Mario + Rabbids: The Guide to Both Games

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Pairing Mario with the Rabbids looked like heresy: it turned into a smash hit. This guide compares the two tactical games born from the Ubisoft-Nintendo collaboration: Kingdom Battle in 2017, with its grid of tiles and three actions per turn, and Sparks of Hope in 2022, which switches to free movement. It also breaks down the hybrid heroes such as Rabbid Peach and Rabbid Luigi.

Back in 2017, nobody believed in it: pairing the most respected plumber in video games with Ubisoft's Rabbids, those loud and anarchic little creatures, looked like heresy. And yet, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle became one of the Nintendo Switch's biggest hits, before its sequel Sparks of Hope pushed the idea even further.

This collaboration handed the Mushroom Kingdom a completely new genre: turn-based tactics, in the spirit of an XCOM, but dressed in humour and colour. Here is the full guide to both games: how they came about, how they play, and their hybrid heroes such as the now iconic Rabbid Peach.

Contents

• An unlikely collaboration born at Ubisoft
• Kingdom Battle (2017): tactics land in the Mushroom Kingdom
• The hybrid heroes: Rabbid Peach, Rabbid Luigi and company
• Sparks of Hope (2022): the adventure goes galactic
• Kingdom Battle or Sparks of Hope: which one should you choose?
• Quick recap
• FAQ

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An unlikely collaboration born at Ubisoft

The idea took shape at Ubisoft Milan, under the lead of creative director Davide Soliani, backed by Ubisoft Paris. Convincing Nintendo to hand Mario over to a third-party studio was quite the challenge, yet the project won them over. The game was unveiled during the Ubisoft conference at E3 2017, where Shigeru Miyamoto, Mario's creator, stepped on stage himself alongside Soliani — a rare seal of approval for a title developed outside Nintendo.

The mood was tense, though: images had leaked ahead of the announcement and drew a mocking reception. The official presentation turned opinion right around. Built with Ubisoft's in-house Snowdrop engine, the game proved that a crossover that looked absurd on paper could work beautifully.

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Kingdom Battle (2017): tactics land in the Mushroom Kingdom

It all starts when a pack of Rabbids crashes, via their time machine, into the laboratory of a Mario superfan. One of them slips on the SupaMerge, a headset able to merge objects and living beings, and unleashes chaos: the Mushroom Kingdom ends up overrun with costumed Rabbids and fused creatures.

The heart of the game is turn-based tactical combat on a grid of tiles. You field a team of three fighters — Mario is mandatory, joined by a Rabbid and another hero — chosen from eight characters. Each turn blends movement, a cover system (half or full), ranged fire and clever moves such as the team jump and the dash attack. The little robot Beep-0 guides the exploration between battles. After four worlds, the adventure climaxes against MegaDragonBowser, a giant Bowser possessed by the MegaBug. The soundtrack, composed by Grant Kirkhope (the composer of Banjo-Kazooie), and the expansion Donkey Kong Adventure kept the success going. The game released on August 29, 2017 in the West, and on January 18, 2018 in Japan.

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The hybrid heroes: Rabbid Peach, Rabbid Luigi and company

The series' great stroke of genius is its Rabbid doubles. Every Mario hero has a Rabbid alter ego: Rabbid Peach, a self-proclaimed star obsessed with selfies, Rabbid Luigi, Rabbid Mario or even Rabbid Yoshi. Far from being simple clones, each one comes with their own weapons and skills.

Rabbid Peach quickly became the game's mascot, to the point of earning her own figure and a real following among fans. That gallery grows in the sequel with Rabbid Rosalina (the Rabbid version of Rosalina), while figures from the Mario universe such as Peach, Luigi and even Bowser join the playable roster.

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Sparks of Hope (2022): the adventure goes galactic

Released on October 20, 2022, Sparks of Hope leaves the Mushroom Kingdom behind for outer space. The great threat goes by the name of Cursa, an entity born from a fragment of the MegaBug, which spreads corruption across five planets and covets the energy of the Sparks . These adorable creatures come from the fusion of the Lumas from Super Mario Galaxy and the Rabbids; once recruited, they grant special powers in battle.

The gameplay is deeply overhauled: the grid is gone, making way for free movement within a given radius, with two actions per turn. Nine heroes are playable, including newcomer Edge, the Rabbid Rosalina and a Bowser who is now an ally. For the first time, the Rabbids are fully voiced. Crowned best strategy game at the Game Awards 2022, the title was expanded with three add-ons, including Rayman in the Phantom Show, which brings back Ubisoft's historic mascot.

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Kingdom Battle or Sparks of Hope: which one should you choose?

Both games share the same tactical DNA, but they chase different sensations. Kingdom Battle is stiffer and more demanding: its grid and its cover system make it an excellent gateway into strategy, but also a more punishing experience. Sparks of Hope goes for a looser, more spectacular tone, with its freedom of movement and its Spark combos that encourage experimentation.

To discover the genre step by step, Kingdom Battle remains a safe bet; for a wider, more modern adventure, Sparks of Hope takes the lead. Both left their mark on Mario's history by handing him a playground he had never set foot on before.

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Kingdom Battle vs Sparks of Hope

Release	August 29, 2017 (Japan: January 18, 2018) vs October 20, 2022
Movement in battle	Grid of tiles vs free movement
Actions per turn	3 actions vs 2 actions
Major new feature	Cover system vs Sparks
Playable heroes	8 characters vs 9 characters
Main villain	MegaBug / MegaDragonBowser vs Cursa
Flagship expansion	Donkey Kong Adventure vs Rayman in the Phantom Show

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FAQ

• Do you need to know Mario or the Rabbids to play?
  No. Both games are designed as entry points: the visual humour and the gradual tutorials keep the adventure accessible, even if spotting the nods to both universes adds to the fun.
• Who developed Mario + Rabbids?
  Both games were developed by Ubisoft (with the Milan and Paris studios leading the way), with Nintendo's blessing. In Japan, it was actually Nintendo that handled publishing.
• What is a Spark in Sparks of Hope?
  A Spark is the fusion of a Luma (the living stars of Super Mario Galaxy) and a Rabbid. You recruit them across the galaxy, and each one grants a unique combat power.
• Are the two games connected by their story?
  Yes, in part. The MegaBug, the corrupting entity from Kingdom Battle, resurfaces in Sparks of Hope in the form of Cursa, born from one of its fragments.
• Is Rabbid Peach a genuine playable character?
  Absolutely. Now the mascot of the series, Rabbid Peach is playable from the very first game and returns in Sparks of Hope, with her own weapons and her self-centred diva personality.

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