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Confused by the concept of Mario and the Rabbids in a shared world? Us too, until we chatted to
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle game director Davide Soliani about where the idea came from.
How and when did
the idea for the
game come about?
DAVID SOLIANI:
Three years ago,
the strong relationship
we have with Nintendo
gave us the opportunity to create a
game featuring Mario, his friends,
and our irreverent Rabbids. We
used a shared vision to create a
brand new experience.
Rabbids have their roots in video
games. It is in their DNA to twist
universes in playful, irreverent
ways. So we thought what a
surprise it would make to have
them partner with Mario and his
friends?
When the concept was
presented to Mr. Miyamoto, he
was instantaneously excited
by the passion and the idea of
merging these two contrasting
universes. He knew it would lead
to a surprising and unexpected
experience for Mario fans.
Was it difficult to coordinate the
two developers?
Ubisoft and Nintendo have
a very strong relationship, and
the creation of Mario + Rabbids
Kingdom Battle is a great example
of how we are able to work
together to create something
amazing. While the game was
fully developed and produced by
Ubisoft Paris, Ubisoft Milan and
Ubisoft Montpellier, it was created
with the approval and the trust
of Nintendo to use the Mario IP
and associate it with the Rabbids.
As a team, we shared the same
vision and goals and treated Mario
and friends with a lot of respect
and created a strong experience
for players. That was our ultimate
goal.
Were there ever any issues
with the decision to give
Mario a gun?
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom
Battle is a game full of cartoon
action. Our game is rated G; it is
fully suitable for the whole family.
Our weapons are a tool to support
the combat and tactical gameplay.
When we first presented them to
Nintendo they were laughing, so
we knew we had done a good job.
What kind of mechanical
implementations did you include
to make the turn-based genre
accessible for newcomers?
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom
Battle is designed for players of
all ages, as all Mario games are.
We created a streamlined user
interface, keeping all the focus on
the action itself, and let the design
elements and animations provide
feedback to the players. The
turn-based system used in combat
phases allows players to take time
to think before triggering their
actions; matching attacks, special
techniques and super effects can
result in chain reactions that can
impact the action on the battlefield.
This combat system offers new
players the opportunity to discover
the genre and pick up the game for
themselves.
Rabbid
DS: In addition to the
single player story
campaign, we have
created dedicated co-op
challenges especially
designed for a two-
player local experience
in which players team
up with a friend in local
multiplayer.They’ll play
three levels of difficulty,
taking on adversaries as
a team of four heroes.
Players can easily play
at home in front of the
TV with Joycons or the
Pro-Pad, or on the go, by
just sharing the Joycons
between them.
What kind of
multiplayer
elements can
we expect?
064 AUGUST 2017
visit GAMES FEATURE
• Mario +
Rabbids:
Kingdom
Battle
is out Aug 29
With Enthusiasm
st154_064_GAMES-MarioRabbids.indd 1 21/7/17 2:26 pm