15 Games That Overcame the Odds to Become Successful

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle

Let’s be real – when the concept art for Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle leaked, there was some skepticism. Mario? As in the Super Mario, teaming up with the Rabbids? Why wasn’t he with Rayman, another platformer icon? Why is he using guns? When eventually revealed, Kingdom Battle was confirmed to be a turn-based tactical RPG. The Rabbids had entered the world of the Mushroom Kingdom, and Mario, Peach and Luigi had to work together with them to restore order. The response was generally positive compared to the initial art leak.

However, there are so many ways this could have gone wrong – count the number of good tactical RPGs that the developer had made on one hand. And yet, the result was incredibly fun, with some sick combat, challenging scenarios and gorgeous visuals. Even the story was fun to play, with the Rabbids serving as strong foils for Mario and his friends. Unfortunately, despite being a success, its follow-up, Sparks of Hope, underperformed in comparison.