Publisher crossovers are an odd deal but work on occasion. For the past year, I have been a bit shocked and surprised by what two very different publishers can bring to the table when their IP is available and done properly. I’m still in awe that EA and KOEI TECMO’s Wild Hearts could potentially make a new version of Monster Hunter that is deeper in story, more beautiful, and that has a limitless number of ideas that players can come up with to craft and strategize their way to fun. That just blows my mind. Who would have thought you would see those two publishers together? Not me.
Anyway, my point is that sometimes publishers can work together to create something special. For instance, Nintendo and Ubisoft came together to create a tactical turn-based action game that not only features a gigantic world to explore but has some fun and challenge built into it, and happens to star Mario and company, as well as Rabbids. When the first Mario+Rabbids was released in 2017, I assumed the experiment was cute and cuddly, but the result was not as exciting as it could be. At least that’s my opinion of the game. It had all the marks of a great Mario game featuring Rabbids, but not a lot of sustainable fluff to bring it up to the level of a Mario title. That might sound harsh, but please understand that I wasn’t expecting a tactical fighting game. A slow-moving, turn-based tactical was never where I would picture our favorite plumber. The last time I saw that was in the 90s and that game, Super Mario RPG, is still very unrivaled to this day.
Now, this past week, Nintendo and Ubisoft decided to release a sequel from their 2017 ‘hit’ and the results are…well…darn good. The game features a big world to explore, side quests to conquer, and a smooth and clever system of battle that has a bit of ‘Sparks’ driving it all.
Let’s get into the breakdown of Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope.
Sparking some fun and challenge
Full disclosure, I didn’t play the first game for more than two hours. I had nothing to do with reviewing it, so this was on my own free time. Don’t judge me. It just wasn’t my cup of tea. While I’m a sucker for good tactical games, I usually reserve that time for games like Advance Wars which is something quick, easy, and just dumb fun to follow in short stints. It occupied me one year on a four-and-a-half-hour flight to E3. That flight went so fast, you would have thought that Los Angeles moved to Oklahoma. Anyway, that is my type of tactical.
For the sequel of this series, Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope seems to be a bit more thought-through. The excitement of mixing two IPs to create a unique experience is gone and done with the first game. This time around, it seems like the good folks at Ubisoft Milan and Paris have found a good way to balance out tactical teamwork with explorable and open world-ness.
The main crux of gameplay with this game is a bit more balanced than the first outing. You face enemies when you run into them like you would a traditional action RPG, and you go into battle mode that is driven by turn-based design. Once in the battle, you’re presented with a map that has different layers of protection, all of which can be destroyed or at the very least worn down by attacks. The maps also feature moving enemies that shift, move, and cleverly place themselves in the best position possible to cover/hit. I was thoroughly impressed with enemy A.I. in this game, as it seemed to consistently take advantage of the battle situation and do what it felt was in its best interest to take you down. It was a beauty to watch in action, and it sucked at times because the A.I. was so good. You wanted challenges, right? Well, the enemies in Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope will give you fits.
Once the action begins, the player can choose to attack (sometimes multiple times – depending on the character weapon), use a Spark (a little creature you pick up and can mix/match along the way) that gives you additional attributes with categories like defense and/or offense. You can also perform a special move that keeps you locked into the enemy’s movement, such as firing a weapon when the enemy is open and moving, and/or getting into the backpack you carry to choose a special item to use during battle (healing / blowing things up – your choice). Depending on your strategic choice, you can make multiple actions during one turn. For example, if you want to use your special move, then use your attack, you can. If you choose to use your special move, activate a Spark’s power, and use what you have in your backpack, you can. You get a certain amount of action points that could result in several actions performed during your turn. You must be strategic and thoughtful of what works best for your team. Now, if you calm your mind a bit, and think about all that gibberish I just spouted out, you will realize the number of ways you can approach the battle. It’s quite high and clever. You will need to be methodical about your strategic approach in this game. That’s the genius part of it. I don’t think I gave myself enough time to appreciate this type of tactical ingenuity in the original game, but this time around I can see how well it was all punched out. This game is far deeper than I expected and because of that far more entertaining. It is also quite infuriating at times.
I played this game on the default setting throughout this review process. I was stuck on a fight for about one full day of gameplay. There are times when the ruthlessness of the A.I. truly presses your progress down to a halt. It does make the game longer and more challenging, but it can be so infuriating that you want to take a break from the game. I found myself going to and from Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope knowing that I had to seriously rethink my strategy on some fights. Depending on what type of gamer you are, this could be a great thing or a game-killing experience. I’m old and gray, so I took the break in stride and knew that I would be back to try something new. I gave the single fight another two hours before giving up. Don’t worry, I didn’t turn off the system and go play something else, rather I went exploring for weaker fights. Right??
This is one of the more positive elements of gameplay for Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, where you can break off from a linear path and go exploring like a true 3D Mario game. I found areas of the map I was on that I hadn’t explored and found my way into more even fights. I built up my characters, upgraded them in some ways, and then returned later to conquer the beast of a map that conquered me for so long. Having that option of pushing away and finding action somewhere else is great when the challenge becomes a bit too much. You can also go into pretty much any overpowered fight that you want. I know some of you insane gamers out there enjoy that bullshit, so the option is there. It’s not easy though, but more than likely you want that ‘not easy’ thing. It certainly reminds you of how big of a world Ubisoft put together for this title.
As you are exploring in the game, you will also have the option of improving your characters. You can find new Sparks that offer up battle attributes. You can mix those Sparks up to take care of the job depending on the enemies and fight. You can also pick up items that make the experience a lot cooler. For example, you heal with mushrooms of all types (regular to super). You can pick up old-school POW blocks and use them as explosive devices in fights; these are great for destroying enemy cover and enemies. There is a lot of need for little add-ons that make tactical fighting a bigger experience and somewhat more entertaining. There’s nothing more satisfying than blowing the holy hell out of a group of enemies with a POW block. You can also switch out characters at points in the game and play off strengths. You’ll find this out when you pick up a sword-wielding powerhouse at the beginning of the game.
Anyway, the gameplay mechanics, Sparks, and items make the tactical fighting more than entertaining and provide options and opportunities for players to find new strategies to progress in the game. It’s a cool balance of good action and smart gameplay design. I was truly impressed with the result, even when I was getting my butt handed to me on occasion.
Another big kudos must go out for the enemy design. Enemies come in all shapes, sizes, and flavors. For example, one of the early bosses was a giant tiger that stormed in with smaller enemies. To take said tiger out, you had to separate your team and gingerly strike him while luring him to different positions. Should he make it to one of your teammates, well…end game for them? Every time someone struck him, he would turn his attention to them. He was brutal but cleverly designed to make for a great boss fight. Other enemies go along the Mario path of uniqueness, where you might have Shy Guy-looking creatures come in with regular attacks or sometimes special ones, such as fire attacks that burned the butts of our heroes and displaced them on the map while they ran around trying to put the fire out on their buttocks. That might be hilarious to imagine, but it’s a strategic point of the enemy side that keeps our heroes out from cover. Those enemies must be prioritized in battle, and you have to approach their demise with strategic caution.
Now, if there is a weak part to the game, I think it would be the bland levels. While I do understand there is a finite number of ways to make levels, the design on most levels are just basic designs with little to no personality to them. I think their features match the land you’re in and overall, they might be appropriate, but the structure is just cover, progression, and rinse/wash/repeat. It works, but I just wanted a bit more flavor to the level soup. Just a bit more sprinkle of salt to make the surroundings cool/stylish/unique. Of course, you’ll be so focused on the enemies and what you need to do to win that you’ll probably not even give these things two hoots of thought. Also…Nintendo Switch. It is very limited in what it can do.
That complaint aside, I do think the overall girth and balanced gameplay from Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope will forgive any shortcomings the game contains. It’s a great game with a smoothed-out gameplay design. It all works and will keep you entertained for hours.
Game presentation
Yes, it’s on the Nintendo Switch, so you’re not going to get any God of War: Ragnarök-like visuals from this experience. Having said that, this is pure Mario and Rabbids, which means you’re going to get that cartoony feel with a once-in-a-while over-the-top presentation. You can’t take this too seriously in the visuals department and the game doesn’t want you to take it seriously. It just wants you to be visually entertained and reminded that the game is fun and made for everyone. In the graphics department, it does this. The occasional voice-over reminds you that the Switch has solid capabilities. The cartoony flavor brings humor (especially with the Rabbids), sincerity, and a notion that you just need to have some fun.
There is a lot to love about how the game is presented and it doesn’t disappoint one bit in this department.
Okay, now that you know the game, let’s wrap this up.
Conclusion
Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope from Ubisoft Milan and Ubisoft Paris is a fantastic and better follow-up to its original 2017 experiment. The characters are better, the addition of Sparks changes how the gameplay works, and the overall tactical strategy options the game provides the player in a huge world make for a consistently fun adventure. Beware of the difficulty, though, as it can get infuriating at times.
