As the old saying goes, "time flies when you're having fun." Many gamers likely experience this sensation every fall, as they are shuffled from major release to major release and major event to major event. September will be kicking it off with releases like The Last of Us Part 1 and Splatoon 3, but October will shift into the next gear. For example, Gotham Knights releases one week before Bayonetta 3 and Modern Warfare 2 (which share a release date), and there is plenty more in that month and November. One many fans are keeping an eye on, of course, is Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope releases on October 20, but today, August 29, is the original's fifth anniversary. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is the perhaps odd collaboration between Mario and the Rabbids, between Nintendo and Ubisoft, that no one expected. Yet, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle launched to solid reviews, enough to warrant the two companies to continue the crossover with a sequel. While appreciating the original on its anniversary, perhaps by returning to it and playing it some more, it's also worth seeing how Sparks of Hope expands upon the original.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope Changes Up the Kingdom Battle Formula
A sequel has to innovate on the first game enough to warrant a new title, while also being familiar enough that fans can connect the two easily. Oftentimes, it's not until a threequel comes along that there are major changes, but it doesn't seem Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope intends to rest on its laurels and namesake to carry it. It is expanding on the first game in several ways, including location. Whereas Kingdom Battle took place in the Mushroom Kingdom, Sparks of Hope is a galactic adventure. It's a nice touch that literally expands the game's setting. This also has the added benefit of making the game less linear, it has been said.
In the original Kingdom Battle, it was pretty easy to just go from fight to fight while sometimes solving a puzzle or completing a side activity, but it was linear by default. Breaking this up by opening up the level design is a wise move, even if Mario and friends travel to planets in a particular order (which is pure speculation, as the exact game order has not been revealed). Furthermore, every Kingdom Battle character is returning except Yoshi and Rabbid Yoshi. That's unfortunate for fans of the little green dinosaur, but they are replaced by Rabbid Rosalina (her popularity making it clear why), Edge (a new and unique Rabbid), and Bowser (to get his army back and tackle the new foe: Cursa).
Players will be taking to the stars to defeat Cursa, who is spreading an ilk known as Darkmess and taking the energy of the Sparks (fusions of Lumas and Rabbids), and when players rescue these Sparks, they give new gameplay advantages. This is but one way Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope's combat is being updated. It should be familiar to fans nonetheless, but the turn-based tactical combat now disregards the grid layout, allowing players to move their characters and position them in real-time. Other major gameplay changes include enemy encounters outside the turn-based combat, players are no longer required to have Mario in their party, and there are side quests and more unique activities to shake up the delivery of story, combat, and puzzles. The latter seems extremely exciting, as it brings more of the world to life.
Indeed, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope seems to be expanding upon the original in good ways. But that wouldn't be possible without the solid foundation laid out by Kingdom Battle. With its sequel on the horizon, it's an easy recommendation to play through now so that the changes in Sparks of Hope stand out.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope releases on October 20 for Nintendo Switch.