Rabbids.

Not so long ago Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot teased that the company had a "surprise" game in development, and a recent rumour seems to suggest that it's an RPG which combines the world of Rabbids with Super Mario.

According to LetsPlayVideoGames - a prime source for Switch rumours of late - Ubisoft is currently working on Mario RPG: Invasion of the Rabbids (a working title at present) under the watchful eye of Nintendo:

The title will focus on the Mario universe being invaded by Ubisoft's Rabbids characters, some friend and some foe, and will feature a new Bowser form based around the design of the Rabbids as a recurring boss enemy. While there will be numerous cameo appearances from the Mario series' best known characters, the core party will feature numerous, more minor characters. There is a particular focus on Yoshi as a primary party member, alongside a playable Rabbid.

The title will have a playable demo ready for press to experience in January, and will feature a quicksave system to ensure that saving is possible on short notice if the battery on the Switch handheld is running low. Part of the planned press demo includes the JoyCons vibrating to imply a Rabbid jumping into and out of them from the TV or handheld screen. The idea is to imply your system is infested with Rabbids, and that they could at any time jump out of your controller and interfere with gameplay.

This isn't the first time we've heard this rumour here at Nintendo Life, but this is certainly the most detailed explanation of the title's gameplay. It is believed that the RPG will be ready for the Switch launch and - in the eyes of Nintendo - is set to be a major title for the system. Despite Ubisoft handling the heavy lifting Nintendo intends to position this as a major release in the Mario series, according to LPVG.

Nintendo Life contributor Liam Robertson has heard from other sources which corroborate the report, but with a slightly different spin:

The Raving Rabbids (or "Les Lapins Crétins" as they are known in their native France) started life as part of the Rayman franchise before branching off into their own games, including Rabbids Go Home, Rabbids Land and Rabbids Rumble. They've been pretty quiet of late, so some kind of revival is certainly not out of the question.

What do you make of this report? Do you think Nintendo and Ubisoft are working together on such a high-profile project? Can the world of Rabbids really be fused with that of Super Mario without disasterous results? Let us know with a comment.

[source letsplayvideogames.com]