When I first bought my Nintendo Switch all those years ago, one of the very first games I played was a little known title called Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle. Who would have guessed that Mario characters – wielding guns no less – mixed with the crazy and rambunctious Rabbids from the Rayman series coupled with XCOM inspired gameplay would prove to be such a potent combination? I, for one, instantly fell in love with the game. And when Sparks of Hope was announced, I noted its release date down in my calendar, eager to give it a spin when it was finally out. 

But what makes the connection so perfect was that, just like all those years ago, after trading in my old Nintendo console for something new, I was ready to have a Mario + Rabbids game take my new console out on its maiden voyage. Yes, that’s right. I got myself a new Switch OLED. 

Now, I know you may be asking if I needed a new Switch OLED, and the answer is no. But with the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet inspiration for it, how could I say ‘no’ to a work of art? But back to the actual game in question.

Unlike my previous games, Sparks of Hope was a breath of fresh air from gritty realism. Far from the full browns and grey, it was a game infused with vibrant eye-popping colour. Better yet, it also contained a plot that didn’t take itself too seriously.

Following the events of the previous game and the battle with the Megabug, Mario and friends are enjoying a day out at Peach’s castle when suddenly, they are attacked by a Manta, infused with Darkmess. Once they defeat the enemy, rescuing Rabbid Peach along the way, they learn of the threat to the wider Mario universe: Cursa. With a handy spaceship already on hand, Mario and friends jet out into space to rescue the Sparks (a combination of Lumas and Rabbids) and put a stop to Cursa’s nefarious plans.

Such a simple and easy setup, yet it works so well in the context of the world. There’s no moping or indecision on the side of the protagonists. They just jump in, feet first, ready to help. Or, as happened during the exploration of one of the worlds, jumped several thousand metres from a flying ship into a raging maelstrom.

As can be expected in games such as this, the plot is fairly simple. Mario and his gang of friends, including their Rabbid counterparts, journey from planet to planet, fighting the Darkmess as they ultimately make their way to Cursa. There’s not much in the way of shock plot twists except, perhaps, the reveal that Edge had been the leader of the Spark Hunters created by Cursa.

Along the way, Mario and friends befriend the guardians of each planet and help the denizens with restoring peace and order to their worlds. While most of the additional content are simple side missions that pad out one’s time with the game, my favourite sidequest was the romance between a dryad and a lumberjack on the planet, Palette Prime. What enticed me was that though the two had differing views on the cutting down of trees (and what might have been considered commentary on climate change), the two were able, after some help from Mario and friends, to arrive at a common ground. The lumber that the lumberjack would use would be trees that were already dead or dying while the new sprouts would be left alone. 

Unlike many sequels that would simply rest on their laurels, Sparks of Hope brought with it a lot of changes to the tried and true formula of the first game. While many of these were quality of life improvements, such as the flexibility in character movements where they could dash and jump with certain impunity across the ground, there were also changes to skillsets of many of the characters. 

This opened up new ways to play the game, allowing much more variety in the teams brought into each battle. My favourite tactic, of course, was whittling away at an enemy’s health with a lot of the movement attacks (which didn’t use action points) and then destroying everyone up close and personal with the Dukes from Rabbid Mario.

Occasionally, I’d use Luigi, with his sniper’s steely stare to destroy enemies from halfway across the field. Or, I’d have Rabbid Luigi hit multiple targets with his frisbee.

Sparks of Hope also introduced three new playable characters. Enter: Rabbid Rosalina, Edge and Bowser! One is the epitome of every teenager told to do chores. The second is a ‘too cool for school’ type and, of course, the last is an enemy turned reluctant ally. If ever there was a chance for an enemies to lovers story between the Mario gang and Bowser, this game is it!

And yes, I know people have jumped onto the Bowuigi train already following on from the trailer of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, but well, to add to everyone’s collective headcanons regarding their relationship, did you know that there’s a sidequest in Sparks of Hope where Bowser and Luigi team up?! No? You didn’t? Well, now you have it! You’re welcome!

Diversion aside, these new characters bring with them new ways to fight against the corrupted Rabbids under Cursa’s control. Rabbid Rosalina had the ability to bring about ennui in enemies, making them unable to move, shoot or use techniques. Her primary attack is with a gun shaped like a Luma plushie, acting almost like a machine gun with its rapid fire. More importantly, it helped add to the aesthetic Rabbid Rosalina was going for. And honestly, that’s probably the most important thing.

Edge, on the other hand, was almost a parody of skilled swordsman in many a turn-based strategy game. With hair colour that was a combination of black and green, she evoked the heroes of years past. You know the ones: gruff and stoic, looks cool? I mean, it’s in her very name! Edge! If you add a ‘lord’ to it, you basically see where they were going with it.

As for Bowser, well, the king of the kappas was always keen for an explosive entrance in my playthrough. His stomps and the bazooka he wielded were excellent at targeting groups of enemies, even if the damage he inflicted was fairly subpar compared to the other characters. Still, as I soon learned in Sparks of Hope, crowd control was a very important skill to have on many a map.

Combined with the revamped Mario and friends, the additions made for versatile team combinations depending on the objective. Better, they were all very fun to play with. Especially without the worry of permanent death of a beloved character should they be knocked out in battle. Plus, there were also ample ways to heal up each character after a scrap. True, some might prefer a hard-as-nails strategy game, but with these colourful characters from a beloved IP? Are you insane?

It needs to be accessible and fun! Not frustrating.

In this, Sparks of Hope succeeds. Though there were the occasional tough battles, most of the game was pretty forgiving. And with the ability to adjust difficulty, I’m sure it would as a perfect entry point for those that are curious about the genre as well as appease a few of the strategy-game purists on the internet. Especially since it doesn’t have too complex a setup or unfair difficulty spikes.

On the other hand, I did feel Sparks of Hope faltered a little when it came to memorable bosses (Hello, Phantom?). Still, they managed to keep them challenging and were also able to match the bosses with the unique themes of each world that Mario and the gang stopped at in their quest to save the universe and put a stop to the evil Cursa.

Oh, and before I forget, let me just regale everyone with how excellent the music is in Sparks of Hope. From the minds of three GREAT composers comes the soundtrack to this second entry of tactical strategy Mario games: Grant Kirkhope, Yoko Shimomura and Gareth Coker!

For those that don’t know, Gareth Coker is the composer behind all of the beautiful pieces in Ori and the Blind Forest. Grant Kirkhope on the other hand, has been known for many pieces behind classic Nintendo games. As for Yoko Shimomura, well, there’s no need for an introduction here on my blog. As a fan of Kingdom Hearts, Yoko Shimomura has been a huge part of my gaming journey. And the pieces that she composes are absolute FIRE!

Overall, Sparks of Hope was just the game that I needed after playing through the emotionally taxing A Plague Tale: Requiem and the political masterpiece that was The DioField Chronicle. Colourful, cheery with a plot that needed little brainpower to understand (even if the puzzles did), was just the palate cleanser I needed before I tackled the very serious Dad simulator that is God of War: Ragnarok. Beyond that, it’s a good game that brings a lot to the table, even if it didn’t quite blow my mind as the first game: Kingdom Battle did with its unique take on the world of Mario.