Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is a turn-based tactical title for Nintendo Switch that crosses-over the Mario franchise with Ubisoft's Rabbids series. It is the only tactics game in the Mario franchise, and also incorporates some role-playing elements.

Story

The Rabbids getting sucked back into the Time Washing Machine. Mario is sent into the vortex.

The Rabbids end up with their Time Washing Machine in the laboratory of a Mario fan who is perfecting, along with her robot assistant Beep-0, a visor able to fuse two objects into one, called the SupaMerge. One Rabbid finds said visor and uses it to create Rabbid Peach, Rabbid Mario, and other Rabbids fused with objects. It also causes the Time Washing Machine to malfunction, sending Beep-0 and the Rabbids to the Mushroom Kingdom.

Meanwhile, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Toadette (who is seen among an audience of Toads), Toad, and Princess Peach are inaugurating a new Princess Peach statue. Suddenly, a vortex is formed and sucks Mario and the others in.

In midair over the Ancient Gardens, Beep-0 gains rabbit ears and the outline of two rabbit's teeth on the front. The Rabbid with the SupaMerge fuses with the headset, causing it to be stuck to him. Mario later saves Beep-0 from being crushed by the Time Washing Machine. Upon landing, they soon encounter Rabbid Peach and Rabbid Luigi, who join Mario's team and help them fight off various Garden Ziggies, thanks to weapons attached to a message sent by a mysterious F.B.. As they travel, they get a glimpse of the vortex, later referred to as the Megabug.

Soon after, Mario's group find Luigi and the Rabbid with the SupaMerge headset. Luigi and the SupaMerge Rabbid are both scared by a Piranha Plant with which a Rabbid is playing. Due to the fear, the SupaMerge Rabbid ends up fusing the other Rabbid with the Piranha Plant, creating the Pirabbid Plant. Mario's team successfully defeats the Plant and restore both the Piranha Plant and the Rabbid that was fused with it to their original selves. Seeing this, Luigi joins their team. Meanwhile, Beep-0 notices that the Megabug has grown in size.

Bowser Jr. has observed what happened with the Pirabbid Plant and, when Mario's team find the SupaMerge Rabbid and scare him, takes the chance to befriend him, naming him Spawny. With the intent of using Spawny's powers to take over the Mushroom Kingdom while his father is on vacation, Junior flies away with Spawny on his Junior Clown Car, while Mario's team must face a giant, ape-like Rabbid resembling Donkey Kong, named Rabbid Kong. They defeat Rabbid Kong, causing him to fall off of the platform they are standing on.

Mario's team then venture to Sherbet Desert, where thanks to a message from F.B. they discover that the Megabug is growing with every enemy Rabbid defeated. They also find Rabbid Mario frozen in an ice cube. They take him with them, and place the cube in a door in the hopes of freeing him. Said door opens, and they soon encounter Bowser Jr. with Spawny again. Bowser Jr. has Spawny look at Mario's team, which agitates the Rabbid, activating the SupaMerge's powers. Just before it activates, Bowser Jr. turns Spawny away, causing him to create Blizzy and Sandy, who proceed to attack Mario's team. Mario's team defeat both of them and save Rabbid Mario, who joins them. At the end of the desert, Mario's team face off against the Icicle Golem, who freezes them. However, Princess Peach appears and saves them, joining Mario's team in their fight against the monster. They eventually prevail.

Mario's team then go to Spooky Trails. They are directed to find two Relics of Goodness, a gramophone and a Boo-shaped balloon, under the instruction of a mysterious third party who wants them to wake up a being named "Tom Phan" who they claim has the power to defeat Bowser Jr.. After finding the relics, they discover through a message from the mysterious helper that they need a full moon. While finding a way to bring the full moon back, they come across Calavera, who is holding Rabbid Yoshi hostage. Mario's team defeat Calavera and are subsequently joined by Rabbid Yoshi. They then find a clock tower, by manipulating the clock they manage to get the full moon back and they get an invite to cross the now opened Moon Gate from the helper. They later find out that it is actually Bowser Jr. himself, who confronts them in a theater. Bowser Jr. scares Spawny, causing him to fuse a Rabbid with the Relics of Goodness to create the Phantom. The Phantom sings a song and battles Mario's group, but is defeated.

Bowser fusing with the Megabug.

The Megabug flies towards the heroes.

Later, they go to the Lava Pit, a volcano which has been transformed into a factory by Bowser Jr.. Here, they battle Junior in his Mecha Jr.. After this battle, Spawny seemingly falls to his doom as Bowser Jr. escapes. However, Spawny is saved by Yoshi, who subsequently joins Mario's team. It is only after this battle that Spawny seems regretful for all the trouble he has caused. After returning Spawny to safety, Mario's team attempt to leave via a crystal mine. However, Spawny is attracted to the Megabug which has grown strong enough to obtain a physical, phoenix-like form. The Megabug absorbs Spawny before heading in the direction of Bowser's Castle. Bowser Jr. returns to tell off Mario's team for allowing Spawny to get kidnapped and the Megabug to escape, noting that at least his father is still away. However, he gets a text message from his father, who has decided to return home early. Realizing that his father is in danger, Bowser Jr. flies off to Bowser's Castle while Mario's team chases after. On the way, they encounter two villainous Rabbids resembling Wario and Waluigi, named Bwario and Bwaluigi respectively. They, as well as another villainous Rabbid called the Lava Queen, battle and are defeated by Mario's group. Upon their arrival to Bowser's Castle, Bowser Jr. requests them to help Bowser return to his normal self, as he is barely conscious and near the Megabug. The latter fuses with Bowser, creating MegaDragonBowser. In this form, Bowser is defeated, freeing the Megabug that tries to attack Mario's team. Said team attacks the Megabug, destroying it and seemingly closing the rift while also freeing Spawny. Bowser Jr. takes Spawny back to the team and thanks them for what they have done, while also promising to be somewhat better. Fearing being chastised by his father, he tries to convince them to speak to Bowser on his behalf, but Mario's team return to Peach's Castle to tell that the threat is no more, while also inaugurating a new statue of Rabbid Peach. A delighted Rabbid Peach then takes a selfie with the group. After this, Beep-0 sends a letter to his past self with weapons through the Time Washing Machine, revealing that F.B. is actually Future Beep-0.

Gameplay

It has been requested that this section be rewritten and expanded to include more information.

The game is estimated to be composed of 35% exploration elements and 65% turn-based combat.[7] There is also multiplayer, local co-op mode. The combat is weapon-based, with the weapons primarily resembling guns (notably the Blaster, Boomshot, Rumblerang, and Precision class-weapons), though they also resemble warhammers (Melee-class), rocket launchers (Rocket-class), rubber ducks (Grenaduck-class), yo-yos (Bworb-class), and deployable shuttles (Sentry-class).

The exploration aspect of the game is controlled by Beep-0, a new character.[8] There are seven enemy archetypes, and one mid-boss and boss per world and four world environments. Some of the open world exploring involves puzzles.

Controls

The following descriptions are found in the Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle online manual.

Button In-game description Exploration Moves Beep-0 and your Heroes Moves the camera Interacts with an object, skips past dialogue screens (if you absolutely MUST) or confirms a selection Cancel Go to Battle HQ Pauses the game Combat Moves Beep-0 or selects a target Moves the camera Select Cancels your current action Switches to the Tactical Camera Ends your turn Switches Heroes Cycles through different actions Cycles through different actions Pauses the game

Heroes

Main Heroes

The player may use a total of three characters on a team, with Mario and at least one Rabbid always required. These restrictions were made for balancing, as the development team felt some combinations of characters were too powerful.[9]

Each character uses two weapons: a primary weapon that can be used every turn and a secondary weapon that requires cooling down in-between turns, as well as two Techniques. One of the techniques is either a line-of-sight technique that allows the user to fire at targets while they move for the Mario characters or a shield with different properties for the Rabbids. The other technique gives a unique effect exclusive to each of the eight characters.

Main Game

Mario Peach Luigi Yoshi Mario's offensive talents make him a natural choice to lead the charge in battle. He is a mid-to-close range fighter with excellent mobility. In her new role as a 'defender in a dress' vs. 'damsel in distress', Princess Peach strikes a nice balance between offense, defense and mobility. A master of long-range attacks (due to his fear of the front lines) Luigi has bravely led many 'fighting retreats' thanks to his advanced mobility. Yoshi is a long-range specialist who belongs behind the front lines where he can deliver a power-packed punch from afar. Loves fruit. Team Fighter Paladin Scout Eggsploder Offense ★★★★★ Defense ★★☆☆☆ Mobility ★★★☆☆ Offense ★★★☆☆ Defense ★★★☆☆ Mobility ★★★★☆ Offense ★★★★☆ Defense ★☆☆☆☆ Mobility ★★★★★ Offense ★★★★★ Defense ★★☆☆☆ Mobility ★★★☆☆ Health Points

220 Health Points

340 Health Points

130 Health Points

420 Area of Movement

6 Cells Area of Movement

6 Cells Area of Movement

6 Cells Area of Movement

6 Cells Pipe Exit Range

3 Cells Pipe Exit Range

3 Cells Pipe Exit Range

3 Cells Pipe Exit Range

3 Cells Dash

20 Damage Dash

20 Damage Dash

20 Damage Dash

20 Damage Stomp Jump

6 Cells An attack at an enemy's headfollowing a TEAM JUMP. Afterwards Mario lands on a nearby cell. Technique Range

6 Cells

Stomp Range

3 Cells

Damage

30 Healing Jump

6 Cells A TEAM JUMP that allows Peach to heal nearby teammates after landing. Technique Range

6 Cells

Healing Range

2 Cells

HP Bonus

5% Double Jump

6 Cells Allows Luigi to perform a TEAM JUMP with two successive Heroes. Technique Range

6 Ground Pound

6 Cells A ground strike following a TEAM JUMP that deals damage to everyone in range. Technique Range

6 Cells

Ground Pound Range

3 Cells

Damage

30 Primary Weapon

Blaster A short to mid-range weapon that fires one round at a time at a single target. Lightning Shark

Hit Damage

25-35

Medium Range

10 Cells

Cover Damage

LOW Secondary Weapon

Melee Close-range weapon that can hit multiple targets at once. Button Masher

Hit Damage

55-65

Close Range

1 Cell

Cover Damage

NONE

Cooldown

1 Turn

Area of Damage

2 Cells Primary Weapon

Boomshot Short-range weapon capable of hitting multiple targets at once without cooldown. Blue Flame

Hit Damage

90-100

Short Range

7 Cells

Cover Damage

LOW Secondary Weapon

Grenaduck Tossed overhead at a target for an area attack affecting all enemies within range. The Duckess

Hit Damage

65-75

Medium Range

10 Cells

Cover Damage

LOW

Cooldown

1 Turn

Area of Damage

2 Cells Primary Weapon

Precision A long range weapon that fires one round at a single target. Suction Destruction

Hit Damage

35-45

Long Range

15 Cells

Cover Damage

LOW Secondary Weapon

Sentry Never stops chasing its target, it will detonate when it gets close. Can be destroyed. Top Gear

Hit Damage

45-55

Long Range

15 Cells

Cover Damage

LOW

Cooldown

1 Turn

Area of Damage

1 Cell

Sentry Health Points

150

Sentry Move Range

6 Cells Primary Weapon

Rumblebang Mid-range weapon that fires multiple rounds at once at a single target. Egg Creamer

Hit Damage

125-255

Medium Range

10 Cells

Cover Damage

LOW Secondary Weapon

Rocket Area attack affecting all enemies within range. Supa Bwahzooka

Hit Damage

120-130

Long Range

15 Cells

Cover Damage

LOW

Cooldown

1 Turn

Area of Damage

3 Cells Primary Technique

Hero Sight This bonus attack is a mid-range reaction shot dealt to the first enemy to move within Mario's line of sight. Cooldown

3 Turns

Reaction Shots

1

Reaction Shot DMG

80% Secondary Technique

M-Power Increases Mario's weapon damage along with the damage caused by any Heroes in range. Cooldown

3 Turns

Technique Range

4 Cells

DMG Increase

20% Primary Technique

Royal Gaze This bonus attack is a short reaction shot dealt to the first enemy to move within Peach's line of sight. Cooldown

3 Turns

Reaction Shots

1

Reaction Shot DMG

80% Secondary Technique

Protection Damage taken by Heroes within range is partially absorbed by Peach. Cooldown

2 Turns

Technique Range

4 Cells

DMG Reduction

30% Primary Technique

Steely Stare This bonus attack is a long range reaction shot dealt to the first enemy to move within Luigi's line of sight. Cooldown

2 Turns

Reaction Shots

1

Reaction Shot DMG

50% Secondary Technique

Itchy Feet Area of Movement is increased for all Heroes in range. Cooldown

2 Turns

Technique Range

4 Cells

Extra Cells

1 Cell Primary Technique

Egg Beater Bonus attack - a mid-range reaction shot dealt to enemies within Yoshi's line of sight. Cooldown

3 Turns

Reaction Shots

1

Reaction Shot DMG

100% Secondary Technique

Super Chance Gives Yoshi and Heroes around him a sure-fire Super Effect attack. Cooldown

3 Turns

Technique Range

4 Cells Rabbid Mario Rabbid Peach Rabbid Luigi Rabbid Yoshi A big league brawler with exceptional luck, a dependable defense, solid moves and massive case of imposter syndrome. A proficient healer and damage-denier, when this defense-oriented prima donna takes the battlefield she keeps one eye on the enemy, and one on Mario. Rabbid Luigi is a defensive specialist who can leverage the unpredictable elemental forces that surround us all to great strategic effect. Rabbid Yoshi is best utilized lashing out with heavy weapons at long range. His arsenal includes melee skills, solid defense and a cool victory dance. Brawler Healer Wizard Boomboomer Offense ★★★★☆ Defense ★★☆☆☆ Mobility ★★★★☆ Offense ★★☆☆☆ Defense ★★★★★ Mobility ★★★☆☆ Offense ★★★☆☆ Defense ★★★★☆ Mobility ★★★☆☆ Offense ★★★☆☆ Defense ★★★★☆ Mobility ★★★☆☆ Health Points

265 Health Points

220 Health Points

200 Health Points

290 Area of Movement

6 Cells Area of Movement

6 Cells Area of Movement

6 Cells Area of Movement

6 Cells Pipe Exit Range

3 Cells Pipe Exit Range

3 Cells Pipe Exit Range

3 Cells Pipe Exit Range

3 Cells Boom Dash

20 Damage An explosive area attack Rabbid Mario performs with a DASH. Damage

20

Technique Range

2 Cells Stylish Dash

20 Damage Allows Rabbid Peach to DASH more than one enemy while on the move. Damage

20 Vamp Dash

30 Damage Allows Rabbid Luigi to drain enemy Health Points with a DASH. Damage

30

Life Drain

30% Ultra Dash

20 Damage Allows Rabbid Yoshi to DASH several enemies while on the move. Damage

20 Team Jump

6 Cells Team Jump

6 Cells Team Jump

6 Cells Team Jump

6 Cells Primary Weapon

Boomshot Short-range weapon capable of hitting multiple targets at once without cooldown. Red Lightning

Hit Damage

90-100

Short Range

7 Cells

Cover Damage

LOW Secondary Weapon

Melee Close-range weapon that can hit multiple targets at once. Big Blue Bopper

Hit Damage

105-115

Close Range

1 Cell

Cover Damage

NONE

Cooldown

1 Turn

Area of Damage

2 Cells Primary Weapon

Blaster A short to mid-range weapon that fires one round at a time at a single target. Fuchsia Fury

Hit Damage

25-35

Medium Range

10 Cells

Cover Damage

LOW Secondary Weapon

Sentry Never stops chasing its target, it will detonate when it gets close. Can be destroyed. Excavator

Hit Damage

45-55

Long Range

15 Cells

Cover Damage

LOW

Cooldown

1 Turn

Area of Damage

1 Cell

Sentry Health Points

150

Sentry Move Range

6 Cells Primary Weapon

Bworb Fires one round at a single target with lots of side effects. Dwarf Star

Hit Damage

20-30

Medium Range

10 Cells

Cover Damage

LOW Secondary Weapon

Rocket Area attack affecting all enemies within range. Pipe Dream

Hit Damage

20-30

Long Range

15 Cells

Cover Damage

LOW

Cooldown

1 Turn

Area of Damage

2 Cells Primary Weapon

Rumblebang Mid-range weapon that fires multiple rounds at once at a single target. Egg Fry

Hit Damage

70-180

Medium Range

11 Cells

Cover Damage

LOW Secondary Weapon

Grenaduck Tossed overhead at a target for an area attack affecting all enemies within range. Yoshimite

Hit Damage

70-180

Medium Range

10 Cells

Cover Damage

LOW

Cooldown

1 Turn

Area of Damage

3 Cells Primary Technique

Bodyguard Limits damage dealt from movement-based attacks like Dash. Cooldown

2 Turns

Weapon DMG Reduction

0%

Movement DMG Reduction

80% Secondary Technique

Magnet Dance Enemies within range are drawn to Rabbid Mario. Cooldown

3 Turns

Technique Range

6 Cells Primary Technique

Shield Limits damage taken by Rabbid Peach from enemy weapons. Cooldown

2 Turns

Weapon DMG Reduction

40%

Movement DMG Reduction

20% Secondary Technique

Heal Restores health points to all Heroes in range. Cooldown

3 Turns

Technique Range

4 Cells

HP Bonus

20% Primary Technique

Super Barrier Grants Rabbid Luigi immunity to Super Effects and reduces regular damage. Cooldown

2 Turns

Weapon DMG Reduction

20%

Movement DMG Reduction

20% Secondary Technique

Weaken Weakens enemy weapons near Rabbid Luigi. Cooldown

2 Turns

Technique Range

6 Cells

DMG Reduction

20% Primary Technique

Outer Shell Damage taken by Rabbid Yoshi from an enemy's first successful attack is reduced to less than half. Cooldown

2 Turns

Weapon DMG Reduction

80%

Movement DMG Reduction

80%

Attacks Absorbed

1 Secondary Technique

Scaredy Rabbid Enemies within range are sent running. Cooldown

3 Turns

Technique Range

6 Cells

Donkey Kong Adventure DLC

In the Donkey Kong Adventure mode, only Donkey Kong, Rabbid Peach, and Rabbid Cranky are playable.

Donkey Kong Rabbid Peach Rabbid Cranky He's the Ziggy crushin', high jumpin', cover point luggin', king of the ground-pondin' apes who never backs down when his friends (or his banana supply) are endangered. A proficient healer and damage-denier, when this defense-oriented prima donna takes the battlefield she keeps one eye on the enemy, and one on Mario. The irascible Rabbid Cranky may not be as fast as he used to be, but he doesn't need to be when he has a Boombow and short-ranged Barrel Bolts as explosive as his temper. Health Points

280 Health Points

220 Health Points

200 Area of Movement

6 Cells Area of Movement

6 Cells Area of Movement

6 Cells Pipe Exit Range

3 Cells Pipe Exit Range

3 Cells Pipe Exit Range

3 Cells Grab & Launch

20 Damage Allows Donkey Kong to pick up allies, enemies, Cover Blocks or Sentries, move to another cell and launch them. Cleanses an ally overcome by a Super Effect. Damage

20 Stylish Dash

30 Damage Allows Rabbid Peach to DASH more than one enemy while on the move. Damage

30 Dash

20 Damage Allows Rabbid Cranky to damage an enemy while on the move. Damage

20 Throw Range

6 Cells The distance Donkey Kong can throw. Ah! Those bulging biceps! Technique Range

6 Cells Team Jump

6 Cells Grump Jump

6 Cells While performing a TEAM JUMP, Rabbid Cranky strikes the landing area dealing damage to everyone in range. Team Jump Range

6 Cells

Grump Jump Range

2 Cells

Damage

30 Primary Weapon

Bwananarang Mid-range weapon capable of hitting multiple targets in a row without cooldown. Potassium Pulverizer

Hit Damage

20-30

Bounce Damage

39

Bounce Chance

30%

Medium Range

7 Cells

Cover Damage

LOW

Ricochets

3 Secondary Weapon

DK Ground Pound Targeted attack affecting all enemies within a cylindrical area, regardless of cover. The Classic

Hit Damage

45-55

Bounce Damage

72

Bounce Chance

30%

Short Range

2 Cells

Cover Damage

LOW

Cooldown

1 Turn

Area of Damage

2 Cells Primary Weapon

Blaster A short to mid-range weapon that fires one round at a time at a single target. Megalodon

Hit Damage

20-30

Honey Damage

39

Honey Chance

30%

Medium Range

10 Cells

Cover Damage

LOW Secondary Weapon

Sentry Never stops chasing its target, it will detonate when it gets close. Can be destroyed. Panoramic Pillager

Hit Damage

30-40

Honey Damage

52

Honey Chance

30%

Long Range

15 Cells

Cover Damage

LOW

Cooldown

1 Turn

Area of Damage

1 Cell

Sentry Health Points

60

Sentry Move Range

6 Cells Primary Weapon

Boombow Delivers a scattershot attack affecting enemies out in the open. Wood Shop Walloper

Hit Damage

40-50

Vamp Damage

65

Vamp Chance

30%

Medium Range

10 Cells

Cover Damage

LOW Secondary Weapon

Barrel Bolt Explosive Boombow ammo with a high arc, short range and damage unhindered by cover. Barrel of Fun

Hit Damage

30-40

Vamp Damage

52

Vamp Chance

30%

Medium Range

8 Cells

Cover Damage

LOW

Cooldown

1 Turn

Area of Damage

1 Cell Primary Technique

Hairy Eye This bonus attack is a mid-range reaction shot dealt to the first enemy to move within Donkey Kong's line of sight. Cooldown

3 Turns

Reaction Shots

1

Reaction Shot DMG

100% Secondary Technique

Magnet Groove Enemies within range will be drawn to Donkey Kong's irresistable jungle beats when he busts out the bongos and takes them for a ride to beat town! Cooldown

4 Turns

Technique Range

6 Cells Primary Technique

Shield Limits damage taken by Rabbid Peach from any enemy attack. Cooldown

2 Turns

DMG Reduction

30% Secondary Technique

Heal Restores health points to all Heroes in range. Cooldown

3 Turns

Technique Range

6 Cells

HP Bonus

30% Primary Technique

Stink Eye This bonus attack is a mid-range reaction shot dealt to the first enemy to move within Rabbid Cranky's disapproving gaze. Cooldown

3 Turns

Reaction Shots

1

Reaction Shot DMG

70% Secondary Technique

Long Story Puts enemies within range to sleep, sparing them Rabbid Cranky's latest rant or complaints about the post office. Cooldown

3 Turns

Technique Range

6 Cells

Skill Trees

To read the full list of skills and upgrades that can be purchased in the Skill Trees, see List of Skill Trees in Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle.

After gaining Power Orbs throughout the game it is possible to spend them to purchase various skill and upgrades for each character. The skills and upgrades are classified in four categories: Movement, Attack, Technique and Other. The upgrades and skills of each category can only be bought after a specific mandatory skill in said category has been bought, and the skills and upgrades in the Other category can only be bought after the three mandatory skills of the other categories have been bought, creating a tree-like structure of requirements and categorization known as Skill Tree.

Secondary Heroes

These characters are playable in escort levels. They cannot attack enemies.

Enemies

Ancient Gardens

Sherbet Desert

Spooky Trails

Lava Pit

Other characters

Items and objects

Weapons

There are various weapons in the game, organized in thirteen categories: Blaster, Melee, Precision, Sentry, Rumblebang, Rocket, Boomshot, Grenaduck, Bworb, Boombow, Bwananarang, DK Ground Pound, and Barrel Bolt. Each character can equip both a primary and secondary weapon, both of which pertain to specific classes. The last four weapon classes are exclusive to the Donkey Kong Adventure DLC, and function similarly to Melee, Boomshot, and Grenaduck weapons; however, only the Bwananarang is a completely unique weapon.

Worlds

amiibo compatibility

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is compatible with amiibo. The ability to scan amiibo in-game is unlocked after World 1-5, Brother, Where Art Thou?, is completed. The compatible amiibo are the characters Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Yoshi, and they each unlock a weapon for these characters and their Rabbid deriratives (i.e. Mario amiibo unlock weapons for Mario and Rabbid Mario, etc.).

Add-on content

Image detailing the add-on content.

Pixel Pack

A "pixel pack" of eight primary weapons is available via download code for those who preordered Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle[10]. Otherwise, it can be downloaded as paid add-on content via Nintendo eShop. The weapons included are as follows:

Season Pass

A season pass of paid add-on content has been announced for Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. The content was released in three packs, which contain the following:[11]

This content, alongside the base game, is included in Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle Gold Edition.

Versus

The character selection.

Gameplay of the Versus mode.

Added through an update released on December 8th, 2017, Versus allows two players to pit their team of characters against each other. Players pick a team of three characters and assign them weapons. Each player is limited to three actions per turn, which are split between the three characters (for example, all three characters can perform one action or one character can perform three actions). The characters players can choose from not based on those used in the main campaign[14], however each character has three distinct sets based off of their ingame abilities.

Donkey Kong Adventure

Main article: Donkey Kong Adventure

The Donkey Kong Adventure Expansion Pack was released on June 26, 2018. As its name suggests, it features Donkey Kong. This expansion sees Rabbid Peach and Beep-0 becoming separated from the others and landing on Donkey Kong Island, where Rabbid Kong, who seeks revenge for his defeat in the main game, has formed an army. A Megabug has also appeared on the island, contaminating bananas and increasing Rabbid Kong's power. Rabbid Peach and Beep-0 work with Donkey Kong and Rabbid Cranky to get Rabbid Kong's army and the Megabug off the island, as well as decontaminate the bananas.[15] Unlike the rest of the season pass, Donkey Kong Adventure can be purchased standalone.[16]

Development

The first prototype.

After the Japanese release of Just Dance in 2011, Nintendo and Ubisoft began experimenting a concept featuring a "new genre" with Mario and the Rabbids[17], in part due to the over 20 year relationship between the companies. According to producer Xavier Manzanare, Ubisoft's Rabbids developers were not going to make another Rabbids party game due to poor sales of later entries and "internal fatigue", but felt that the Rabbids characters could bring something unique to other genres of games.[18] Creative Director Davide Soliani and the development team (being "tactical fans") proposed creating a turn-based game, but wanted to "stay true to the Mario universe" and developed it with "tactical combat phases with adventure phases" while creating the enemies and tone.[19] Three weeks after an internal pitch meeting, the development team created a playable prototype, featuring Mario and Luigi recreated from scratch in order to "bring the essence of those two characters", and presented it to Nintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto in Kyoto, Japan. Miyamoto was reportedly impressed[20], telling the development team he wanted a type of Mario game that was never done before and challenged them to make a Mario game with no jumping.[21]

Although pre-release impressions often compared Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle to the long-running X-COM series of turn-based tactics games (and indeed, X-COM's creator Julian Gollop had been invited to work on the game[22]), Davide Soliani cited Mario Kart as a key inspiration for the design of the game, stating the goal was to make a turn-based tactics game that was not only quick and accessible, but also spectator friendly.[21] Handling the crossover aspect was a challenge: Soliani stated that early on, the team was conscious about "having a balance" between the Mario and Rabbids universes, but were encouraged by Nintendo to "not worry about it"[21] and Miyamoto, who said "Show me your colors. Show me your Rabbids' humor even more. Show me how crazy you can be".[18] The developers were also apprehensive about the idea of featuring guns as the primary weapon in a Mario game, but Nintendo approved it the first time it was presented.[23] Soliani characterized Nintendo as open-minded, stating "Every time you are proposing something crazy to Nintendo, they are quite open-minded. But you need a good justification and a good logic to create something in the Mario universe.[23]

The game was officially announced at E3 2017 during Ubisoft's press conference, although images of it were leaked prior.[24] The "leak" caused grief to the development team due to the largely negative reaction[18], although their fears were assuaged after the game's E3 unveiling was met with a positive response.[18] Upon release, the game garnered positive reception (detailed below).

Pre-release and unused content

Early ideas

Davide Soliani mentioned a few scrapped ideas during an Ask Me Anything session set on Reddit's Nintendo subreddit[25].

A Rabbid Whomp character.

A mechanic called "Fumble", described as "Some weapons were supposed to be truly powerful, but with a high risk of exploding".

A parody of the Sailor Moon transformation sequence featuring Rabbid Peach. The animation had previously been posted on Soliani's Twitter account [26] .

transformation sequence featuring Rabbid Peach. The animation had previously been posted on Soliani's Twitter account . The Phantom's song was originally meant to have three different styles of music for its three phases, with one phase being an opera song, one being a rap song, and one being a metal song respectively. [27]

Glitches

An eyeless Goomba can be seen at the far left side of the image. (Taken during Remember the Bwahlamo , the second co-op challenge of Ancient Gardens)

Eyeless Goomba

Goombas that are stuck in honey are rendered eyeless if the camera is positioned so that they appear near the side of the screen.

Boo Companion

There is a random glitch that makes Boos companions of sorts. There is no specific method to make this glitch occur, but during the glitch, Boos won't teleport the player's heroes to different locations during a battle, and they'll also appear in the player's victory screen after winning a battle. In addition, one or more Boos will follow the player out of battle; additionally, the Boos from the battlefield will still appear, and in specifically in Spooky Trails' secret chapter, the player will not be allowed to leave the area (unless they exit the game via the pause menu).

Random flickering object placement glitch

Sometimes in Spooky Trails and Lava Pit, random background objects will randomly flicker around to places they do not belong. Normally, this is a simple thing the game will fix quickly, but in other cases, the glitch will persist and start affecting things around the player, potentially causing coins on moving platforms to get stuck in the ground end similar things. Occasionally, a piece will start to blink over Beep-O, eventually leading to an exception that crashes the game.

Staff

Critical reception

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle has received generally positive reviews from professional critics. It received a score of 8 out of 10 from Russ Frushtick of Polygon. He said that the game "offer[s] up a legitimately challenging squad tactics experience without alienating the family-friendly Mario audience", but also stated that "it doesn’t quite have the full layer of spit and polish of a [Nintendo developed] title".[28] Dan Stapleton of IGN gave the game a 7.7 out of 10 (a "Good" rating). He praised the game's difficulty, animation, and "enemy variety", but criticized the rewards for completing puzzles and "the progression system".[29] The game currently averages 85% on Metacritic based on 91 reviews.[30]

The game has been credited by Ubisoft Milan staff as a "game changer" for the studio as, following the game's critical and commercial success, the studio started receiving ten times more job applications than it had at any point of its history.[31]

Reviews Release Reviewer, Publication Score Comment Nintendo Switch Jeff Gerstmann,

Giant Bomb 3/5 The out-of-combat drudgery and late-game enemy design are probably the only negative things about Mario + Rabbids, but they end up casting a large shadow over the experience as a whole. That's not to say that the game should have just been some friendly cakewalk from start to finish--the game's got difficulty options that ensure that anyone should be able to get through the fights with enough persistence--but the way the game changes things up near the end makes the combat feel like a chore on any setting. It's an unfortunate shift that mars the final product quite a bit. This is still a wild ride with a handful of amazing moments, but the gameplay part of it needs more variety than it has, so the whole thing ends up coming back down to earth and feeling a little disappointing by the end. Nintendo Switch Edmond Tran,

GameSpot 9/10 Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle exudes off-beat optimism that never dissolves. It's a consistent delight, no matter how challenging the road becomes, because Kingdom Battle's unique turn-based tactics system is in every way a pleasure to engage with. Coupled with the annoyingly infectious allure of Rabbids, and the always delightful, colorful world of the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is an implausibly engrossing formula that is positively challenging and endlessly charming. Nintendo Switch Russ Frushtick,

Polygon 8/10 Mario + Rabbids manages to walk a narrow road, offering up a legitimately challenging squad tactics experience without alienating the family-friendly Mario audience. While it doesn’t quite have the full layer of spit and polish of an in-house title, Ubisoft’s game comes damn close to capturing that Nintendo magic. Nintendo Switch Dan Stapleton,

IGN 7.7/10 Based on its colorful world, beautiful animation, and source material you might expect Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle to be “My first turn-based tactics game.” But you’re in for a surprise: even for XCOM vets some of its battles are challenging puzzles. Some of its tougher levels do devolve into a trial-and-error slog, but a good mix of enemies, objectives, and character abilities keep things interesting. Nintendo Switch Chris Carter,

Destructoid 7.5/10 Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle's guts are impressive, but its main event feels like a [good] expansion for a fleshed-out strategy RPG that has more to offer than a great combat system. By the time it opens up halfway in and you really start to delve into the skill tree, it begs to be played. But until then both exploration and some battles feel like going through the motions in a "kinda sorta" tutorial way. Aggregators Compiler Platform / Score Metacritic 85 GameRankings 84.63%

Sales

As of September 21 2017, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is the best-selling third party game on the Nintendo Switch, and was noted to have outsold at least one first-party game, although no specific numbers were disclosed.[32] According to NPD Group data, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was the 7th best-selling individual game for September 2017.[33] In France, the game sold over 150,000 copies in 2017.[34]

Awards and acknowledgements

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was nominated for two awards at The Game Awards 2017, winning one, in the following categories:

References to other games

References in later games

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle.

Media

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning Japanese マリオ＋ラビッツ キングダムバトル

Mario + Rabittsu Kingudamu Batoru Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle French Mario + The Lapins Crétins Kingdom Battle Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle Russian Mario + Rabbids: Битва За Королевство

Mario + Rabbids: Bitva Za Korolevstvo Mario + Rabbids: Battle For The Kingdom Chinese 马力欧+疯狂兔子：王国之战(Simplified)[44]

瑪利歐+瘋狂兔子 王國之戰(Traditional)[45]

Mǎlìōu + Fēngkuángtùzi: Wánggúo Zhīzhàn Mario + Rabbids: Battle of the Kingdom

Trivia

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was not the first attempt by Ubisoft to crossover Mario with the Rabbids: in 2010, Ubisoft Paris had pitched a Mario/Rabbids crossover adventure game for the Wii, which ended up being rejected by Nintendo. [46]

was not the first attempt by Ubisoft to crossover Mario with the Rabbids: in 2010, Ubisoft Paris had pitched a Mario/Rabbids crossover adventure game for the Wii, which ended up being rejected by Nintendo. In the opening sequence, Genius Girl opens a magazine, which shows herself in a posture referencing Pagan Min, the main antagonist of Ubisoft's Far Cry 4, which is taken from that game's box art.