Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope | A Critical Examination

The 2017 crossover between Nintendo's Mario series and Ubisoft's Raving Rabbids resulted in the well-received tactical RPG Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle for the Nintendo Switch, earning a Metacritic score of 85 and attracting over 10 million players. Following this surprise hit, the creative director Davide Soliani faced pressure to deliver a successful sequel. Reviews suggest that he and his team have achieved this with Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, developed by Ubisoft Milan and Ubisoft Paris in collaboration with Nintendo, which currently holds a Metacritic score of 86. In a 10/10 review, Kate Sanchez of But Why Tho praised the game as an improvement over the first, offering a perfect balance of engaging difficulty and accessible mechanics for new players. Sanchez highlighted the flexibility in exploring side quests, adjusting difficulty at any time, and the well-crafted humor. Sam Loveridge of GamesRadar shared similar sentiments, emphasizing the freedom to explore, mix and match characters with Sparks, and adjust battle strategies. Among the notable improvements, Loveridge noted the removal of the grid system, allowing for more fluid character movement, and the introduction of action points, enabling characters to perform two actions per turn. IGN's Dan Stapleton described Sparks of Hope as more than just a sequel, with significant changes to combat and the overworld, making it feel distinct from its predecessor. However, he criticized the lengthy loading times. Another feature praised by critics is the ability to scout enemies before battle, providing tactical advantages. The new Spark characters have also been well-received for their diverse abilities and elemental effects. While the game has received widespread praise, some critics, like VGC's Jordan Middler and The Guardian's Tom Regan, felt that it played it safe, particularly with the use of Mario characters, and lacked the Nintendo touch in its execution.