Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope Revealed for 2022 Release
For years before it was officially announced, one of the gaming industry's biggest open secrets was Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, a crossover between Nintendo's classic franchise and Ubisoft's best-selling Rayman spin-off series. In the run-up to this year's E3, rumors began to circulate that the 2017 tactical RPG crossover would be receiving a full sequel sooner than fans expected, and now Nintendo itself has leaked information on Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope.
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle was first announced during Ubisoft's E3 2017 press conference, with Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto himself making an appearance to announce the title that had been in development at Ubisoft Milan for three years. The game was built using Ubisoft's own Snowdrop engine, the same toolset used to develop The Division 2 and South Park: The Fractured But Whole. The game's music was also composed by beloved Banjo-Kazooie and Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning composer Grant Kirkhope.
Now, a listing on Nintendo's website has revealed that Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, a sequel to Kingdom Battle, will release in 2022 for Nintendo Switch, and will feature Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Rabbid Peach, Rabbid Luigi, and more on a science-fiction based adventure through space. The leaked poster for the game also features a Rabbid Rosalina and Rabbid Luma, implying that the game will have ties to Super Mario Galaxy.
The game's page on Nintendo's website, which has gone live well ahead of today's Ubisoft Forward E3 2021, details that Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope will feature nine playable characters, with the player able to form parties consisting of three. The game will also feature new and familiar boss enemies from both the Mario and Rabbids series'. It also mentions "Sparks," characters that players will collect from around the galaxy that provide help during battle, as well as reiterating that the game will return to the tactical, cover-based RPG combat similar to XCOM that the original game utilized.
Given the success of Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, with it becoming one of the best-selling games on Switch not to be developed by Nintendo itself, it's no surprise that it's receiving a sequel. What is surprising is how ambitious this sequel sounds, given that it is ditching the Mushroom Kingdom in favor of exploring space. The original Mario + Rabbids featured references to other Nintendo and Ubisoft franchises such as Donkey Kong and Splinter Cell, meaning that Sparks of Hope could raise the bar, introducing Star Fox and Metroid references and bosses to the series. Time will tell, as the game is likely to receive a full trailer later during today's Ubisoft Forward event.
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope will release in 2022. exclusively on Nintendo Switch
MORE: E3 2021 - Schedule, Where To Watch, Everything Announced, & More
Post a Comment