I don’t approve of this phrase, but I’m going to say it anyway: Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is lovely. There, I’ve said it. Feels a bit dirty to describe the game, any game, in such simple terms, but it’s what spins around in my head when I try to sum it up. I’d draw the line at calling it nice, but, thinking about it a bit, it is rather nice, actually. It’s lovely and nice. It’s the kind of game you’d be happy to show your grandma but then smirk when Peach blasts away a foe with a shotgun and granny asks if that bear-like thing is okay. It’s not okay, granny. After Peach unloaded, Rabbid Luigi came along and unleashed a trio of toxic shock waves. Maybe I’ve got the game all wrong.
Mario + Rabbids essentially showed us what a world of rabbid Mario characters would look and behave like (two bs! Although rabid Mario characters is a spin-off I’d play). The game saw these alternate, often hilarious creatures, fighting alongside the OG Mario, Peach, Luigi and the rest, firing unique weapons and teaming up to perform special attacks. This is all true in Sparks of Hope, except now the peace brought about at the end of the first game is rocked by a new enemy: Cursa. This being is blighting the worlds with darkmess (looks a lot like ink) and draining the sparks of their energy. As is the Mario + Rabbids way, sparks are the rabbid version of lumas, the lovely creatures from Mario Galaxy. In Sparks of Hope they provide Spark powers, which help you offensively and defensively during battles.
Part turn-based tactical combat, part semi-open world adventure, my fondness for Sparks of Hope crept up on me. Its characters, a mix of Mario stalwarts and a bizarre mix of rabbids (the things that spun out of Ubisoft’s Rayman series) are all charming; the world design feels like a mix of children’s TV show and Nintendo vibes; and the learning curve is spot-on, nailing the intro and then introducing more challenge without sudden spikes. But there’s a harshness to proceedings, sort of hanging in the air like the zestiness of an orange. It’s sharp, but rather pleasant. Yes, a rabbid will joke around in a cutscene that wouldn’t be out of place in a Lego game – but moments later your team is getting absolutely owned by a bunch of nobody enemies who think they’re hot shit.