For years before it was officially announced, one of the gaming industry’s biggest open secrets wasMario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, a crossover between Nintendo’s classic franchise and Ubisoft’s best-sellingRaymanspin-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 onMario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope.
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battlewas first announced during Ubisoft’s E3 2017 press conference, withMariocreator 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 usingUbisoft’s own Snowdrop engine, the same toolset used to developThe Division 2andSouth Park: The Fractured But Whole. The game’s music was also composed by belovedBanjo-KazooieandKingdoms of Amalur: Reckoningcomposer Grant Kirkhope.
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Now, a listing on Nintendo’s website has revealed thatMario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope,a sequel toKingdom 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 toSuper Mario Galaxy.
The game’s page on Nintendo’s website, which has gone live well ahead of today’s Ubisoft Forward E3 2021, details thatMario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hopewill feature nine playable characters, with the player able to form parties consisting of three. The game will also feature new and familiar boss enemies fromboth theMario and Rabbidsseries'. 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 toXCOMthat the original game utilized.
Given the success ofMario + 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 originalMario + Rabbidsfeatured references to other Nintendo and Ubisoft franchisessuch asDonkey KongandSplinter Cell, meaning thatSparks of Hopecould raise the bar, introducingStar FoxandMetroidreferences 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 Hopewill release in 2022. exclusively on Nintendo Switch
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