Like a food pairing that shouldn't work but does, Mario+Rabbids: Kingdom Battle overcame our scepticism and rewarded us with a supremely competent turn-based strategy game.

When Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was formally announced by Ubisoft at E3 earlier this year, the natural first reaction for many – including us – was: what are Rabbids? While most people on this planet have heard of Nintendo's red-and-blue jumper-wearing mascot, Ubisoft's two-legged rabbits – a...

Great art design; Well-explained basics; Infectious charm; Quite dense and complex; Playful animations; Specially designed co-op levels

Music lacks variety; Campaign restricted to single-player; Sudden rise in difficulty

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is a game that sounds like it shouldn't be any good. On the contrary, Ubisoft has crafted a charming adventure for Mario and its Rabbids. The game streamlines the strategy combat experience while still offering surprising depth.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is one of the strangest premises for a crossover game that I've seen in recent memory. Take Super Mario Bros, the Raving Rabbids, and XCOM, mix em' all together, and you've got Kingdom Battle.

Easy to understand gameplay with surprising depth; Excellent skill and progression system; Smooth and satisfying combat mechanics; Shooting Rabbids never gets old

The Rabbid humor can be too much at times

Okay, so maybe I've been irreparably spoiled by the Disgaea series, but I want the ability to cancel a move action after it's been made. I recognize that certain elements of unit behaviour preclude this possibility.

Visuals are thick with Nintendo Polish; Rabbids are charming as either heroes or villains; Combat system is deep yet accessible

Game too hard or too easy depending on your experience; You can't cancel a move once you've made it; More worlds with fewer chapters; please

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is a great entry point for strategy games, and has a ton of layered depth to keep seasoned tacticians engaged for days on end.

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Mario + Rabbids defies the stigma the Rabbids bring to the table and delivers a solid tactics-based game.

Amazing soundtrack; solid tactical gameplay; great graphics and world variety

No way to rewind moves; difficulty spikes

Something strange is about to happen to the Mushroom Kingdom. No Princess Peach hasn't been kidnapped by Bowser. Instead the Rabbids have arrived and well, something has happened to corrupt a whole bunch of them. It is time for the plumbers and crew to arm themselves and shoot them bad guys.

Captures the essence of both Mario and XCOM perfectly; Well designed puzzles; Puns

Multiple phase boss fights; Tactical camera could zoom out a bit more; Later levels lack in enemy variety; Takes really long to unlock all the heroes

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle sounds like a really silly idea, and it is. Rabbids are silly, and Mario is hard to take seriously, too. But instead of just making a gimmick game with Mario-style platforming or Rabbids-style minigames, Ubisoft crafted a genuinely deep, challenging strategy RPG...

Deceptively deep, complex gameplay; Tons of maps and challenges; Well-executed, fun premise

Squad sizes are limited; No online or competitive multiplayer modes

Wacky yet challenging, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle serves turn-based gameplay at a break-neck pace.

Complex; nuanced strategy; Unique movement mechanics; Surprisingly action-packed for a strategy game; Tons of content; Great fan service for Nintendo characters

Sudden difficulty spikes in boss fights; Repetitive puzzles; Underwhelming story