In 2017, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle shook the world by merging the inhabitants of the iconic Mushroom Kingdom with Ubisoft's crazed Rabbids and throwing them into a turn-based strategy game. Surprisingly, it worked. The non-Nintendo developed Mario spin-off was positively received by fans and critics alike, praising its take on an approachable grid-based strategy game with two tonally different IPs. Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope continues the trend of Ubisoft working its magic with Mario, as the sequel is a major improvement over its predecessor.
This time around, the battles are much more dynamic, allowing players the opportunity to move their characters wherever they would like on the map. In the first game, players had to play by the rules of the grid system, following a similar format to Fire Emblem or XCOM. Players get to choose the actions of their characters, and once they have made their moves, the enemies will get the chance to go for the attack. The goal for most battles is to simply take out all enemies (or at least a couple of them).
What's neat about Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is the addition of Sparks. Instead of the playable characters having their own unique abilities to use on the field, like in the first game, Sparks of Hope has over 30 Sparks to collect, and these can be equipped on any character. They all have different abilities, with some having the power to raise the team's attack or push enemies away. There are also Sparks that cause heavy Fire damage by dropping meteors on the monsters, or one that can cause shock damage when players slide into an enemy. The Sparks can be mixed and matched and even upgraded to provide further benefits to characters. It's a big step up from Kingdom Battle, giving players plenty of options during battle scenarios.
Most of the Sparks can be obtained during the main story, but some of them can only be found by going off the beaten path in the worlds and completing some sidequests. There are five main worlds, with each one taking about 3-4 hours to get through. In typical Mario game fashion, they are all themed, with the first one being a sunny beachside area, the second being a snowy mountain, and even a very cool fall-themed world known for its pumpkin spice.
As mentioned previously, players can follow the main missions if they would like to, but it's important to try and get the sidequests done for Planet Coins. The coins are used to purchase useful items from the merchant, such as a healing mushroom or a key that opens a secret area. The sidequests in each world are surprisingly diverse and fun, providing an engaging distraction from the main fights. Some sidequests might ask players to solve a statue puzzle in a secret temple or bring penguins back home. These can be completed after the main story is wrapped up, so there's a good reason to jump back into each world and explore all the nooks and crannies.
Puzzles will need to be solved to proceed with the story too, and at first, they are all pretty simple, with players only needing to push a block on a certain switch or to use their scanner to find hidden objects in the environment. There are also a lot of carrying cubes and orbs and putting them into the correct spots. Puzzle haters should not have issues getting through them, but they will get monotonous and repetitive throughout the adventure. As players get closer to the game's final moments, though, the puzzle complexity ramps up quite a bit, offering some brain-wracking "connect the wires for electricity" type of puzzles that might make some people scratch their heads for a second. There doesn't seem to be any way to skip the mandatory puzzles, though, so keep that in mind.
We did experience some frame-rate drops and pop-in textures occasionally while playing Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, but it was not enough to deter from the experience. It mostly happens during cutscenes and when there are a lot of enemies on-screen at one time during damage animations.
Making use of the merchant's wares is a must, as players will definitely need some items if they plan on playing Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope on medium (or the highest difficulty) because this game is not easy. Enemies will come in waves and deal massive damage to players if they're not being careful and putting together a strategy. We played most of the game on medium difficulty and found ourselves dying countless times to some later challenges and bosses.
However, something great about Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is that players can change the difficulty before any battle. There's also an invincibility mode in the settings too, allowing those with little experience in strategy games to approach Sparks of Hope and complete it without bashing their head against a wall. And for those that like a little challenge, there are definitely some exciting bosses throughout the narrative. Sparks of Hope could've been an even better game if there were more set pieces and cinematic moments, but it does enough to get by.
Something about Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope that pulls it back from being something truly special, though, is the mix of Rabbids and the Mario universe. We did mention earlier that the first game was a critical success, and most people adored it, but there's something off about Mario and company interacting with the Rabbid versions of themselves. Some jokes don't land the way they were intended to, and the voice acting for the Rabbids doesn't fit the characters themselves. Some people might not care about how they sound, but it does take away from the humor that Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is supposed to deliver.
Still, with the improved (and approachable) combat system, semi-amusing story, and diverse side activities, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is a great game that can be recommended to almost anyone that has a Nintendo Switch. We wouldn't say it's the reason to go out and buy a Switch, but it's one of the best ways to get into a turn-based strategy game that has much more content to offer than its predecessor ever did.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope launches for the Nintendo Switch on October 20, 2022. Game ZXC was provided a Nintendo Switch code for this review. Click here to navigate to the store page.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
Ubisoft's sequel to 2017's Kingdom Battle, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is a turn-based strategy game with a quirky sense of humor. Featuring iconic Nintendo characters alongside Ubisoft's Raving Rabbids, this crossover is available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.
