Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

It may look like a crossover destined for disaster, but Ubisoft has truly pulled the Rabbid out of the hat for this Mario mashup

Space Jam. Kingdom Hearts. Mayweather vs Mcgregor. Three examples to show how fantastic crossovers can be… and then we have Alien vs Predator to show us how bad they can get. When we first heard that Mario would be joining forces with Ubisoft’s annoying Rabbids, we couldn’t help but think it was doomed to plunge into the latter camp. Turns out we were wrong. Dead wrong. Sorry for doubting you, Rabbids.

Mario + Rabbids features a Mushroom Kingdom like you’ve never seen before. A contraption called the Supamerge has been fusing things together, resulting in the likes of the hilarious Rabbid Luigi and the selfie-obsessed Rabbid Peach. Separated from his friends, Mario must enlist the help of these unlikely allies to save the kingdom.

This game was a gamble – not just because of the plumber’s odd choice of company, but because it tries something completely new with its gameplay. While anyone who’s played the likes of Fire Emblem, XCOM or the hordes of turn-based strategy games on PC will be familiar with the battle system, it’ s seen some changes here to accommodate a more casual audience. Ubisoft has taken away the ruthless difficulty, cut down the overwhelming stats and introduced some honey-spitting weaponry to boot.

After breezing past the earlier fights, we grew concerned by the extent of this simplification. But, thanks to a superb difficulty curve, all doubts were gunned down. New enemy types are frequently introduced, from close-combat brutes to teleporting snipers, ensuring each map offers a unique challenge – enough to keep serious gamers entertained while offering an easy mode to satisfy kids too.

With addictive combat, a charming story and an abundance of content including co-op, Mario + Rabbids gets so much right that it’s hard to find flaws. Other than Zelda, this might just be the best game available on the Switch. Ryan Jones

STUFF SAYS A fun tactical crossover that’s one of the best Switch titles to date

There are eight characters available for your group, with their own skills and weaponry.

You can unlock collectables and new weapons by solving puzzles between fights.