Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope was one of the bigger surprises of E3 2021. The original Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was a surprise collaboration itself, so its follow-up is that much more exciting for many fans. As fans anticipate the release of the game in 2022, more details are being revealed, including the fact its development team is apparently much larger than the original.
Multiplayer.it talked with Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope developers Cristina Nava and Davide Soliani. Soliani became well-known for tearing up when Shigeru Miyamoto praised him during E3 2017 when Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was announced, and he is again working on the follow-up. Among the details the developers talk about, they confirm that the development team has tripled in size, including help from outside studios to refine the experience.
The hope is that a larger development team will help Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope be more polished overall, but the game will also have new features and changes. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle had a team of about 100, but this much larger team for Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope means more can be done, and Nava and Soliani alluded to some of that in the interview.
One of the things that will be unique in Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is that players can go into battle with any combination of characters they choose. This means they can select all Mario characters for the team or all Rabbids, which was apparently a request of fans. Additionally, gameplay is getting an overhaul in Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope.Unlike in the first game in the series, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope uses spherical movement instead of a tile-based structure. Within that sphere, players have no limit for movement. What this means in terms of gameplay balance is yet to be determined, but the game will also feature a free camera.
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is shaping up to be another heavy-hitter for Nintendo in 2022. According to the interview, the game will feature exploration elements, even if it will not quite be an open-world. There is still a lot to uncover about this new entry into the series, and even the setting of Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope looks intriguing. It is likely more will be uncovered leading up to the launch of the game, but it is exciting to know such a large team is working on polishing the project.
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope releases in 2022 for Nintendo Switch.
Source: Multiplayer.it (via TheOuterHaven)
