Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope: A Deep Introduction to Turn-Based Strategy

When the first Mario + Rabbids game came out in 2017, it was a surprise hit based on a strange pitch. It takes console icon Mario, teams him up with the Rabbids (Rayman side characters that found success in the Wii era as a standalone title) and plays the game as a turn-based strategy game akin to XCOM 2 or Fire Emblem. The sequel picks up where the predecessor left off, expands the world, deepens the gameplay, and delivers an interesting on ramp for a new generation to get into this genre of game.

The story is not the important part of this game as if one is familiar with Super Mario Galaxy, they are familiar with the fundamental framing device being that Mario and company have to go to space to stop darkness from destroying the universe after Roselina has been kidnapped. As with most Mario games, the plot is simplistic and really just designed to get the player into the gameplay with a bare minimum explanation as to why the game needs to be played that way with this cast of characters. Why is Mario running around with a self-aware hose or Luigi teaming up with a little old man to clear ghosts out of a haunted house? Don’t think about it too hard, just enjoy the gameplay gimmicks.

Each of the playable characters plays slightly different. Rabbid Mario has close combat gauntlets, Mario has guns for ranged attacks, Edge has a spinning sword, Peach has an almost shotgun like parasol, and each one plays slightly different and compliments each other in different ways. Adding to the chaos are the arrivals of “Sparks” which are the Lumas from Super Mario Galaxy blended with Rabbids that will add abilities for your characters to help them in battle.

The game actually does deliver some interesting difficulty where, even playing on easy is not a cakewalk. The player is forced to strategize and playing on the higher difficulties does deliver an interesting challenge for veterans. If one can get around the Rabbids, and there are cutscenes that are entirely skippable if one finds them annoying, the game is a surprisingly difficult game at times that will force the player to put in actual thought before finalizing their moves.

The biggest complaint about the game is that the early hours can have a bit of a grind to it, which for a game like this where the encounters are scattered and the range of layouts and enemies are limited, it can get repetitive unlike games like Pokemon Conquest which operated similarly, however the mechanic where a player has to control parts of the map works it into the main gameplay.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is a great start to the holiday season for anyone looking for a game to give as a gift to Switch owners. It is worth a play, however considering it is technically a Ubisoft game, it will have a “Game of the Year” edition with all the upcoming DLC and also will be marked down substantially in the coming months. At $59.99 if one is not entirely a fan of the genre it may be a hard sell, however when it inevitably gets marked down to under $20 like Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
regularly does, it is a must buy, even if one has never played a turn-based strategy. It does set a high bar for the genre and it will be interesting to see if Marvel’s Midnight Sons in December can live up to it.

Final Rating: 9/10

Mario+Rabbids Sparks Of Hope is available now on Nintendo Switch