Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope Changes Up The Game In An Exciting Way

Scratch off your E3 bingo cards, because Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is coming to the Nintendo Switch. We speculated that a sequel to Ubisoft’s Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle would be announced this year. This is no surprise, as not only were fans expecting an announcement due to changes made on the game’s official Twitter account, but the game (like the original game) additionally was leaked leading up to E3. What no one expected though was a major change to the core mechanics of the game. Mario and the crew are going to space this time, and with new territory comes new gameplay.

A New, Innovative Combat System

The sequel to the turn-based tactical role-playing game focuses more on freedom in both movement and decision making. This is a major change from the gameplay of the first game. The original game plays like Advance Wars or Fire Emblem; characters can move, attack, or use an ability during their turn. In Sparks of Hope, Mario and friends have a radius in which they can freely perform actions during their turn. These actions include using new abilities granted from sparks, throwing bomb-ombs at enemies, and shooting multiple enemies within the radius. Sparks are disturbing Luma and Rabbid hybrids that are rescued throughout the game; different ones grant different abilities such as an area-of-effect fire storm. This gameplay is extremely fresh, and I am anxious to see how it works out in practice. It is possible that these dynamic changes only add to the fun of the original title.

Mario Returns To Space

While Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle appropriately took place across the Mushroom Kingdom, in Sparks of Hope Mario revisits outer space. In the cinematic announcement trailer, we meet Rabbid Rosalina, which is fitting for this intergalactic quest. I can only assume we will see Rosalina as well. This is where the Sparks come in. Mario and friends will have to travel to many diverse planets in order to find and rescue these Luma/Rabbid hybrids.

The diversity across the planets look great in the trailer. In the trailer we get to see beachside towns, frozen manors (Snowpeak Ruins is that you?), water-flooded caverns and more. I already anticipate hearing Grant Kirkhope lay down some perfectly fitting tracks for these galaxies. The beloved composer even took the time to The New Baddie Of Mario + Rabbits Sparks Of Hope

The new baddie is unlike anything ever seen in a Mario game (besides maybe that killer piano!). The cinematic trailer shows off a purple ghoulish hand grabbing and draining several Sparks of their energy. The villain Cursa is shown to be a giant, eldritch horror-like, shadowy being with tentacles and all. The stakes seem extra high this time around. Thankfully Mario has new allies to help him out on his quest. Rabbid Rosalina is one of the new companions, however we may have seen another new ally in the trailer.

A green and black haired sword-yielding Rabbid slices and dices some foes in the sneak peek gameplay trailer listed below. Rabbid Mario gets heart eyes and seems infatuated with the extreme character. Could we see the first Mario + Rabbids OC character? Regardless, we are excited to see what lies in store for all new characters, foe or ally.

What do you think about Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope? Do you appreciate the gameplay changes? Let us know in the comments.

If you haven’t played Mario + Rabbid’s: Kingdom Battle yet, get it with all of the added DLC by utilizing our affiliate link below! The game has quickly become one of my modern favorites. Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Nintendo Direct E3 2021 presentation is next Tuesday, and we are likely to see many more exciting announcements. Check out our list of games we need to see below:

Nintendo Direct E3 2021: 10 Announcements That Need To Happen