While a traditional Mario game is nowhere in sight, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is holding down the fort. Much like its predecessor Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, impressions are solid, and the combination of colorful Mario characters and tactical gameplay is a hit with fans. Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope introduces several new characters to the old cast, as well as the gameplay-modifying Sparks. The heroes need to use all their tools to fight off an intergalactic threat facing the combined Mario and Rabbids universes. Their adventures won't end at the credits, either. Across 2023, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope’s season pass will gradually roll out in three parts, eventually bringing Rayman into the fold.
The first piece of DLC, and the only one that requires the season pass to play, is the Tower of Doooom. It will serve as endgame content for players looking to test their skills in Mario + Rabbids’ dynamic and highly customizable gameplay. The two other DLC updates do not have names yet, but both will feature new worlds for players to explore. Of special note is the third DLC pack, which will finally mark the return of Rayman to a console game — but with a catch.
Rayman’s Return Should Be Treated Like a Big Deal
There's a fair amount of crossover between Mario and Rayman fans, given that both are mascot platformer series that represent excellence in 3D platforming. Whereas Mario's 3D efforts focused on expanding his surroundings, Rayman stuck to mostly linear challenges that also made use of power-ups to modify the gameplay. After a few impressive titles, Rayman was suddenly overtaken by the alien Rabbids during the Wii era. He made his return in the stellar 2D Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends, but outside a few mobile games, he’s hardly been seen since.
Rayman and Mario are finally getting the chance to meet in Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope. The fans hope that this acknowledgment will lead to more Rayman appearances and starring roles in the future. While the Rabbids do have a couple good titles to their name, Rayman's fans strongly prefer the limbless hero’s exploits, and a number aren't pleased with the Rabbids stealing Rayman's spotlight. The arrangements in Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope seem like a victory for all the game's demographics, but Rayman and Mario's promised meeting may already be thwarted.
The Rabbids May Be Getting In Rayman’s Way Again
The season pass was detailed shortly after Sparks of Hope’s launch with an infographic. This gave short explanations of each piece of DLC, and Rayman's portion confirmed fan fears. It explicitly states that Rayman, Rabbid Mario, and Rabbid Peach are going on an adventure together, recalling the Donkey Kong expansion from Kingdom Battle that only featured DK, Rabbid Peach, and Rabbid Cranky Kong. There were a lot of complaints about the first game forcing parties to be made of Mario, any Rabbid, and a third character of the player's choice, and Sparks of Hope seemed to remedy that. This Rayman DLC is a step backwards, and it's coming at the worst time.
While the first priority of the Rayman DLC in Sparks of Hope is to simply get Rayman back in a playable role, a secondary attraction is having him finally co-star alongside Mario. This DLC groups Rayman with the other Ubisoft representatives, robbing it of some appeal. Thanks to Sparks of Hope loosening party restrictions, Rayman could be unlocked for party mixing once the DLC is finished, but that will be too little, too late. The best fans can hope for now is that Mario and friends will interact with Rayman during cutscenes, as it seems like they will not share bespoke missions. It's unfortunate that Rayman's return is probably coming with a caveat, but at least fans can play as him again.
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is available now on Nintendo Switch.
