When the first series of Nintendo Switch games came out five years ago, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle came as a surprise because it was exclusively about a rabid, original concept: the worlds of the Mushroom Kingdom and the crazy and partying rabbits that once existed Had Rayman’s peers came together in a very accessible and entertaining take on the tactical combat genre, in addition to the beautiful graphics rendered by the engine snowdrop by Ubisoft.
This release was a very welcome surprise in the hybrid machine’s first year of life, and with the game’s reception it became clear why. Shigeru Miyamoto had put his trust in the director and entrusted his most universal work David Soliani. So the second part was sung, but the best part is that they chose to review and tweak it first, when they could have chosen to extend and build upon the original formula. And if at first glance it seems that it was not necessary, after spending more than 30 hours of gameplay We’re celebrating that with this sequel, because it makes Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope a more rounded work.
Those of you coming from the original (no knowledge of the characters or mechanics required) will find a more agile, open, and free experience here. Inside the combat, without showing the locker, although it behaves in a subliminal way, there is a much cleaner UI with movements that aren’t convoluted and nicer graphical elements. Compare any gameplay and it will jump out at you.
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Outside of combat, however, this second installment wins the most when it comes to adding variety and quirky alternatives to the “core” of combat. Exploring the different planets, while inspired by some of the concepts introduced in the original’s walks, is now a pleasure and greatly emphasizes the sense of adventure. These planets based on the seasons are beautiful dioramas to explore, like small open worlds and full of puzzles, mysteries, riddles, activities, characters and of course more battles.
Aside from the occasional repetitive or uninspired side quest to give you an idea of how these worlds are laid out, the tasks alongside the main quest to clear are so well laid out Ascoridad that I couldn’t leave a planet without completing it as much as possible. In other words, Sparks of Hope is a treat for everyone, and it almost never feels like you are Grind, spinning or overwhelmed by so many tasks. Obviously there are some special challenges that required me to return to previous planets once I reached a certain level or recruited a certain number of Sparks (now we’ll go to them), a return I made with all the joy in the world have.
It is noted that Soliani and Co. are fans of Mario galaxy, and there couldn’t have been a better choice to base this entire sequel on this starry masterpiece. That Spark of the title is called the Rabbid Flashes, some shattered puppets that offer a lot of fun on all levels. First, because his “lore” makes for a story based on space exploration and saving them in search of them Awaken and defeat the bad guys courses. Second, because they are equipped as active or passive skills in combat as an alternative to weapons, items, and special character abilities, often with an additional elemental factor. Third, because they also expand the possibilities of interacting with the world.
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Imagine the possibilities or the different combinations to face each battle if the characters are well differentiated and complemented by themselves and then they can equip Sparks independently of the hero and also level up one and the other. That makes every matchup, even the small ones against low-level enemies roaming the map, immensely compelling and all deep what you want at the level of strategy. I have to admit that I like to spend my good time in the previous phase of preparation, deciding whether to base my plan on attacking the enemy’s weak points (with a Burn Spark, for example), on shielding or healing my heroes must (peach for the first or the healer Rabbid Peach for the second) when more ranged or melee attacks are convenient (there’s the sniper luigi or the bully Rabbi Mario) or many, many other things. Healing based on objects and sparks and using a different, more offensive character can be interesting. Maybe weapons like Bowzuca out bowser and his Rabbid Mechakoopas turn the tables. And all this without mentioning unlocking or improving skills, the predefined conditions of some battles, or of course the final bosses, the biggest enemies, or the special battles with unforeseen events after several rounds.
I could go on talking about all the options or remember spectacular moments and combinations, but as a final mention of the system, I feel it necessary to highlight how they have evolved team jump. As easy as allowing heroes to cover more of the map by pulling themselves up onto a teammate, it now gains manual glide control and extra powers when falling (e.g. dealing health or dealing damage). Along with the added springs, it gives it a platforming feel and makes everything freer and more agile again. There are no more predetermined routes, you will no longer block the character’s position until you decide to attack his weapon or spend two actions of any kind.
And everything is pretty well measured. Of course, fans of the genre or fresh from the original will initially notice a lack of challenges, but after the first 5-10 hours it’s easy to find fairly difficult challenges while maintaining the normal (“Medium”) difficulty level. Maybe there will be money left over (you collect coins all the time) if you don’t spend too much money on buying items, and progress would have appreciated some unforeseen events, but in general it’s a very balanced experience that presents new challenges every time entails time to maintain interest.
To catch Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope dropping out, you need to test him outside of his comfort zone. Due to its nature of tactical combat and leisurely exploration, it only gets rushed when it needs to behave like an action game, such as certain inaccuracies in picking up and throwing items, or when the heroes need to interact with each other but get stuck.
A few minor glitches and the tech frenzy that suggests this game is pushing Switch hardware to the limit could also be cited, but since the result is pretty much always this colorful, there’s no bigger problem. Each planet aspires to be more beautiful than the previous one, and while references to the Marian world are still there, the sequel allows for more creative freedom, both indoors and out. Everything is additionally accompanied by a soundtrack appropriate and suspenseful (the handwriting of Yoko Shimomura, Grant Kirkhope and Gareth Coker is palpable) and at the same time the story with all its jokes and bullshit with an elevated touch nice place into Spanish (the verses of TA Manchado attest) and a large number of phrases co-interpreted by actors voices in spanish.
That’s why we’re celebrating the arrival of Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope. In addition to being a great game in all its aspects, it is also an absolutely unique proposal in the Nintendo Switch catalog … and in each one really. It combines two universes, but it has its own personality, it is fun with its story, with its exploration adventure and of course with its varied tactical combats, and it has been able to return to the board to make itself more complete and fun.
