Mario's Guns Return in Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope - E3 2021

An unlikely partnership is back again. Nintendo All-Star Mario is teaming up with the wacky race of Rabbids to fight against an interstellar threat in Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope.

Announced during the Ubisoft Forward showcase on Saturday, it is a sequel to the surprisingly popular turn based strategy game Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. The reveal trailer is equal parts cinematic and gameplay, giving us a great look at what to expect overall for the game.



Like in the previous game, Sparks of Hope takes on a strategic turn based battle format. With multiple units, varied terrain, and considerations like line-of-sight, its similar to games like XCOM. In Sparks of Hope, they introduce a variety of new enemies and mechanics. We see possessed Bob-ombs capable of being thrown before exploding, and a new elemental assistant system with Sparks.

In a terrible stroke of luck for Ubisoft, the game was actually leaked just hours before the presentation. Nintendo accidentally launched the official store page for the game the morning before the Ubisoft Forward presentation went live. This revealed the title, art, and general plot of the game. Even so, were still rather surprised to see the game return with a sequel.

Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope will release some time in 2022, exclusively on the Nintendo Switch