Mario's gone RABBID!

Recall the Wii days. You had to wear the controller like a bracelet. And deal with injuries if you didn’t.

I remember using the Wii with my family. I always lost. 

One game I remember had those rabbits from Hell. I always lost to them. 

Before Rayman went solo, you had to deal with these little cretins screaming in your face. 

They were mean. They looked like their mouths traded with their butts. And they all had the same derpy expression. Did I forget to mention the big, red, I-have-no-soul eyes? 

Well, that was a decade ago. Rayman may not be doing much these days, but his former enemies sure are. 

As fans of anything, we enjoy crossovers. 

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? was a god-send. Marvel earned our money. Then there was that time Disney allowed Lilo and Stitch to rub elbows with Kim Possible. 

And gamers go nuts when Mario and Sonic join the Olympics. 

You know Mario’s history. He used to jump over barrels to save Not-Peach. Now he jumps over Goombas and saves his brother (or Peach).

Now he’s teaming with Rabbids. And has a gun. A freaking gun. 

This was my very first Switch game. And the first Mario game that I’ve actually finished. Sole reason I’m proud to be a Switch owner. 

Those rabbits used to haunt my childhood. Now they represent my adulthood.  

About Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle

The first tactile game I’ve ever actually played. The whole adventure is what really sold me. 

Exploring the Mushroom Kingdom. Interact with silly Rabbids that take their Mario cosplay up to ten. And guns. 

You get to team up with Mario, Luigi, Peach, and even Yoshi as you explore the ‘new’ kingdom. Arm yourself with the weapon of your choice. And don’t worry about the annoying Goombas. 

Mario is finally stepping away from his rescue-the-princess routine. Spoiler alert: the princess actually rescues you at one point.  

Ubisoft launched this game on August 29, 2017, hoping fans would be open-minded. 

What happened? Fans and critics actually adored the game! 

The fact people love the idea of Mario dealing with a bunch of zany, chaotic Rabbids surprises me. 

True, the Rabbids had their own share of games since splitting with Rayman. But teaming with a popular franchise and getting praise for it still surprises me today. 

Within its first week, it sold over 67,000 copies. Since then, it’s sold over 2 million. 

As of right now, the game reigns supreme among the Switch community.

Much like a Pixar movie, the game took three to four years of development. The idea was prototyped in less than a month before being introduced to Shigeru Miyamoto. The Ubisoft team found themselves constantly travelling to Kyoto, home of Nintendo. 

The Rabbids and Mario teams found themselves making a love letter to each other’s franchise. Both agreed that this is the kind of atmosphere Mario needed. And the Rabbids were finally given the opportunity to fill some big shoes. 

When I say critics took this game pretty well, I mean it. 

Most call it “generally favorable” for an unexpected crossover. Some even go as far as comparing it to another tactile game called XCOM: Enemy Unknown. 

It won for Best Original Game in the Game Critics Awards. Same for Best Strategy Game. It ended up winning several others for being a great social/family game, animation, and design.

We see a Rabbid cosplay as Peach, of course the designs are a win!   

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle Story

                                                       Where's Rayman when you need him?!

After a mishap with some tech-specs and a washing time machine, the Rabbids end up in Mario’s world. A nervous Rabbid-gone-creation in the form of Spawny ends up accidentally corrupting Rabbids left and right. Mario and his new wacky friends must stop it. 

The title alone is enough to intrigue me. I can’t stop gushing over Mario interacting with the Rabbids. Most importantly, the original concept. 

No P-blocks. No Koopas. No Thwomps. And no spinies (those guys are the worst!). 

I love the storyline. The sass of Rabbid Peach with her let-me-take-a-selfie attitude. Rabbid Yoshi being an absolute nutcase with a weapon. And Rabbid Mario being more Italian than the actual Italian. 

Even when these guys are crazy, I love how they get right into serious mode because they know there’s trouble. The moment Mario met the Rabbids, they instantly clicked. It’s like he’s known them more than he’s known Sonic. 

Everytime these franchises interact in the cutscenes, my heart fills with warmth. And it becomes absolute bliss when the main Mario characters and their Rabbid counterparts work together with one goal in mind: save Spawny. 

The Rabbids pretty much become a part of Mario’s family!

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle Gameplay

Above: Damage depends on your weapons. Sometimes a level is out of reach if you don’t have the latest.

Above: First 25 minutes of Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle 

You start off with three characters: Mario, Rabbid Peach, and Rabbid Luigi. They are your number one team as you battle the first string of levels. When you’re nearly finished with World 1, more characters will be added to your selection. 

Dash. Jump. Shoot. And buy. 

I really love shopping for new weapons. You get to try out different features. And levels become a lot easier when you get the strongest. 

You get to navigate the entire Mushroom Kingdom. In each of the four worlds, you must take down corrupt Rabbids. Before you go into battle, make sure to find the right weapon for the right job. 

In the selection bar, you have the option to either fight now or go into Battle HQ. Depending on your coins, be sure to have enough to buy the latest. Primary weapons are an automatic lose if you plan to cheap out.

When I started off with my first weapons, battling was easy. However, as soon as I got to World 2, the enemies were stronger. My Lightning Shark blaster hardly got Mario more than two turns. 

Character upgrades are vital. I want to throw in a second dash attack before I use my newer, better gun. 

Power orbs improve your players. Mario has the Hero Sight ability, which takes a few turns before you use it again. Spend your power orbs to reduce waiting time. Or be able to use it twice in one turn. 

I rely a little too much on Hero Sight. It has saved my teammates on more than one playthrough. Sometimes I spend all my orbs just to increase it. 

Just like coins, you can get orbs by battling. But then you end up spending it already. 

How can you get more? Simply explore your areas again.  

One of the things I love about Mario + Rabbids is continuing even after beating the game. You get to explore the Mushroom Kingdom again, this time for loot. 

Each world has a number of hidden chests. Like a Kinder egg, there’s always a surprise in every find. 

Get power orbs. Get new weapons. Get goodies to complete your Rabbid Museum collection.

I’ll admit, searching for coins and chests can make you mentally tired. But you got a whole kingdom of Rabbids. There’s always something entertaining in the background. 

The NPCs are mostly, you guessed it, Rabbids. 

They always hang around the scenery while your party continues exploring. If you stop your Beep-O near a specific location, you get treated to a close-up of Rabbid life. 

Those Rabbids still carry on like they didn’t just put Mario’s world in peril. But their presence is nothing compared to Bowser’s role in this story.

Except it’s not Bowser. It’s Bowser Jr.

Yup, Mario’s greatest enemy actually takes a vacation and his boy holds the fort. But Junior proves he can be just as threatening. 

What adds to the amazing storyline is how Bowser Jr. really does make a good villain. We’ve played countless games where we always defeat Bowser at the end. His son adds a whole new step to this routine.

After you finish the game, you can go back and take on the harder challenges. The Ultimate Challenges. Then there are the Special Challenges. 

If you’re a total completionist and want to get 100%, you have to face Bowser Jr. in some of these. 

His role as the comedic villain balances with what an absolute pain-in-the-butt boss he is. 

You can’t dash him. You can’t do a Mario jump on his head. You can only shoot at him. And that will already screw over your HP. 

If you haven’t bought your maximum amount of health, there’s a good chance that one hit from him will cost you a player. There were times I ended up losing two comrades, and forced to play solo. Doesn’t usually turn out well.

But if you enjoy the levels as much as I do, you play them again. Or you could be among those who have gone off the deep end after losing for the 43rd time (as I do). You play them again. 

I call it addictively frustrating. 

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle Combat

Above: Versus gameplay

Mario with a gun is awesome. Luigi, Peach, and Yoshi getting guns? This should be their next party game. 

You need to lock onto your best target before you shoot. Have a second plan when enemies hide behind rocks or walls. 

My advice is to just skip the turn than waste a shot. Especially if you want to rank gold.  

In the Battle HQ menu, you can select any two members to join Mario for the next battle. I’m disappointed that Mario can’t get switched out for anyone else. I really want to make Rabbid Mario leader just to see what happens in the cutscenes. 

My usual party includes either Rabbid Peach or Rabbid Mario. They both have high HP and come with more than one dash move. 

Rabbid Mario is my best bet for a win. Not only is he cute in his little overalls, his dash causes damage for nearby enemies. 

Let me fill you in on a few choice skills: Hero Sight has you able to shoot more than once. Health shield protects you depending on how much you upgraded. And the Rabbids get to put their trademark scream to good use and scare enemies back (and it works). 

All the characters start off with a certain amount of HP and moves. And from my experience, that almost isn’t enough. 

I need to double jump. I need to dash more. I need less turns to use my Hero Sight. I even need to add more to my health shield.  

Buying weapons takes a lot of time and travel in the Mushroom Kingdom. 

Finding chests with orbs is a lot harder. I know that some chests range from 5 or 20 orbs. You have to spend those wisely. 

One very important skill to add to all characters is their area of movement. It helps with target range. 

Use it to perform a team jump and get to higher ground. Buy the ability to shoot from higher ground. Your enemies won’t always be able to strike back. 

You have a wide range of tactile weapons with different uses. 

Push damage. Honey damage. Bounce damage. And fire damage (this one has you or your enemies running around and stop, drop, and roll). 

My best choices are getting the honey and bounce damage ones. 

Honey weapons help trap enemies for one turn. Bounce weapons not only send your enemies flying, but additional damage is done if they fly right off the map. 

This also applies when you go into versus mode. 

Ever wanted to pin Luigi against Mario? Now you can send your own brother flying. 

You start off in different teams. Victory depends on who you choose. 

It’s like Overwatch. If Tracer and Mercy were fighting midget abominations of themselves. 

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle Quest/Mission System 

The whole story involving Mario characters teaming up with Rabbids is already hilarious. Not to say the Mushroom Kingdom is kind of boring, but the little guys make it more fun and lively. 

The whole adventure involves your chosen party navigating the entire kingdom. When you go into any of the worlds, you have to continue exploring to find the next level. 

Keep in mind that all levels have that entrance with two flags. Once you enter through, Mario will let out a gasp and you’re now involved in battle. 

Each level is like this. And while it seems repetitive, each battle is done depending on your strategy. 

You get to collect money and find chests along the way. And if you’ve collected enough, you can buy more weapons and skills. 

The whole adventure simply involves you taking down corrupt Rabbids. And along the way you have to chase after Bowser Jr. when he takes Spawny for his own plans. 

This Mario story is not just completely original. You get to fight someone other than Bowser. And that makes the game’s plot even more exciting. 

World 2 is where tactile gaming gets a little more challenging. You meet up with Toad who needs to carry a giant ice block to safety. Toad can’t fight, being an NPC who just does one thing then books it. 

Your job is to protect him as he carries the ice block to the safe point. You think with finishing World 1 this is easy. 

Believe me, it’s not. 

Toad doesn’t have much movement. And wherever he moves, enemies follow. You need to hide him behind stones and walls so he won’t get shot. 

And make sure to distance him from Smashers. Toad has only half the HP you do. Smashers can take at least 60% of that HP. 

It took me seven tries before I finally got Toad to safety. The level of hardness only gets bigger. The enemies become a lot more insane. 

The ones I really hate battling are the Bucklers. 

They are basically Rabbids on steroids who deflect your attacks. You have to dash them first before you shoot. And even if you shoot, it’ll take at least five tries before they’re done. 

And if they aren’t wiped out yet, you’re a sitting duck for the enemy’s turn. Take down the Bucklers first. 

But there’s one advantage to standing near an enemy. If a Buckler shoots at you, there’s a good chance it’ll end up shooting other enemies in its path. That is if you’re willing to sacrifice a friend (my suggestions are Mario or Rabbid Luigi). 

Baiting might sound cruel, but it’ll get the job done faster. And besides, your players always respawn after every victory. 

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle Graphics 

You get to explore areas beyond the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario, Rabbid Peach, Rabbid Luigi, as well as Beep-O venture through the Ancient Gardens. (above)

Above: How the game became what it is today. 

I’ve played different Switch games. Kirby. Crash Bandicoot. Sonic. And what do they all have in common?

Nice, clean graphics.

All these splashes of color are coming at me at once every time I turn on the Switch. Throw in the dabs of white that are the Rabbids, and we have a better, way more fun Mushroom Kingdom.

I can’t exactly say it’s semi-realistic. Cartoony is the better term. And that’s what makes the game awesome.

Recalling Rabbids Invasion, it’s like the creators applied the cartoon dynamics into the Mario realm.

I mean, have you seen Rabbid Yoshi? That guy’s animation is insane!

Sure, Mario and co were already a wacky bunch. But as soon as the Rabbids were thrown in, Mario stopped being a stiff poster board.

I have to say, compared to Super Mario Odyssey, the guy is a lot more expressive. He’s confused with the Rabbids’ antics. He worries when one of his comrades gets hurt. And he shows absolute uncertainty when Rabbid Peach sees the actual princess herself as a ‘knock-off’.

When the developers began the idea, they wanted Mario and the Rabbids to react to each other’s atmosphere. It’s like Eddie Valiant in Roger Rabbit’s world.

It all fits so well.

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle Developer 

Believe it or not, Nintendo didn’t come up with this first. 

Ubisoft did. Actually, Ubisoft Paris and Ubisoft Milan (there are a lot of Ubisofts). Shigeru Miyamoto was so impressed with the idea.

The fact that Mario’s creator was on board instantly, tells you that this was a great idea from the start. 

As I said before, Mario gets a gun.     

But if I have to point out the negative, there’s a mild bug in the game. And sometimes it can screw you a turn. 

I was in the final level of World 1 when it happened. 

I already had Mario dash an enemy before performing a team jump across the field. I was glued on the nearest target guaranteeing 100% advantage.  

I fired my blaster. Screen zoomed in on the shot. 

However, as soon as it hit the enemy, it just...disappeared. 

I just lost out on a golden shot. And when it was the enemies’ turn, Mario lost at least 80 HP. 

Even with the DLC updates, the glitch can still be there. Now I get nervous whenever I play the last level in World 1. 

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle Price

Made exclusively for the Switch, the game currently costs $59.99. The bonus modes can be downloaded for $14.99. 

If you already unlocked all the weapons, the Pixel Pack can be purchased in the Nintendo eshop. Or you buy the season pass that allows you to download both the weapons and bonuses. 

My suggestion? 

Go on ebay and search for Mario + Rabbid figures. Specifically the anniversary edition. In the box you’ll not only get a figurine, but also a code. 

Use the code. Get everything.  

FINAL VERDICT:   9.5/10 

Pros

• Versus gameplay
• Great storyline
• Weapon choices
• Character choices

Cons

• Some bugs
• Can switch only two of three players in story mode 

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