Nobody expected this to work. Seriously. Back in 2017, when those first leaked images of Mario holding a laser gun alongside a Rabbid dressed as Princess Peach hit the internet, the collective groan from the gaming community was deafening. It looked like a boardroom fever dream. Ubisoft’s chaotic mascots meeting Nintendo’s golden boy? In a turn-based tactical RPG? It sounded like a recipe for a bargain-bin disaster. But then Davide Soliani, the creative director at Ubisoft Milan, cried on stage at E3 when Shigeru Miyamoto praised the game, and suddenly, the vibe shifted.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle isn't just a "good for a licensed game" title. It’s a legitimate heavyweight in the strategy genre that managed to out-design XCOM in several key areas while keeping the whimsical DNA of the Mushroom Kingdom intact.
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The Strategy Game That Fooled Everyone
If you’ve played tactical shooters before, you know the drill. High cover, low cover, hit percentages that make you want to throw your controller when a 95% shot misses. Kingdom Battle does things differently. It strips away the frustration of "chance to hit" mechanics. If you have a clear line of sight, you hit. If they’re behind low cover, it’s a 50/50 shot. High cover? Total protection. This transparency makes the game feel less like a gamble and more like a high-stakes chess match.
You’re managing a three-person squad. Usually, that includes Mario—who is mandatory for most of the main campaign—and a mix of other Nintendo icons or their Rabbid counterparts. Each character has a specific "archetype." Rabbid Peach is your primary healer, while Luigi is a glass-cannon sniper with incredible range but the physical durability of a wet paper towel.
The genius is in the movement.
In most strategy games, moving is just how you get from Point A to Point B. In Kingdom Battle, movement is an offensive tool. You can slide-tackle enemies as you pass them, then bounce off a teammate’s head to reach a higher platform, and then take your shot. It’s possible to damage three different enemies and reposition yourself across half the map in a single turn without ever pulling a trigger.
Why the Rabbids Actually Work (For Once)
Let's be real: Rabbids can be annoying. They were the "Minions" of gaming before Minions were even a thing. However, Ubisoft Milan tapped into a specific kind of slapstick comedy that actually complements Mario’s straight-man persona. Rabbid Kong—a giant, gluttonous version of Donkey Kong who dabs after attacking—is legitimately funny because of how much it contrasts with the polished, "perfect" world of Nintendo.
The environmental design is surprisingly dense. You aren't just jumping from battle to battle. There’s a world to explore here, filled with environmental puzzles that require you to manipulate blocks, switches, and statues. It’s not Breath of the Wild levels of complexity, but it provides a necessary breather between the intense combat encounters.
The game is divided into four main worlds: Ancient Gardens, Sherbet Desert, Spooky Trails, and Lava Pit. Each world introduces new mechanics. In the desert, you’re dealing with tornadoes that can fling you across the map. In the volcanic world, there are fireballs and high-damage environmental hazards. It keeps the 20-hour campaign from feeling repetitive.
The Complexity Spike Most People Forget
Don’t let the bright colors fool you. This game is hard.
Somewhere around the middle of World 2, the training wheels come off. You start encountering "Smasher" enemies—giant brutes who move toward you every time you hit them. If you aren't careful with your positioning, a Smasher will cross the entire map in one turn and flatten your team. This is where the skill tree (the "Camo") becomes vital. You can’t just buy every upgrade. You have to choose between increasing your movement range, boosting your special abilities, or upping your weapon damage.
The Power of Team Jumps and Pipes
The tactical depth comes from layering abilities. Mario has "Hero Sight," which is essentially Overwatch from XCOM. He shoots anything that moves during the enemy's turn. If you pair that with Rabbid Mario’s "Magnet Dance," which pulls enemies out of cover and toward him, you trigger Mario’s reaction shot automatically.
- Mario: The all-rounder. Great for mid-range combat and buffing team damage.
- Rabbid Luigi: The MVP of high-level play. His "Vamp" dash allows him to steal health from enemies, making him an unkillable tank if played correctly.
- Princess Peach: A late-game powerhouse who heals teammates every time she jumps.
The game forces you to think three steps ahead. You aren't just looking at where an enemy is now; you’re looking at where they’ll be after you flush them out of cover.
Grant Kirkhope and the Secret Sauce
We have to talk about the music. Ubisoft hired Grant Kirkhope—the legendary composer behind Banjo-Kazooie and GoldenEye 007. His score for Kingdom Battle is phenomenal. It captures the frantic energy of the Rabbids while maintaining the orchestral grandeur you expect from a Mario title. The boss battle music, particularly for the "Phantom of the Bwahpera," is a highlight. The Phantom is a Rabbid ghost who literally roasts Mario in operatic verse during the fight. It’s weird, it’s meta, and it’s arguably one of the best boss fights in any Mario-adjacent game.
The Donkey Kong Adventure Expansion
If you finish the base game and want more, the Donkey Kong Adventure DLC is actually better than the main game in some ways. It introduces DK and Rabbid Cranky. Donkey Kong changes the entire flow of combat because he can pick up and throw almost anything—enemies, teammates, cover blocks, even the "ears" of the Rabbid enemies.
It feels more like a playground. DK’s ability to swing on banana peels and use his bongos to lure enemies into traps creates a totally different tactical rhythm. If you're picking up the Gold Edition of the game, this is where you'll likely spend another 10 to 12 hours.
Common Misconceptions and Technical Hurdles
Some players complain about the "escort missions." Honestly? They’re the weakest part of the game. Protecting a defenseless NPC like Toad as he waddles across a battlefield filled with snipers is frustrating. It breaks the "power fantasy" of the movement system because you’re tethered to a slow-moving target.
Performance-wise, the game holds up well on the Switch. It runs at 900p docked and 720p in handheld mode. You’ll see some occasional frame drops when there are a lot of particle effects on screen—like when a bridge explodes or a giant boss transitions phases—but since it’s turn-based, it never actually affects the gameplay.
One thing to keep in mind: the game does not have traditional multiplayer in the campaign. There is a separate "Buddy Challenge" mode for local co-op, but the main story is a solo affair. If you were hoping to play through the whole story with a friend, you'll be disappointed.
How to Win at Kingdom Battle
If you’re just starting out, stop trying to play it like a cover shooter. This isn't Gears of War. If you stay behind the same piece of cover for more than two turns, the AI will flank you and destroy you. The AI in this game is surprisingly aggressive. They will use team jumps and pipes just as effectively as you do.
- Always look for the high ground. You get a significant damage boost when shooting from a higher elevation. Luigi is the king of this.
- Respect the "Smasher" enemies. Do not shoot them until the very end of your turn, or they will walk right up to you and end your run.
- Reset your skill tree often. You can reallocate your power orbs at any time for free. If a boss is giving you trouble, take all your points out of "movement" and dump them into "health" or "weapon techniques."
- Use status effects. "Honey" pins enemies in place, while "Push" or "Bounce" can knock them off the map for extra out-of-bounds damage.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle proved that the Nintendo Switch was a home for more than just first-party platformers. It’s a dense, challenging, and frequently hilarious strategy game that deserves a spot in any Switch library. It’s often on sale for a deep discount on the eShop, making it one of the best value-for-money titles on the platform.
To get the most out of your experience, focus on mastering the "Dash" and "Team Jump" mechanics early on. Don't be afraid to experiment with weird team compositions; while Mario is a staple, the synergy between Rabbid Peach's healing and Rabbid Luigi's life-steal can make your squad nearly invincible in the mid-game. Once you've cleared the main story, head straight into the Donkey Kong Adventure to see how the developers evolved the mechanics even further.