10 Things To Know Before Playing Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope

10 Things to Know Before Playing Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today, we’re taking a look at 10 Things to Know Before Playing “Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope”!

This sequel to the surprise hit in 2017 is upon us, and it looks like some of “Kingdom Battle’s” formulas have been tweaked. This is everything you should know before “Sparks of Hope’s” launch! What about this game has you amped most? Let us know in the comments!

Story

You’re not in the Mushroom Kingdom anymore! “Sparks of Hope” is blasting Mario and friends into outer space to investigate the presence of a mysterious being known as Cursa. This sinister entity has infected the universe and seeks to harvest power from a species of Luma fused with Rabbids called “Sparks”. With the help of new friends, Mario and the Rabbids will have to eradicate this force before it thrusts the entire galaxy into darkness. Of course, an adventure of this scale is not going to come without some extra allies, new strategies, and the like.

New Faces

If you’ve been paying attention to any of the trailers and showcases, “Sparks of Hope” retains most of the main cast from the previous game. Unfortunately, the only characters not returning (besides DK and Rabbid Cranky from “Kingdom Battle’s” DLC) are Yoshi and Rabbid Yoshi. In their place are three new characters. Rabbid Rosalina joins the heroes despite seeming totally apathetic to the catastrophe at hand. Bowser sets aside his rivalry with Mario and lends a hand with a mighty bazooka. And who is the new Rabbid who doesn’t seem to be based on anyone or anything? We only know her name - Edge. And she looks awesome!

Combat

Much like “Kingdom Battle”, “Sparks of Hope” will task players with commanding Mario and company on the battlefield in a tactics format. Use what limited actions you have to attack the enemy, utilize special abilities, and prepare your defenses before the enemy takes its turn. A couple of tweaks and new mechanics have come into play here. First off, characters can now be controlled in full 360-degree motion - no grids here. Secondly, players can have characters slowly fly overhead with Beep-0, opening up an opportunity to get the jump on enemies (literally) and limit the enemy’s cover. On top of that, if you don’t want to use Mario in battle, you can replace him with someone else. In other words, you have more control over how you want to approach a battle.

New Enemies

Of course, you’re going to have regular grunts and enemies that specialize in one thing, but like in “Kingdom Battle”, you’ll come across enemies with special mechanics that are going to force you to approach battles differently. For example, you have the Lone Wolf, which carries overwatch as a special defensive gimmick to limit your movement. Then, you have some enemies that combine gimmicks with Mario enemies such as the large pig Rabbids that come equipped with Thwomps, letting them jump high into the air to crush your team. Expect a plethora of new challenges as you encounter these new foes across unknown territories.

Sparks

Another new aspect to the combat are those Rabbid Lumas we referred to earlier: the “Sparks”. Sparks are special buddies you’ll rescue throughout your adventure, and you will need them to emerge victorious. When tied to your units, Sparks will grant special abilities and stat boosts. Some might bolster your defenses or utilize elemental attacks while others may lure enemies out from cover or grant an ally invisibility for a couple of turns. Needless to say, you’ll be given a wealth of tools as you progress through the story, so be thorough in searching areas. Speaking of which…

Exploration

“Kingdom Battle” was a very linear game, offering optional areas on occasion for unique puzzles or finding hidden collectibles. “Sparks of Hope”, on the other hand, is expanding the overworld significantly. You’ll be able to freely traverse lands, shake trees for collectibles, items, and more, and take in more of the creative worlds you’ll discover. In other words, it no longer feels like a straight jog through a theme park - it's a wider world filled with secrets to uncover. Of course, what else could there be besides sights and shaking things?

Side Missions

In “Kingdom Battle”, your only side missions were rehashes of pre-existing levels. Once you beat the level in the story, you could go back and attempt new challenges that required finishing within a certain number of turns or pulling off certain maneuvers in a single attempt. This time around, in “Sparks of Hope”, you’ll embark on more traditional side quests. Stumble upon a character, ask what’s up, and set out to fulfill the challenges. We’ll appreciate the semi-arcade style of the previous game. “Sparks of Hope”, however, seems like it wants you to take in the world and its characters. An ambitious approach, if you ask us.

Meet the Team

Before we cap off the list, we would like to spotlight some of the heads behind “Sparks of Hope”. “Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle” was developed by Ubisoft Milan and Ubisoft Paris, both studios having worked on both “Rayman” and various “Tom Clancy” games. Davide Soliani served as director and has expectedly returned to direct “Sparks of Hope”. Grant Kirkhope returns to compose the music, but this time, he is joined by two other composers - Gareth Coker, known for composing music for the “Ori” games, various expansions for “Minecraft”, “Ark: Survival Evolved”, and more recently, “Halo: Infinite” and Ubisoft’s “Immortals: Fenix Rising”, and Yoko Shimomura, who has been composing music for games since the late 80’s with works including “Street Fighter II: The World Warrior”, the “Kingdom Hearts” series, “Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars”, “”Final Fantasy XV”, “Xenoblade Chronicles”, and the “Mario & Luigi” games.

Launch

“Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope” is being published by Ubisoft themselves just as they did with “Kingdom Battle”. And as with anything featuring Mario, the game will only be available for Nintendo Switch when it launches on October 20. However, just as the previous title, there will be more to come for this stellar journey across the galaxy.

DLC!?

That’s right! Ubisoft has already confirmed plans for three DLC packs. One of those three has already been announced, though details are still scarce. The first DLC will once again shove Rayman alongside the Rabbids just as they were paired back when the Rabbids first debuted with “Rayman Raving Rabbids” before splitting off into their own games. Outside of guest appearances, this will mark the first time Ubisoft has done anything with Rayman since “Rayman Legends” launched in 2013. Hopefully this means the French conglomerate is looking to revive the character for his own adventure. Either way, we’re excited to see Rayman team up with the Rabbids and possibly Mario, Luigi, and the rest of Mushroom Kingdom’s inhabitants.