Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is what would happen if XCOM devs dropped acid

Nintendo announced last year that it is planning to generate more money from its world-famous characters by licensing them out to other companies, and that has led to one of the most bizarre crossover mashups at the influential Electronic Entertainment Expo game industry event in Los Angeles with Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle. But the tactical role-playing game was also one of the best playable demos on the show floor.

Ubisoft announced Mario + Rabbids on Monday during its recorded media presentation, and fans weren’t sure what to make of the combination, which is due out August 29. “Fans” in this context refers to people who adore Mario because … are there Rabbid fans? When the show opened on Tuesday, GamesBeat’s Jeffrey Grubb and Mike Minotti headed straight to Ubisoft to try the game out.