10 Video Games Everyone Hated (Until They Played Them)
8. Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
Shortly before its unveiling at E3 2017, art for Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle was leaked online, leaving dumbfounded Mario fans to question why Nintendo would partner with Ubisoft on such a ridiculous crossover project.
Even with some positive preview impressions of the tactical RPG, many felt that the game would be more a lousy exercise in brand synergy than anything actually worth playing.
And so, who could've ever expected that such an unnatural fusion of two disparate IP could end up scoring a strong 85 on Metacritic and win numerous year-end awards?
Despite its superficially absurd setup, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is an unexpectedly deep and impressively challenging strategy title that can stand tall alongside kings of the genre like XCOM.
For all the potential for the Rabbids to make this game too annoying to play for long, Ubisoft and Nintendo toed the line quite perfectly, with the game selling well enough for a sequel to be released in 2022, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope.