier ones.
In addition to the base game, there's also a Season Pass available for Kingdom Battle, which is $20 and adds 16 new weapons, eight solo challenges and five co-op maps. In early 2018 there will also be another area added and a new hero available to play.
Overall, I think Kingdom Battle is a pretty successful venture, and it's cool to see Nintendo branching out and letting other developers make Mario titles.
ActiveStyle on 01/08/2018