Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope

 Switch
  • Publisher: Ubisoft
  • Release Date: Oct 20, 2022
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 242 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 165 out of 242
  2. Mixed: 37 out of 242
  3. Negative: 40 out of 242
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  1. DudeManLegacy
    Oct 29, 2022
    8
    I'm a big fan of the previous installment. This sequel carries over the concept of Turn Based Strategy and the unique combat abilities and that's it. If you came for Kingdom Battle 2.0, this is not the same experience. Where KB had structure and each character had their own playstyle, Shards of Hope flips that on its head and comes up with a fluid design that allows you to trick out yourI'm a big fan of the previous installment. This sequel carries over the concept of Turn Based Strategy and the unique combat abilities and that's it. If you came for Kingdom Battle 2.0, this is not the same experience. Where KB had structure and each character had their own playstyle, Shards of Hope flips that on its head and comes up with a fluid design that allows you to trick out your squad in whatever way you see fit. Random encounters on the overworld are introduced and Sparks generate that variability that changes your character playstyle. The way movement works now, there's tons of abuse to be had, in terms of strategy. This is making the release state of the game rather easy. However, two DLCs are guaranteed and I hope that they take notes of how players are engaging the content in order for them to make more engaging battles.… Expand
  2. lilboa
    Oct 21, 2022
    10
    I'm impressed by the combat system. The movement mechanic in combat has huge potential!
  3. ElSmasher
    Oct 26, 2022
    8
    5 years after the first album, La Switch gives us an appointment with Mario+ Rabbids: Sparks of Hope. Ubisoft has given itself some freedoms compared to the first opus, and it works rather well. Artistically, the game is excellent and offers us a much deeper story than what Mario usually offers us. The gameplay is more airy and the difficulty better gauged. We would have liked a lifespan5 years after the first album, La Switch gives us an appointment with Mario+ Rabbids: Sparks of Hope. Ubisoft has given itself some freedoms compared to the first opus, and it works rather well. Artistically, the game is excellent and offers us a much deeper story than what Mario usually offers us. The gameplay is more airy and the difficulty better gauged. We would have liked a lifespan at least equal to the first but it’s not serious, the voices are more put forward and the rabbits too, to our greatest misfortune!… Expand
  4. GameforGamers
    Oct 21, 2022
    10
    such a fantastic sequel to the first game, MARIO + RABBIDS SPARKS OF HOPE added more stuff and more depth to the starategy gamepla.
  5. WindMaster25
    Oct 22, 2022
    10
    Honestly this might be one of the best Mario spin-off game i have ever played, the gameplay has really improved, the visuals is amazing, the soundtrack is fantastic, and the story is really good, seriously go buy it it's amazing!
  6. Jt0429
    Oct 21, 2022
    9
    Good-
    Fun story with a unique sense of humour and endearing characters; Real-time movement changes the combat in fundamental ways; Combat feels much more dynamic; A vast and varied roster of characters, each of whom is a blast to play as; Expanded progression mechanics make for impressive build variety; Significantly expanded exploration; Plenty of side content; Stellar soundtrack; Looks    Good-
    Fun story with a unique sense of humour and endearing characters; Real-time movement changes the combat in fundamental ways; Combat feels much more dynamic; A vast and varied roster of characters, each of whom is a blast to play as; Expanded progression mechanics make for impressive build variety; Significantly expanded exploration; Plenty of side content; Stellar soundtrack; Looks great.

    Bad-
    Side activities can get a little repetitive; Some technical issues.

    Thoughts-
    Ultimately though, this is an excellent game. Given how much I liked Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, I would have had absolutely no issues with a sequel that played it safe and didn’t change things up too much. Sparks of Hope deserves credit not only for taking risks where many may not have felt they were needed, but also excelling in the execution of its new ideas. An expanded and much more dynamic system, a charming and humorous world and story, and a satisfying level of mechanical complexity come together in what may very well be one of the best games in the Switch’s esteemed library.    … Expand
  7. Saldor100
    Oct 23, 2022
    10
    They still make very good light srpg game and kid friendly. If you liked the first one, you will love this one.
  8. Olitechno
    Oct 22, 2022
    9
    A must play game!
    2022 has brought us the most expected game of the genre, a mix of Nintendo characters with the rabbids madness just can mean one thing: FUN.
    Refurbished quest system with a well detailed world, not to mention about the battle system, it has been enhanced too.
  9. Vondalex
    Oct 22, 2022
    10
    Un jeu incroyable, d'une grande qualité et très original. Le challenge est présent et on se sent fier de réussir et d'avancer dans l'histoire. Il y a aussi des modes faciles dans les options si necessaire. Je recommande !
  10. Dany8
    Oct 21, 2022
    9
    Una secuela superior, donde ubisoft se marca tremendo juegazo! Divertido, estratégico, no faltan las risas y te pone a marcas una estrategia con un equipo que sea perfecto para la aventura
  11. Erroriste
    Oct 24, 2022
    10
    In a few words: I love the combat system, they traded a bit of strategy for more action, which i felt was a good trade off. The music is really awesome, the worlds are interesting to explore. I like the talking rabbids, it makes them feel a bit more likable and gives a bit more depth to the story.

    That is definitely a game to put under a christmas tree!
  12. iamlazar
    Oct 23, 2022
    10
    A second opus better than the first. An incredible experience and an impressive new combat system.
  13. Kyuura
    Oct 23, 2022
    10
    Nice improvement , Gw Suka Semua Aspek Yang Ditawarin Dari Game Ini entah dari cerita ataupun gameplay semuanya Berkembang Dengan Bagus Dibanding Seri yang pertama
  14. Protoxide
    Oct 25, 2022
    10
    One of the best switch game 2022. Great combat mechanics and very humoristic.
  15. Akin91
    Oct 25, 2022
    10
    Must play if you like tactical RPGs. Kingdom Battle was really great, and this is even better in all aspects!
  16. Felios
    Oct 23, 2022
    10
    It's a massive evolution from its predecessor. The combat system is more dynamic and the world is fun to explore!
  17. SirBurned
    Oct 25, 2022
    10
    I loved the previous game, this one is better in all the aspects.
    The soundtracks are amazing, gameplay is fun and simple to understand, the story is ok, the animations are sick, you can play as the king of the Koopas himself, characters voices are great, ton of secondary quests, colorful open zone areas, you are not forced to use mario in the team and the characters are fill with    I loved the previous game, this one is better in all the aspects.
    The soundtracks are amazing, gameplay is fun and simple to understand, the story is ok, the animations are sick, you can play as the king of the Koopas himself, characters voices are great, ton of secondary quests, colorful open zone areas, you are not forced to use mario in the team and the characters are fill with personalities.
    I overall loved this game.    … Expand
  18. KazMx
    Oct 29, 2022
    10
    It was a nice change to the formula. The freedom of movement make it a lot easier to figure the best position before even doing an attack or a special move.
  19. Kenmei
    Oct 27, 2022
    9
    Sparks of Hope is definitely an upgrade on Kingdom Battle. The changes to the battle system are very nice and the addition of the Sparks themselves really give each character quite a range of actions they can perform. Best of all, the massive grind is now gone from the game as about 90% of the content scales to your characters level, and the remaining 10% are easily hit once a world isSparks of Hope is definitely an upgrade on Kingdom Battle. The changes to the battle system are very nice and the addition of the Sparks themselves really give each character quite a range of actions they can perform. Best of all, the massive grind is now gone from the game as about 90% of the content scales to your characters level, and the remaining 10% are easily hit once a world is complete. I will say that if you're coming here for any kind of story then you'll be sorely disappointed. But I don't think people play any kind of Mario game for the story so that's a moot point. My biggest complaint is the Switch hardware itself, once again. While docked the loading times are atrocious, especially when I'm just trying to use my skill points and switch sparks around. I suffered major frame drops during the open world, sometimes with it dipping into single digits. Also the voice acting, or lack thereof, really threw me off, with only the two main robot characters being fully voiced and other characters literally only saying a word or two of their dialogue bubble. It was very confusing. But it's not confusing enough for me to not recommend it. This is easily some of the best fun I've had on the Switch this year and the definite upgrade that the series was looking for. I'm eagerly anticipating the upcoming Ray-man expansion sometime next year.… Expand
  20. Gallium
    Nov 16, 2022
    10
    I really like everything about the game!

    Except for Beep-o.
    Beep-O is exceptionally annoying. It gives me Clap-trap vibes.
  21. rafaaguilera
    Nov 19, 2022
    8
    I enjoyed the first one and this new one maintains the quality level. The battle mechanics which were great already, are even better and more fun and this a great game for people who aren't fans or never played a strategy game before. Very easy to learn but still a good challenge to master. However, something about the charisma and magic of the Mario universe is missing here. The plot andI enjoyed the first one and this new one maintains the quality level. The battle mechanics which were great already, are even better and more fun and this a great game for people who aren't fans or never played a strategy game before. Very easy to learn but still a good challenge to master. However, something about the charisma and magic of the Mario universe is missing here. The plot and dialogue are boring and so are the new characters, especially this shard fragment and the robot with rabbit ears, that I kept skipping every cutscene and dialogue involving both.
    In conclusion, great game, fun mechanics but lacks Super Mario charm.    … Expand
  22. Rul00
    Jan 30, 2023
    8
    Esta al mismo nivel que el anterior juego. Se nota el esfuerzo por innovar y lo consigue. Muy disfrutable.
  23. ZeoN
    Feb 9, 2023
    9
    Una joya imprescindible de Nintendo Switch. Le han faltado un par de mundos más, pero en el resto de cosas es simplemente sublime y mejora incluso al primero. Muy recomendado
  24. Wackme
    Oct 28, 2022
    9
    I loved the first game, and I love this game as well. The graphics, the beter game mechanics, more option, more everything. Amazing sound track also!! Its a joy to listening to it!! Again for a the negatives Nancy's again: 1. Take time to play a game, if you don't want to make an effort, watch it on YouTube
    2. I like the new voices, some find it to less, some too much... it's a new game    I loved the first game, and I love this game as well. The graphics, the beter game mechanics, more option, more everything. Amazing sound track also!! Its a joy to listening to it!! Again for a the negatives Nancy's again: 1. Take time to play a game, if you don't want to make an effort, watch it on YouTube
    2. I like the new voices, some find it to less, some too much... it's a new game with new things and all you know?!
    3. You're giving less then a 6 for an game with perfect graphics, perfect music, perfect sounds and perfect voices. ?? You know that you are wrong    … Expand
  25. ImperialKnight
    Jan 7, 2023
    8
    This game would be a 10/10 IF it ONLY had the tactical gameplay elements. At it is, the exploration and puzzles parts of the game are hot garbage that gets worse the further you progress into the game. They are absolutely asinine. It's a blemish on an otherwise phenomenal tactics games
  26. Santanilla
    Jan 11, 2023
    10
    So I really loved the first one and I thought this one was going to be more of the same. After buying I realized that the mechanism have changed and at first I was mad… why change something that works right? , but after playing for 6 hours I can tell that the game’s soul is respected . Same as with Mario karts ; each one being different but at the same time same fun. I can say here happensSo I really loved the first one and I thought this one was going to be more of the same. After buying I realized that the mechanism have changed and at first I was mad… why change something that works right? , but after playing for 6 hours I can tell that the game’s soul is respected . Same as with Mario karts ; each one being different but at the same time same fun. I can say here happens the same and I congratulate Ubisoft for innovating and taking new risks with this franchise. I really love this kind of games similar to xcom and midnight suns. What I hated about the first one was the in between spacial puzzles, this one seems to have a lot of more variety with the in between quests. Humor and vibe feels the same. Now you can chose difficulty , I think that is not possible on the first one.… Expand
  27. Syhlcam
    Nov 15, 2022
    8
    Mario + The Lapins Crétins : Sparks of Hope est un excellent jeu qui propose une bonne phase d'exploration sur divers planètes aux différents style. Mais propose un jeu de tactique bien maîtrisé qui est plus agréable avec des déplacements plus libre.
    Mais aussi plus riche avec l'ajout des Sparks et de leurs pouvoirs. Néanmoins le jeu en reste pas moins accessible au plus grand nombre.    Mario + The Lapins Crétins : Sparks of Hope est un excellent jeu qui propose une bonne phase d'exploration sur divers planètes aux différents style. Mais propose un jeu de tactique bien maîtrisé qui est plus agréable avec des déplacements plus libre.
    Mais aussi plus riche avec l'ajout des Sparks et de leurs pouvoirs. Néanmoins le jeu en reste pas moins accessible au plus grand nombre. Surtout qu'il offre une histoire cool, sur des visuels réussit et une OST excellente. On peut juste noté les menus pas optimal, les nombreux chargements ou le faible nombre de boss marquant.

    FULL TEST : https://www.geekexperience.fr/jeux-video/avis/avis-mario-the-lapins-cretins-sparks-of-hope/    … Expand
  28. nortoons
    Dec 5, 2022
    10
    An improvement over the first game, which I loved. It took a little time to get used to running around freely without a grid appearing during battles, but I quickly got used to it and now I love it. One of the biggest improvements, in my eyes, was making more of the game about battles and lessening the number of puzzles involved. There are still puzzles, sure, but my chief complaint aboutAn improvement over the first game, which I loved. It took a little time to get used to running around freely without a grid appearing during battles, but I quickly got used to it and now I love it. One of the biggest improvements, in my eyes, was making more of the game about battles and lessening the number of puzzles involved. There are still puzzles, sure, but my chief complaint about the first game was that I felt there were too many annoying puzzles that prevented me from getting back into the action. I really don't mind a good puzzle, but I feel that in a game like this, the puzzles should be a small sidebar to help break up monotony, but not have equal billing with the battles.

    I do admit I found the game to be very easy on the medium/average difficulty setting. Only a couple of battles were challenging, and they were mostly optional battles starring mega-huge opponents. Those in particular were really fun. The boss battles were easy compared to the first game, although they were still enjoyable and interesting. I might play through the game again on a higher difficulty setting.

    The cast of playable characters is pretty good. I was really happy I could play as Bowser, one of my favorite Super Mario characters, though I admit I wish I could play as Yoshi or Donkey Kong like in previous games. But, it's no deal-breaker. I'm sure there will be DLC that adds more characters in the future. Although I was a little lukewarm on the Rabbids characters the first time around, I honestly enjoy them more in this game. The voice acting is top-notch, too. It's a little strange that not all the characters got fully-fleshed voice acting, but BEEP-O and Jeannie were extremely well-done in particular.

    Overall, I had a blast playing this game, and I liked it even more than the first game, which is one of my favorite Switch games. I am a big fan of turn-based tactics, but I'm also a big Super Mario fan, so combining those two things into one really well-done game brings me a ton of joy. I hope we have another Mario + Rabbids game on the next iteration of Nintendo hardware!    … Expand
  29. KreyGame
    Nov 24, 2022
    8
    Si eres fan de los juegos de estrategia por turnos y le tienes cariño al universo de Mario te va a gustar este juego.
    La historia no va a romper tus esquemas y te va a dejar meditando sobre algo trascendental pero se hace divertida y une correctamente la jugabilidad y los cambios en ella lo que le dota de coherencia.
  30. Gorgoton
    Jan 27, 2023
    9
    Sparks of hope is a very good sequel to Kingdom Battle. It has elevated the gameplay and the mechanics to a higher level where the game feels way more open and satisfying. The addition of the Sparks is also a great new layer of "complexity" to the gameplay. Each level is well crafted and feels like you have to choose carefully your strategy to win effectively (choose the right pair ofSparks of hope is a very good sequel to Kingdom Battle. It has elevated the gameplay and the mechanics to a higher level where the game feels way more open and satisfying. The addition of the Sparks is also a great new layer of "complexity" to the gameplay. Each level is well crafted and feels like you have to choose carefully your strategy to win effectively (choose the right pair of Sparks for each character and choose the right trio of characters).

    On this topic, I'm not sure if I like the removal of turn count after each level, I thought it was something in the first game that forced you to choose every moves carefully to finish the level in least turns possible. On an other topic, I also like the new art style, I think it's beautiful and does a great job showcasing the planets.

    In the end, if you like turn-based games like Kingdom Battle or Fire Emblem you should love Sparks of hope. If you didn't like Kingdom Battle, maybe you'll like this one. Just try it out. I give it a strong 9, great job Ubisoft!    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

18
#18 Best Switch Game of 2022
13
#13 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 122 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 117 out of 122
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 122
  3. Negative: 0 out of 122
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 25, 2024
    80
    Sparks of Hope is an interesting sequel to the first game, and even though it has its flaws, you'll still have a great time and enjoy the vast majority of the tactical battles. [Issue#323]
  2. Het Nieuwsblad
    Jul 31, 2023
    60
    He lands in theaters next year, with a movie of his own. But until then, Super Mario continues to reign supreme on the Nintendo. 'Sparks of hope' is yet another game centered around the world's most famous plumber. Just a shame that the piping shows more wear and tear than in the previous game.
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  3. Movies Games and Tech
    Mar 10, 2023
    95
    From start to finish, this game really has taken me through some amazing missions, entertaining video content, and action-packed gameplay with levels of massive and destructive villains. For the beautiful art which makes up the graphics, well let’s just say there is plenty to gawk at! Everything that Mario represents is shown in this game, with the addition of those humorous Rabbids. Plus, the ability to build a team of unlikely characters really makes for some entertaining storylines and some marvelous defeats! Lastly, even if there have been many Rabbid games in the past, I felt this game might have just topped them. It has exceeded my expectations and has me curious to see what the future beholds with the Rabbids. So I fully stand beside this game and recommend it for a worthwhile, new experience worth playing.
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