Reuniting Mario and the Rabbids: A Conversation with Davide Soliani

Imagine being a fly on the wall during the pitch meeting for the 2017 game 'Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle'. The idea of combining the beloved Mario series with the Rabbids in a turn-based strategy game was absurd, and fans were initially furious when the concept leaked. However, with the game's release, fan opinion shifted, and the title went on to receive critical acclaim. Five years later, the worlds of Mario and Rabbids are colliding once more in 'Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope'. Davide Soliani, the game's creative director, admits to feeling doubtful and nervous about the project. 'I am always asking myself if what I'm doing is what people really want,' he says. 'On the previous game, I was so nervous and sure that people would end up hating it, that I sent messages to my teammates saying, 'Oh god, this will be the last game I ever do'.' The pressure to deliver a great game is higher than ever, with Soliani stating that the pressure has increased from 100% to 300% compared to the first game. The team has made significant changes to the gameplay, including the removal of the grid system, which may raise concerns among fans. Soliani explains that the team wants to create a new experience, rather than simply building on the previous game. 'Players need a real reason to play our game,' he says. 'It doesn't have to be 'oh, it was successful, so let's build on what we did.' We always want to create a new experience.' One of the notable changes in 'Sparks of Hope' is the ability for players to directly control the characters, rather than playing as Beep-O, a small robot assistant. This change was a big deal for Ubisoft and Nintendo, as it is a feature typically reserved for Nintendo's own games. Soliani reveals that he had to convince Nintendo to allow direct character control, which was a challenge. The team has grown substantially over the past five years, with additional support from various Ubisoft studios. Soliani notes that the biggest team change is not the size, but the confidence and passion of the team members. 'The team changed drastically for various reasons,' he says. 'The original team, after seeing the reception of the first game at E3, with people queuing for six hours to play it and all the awards we got... they thought 'ok, people love the game we are doing'. They felt proud.' The team's growth and restructuring have required a lot of communication and management, particularly during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Soliani credits the team's ability to work remotely and communicate effectively as a key factor in navigating the challenges. The game's soundtrack features a collaboration between Grant Kirkhope, Gareth Coker, and Yoko Shimomura, which Soliani believes will offer a wide range of emotions and textures. He praises Kirkhope's work, saying that he has 'evolved incredibly' as a composer and written 'masterpieces' for 'Sparks of Hope'. Soliani concludes by saying that if the composers do not receive awards for their work, he will consider changing his job.