Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, the sequel to Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, launches Oct. 20 on Nintendo Switch, Ubisoft and Nintendo said Tuesday during the Nintendo Direct Mini spotlighting upcoming third-party games.
Viewers were also shown a gameplay demonstration of how the turn-based strategy adventure will use both new and returning characters. A Rabbid Rosalina joins the lineup, with Rabbid Luigi and (non-Rabbid) Mario both back in action. Working together, all three can use dash attacks, followed by weapons, to wipe out clusters of adversaries wholesale.
Oh, and Bowser’s here too, fighting alongside Mario and the Rabbids.
There will be another showcase of Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope on Wednesday at noon EDT, Nintendo said. Fans have seen little of Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope since it was first announced in June 2021 during the Ubisoft Forward E3 showcase.
The unusual crossover of Nintendo’s Mario with Ubisoft’s Raving Rabbids franchises began in August 2017 with Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle for Nintendo Switch. Ubisoft Milan delivered a critically acclaimed strategy title that took home nominations and awards from Gamescom, The Game Awards 2017, and the 2018 DICE Awards.
Update: For those who might be curious what the story is this go-around, a news release says Mario and his pals are battling against “Cursa, a malevolent cosmic entity,” who is hunting magical creatures called the Sparks. By saving Sparks, players will be able to pair them with the heroes they’ve leveled up and customized, and then unlock additional abilities. “[Sparks] all have a distinct power and personality, ranging from energy shields to powerful elemental attacks.”
Tuesday morning’s statement says Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope will take players to “a variety of planets,” and their adversaries will include “familiar enemies from the Nintendo universe,” and “exceptional Rabbids enemies.”
Source: Polygon
