Common Sense Media Review
By David Chapman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Madcap, must-have strategic adventure for Nintendo fans.
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Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 4 parent reviews
What’s It About?
Worlds collide in MARIO + RABBIDS KINGDOM BATTLE after a malfunctioning time washing machine brings the misfit miscreants of the hit Rabbids series crashing into the Mushroom Kingdom, where Mario and his pals make their home. Thanks to some earlier high-tech hijinks, the Rabbids are getting merged with creatures and items in the Mushroom Kingdom, while tearing the world apart at the same time. To save the Kingdom, Mario and company will team up with their Rabbid doppelgangers to track down the source of the chaos and put everything back to normal ... or at least as normal as things can get when the Rabbids are involved. Outwit your foes in turn-based combat in both single-player story mode and co-op challenges, solve puzzles, and track down fun collectibles in an epic journey across four unique worlds.
Is It Any Good?
Mario might be the reigning king of video games, but when his franchise gets invaded by an army of raving Rabbids, players get treated to a wonderfully wacky, must-have Switch adventure. Make no mistake about it, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is just oozing with personality. It's a blast to watch how the characters interact with each other, not only in cut-scenes, but during gameplay as well. They all have distinct behaviors, from Beep-0's sarcastic quips to Mario and Peach's purity and innocence to the Rabbids' almost manic mayhem. And yet, as diverse and strange as it might seem, the story still somehow seems to fit both franchises perfectly, like a certain plumber's hand-stitched gloves.
Still, this is a video game and not a cartoon, and a game needs to be fun to play. Thankfully, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle delivers here, as well. The game has a surprising amount of depth and strategy built into it, great for fans of turn-based, tactical role-playing games. Each character has certain specialties, skills, and equipment, with real thought going into how best to prepare for certain enemies. But if you've never even touched a tactical RPG title before, the game has you covered, with an intuitive hands-on tutorial at the start, and solid help and info options that explain just about every facet of the gameplay in easy-to-understand descriptions. As it stands, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is one of the most completely entertaining games available on the Nintendo Switch, and a title that belongs in any Nintendo fan's library.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in video games. What effect, if any, does silly, cartoonish violence in games like Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle have on younger players?
Talk about teamwork. What are some positive ways to work with others to overcome obstacles and accomplish certain goals? What are some examples of bringing together different skills in new and useful ways?
Game Details
- Platform: Nintendo Switch
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: UbiSoft
- Release date: August 29, 2017
- Genre: Strategy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More , Adventures , Friendship
- ESRB rating: E10+ for Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief, Mild Language
- Last updated: March 16, 2020
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