Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle Crossover Leaks For Nintendo Switch

Much to the chagrin of gamers who managed to get their claws on a Nintendo Switch console, there are not many games available yet, and the number dwindles when you weed out non-blockbuster releases. The good news is that will change in time, especially with third-party developers hopping on board. One of them is Ubisoft, which is working with Nintendo on a Mario and Rabbids RPG.

It is called Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle and it looks to be an odd title, though sometimes those are the most fun. In this case, the game contains a mix of exploration and turn-based combat, with the former estimated to account for 35 percent of the game play and the latter comprising 65 percent. This will all occur in four different "twisted" Mario-themed worlds filled with Easter eggs.


The turn-based combat portion will feature seven enemy archetypes along with a boss and mid-boss in each of the four worlds. Players will use different tactics to defeat enemies, such as dashing, team jumping, taking cover behind destructible objects, and so forth. Each playable character here will have a unique play style with a selection of weapons that can be upgraded. It is not yet known what those weapons will be.


There will be eight playable characters in all, including Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, and several others. Each has their own personality with quite the goofy mix. For example, Luigi will be an "eagle eye" when it comes to shooting enemies, while Princess Peach is described as a "badass."


Assuming the leaked slides are legitimate, this is going to be a quirky game with a healthy dose of self-awareness. Humor looks to be a point of focus, as well as avoiding cliches, especially as they pertain to Mario and the gang. Nintendo and Ubisoft even created a new genre for Mario + Rabbids, which they've dubbed a "crazy combat adventure."

The story mode will feature around 20 hours of game play. It will also support local 2-player co-op. There is no mention of there being online multiplayer, which seems like a missed opportunity to us.

In any event, this is shaping up to be a unique title that is not your average Nintendo fare. We're anxious to see how it plays out. Nintendo and Ubisoft are expected to unveil Mario + Rabbids at E3 in June, followed by a release in either August or September of this year.