Based on the amount of Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope content we’ve seen over the past few months, we were concerned that a certain level of fatigue was setting in before the game October 20 release date. Now the big day is finally here and the reviews are on the doorstep of the world. So, was the endless publicity worth it? Welcome to our latest roundup!
We couldn’t just jump into what other reviewers are saying without giving our opinion first, could we? Despite some issues with playability, we were overall quite impressed with Sparks of Hope, giving it an 8/10 in our review in which we described the game as “a must-have for Mario and strategy game enthusiasts.” .
But don’t just take our word for it, here’s what other outlets had to say about Mario’s latest outing with guns:
We will begin with the positive words of Eurogamer. While the site doesn’t place a specific numerical value on what the game is worth on the likability scale, the review praises the title’s ingenuity and development over the original game:
The character roster is colorful and quirky, encouraging experimentation, and in addition to equipping items and sparks, each character has a handful of skill trees to slot in points as they level up. . (Characters also automatically level off the battlefield.) Add in bosses, inventive victory conditions, deep cuts to the Mario universe, and clever battlefield design and you’ve got something very special.
IGN provides a numerical value in its review, and that value is truly commendable – 9/10 to be precise – the game’s loading screens being its only major downside:
Between fights, you’ll be able to catch your breath in the vast and brilliantly colored open worlds, solving its light-hearted puzzles and being intrigued by its bizarre story. It’s hugely rewarding to play an ambitious sequel that addresses all of the major issues I had with the original, and more.
GamesRadar+ continued that gushing positivity in a 4.5/5 star review, praising the game’s strategic depth and ties to the core Mario games:
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope captures everything that made the original so special, while providing a more complex and complete experience. It offers a new level of strategic depth, with world-building that makes it more of a Super Mario game than you might think.
Dexerto echoed our own opinions in his 8.5/10 review, in which he praised the game’s entertainment value but would have liked more of a challenge:
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope builds on its predecessor in surprising and delicious ways to create a tactical RPG that ranks among the best in the genre. While it may lack the challenge of some of its contemporaries, it’s a fun adventure that, while still like a fever dream concocted by a child’s imagination, is one of the best titles of 2022.
NME was equally positive in its 4/5 review, describing the game as “one of Switch’s best offerings”:
Ubisoft has a sublime mastery of Nintendo’s platform charm, and mixed with the more absurd Rabbids humor, sparks of hope can turn even the most diehard speed racer into a perfectionist tourist, racing through each level in search of the next gag or side quest.
To finish, The Guardian has been slightly less stellar in his 3/5 review, in which he enjoyed the game’s tactics, but felt Nintendo-ness was its ultimate downfall:
Landing on these iconic gold coins instantly rewards you with revealing Mario sound effects – but the joy is missing. The movement is slow. Mario cannot jump. The thrill of jumping into a coin is replaced by a hollow Nintendo-branded collect-a-thon.
Will you be picking up Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope soon? Let us know in the comments below?