Article

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle makes tactics feel ridiculous

24 September 2026

Mario, Rabbid Peach, silly weapons, clever cover, colourful puzzles, and turn based battles collide in one surprisingly funny strategy adventure.

Imagine Mario hiding behind a block while Rabbid Peach takes a selfie in the middle of a battle. That sounds like somebody mixed two completely different games by accident, but Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle somehow makes it work. It is colourful, silly, and full of strange enemies, yet underneath all the jokes is a proper strategy game that makes every move matter.

Two worlds crash together

The adventure begins when a mysterious vortex causes a huge mess in the Mushroom Kingdom. The Rabbids arrive, familiar places get twisted around, and Mario has to help put everything back in order. He is joined by Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, and four Rabbid heroes who have their own funny versions of Nintendo personalities.

Rabbid Peach is probably the character people remember most because she is dramatic, confident, and completely obsessed with her phone. Rabbid Luigi looks nervous but can be very useful, while Rabbid Mario charges into danger like he has never heard of being careful. The characters do not just look different either. They have different weapons and abilities, so choosing a team of three can change how a battle feels.

The story is not trying to be super serious. Rabbids wobble around, strange things happen in the background, and the enemies can be ridiculous. I like that because strategy games can sometimes look a bit intimidating. Here, even when I am thinking hard about my next move, something goofy is usually happening on screen.

Every move becomes a puzzle

Battles are turn based, which means you can stop and think instead of needing lightning fast reactions. You move each hero around the battlefield, hide behind cover, use a weapon, and activate special abilities. Then the enemies get their turn. It sounds calm when written down, but it can become tense when your best hiding spot gets smashed or an enemy suddenly reaches a teammate you thought was safe.

Movement is one of the coolest parts. Heroes can dash through enemies for extra damage, jump off teammates to travel farther, and reach useful spots before attacking. A single turn can feel like planning a tiny stunt. I might dash into one enemy, bounce off Mario, land behind a wall, then fire at another enemy from the side. Getting the order right is almost as important as choosing the attack.

Cover makes the maps feel like puzzles. A strong block can protect a hero, while weaker cover might break apart during the fight. Some pipes send characters across the battlefield, and raised platforms can create better angles. Charging straight ahead is usually a terrible idea. Looking around first and working out where the enemies could move is much smarter.

A team full of choices

The official game descriptions say there are eight heroes, with Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Yoshi joining four Rabbid heroes. Each one brings something useful. Luigi is great when you want to attack from farther away. Peach can help protect nearby teammates. Rabbid Peach can restore health, which is very handy when a plan goes wrong and everyone gets bonked.

Weapons are wonderfully weird too. Instead of normal swords and bows, there are blasters, bouncing projectiles, and other cartoon gadgets. Some attacks can cause extra effects that push characters around or make them behave differently. That creates funny surprises, but it also gives you more to think about. Knocking an enemy out of cover can open a shot for the next hero, while pushing one into the wrong place can mess up the whole plan.

You can improve heroes as you progress, so the strategy keeps growing. The important bit is that the game introduces its ideas gradually. Early battles teach movement, cover, and attacking without throwing a giant instruction book at you. Later fights ask you to use those lessons in trickier ways.

Exploring between battles

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is not only a row of battle maps. Between fights, the team explores bright worlds filled with paths, coins, treasure chests, and puzzles. The official Ubisoft page describes a vast world with puzzles and unpredictable enemies, which fits the strange journey pretty well.

These exploring sections give your brain a break from combat. You might push blocks, follow coloured switches, search around corners, or watch Rabbids doing something completely silly. There are four main worlds to battle through, and each has its own look and challenges. The Mushroom Kingdom still feels familiar, but the Rabbids have turned it into a much stranger place.

Strategy without the gloomy stuff

What makes this game special is how welcoming it feels. Strategy is not about memorising a thousand rules or staring at a boring map. It is about asking simple questions. Where should Mario stand? Can Luigi reach that enemy? Should Rabbid Peach heal the team now? What happens if I use the pipe first?

There is also a local cooperative mode with turn based challenges, according to Nintendo’s official description. That makes it possible to share the tactical chaos with someone nearby. It is a nice fit because discussing a plan together can be just as entertaining as watching it succeed. It can also be hilarious when both players agree on a brilliant idea and it immediately falls apart.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle proves that clever games do not have to act serious. It lets you slow down, experiment, make mistakes, and try a better plan next time. One minute you feel like a tactical genius. The next minute a Rabbid is celebrating while Mario gets launched across the map. Somehow, both moments are equally fun.