The Mario franchise has never shied away from exploring unfamiliar territory, but its latest game might be one of its weirdest yet: a crossover with Ubisoft’s Raving Rabbids franchise.
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle pairs the Mushroom Kingdom’s finest with a motley crew of the bonkers bunnies, arms them all with laser guns, and throws them into turn-based combat.
The game was officially revealed at E3 2017, and is set to be demonstrated at Gamescom 2017. It already looks better than it has any right to. Here’s everything we know so far about the game, including the release date, gameplay, and screenshots.
Read our Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle hands-on review.
When is the Mario + Rabbids release date?
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is coming out on the Nintendo Switch on 29 August 2017. Unsurprisingly, it’ll be a Switch exclusive.
You can already pre-order the game if you want to guarantee a copy on launch day. You can order it from Amazon for £49.99/$59.99 and be protected by the pre-order price guarantee.
You might want to order from elsewhere to get the game’s Collector’s Edition. That includes a Rabbid Mario figurine, a soundtrack, and 12 collector’s cards. You can pick it up for £84.99 from Game in the UK, or for $99.99 from GameStop in the US.
What is the gameplay like?
First up, it will see Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Yoshi team up with four Rabbids who are, somewhat confusingly, dressed as each of them. They’re all armed with laser guns, and will have unique personalities and playstyles.
The game will be a blend of exploration across four worlds, and turn-based combat, which will include 250 different upgradable weapons, special moves, and varied enemy types.
In terms of the combat, it’s a tactical shooter along the lines of XCOM or Final Fantasy Tactics, where you’ll have to use strategy, teamwork, and cover to win
There will be two-player local co-op challenges with three separate difficulty levels, while the full campaign should run to about 20 hours.
The best way to get a sense of what to expect is to watch Nintendo’s gameplay presentation from E3 2017, which breaks down the game’s hub, exploration, and a full fight:
Author: Dominic Preston, Deputy Editor
Tech Advisor's Deputy Editor, Dom covers everything that runs on electricity, from phones and laptops to wearables, audio, gaming, smart home, and streaming - plus he's a regular fixture on the Tech Advisor YouTube channel.