A tactical role-playing game that gives Mario a gun,Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battleseems to have beeninspired byXCOM. However, this is not the only video game franchise that the upcoming Nintendo Switch title borrows from and fans may be surprised to know that it is also influenced byMario Kart.
TheMario Kartinspiration was recently discussed by creative director Davide Soliani. Soliani said that theMario + Rabbids Kingdom Battleteam began development by setting out to create something “totally new” that would “renew the genre a little bit.” The team looked at other tactical games and realized that these titles are “known to be slow paced and they tend to be a little niche.” Wanting something “dynamic and colorful and fast paced,” the team usedMario Kartas a reference.
Soliani explains that the team thought it would be “cool” to put that sort of reactive gameplay in its game. In other tactical games, “You see enemies taking cover and the heroes are doing the same, and they’re both shooting at each other, but they’re not moving much.” But much likeMario Kart’s speeding vehicles,Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battleplayers must “react to the situation, and the action is focused on moving around the battlefield.”
Given thatMario + Rabbids Kingdom Battleincludes co-op gameplayand waves of enemies, theMario Kartinfluence doesn’t make immediate sense. But if Soliani’s team is really trying to shake up the genre, then it’s not so bizarre. Fans of the Nintendo racer love the series and have tales about well-placed bananas, well-timed shells and perfect cornering, so perhapsMario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle’s take on the tactical genre could inspire similar stories.
Soliani and his team will also be hoping that the game can sell as well as the latestMario Kartrelease.Mario Kart 8 Deluxesold phenomenally well when it was released on the Nintendo Switch in April, becoming one of the console’s best-selling titles.
Kingdom Battleis a high profile game that could offer the bright and bold gameplay that tactical fans are looking for and suggestions thatthe game will get a price drop pre-releasemay also help considerably. The game looks like it could be a huge system seller, but just it will be interesting to see just how close it will get toMario Kart’s sales numbers.
