Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle Preview - E3 2017

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is a title that is as unorthodox as it sounds. The idea of a Mario and Rabbids crossover is one that might be a bit of a head scratcher, especially when the gameplay doesn’t resemble either Mario or Rabbids games. It is an ambitious mish-mosh of game characters, styles, and ideas. The weirdness of such a crossover, in addition to the off-putting nature of the Rabbids, might deter some people. Though after getting some time in with the demo, what emerged was some enjoyable gameplay that may have more depth than the colorfully kiddie art style lets on. The game seems to work essentially like a Final Fantasy Tactics lite, infused with some cartoony Nintendo and Ubisoft flair. Mechanically speaking, it also feels like there is some Kirby’s Dream Course tossed in there as well - to use a far more obscure reference.

Upon starting the demo, I was greeted with a brief, colorful cinematic straight out of a Pixar movie, followed by an overhead perspective of a bright grassy environment filled tall and short blocks. There were also a number of explosive crates, which, as you might expect, can be blown up to take out the enemy in a more entertaining fashion. I suspect there will be a wide variety of interactive objects such as this to utilize during battle, as well as more advanced tactics - though my demo mainly showcased the fundamentals.

On the grassy plains stood Mario, along with the amusing sight of a couple Rabbids dressed in what looked like Luigi and Peach Halloween costumes, scattered about and holding their respective positions. Acting as a sort of in-game cursor, and leading our way as we walked was a blue Roomba looking creature.

It was made clear off that bat that the red blocks populating the fighting area are to be your primary means of defense and cover when engaging in battle with enemy Rabbids, and they can also be destroyed to expose an enemy from cover. During my romps with Mario and my companions, I implemented a number of techniques that gave me a strategic edge and ultimately earned me victory in battle. These included - firing with my futuristic looking pistol over the top and around the sides of cover points, using a “quick dash” move with which I could slide into my opponents directly, in addition to propelling off a teammate’s head which increased my attack range and opened the door for additional moves.

Moves and attacks can be stringed together as combos to extend turns and maximize the damage dealt by taking advantage of various elements in the environments. Players can utilize pipes to travel around greater distances, flank an enemy, or flee to a more secure area. In the midst of all this, there are coins scattered throughout the map, which can be collected and put towards improved weaponry. These additional weapons come with a range of statistics and abilities. They include attack and cover damage, as well as various effects such as burning, pushing an enemy, or even dousing them with honey to slow them.

It was pointed out to me that the likelihood of landing a successful blow is shown by a percentage that varies depending on your location on the map relative to the enemy's position. You’ll want to position yourself in the best manner possible to gain an offensive and/or defensive advantage. Taking cover around the corner of a tall block with an enemy in your sights point blank, for instance, will provide a safe, surefire guarantee of landing a successful hit, while engaging in a long range attack at a more obstructed position might give you only a 50% chance. Though the game itself crept at a relatively slow pace, the battle gameplay offered a wealth of strategic options that kept things more or less interesting. There was also a nice sense of satisfaction and enjoyment when landing some of the more off-the-wall combo attacks and finishing off an opponent.

At one point, I wandered my way into a simple bonus area which dialed back the strategy elements and emphasized a more retro platforming approach. In this room I maneuvered through an enclosed area filled with ascending and descending walls, as well as trails of vanishing platforms, while I scrambled to collect blue coins. Though these more fundamental platforming elements seem to take a backseat to the tactical battle approach, they were usually present when traveling from one battle area to another. In a similar scenario I had to scurry through a maze of moving walls to gather 8 red coins, Yoshi’s Island style, before the timer ran down. This landed me a new weapon that could be instantly equipped. Aside from the presence of pipes, this is probably where the Nintendo influence feels more prevalent - and it brought a certain Super Mario 3D World feel to them, minus the jumping around. I eventually reached a Rabbid inside a giant piranha, who ran about the area like a madman. After a cat and mouse game with this mid-level boss, and having to bust out my heal ability courtesy of Rabbid Peach, I eventually brought him down.

Overall I was pleasantly surprised by my Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle experience, and the deceptively deep gameplay hidden beneath its goofy exterior. Whether this will be the next Super Mario RPG or Final Fantasy Tactics is a different story, but the game does seems to provide relatively simple strategy gameplay with a side of RPG and platforming. Look for this zany crossover to hit the Nintendo Switch on August 29th.