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[Draugoth]

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Game Title: Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope

Platforms:

• Nintendo Switch (Oct 20, 2022)

Trailers:

• Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope: Cinematic World Premiere Trailer | #UbiForward | Ubisoft [NA]
• Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope: Gameplay Sneak Peek Trailer | #UbiForward | Ubisoft [NA]

Developer: Ubisoft

Publisher: Ubisoft

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 83 average - 100% recommended - 11 reviews

https://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/mario-+-rabbids-sparks-of-hope
Metacritic - 87/100 - 34 Reviews

Critic Reviews



But Why Tho? - Kate Sanchez - 10 / 10

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is excellent and joyful and has just the right amount of chaos thanks to that Rabbids touch. The dev team has put time and care into the humor as much as the gameplay and I can't name a single time I felt bored or unconnected to the material. For those looking to pick up a game they can sink happy hours into, this is it. This is the perfect gateway to the tactics genre for any age and a true testament to the originality and beauty of collaborations.

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Cerealkillerz - Nick Erlenhof - German - 9 / 10

Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope takes the already very good and fun formula of its predecessor and improves it a bit. The slightly freer battles and new characters fit in wonderfully and exploring the new open world is motivating across the different planets. The fact that the Rabbid humor is still not for everyone and the voice acting is sometimes very questionable can certainly be forgiven by any fan of tactical RPGs.

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Checkpoint Gaming - Charlie Kelly - 8 / 10

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.

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Dexerto - Lloyd Coombes - 8.5 / 10

ario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope builds upon its predecessor in surprising and delightful ways to create a tactical RPG that stands among the best in the genre. While it may lack the challenge of some of its contemporaries, it's a fun adventure that, despite still feeling like a fever dream cooked up by a child's imagination, is one of the finest titles of 2022.

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Gamers Heroes - Johnny Hurricane - 80 / 100

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope improves on Kingdom Battle, but drags things out far too long near the end. Fans of the original – or tactical combat games in general – should still check it out.

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GamesHub - Leah Williams - 5 / 5

Sparks of Hope has a real sense of twinkling charm – one that could pull a smile from even the most hardened heart. There’s a vivacious, beating heart at the centre of this adventure, and it makes every new world, and every new fight a veritable joy to complete.

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Kakuchopurei - Jonathan Leo - 80 / 100

[T]he Mario + Rabbids sequel is anything but soulless, though its appeal may depend on your tolerance of the turn-based strategy genre's ever-dreary pacing and Rabbid slapstick in general.

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Prima Games - Lucas White - 8 / 10

It’s hard to tell what exactly I’m getting out of this game sometimes, but it’s so fluffy it’s equally as hard to care about scrutiny.

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Rectify Gaming - Tyler Nienburg - 9 / 10

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is a step above its predecessor providing more exploration, better boss fights and a good story.

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Stevivor - Will Kostakis - 8.5 / 10

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.

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WellPlayed - Jordan Garcia - 9 / 10

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.

 

[splattered]

Hell yeah nice! Will def pick this one up for me and the kids. 100% critics recommend, that's awesome

 

[jaysius]

This is one Nintendo title that will go deep sale, the last one is constantly $20 with all the DLC, hold off on Day 1 on this one.

 

[remember_spinal]

Damn plague tale and this at the same time

 

[Fbh]

The first one was surprisingly good and these reviews seem to indicate this one is an improvement in most ways. So it should be great.
This franchise is a reminder Ubisoft devs can still do cool stuff on the rare instances they are allowed to deviate from the design by committee open world games.

This is one Nintendo title that will go deep sale, the last one is constantly $20 with all the DLC, hold off on Day 1 on this one.

That's because despite featuring Mario it's actually not only developed but also published by Ubisoft. So the pricing model is the same as other Ubisoft games.

 

[Captain Toad]

I'm almost never the guy who will wait for a sale for a game I want to play. But, the fact it seemed like Ubisoft put the first game on sale for like 90% off every other month since it launched, makes me not want to shell out full price on this.

 

[DenchDeckard]

I'm almost never the guy who will wait for a sale for a game I want to play. But, the fact it seemed like Ubisoft put the first game on sale for like 90% off every other month since it launched, makes me not want to shell out full price on this.

This is the painful reality. I want to buy it and support but I know I'll get the gold edition for peanuts at soke point.

 

[ResurrectedContrarian]

The first game was so good, a real surprise. I haven't enjoyed a tactical grid game that much since FInal Fantasy Tactics GBA.

 

[R6Rider]

Really enjoyed the first one and will be getting this one for sure.

Might buy and play the DLC for the first too.

 

[Danjin44]

Loooved the first one and I will be there day one for 2nd one and just like Xenoblade I have no problem buying its DLC because they make quality DLC.

 

[Maiden Voyage]

I loved the first one but am sitting this one out. Vampire Survivors is much more gooder.

 

[daveonezero]

I haven’t even finished the first and because of the impulse buy on all 3 bayonettas I’ll wait for a bundle with DLC.

First was fun.

 

[AV]

Good shit. Not sure I'll play this one on release, pretty busy IRL, but definitely will before the year's out. First was great, fuck the doubters.

 

[UnNamed]

I loved the first game, time to remove dust from my Switch.

 

[Deerock71]

Switch is in Q4.

 

[Bragr]

Great scores, very excited for it, another quality exclusive from Nintendo in 2022. They have about 5-6 so far, almost all of them scoring high, with Bayo 3 and the new Pokemon to come too.

The first game was very well produced, apart from some lag, but it was a very well-thought-out and well-made game from start to finish with a great combat system.

 

[Ogbert]

The Switch library is absurdly good.

 

[bbw_lover87]

Good i loved the first one cant wait to play it

 

[Camreezie]

The Switch library is absurdly good.

Most Nintendo systems are

 

[Nico_D]

Probably one of the last Ubi titles I buy. The first one was great. Unique.

 

[ADiTAR]

I would love to play it, but I will wait for it to hit the Ubi discount 2 months later. I bought the first full price and in the same year I think it was already half off.

 

[jufonuk]

This is one Nintendo title that will go deep sale, the last one is constantly $20 with all the DLC, hold off on Day 1 on this one.

I got the first one on an eshop sale for very cheap. Don’t think I got the DLC

 

[rubhen925]

played about 2 hours, so far pretty fun, but man does it have loading screens for everything. going into menu, opening a door, going in and out of buildings, and when entering battles. so many loading screens just slow the pace of the game. Also i noticed many times where the game has no music, just ambient noises. Not sure if that is a bug or not. Will play more to see.

 

[Guilhermegrg]

First one was a really nice surprise. Can't wait to play this one

 

[Miyazaki’s Slave]

The quality of the first game was mind boggling to me. The way they nailed that Nintendo polish and Nintendo "feel"...I was extremely impressed. I still remember E3, or maybe the game awards, when Nintendo was on stage gushing over the game and the designer was in the audience, the guy looked so thankful for the adoration and praise....good shit!

Very much looking forward to this version and that is saying something; I hate absolutely everything now that I am post 40.

 

[jaysius]

I got the first one on an eshop sale for very cheap. Don’t think I got the DLC

Well you didn't get the GOLD or whatever they called it edition, that was also very cheap and maybe $5-$10 more.

 

[UnNamed]

Too harsh with this game.
The engine seems a polished version of what we have seen on Immortal: Fenix RIsing, flat and more stylized textures, but much better since Immortal was an unlookable mess, at least on Switch.
I also preferred the style from Kingdom Battle, better grass, better materials, better overall, but the camera angle was different, now it's more open and there are much more object in the distance.
Ubisosoft has done a good job here.

 

[remember_spinal]

i hate how the switch Home Screen doesn’t let you know what time games unlock. I thought rabbids unlocked at midnight and now im not really sure when it does it just says its not available yet.

I feel like thats kind of a basic thing at this point, no?

 

[jigglet]

I'm almost never the guy who will wait for a sale for a game I want to play. But, the fact it seemed like Ubisoft put the first game on sale for like 90% off every other month since it launched, makes me not want to shell out full price on this.

You would think this would be key in any contractual negotiations.

 

[Lucifers Beard]

i hate how the switch Home Screen doesn’t let you know what time games unlock. I thought rabbids unlocked at midnight and now im not really sure when it does it just says its not available yet.

I feel like thats kind of a basic thing at this point, no?

If it’s not midnight then I imagine it will be either 2pm or 6pm BST. That’s the kind of times the eshop updates.

 

[Feel Like I'm On 42]

So? How are you guys who bought this enjoying it?

 

[remember_spinal]

Its pretty fun, im in the second level (ice/snow level) i love the upgraded mobility and freedom of attack.

I kinda miss some of the more rpg-progression systems from the last game. Stuff like upgrading weapons and getting your performance ranked at the end of every combat encounter I’ll miss. It also feels a good bit easier so far

Hoping the difficulty ramps up

 

[Robb]

I still find this collaboration absolutely crazy, not a big fan of the rabbits. Although I will say this does look more interesting than the first game to me and it seems very polished.

 

[Topher]

Going to have to wait. Gotta finish Octopath Traveler and then Triangle Strategy. And for some reason I was compelled to buy Luigi's Mansion 3 yesterday (which is fun as hell). A Plague Tale is downloaded on PC and no idea when I'll get to that. God of war is coming up fast.....

sigh....it's tough being me.

/s nice problems to have, eh?

 

[Happosai]

Really enjoyed the first one and will be getting this one for sure.

Might buy and play the DLC for the first too.

Let me know how it is if you do. Still considering playing the first one...but I need a reason.

 

[amigastar]

So? How are you guys who bought this enjoying it?

I enjoy it very much. I have the difficulty on max because it was a tad too easy but that might change later on. Currently on the Ice World which is the second stage i think.

 

[Danjin44]

So? How are you guys who bought this enjoying it?

I’m loving it, the exploration is even better than the first game and each character’s unique abilities is fun to mess around.

but I need a reason.

ummm….because it’s a fun game?

 

[Feel Like I'm On 42]

I’m loving it, the exploration is even better than the first game and each character’s unique abilities is fun to mess around.


ummm….because it’s a fun game?

What about the difficulty? I'm worried it's too easy, even on hard, based on some reports I've heard ...

 

[AngelMuffin]

This is one Nintendo title that will go deep sale, the last one is constantly $20 with all the DLC, hold off on Day 1 on this one.

Nah, I’ll buy it, beat it, then sell it on eBay for $45.

 

[amigastar]

What about the difficulty? I'm worried it's too easy, even on hard, based on some reports I've heard ...

Let's put it that way, on max difficulty you won't be bored, it's still need attention from your side but I'm only 5 hours in.

 

[touchfuzzy]

So Luigi is by far the MVP, right? Best movement and ranger + steely stare ability. I don’t go into a fight without him at this point.

 

[remember_spinal]

I just finished the second map and unfortunately i gotta say, I dont really love the changes they made. The open mobility of battles is nice but doesn’t really make a difference ultimately, you’re still mostly moving from cover to cover. I guess being able to throw bob-bombs and Goombas is the most I’ve seen thus far.

The open world map feel like they are putting in more ‘ubisoft’ signature collect-a-thon elements just to do it. I like the more focused linear levels with all the battle maps connected, and the puzzles integrated into the path. Makes everything feel more deliberate and concise. The boss battles in the first game were also a lot better.

I also hate that weapons are now reduced to skins and theres no reason to upgrade. It’s feeling very paper mario-ish, how they’d slowly remove the more rpg-ish mechanics over time. Feel like theres very little reason to visit shops outside of buying health. I liked the effect stats being tied to weapon types rather than stars because now only one person can activate the powers at once. For example i loved the bounce trait from Kingdom Battle and how you could air juggle enemies with mario and Luigi’s overwatch abilities. You can do it now with splash but you have to activate it with someone else first, doesn’t have the same feel to it.

I also miss the more creative and iconic stages from the mario-universe vs this more generic biomes. Feels like nintendo cut them off or something, having Galaxy-esque stages would have been very welcome.

The biggest change i love though is the ability to remove mario and rabbids from your party if you want. Even though they just made Mario OP and the rabbids in this game are pretty good, particularly rabbid peach.

Kinda overall very meh on this as a sequel and I’ve been looking forward to it for a long time. I’ll push through but the difficulty being super easy is also not helping at all. I’m pretty much bulldozing my way through so I’ve been deliberately picking teams that would be at a disadvantage to make it a bit more hard.

 

[Bragr]

Great game. The new "spark" ability increases options and the free movement means you can judge positions before you commit to them. But more importantly, it feels a bit different than the first game, I feared it would play identically with a few new weapons, but there are enough changes to make it different.

The new open areas make things more interesting than the straight linear parts of the first game, to be able to explore does a lot. However, it does add some "clutter" and mediocre side-quests.

Oddly, they moved away from some of the big cool boss battles in the first game. I remember that boss that did that song before the fight. I expected more cool stuff like that, but so far it's been incredibly straightforward. There is a significant amount of awesome things they could do with Nintendo characters and Nintendo worlds that they leave on the table.

OST is good, Grant Kirkhope, Final Fantasy composer (Shinomura), and Ori composer (Gareth Cooker).

It still has that well-made and polished quality like the first.

Yes, the more open nature increases fight frequency to the point of light excessiveness, and it is easy, but it's basically a well-made Mario XCOM game, which is hard to pass on.

 

[Danjin44]

The new "spark" ability increases options

I actually like Sparks more than the weapon system from the first game because in original game there was RNG on if those effect will be activated.

 

[mcjmetroid]

I gotta say I'm finding it hard to get into this one. I think the loss of co-op and vs multiplayer is a big loss and there doesn't seem to be any additional modes like a challenge mode that I might be interested in.

I just don't find the over world story stuff fun. just like I didn't in the first one. I can't even tell which game does it better because at least in the first game the story parts were quite short and it looked a lot prettier and pleasant.

But the actual combat and the map design are fantastic! Can't complain about the meat of the game, it's great and an improvement over the first in every way.. during battle.

But the main story mode though... it's too babyish and I know I'm playing a Nintendo game but Nintendo themselves know how to not go too far in this regard and make it feel like a game for everyone. Ubisoft don't.
I'm not sure why anyone would be interested in a poor mans open world with boring puzzles.

I'd have preferred an advance wars approach. A story with text and a map selection screen. With an additional mode with challenges etc.
Or something like Valkaria Chronicles where it's a map screen with different bases where you can recuit and update units etc.
It's also way too easy and I'm playing on the hardest mode. I'm only on world 2 now but still I expected more.

Am I alone here?
The story mode sucks but the combat is great. I just want to battle.

 

[remember_spinal]

I gotta say I'm finding it hard to get into this one. I think the loss of co-op and vs multiplayer is a big loss and there doesn't seem to be any additional modes like a challenge mode that I might be interested in.

I just don't find the over world story stuff fun. just like I didn't in the first one. I can't even tell which game does it better because at least in the first game the story parts were quite short and it looked a lot prettier and pleasant.

But the actual combat and the map design are fantastic! Can't complain about the meat of the game, it's great and an improvement over the first in every way.. during battle.

But the main story mode though... it's too babyish and I know I'm playing a Nintendo game but Nintendo themselves know how to not go too far in this regard and make it feel like a game for everyone. Ubisoft don't.
I'm not sure why anyone would be interested in a poor mans open world with boring puzzles.

I'd have preferred an advance wars approach. A story with text and a map selection screen. With an additional mode with challenges etc.
Or something like Valkaria Chronicles where it's a map screen with different bases where you can recuit and update units etc.
It's also way too easy and I'm playing on the hardest mode. I'm only on world 2 now but still I expected more.

Am I alone here?
The story mode sucks but the combat is great. I just want to battle.

I dont even think the combat is that much more improved from the first one either tbh its a lateral upgrade

But yeah, i pretty much agree with everything. The definition of doing too much for no reason. If they wanted to expand upon the concept i could have thought of a dozen other ways to do it that would be more interesting for nintendo fans.

I also think it could be a nintendo decision to limit the scope of what they do with the IP. They are very strict with their characters

 

[mcjmetroid]

I dont even think the combat is that much more improved from the first one either tbh its a lateral upgrade

But yeah, i pretty much agree with everything. The definition of doing too much for no reason. If they wanted to expand upon the concept i could have thought of a dozen other ways to do it that would be more interesting for nintendo fans.

I also think it could be a nintendo decision to limit the scope of what they do with the IP. They are very strict with their characters

Yeah they decided to hammer down on the story side which might be a Nintendo call.. but nobody came away from the first game thinking the overworld sections were any good. They werea way to get from A to B with a few little puzzles thrown in.. It was harmless enough but in this game they tried to push the overworld to be equal to the battle sections and I think it's a problem.

What makes matters worse is Bayonetta 3 came out and reminded me of what a game with complete focus looks like and Bayonetta does what it does better than almost any game. This does very good turn based strategy idea shackled to a boring overworld game that should have been stripped back or taken out.

If I was to expand on this game in general I would have focused on the multiplayer aspect and doubled down on the battle. I'm suprised they unnaounced mulitplaer because even as I play this. Multiplayer could have worked for this game and you could have had 2 players move their characters at the same time and decide their actions.

I'm disappointed. I think the first game as an overall package for sure is better. It looks better and the story is way more Nintendo than this newer one which has too much Ubisoft in it for my liking.

Unless they add more content in a DLC or free update, I don't think history is going to be too kind to this one.

 

[remember_spinal]

Yeah they decided to hammer down on the story side which might be a Nintendo call.. but nobody came away from the first game thinking the overworld sections were any good. They werea way to get from A to B with a few little puzzles thrown in.. It was harmless enough but in this game they tried to push the overworld to be equal to the battle sections and I think it's a problem.

What makes matters worse is Bayonetta 3 came out and reminded me of what a game with complete focus looks like and Bayonetta does what it does better than almost any game. This does very good turn based strategy idea shackled to a boring overworld game that should have been stripped back or taken out.

If I was to expand on this game in general I would have focused on the multiplayer aspect and doubled down on the battle. I'm suprised they unnaounced mulitplaer because even as I play this. Multiplayer could have worked for this game and you could have had 2 players move their characters at the same time and decide their actions.

I'm disappointed. I think the first game as an overall package for sure is better. It looks better and the story is way more Nintendo than this newer one which has too much Ubisoft in it for my liking.

Unless they add more content in a DLC or free update, I don't think history is going to be too kind to this one.

Its the definition of sequel-itis

 

[Chukhopops]

The game had a slow start but after the first two planets I really like it, even more than the first one. Each character feels unique and fun to play and there’s a lot of customization once you can use two sparks.

There’s clearly an intent to add more Paper Mario style gameplay but imo it works fine, adds a bit of variety and they didn’t fall in the trap of putting a ton of dialogue. It’s also one of the prettiest games on the Switch, at the level of MH Rise.

I just wish there was a difficulty level above the hard one, it’s fine in the beginning but you eventually level faster than the maps and it becomes easy again. I also think the small fights you can do across the map are a waste of time, you just win them in 1-2 turns without any challenge.

 

[Danjin44]

The game had a slow start but after the first two planets I really like it, even more than the first one. Each character feels unique and fun to play and there’s a lot of customization once you can use two sparks.

There’s clearly an intent to add more Paper Mario style gameplay but imo it works fine, adds a bit of variety and they didn’t fall in the trap of putting a ton of dialogue. It’s also one of the prettiest games on the Switch, at the level of MH Rise.

I just wish there was a difficulty level above the hard one, it’s fine in the beginning but you eventually level faster than the maps and it becomes easy again. I also think the small fights you can do across the map are a waste of time, you just win them in 1-2 turns without any challenge.

Same the exploration and variety of abilities in combat makes it much more fun than the first game even if it’s little on easier side.