Mario+Rabbids: Kingdom Battle drew a lot of ire from everyone when it was initially leaked, but some extremely strong E3 showings, coupled with the game’s creators’ earnestness, has since made everyone to come around on it, and it is now one of the most anticipated games of the year.
But it’s still such an odd game- a Mario and Rabbids crossover? What? Why? Why would you even do such a thing? How did the idea even come about? According to Xavier Manzanares, producer on the game, that very element of unusual surprise is what works so strongly in the game’s favor.
“It’s… a “what the f***” element between two brands and sets of characters, and it works. It fits, and reminiscent of what people know about Mario in terms of art, animation, accessibility etc as if it were from Nintendo. But then there’s the twist with the Rabbids, this is something different and players might want to see how far it’ll go. It’s an ongoing “what’s’ next” experience as you play, an interest in what can be surprising,” he said to Nintendo Life.
He is right, in a sense- a lot of the intrigue I have for the game is just to see how far they will go with blending these two very disparate universes together. Crossovers can be a powerful thing if done right – see also Super Smash Bros. – and it’s very clear that this game is being done right. Mario+Rabbids: Kingdom Battle launches exclusively on the Nintendo Switch on August 29.