Admittedly, I was skeptical when Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle was released. I didn’t expect Rabbids’ crude humor to go well with Mario’s neat imagery. So, I went into the match without expecting much. But I was pleasantly surprised. Not only did I enjoy Kingdom Battle, it quickly became one of my favorite games, as well as my favorite tactical game.
So when Ubisoft announced Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, I was equally skeptical, but for different reasons. How did Ubisoft surpass what they achieved with their first entry? I went into the game with enthusiasm and caution, hoping it lived up to the hype. I’m happy to report that Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope far exceeded my expectations.
The story begins immediately after the final match. As Mario, Peach, Luigi, and Rabbids enjoy a peaceful time in the Mushroom Kingdom, a new antagonist, Casa, appears. Sparks of Hope is followed by a short prologue that acts as a tutorial. You don’t need to have played Kingdom Battle before, so if this is your first foray into a Mario + Rabbids crossover, no problem. The story is compelling and can stand on its own without any prior knowledge.
Rabbids are used differently this time. Rabbids have invaded the Mushroom Kingdom with the release of freshmen. In fact, the premise felt like the Rabbids should be removed from the land, but in this his sophomore entry, the Rabbids are now integrated into the world. They are the inhabitants and Casa is the one doing the torture. So these Rabbids will send you on many side quests you find throughout the game. A change that should be made.
I feel that the environment is also different. In Kingdom Battle, the world of Mario inspired the level design. However, in Sparks of Hope, we see his Ubisoft DNA across the five worlds. Ubisoft apparently wanted to prove they could create an experience that rivaled Mario in the first game, and the second entry put Mario in its own creation. For example, the first planet had giant statues of Rabbids dressed as Spartans, and I couldn’t help but feel a bit of an influence from Immortals Fenyx Rising.
You can feel the Ubisoft stamp on the exploration side as well. An open world tactical RPG. And where the first game felt stuck between missions, Sparks of Hope encourages you to investigate. Encountering a wandering enemy triggers an encounter. These bad guys have numbers above their heads to indicate their level. You can choose to sneak past or take them. Clashing with villains will take you to the battlefield. Ubisoft certainly has had a lot of influence on the planetary designs, but the Mario franchise has also had an influence on the look and feel. Beyond the decidedly Galaxy reference, running around feels like a Mario Odyssey, with flag poles serving as checkpoints. And touching them often rewards you.
Each planet has a warden to help them progress through the main quest line. The Jailer is cleverly written and full of character. Some of their lines are voice-acted along with many other Rabbids you meet.
You’ll also come across other interesting Rabid characters such as Professor Backpack, who looks a lot like Captain Toad. Finding him will open his quest to puzzle his side, which is his one of various types of additional missions in the game. There are also team-specific quests that must meet specific requirements to win using only the two characters assigned. It’s designed to teach you how to use it. Completing side quests can earn you everything from star bits and weapon skins to planetary coins and even new sparks.
In the previous game, different skins granted the gun different abilities. Sparks of Hope’s skin just makes it look cool, but Sparks are a way to modulate the damage you do to your opponent. Sparks are a combination of Rabbids and Luma, and he can find 30 types of Sparks by completing his main quests and side missions. Level up your sparks via star fragments or potions purchased from vendors found on planets. Besides potions, sellers sell super his mushrooms and additional dashes that heal the character, allowing the hero to slide into enemies multiple times in one turn. Items can be purchased with gold coins obtained after battle or found during the journey. The last type of currency is Planet Coin. This allows you to purchase Arsenal skins, information about enemies, or keys to unlock missions.
The new open combat system is a major marketing element for Ubisoft, and it’s no surprise. The freedom of movement creates fun moments and allows you to create combos that weren’t possible in the previous game. Each character has two action points for him, but he can move around as much as he wants as long as he doesn’t trigger his weapon. Firing your main weapon will prevent you from moving. Level layouts also make use of this free-range motion, requiring careful planning of movements, such as wind obstacles blowing air away in timing his sequences.
To top off the experience is some great orchestrated music. Whether you’re fighting bosses or walking around, Sparks of Hope’s songs are beautifully crafted and add to the overall feel of this polished game.
Kingdom Battle included some features not included in Sparks of Hope. The first is regional cooperation. Once in the game, I knew there was no two-player mode, much to the frustration of his son, who was looking forward to playing as Mario’s Bowser. The other missing feature is amiibo support. Sure, amiibo didn’t do much in the first game, but they did add bling to their weapons, and it was surprising Sparks of Hope didn’t add this. Neither of these absences interfered with my overall enjoyment.
