Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is probably one of the most out of left field moves Nintendo has pulled in the last few years, and this is coming from the company that got
Sonic the Hedgehog and
Metal Gear Solid's Snake in
Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
The game, however, was not developed by Nintendo, but by Ubisoft Milano, which is something even more unusual given that Nintendo has commissioned games to other companies in the past, but this was a crossover that was not being developed by Nintendo.
In a recent interview with IGN, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has revealed some interesting details about their relationship with Nitnendo and how they got the chance to make
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle; revealing that it was a slow but wonderful process.
"
The way it happened is that our teams at Ubisoft have always been so impressed by what Nintendo was doing that they wanted to collaborate with Nintendo and we did so in being early on all the machines Nintendo did and we did a lot on the Wii if you remember, and the Wii U," mentioned Guillemot.
"
The optimal relationship that we could have was to work with Mr. Miyamoto and for us having that possibility was fantastic because you can learn how he does things, you can get feedback on everything you do, so that has been an experience that has been really cool for all the members of the company I would say. That’s why it was a discussion we had with Mr. Iwata (and with) the person who was organizing the relation between Ubisoft and Nintendo, and so it has been I would say a long discussion and we had to convince Mr. Miyamoto with what we were showing and what we could do. Step by step they opened the door for us to do Mario + Rabbids."
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle was released in August of 2017, and got some very positive reviews from, critics and both fans of the
Rayman and
Super Mario Bros. series. The game even got a huge expansion in the form of
Donkey Kong Adventure, which could almost be considered a sequel of sorts
Mario + Kingdom Rabbids.
In regards to a proper
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle sequel, Guillemot simply stated that they "
can’t say much today, but we had a good relationship, so let’s see what will come," keepingthe door open for Ubisoft and Nintendo teaming up once more to deliver such an intriguing concept like Mario and Rabbids crossing over.
This is the story of an unexpected encounter between the most iconic video game hero of all time, Mario, and the irreverent, chaotic & cute Rabbids. Go on an adventure with them and experience the Mushroom Kingdom like you never have before! A new world twisted by the mischievous Rabbids but filled with secrets and nods to classic Mario games!
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is currently available exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.