Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope Reviews
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is a worthy sequel to its predecessor. Everything is finally more fluid, less austere, while keeping the strengths of the first part. In short, a very good title and a real must-have on Nintendo Switch.
Review in French | Read full review
With now two excellent games under its belt, it beckons the question of where the franchise goes next. Do we go for a simple Mario & Rabbids 3? Do we add Zelda or Pokemon characters into the mix? Do we change genres, turn it into a soulslike or roguelike? Whatever happens, I just need more.
Even if you haven't played the first game in the series, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is a great introduction to a certain type of strategy game, iterating on a now-familiar formula with a readable, predictable approach to combat and some fun innovations in character movement. It knows where to streamline without sacrificing depth, all while starring mascots that fans know and love. Its exploration elements might slow the pace a bit too much, but you won't mind too much thanks to the gorgeous art direction.
Gaming's most inexplicable mascot crossover, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope delivers a clever, cosmic adventure alongside tightly tuned tactical gameplay.
Sparks of Hope’s flaws are more accurately described as missed opportunities. The wardens of each realm are vibrant, funny characters who deserve better than having their backgrounds conveyed through static and lifeless murals. And given his thunderous personality, you’d think Bowser would speak up at least as often as newcomer rabbids Edge and Rosalina; it’s too easy to forget that he’s even in your party. But these things don’t matter in the heat of combat—does Bowser’s Bowzooka cannon really need a backstory?—nor do they apply to exploration (which is better off not explaining the physics of the Wiggler Express and its floral tracks, actually), but in a game overflowing with sparks of joy, it doesn’t seem unfair to hope for even more.
Sparks of Hope is here, there’s still no Switch Pro, but it feels like a next-gen take on the original game, expanding on what worked to great effect.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is probably the most approachable tactics game ever. Featuring new map navigation, dozens of abilities to tool around with and a diverse fantastical cast, it makes for an even more readable experience. The magic spark that I felt had been missing from some of Mario's more recent adventures is coincidentally back again, amongst Ubisoft's quirky mascots of all things. Yes, even when the Rabbids can be just that little bit annoying, they're as equally charming when meshed with the Nintendo cast. At times the overzealous amount of side content may also daunt the player, but never enough to take away from the clever and delightful journey. Sparks of Hope is the most exciting franchise affair we've had since Odyssey.
While Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is a markedly different game than Kingdom Battle, it's a more than worthy sequel that successfully steps into its own space within the realm of turn-based strategy. It's undoubtedly one of the best games on the Switch, and one of the best showings from Ubisoft in recent years.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is a wonderful sequel that lives up to the original's quality and puts a lot of new elements into it. You'll have a blast going through the new worlds and finding your perfect team to fight Cursa with!
It manages to shake up tried-and-true elements from the last game and the strategy genre as a whole and even rewrite the rules dictating what it means to be a tactics game. Where the last game set out to make tactics gameplay approachable for a wider audience, Sparks of Hope seeks to inject its own clever spin on the turn-based strategy genre, and in doing so delivers a fantastic experience. Complete with one of the best scores in any Nintendo game, fun puzzle-solving and solid exploration, Mario Rabbids Sparks of Hope isn't just a follow-up to a game derisively categorized as "baby's first tactics game" by hardcore fans of the genre; it's a tactics game for everyone that everyone should play.
Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope from Ubisoft Milan and Ubisoft Paris is a fantastic and better follow-up to its original 2017 experiment. The characters are better, the addition of Sparks changes how the gameplay works, and the overall tactical strategy options the game provides the player in a huge world make for a consistently fun adventure. Beware of the difficulty, though, as it can get infuriating at times.
A few improvements and some stellar battle scenarios in the second Mario + Rabbids make it a Mario party worth attending.
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope takes advantage of all the good stuff that always worked great, and expands it with a hefty amount of stuff new and improved. If you haven’t played the first game, just start with the sequel. It’s much better.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope expertly toes the line between Nintendo's penchant for accessible titles targeting younger audiences and Ubisoft's matured gameplay systems to create an experience like no other.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is a massive leap over its already-excellent predecessor, making a whole host of changes and improvements and delivering an utterly charming and mechanically dense tactics experience.
Even if Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is clearly the sequel of the game from 2017 in game mechanics and structure, the people at Ubisoft took some risks trying to refine the formula and opening the maps, building in the process a much better game. As of today, this is one of Ubisoft's most promising IPs, and we can't wait to see what it has in store for the foreseeable future.
Review in Italian | Read full review
If themes exist across these games -- the first being Mushroom Kingdom focused, and the second Donkey Kong, then Sparks of Hope is a riff on the Super Mario Galaxy games as it features the Lumas of those games, only they're now Rabbidified and called Sparks, as well as some planet-hopping for differential fun and a broad spectrum of environments to play within.
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is a complete evolution of Kingdom Battle based gameplay. The free movement control of the battle brings a more dynamic strategic game experience. The elemental effects that do not focus on the hit but randomness and chaos are also easy to please casual players. The ridiculous combination of Mario + Rabbids once again shows the charm that makes people addicted to it, and it is the most enjoyable strategy game this year.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
I don't give many games a score of ten. That is reserved for experiences that are so gripping and mechanics that change the landscape of a franchise. Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope does just that. Every moment I wasn't playing Sparks of Hope, I was thinking about it. And for a studio to take a proven formula, shake it up, and try something new is risky but rewarding. I can't recommend this game enough.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is an exciting step forward for the series that continues to surprise with its increasingly deep combat, gratifying exploration and joyful presentation.