The Super Mario series is no stranger to spin-offs. From sports games and RPGs to platformers,cart racers, and third-person action games, the iconic Italian plumber and his colorful cast of friends and family have appeared in just about every gaming genre under the sun, to varying degrees of success. While some Mario spin-offs become surprise successes, spawning their own long-running series, some aren't as lucky. Rather surprisingly, it seems as though the turn-based tactics game Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was one of the lucky ones, with a sequel, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, coming out in just a few months.
Featuring turn-based gameplay mechanics similar to games like XCOM, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was the crossover nobody expected, and nobody really asked for. But when it released in 2017, fans were taken aback by the game's intuitive, though-out mechanics, which offered a refreshing take on the Mario universe. Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is right around the corner, and fans want to know who's returning for the sequel and who's a new addition to the roster.
Every Character Confirmed For Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope So Far
Nintendo has only released a handful of trailers for Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, and while a few minutes of gameplay have been revealed, it's still unclear just how each individual character will play, and whether their movesets will be similar to their previous game counterparts'. That being said, a total of nine playable characters have been officially confirmed so far for Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope.
Six members of the current nine-member roster are returning characters from the first game. Mario, Luigi, and Peach are all returning, as are their Rabbid doppelgangers. Unlike the first Mario + Rabbids, Mario will not be a required member for the party, meaning that players can now fully customize their team at all times. If the previous game is any indication of their abilities in the sequel, then Mario and his Rabbid version will probably be good all-round characters, while Luigi and his counterpart will fit into the sniper class, and Peach and her doppelganger will take on the support role.
Three brand-new characters are currently confirmed for the Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope roster. The first of these is Rabbid Rosalina, who, as the name suggests, is the Rabbid version of the cyan-clad princess. Rabbid Rosalina has one of the game's new weapons. Called a Kaboomer, this weapon has the unassuming appearance of a plush Spark, but upon pulling its string, it becomes a cannon capable of obliterating enemies and the cover they're hiding behind. Rabbid Rosalina will also have an ability that sends foes in her vicinity to sleep.
Bowser is also joining the team this time round. Based on the trailers released so far, it seems as though Bowser will have a proficiency for large, explosive weapons, such as the rocket launcher he wields in the Nintendo Direct trailer. Though he's sure to have some, Bowser's special abilities haven't yet been confirmed. The last new character heading to Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is an entirely original character called Edge. A Rabbid with a punk-goth aesthetic, with spiky black, green, and purple hair, Edge isn't based on any pre-existing Mario character. Edge seems to wield a giant sword, which apparently has a special ability called "Stormblade," in which any enemy that moves is automatically hit by the weapon.
It's currently unconfirmed if this is the final roster for the game, but it seems pretty likely that Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope will have at least one or two more characters to reveal before its October 20 release date.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope will release on October 20 2022 for Nintendo Switch.