Ubisoft and Nintendo caught the gaming world off guard with the announcement of Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope. The original title, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, was well-received, surprising most of the players that gave it a chance. After all, many had expected the experimental XCOM gameplay, combined with the rather maligned Rabbids and their signature crude humor, to fail. But now, four years and at least a couple million sales later, Mario + Rabbids has proved its success by returning bigger and better than ever. Carried by its gameplay, visuals, and odd charm, Mario + Rabbids looks to be sticking around for at least one more fight.

This time, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is bringing its gun-toting crossover crew to a Mario Galaxy-like setting. The protagonists have set off through space to save the Sparks, a race of creatures formed through the fusion of Rabbids and Lumas. Sporting revamped gameplay and a new side cast of Rabbids with completely unique designs, the 2022 title already looks very promising. Aside from the Mario staples and their Rabbid versions from the first game, a Rosalina Rabbid will also be joining the crew. Now that Mario Galaxy elements are on the table, there are a ton of cool features the sequel could adapt that will make it endearing to old and new players alike.

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Mario is no stranger to having adventures in space. His travels have taken him to every climate on his planet, to the moon, and far beyond. Sparks of Hope would give itself a massive boost in environmental diversity and fanservice if it brought back some of the Galaxy's grander locales. Framing them in a similar way, with some locations being seen as small, sometimes connected planetoids, would be an awesome callback and could make for some cool wraparound battle arenas. Even bringing the antigravity sections back alone would feel fitting and welcome.

Then there's the locations themselves. The Mario 64-inspired Throwback Galaxy, or some equivalent, would be an awesome thing to stick in any Mario game. The various deep caves and interstellar graveyards would be ideal inspiration for an equally spooky area in Mario + Rabbids. Having some more peculiar areas would definitely fit with the new antagonist Cursa, which seems to be more of a force of evil than a regular villain. Two more nostalgic locations that would make fans overjoyed if they appeared are the Comet Observatory and the Starship Mario. These two hubs are beloved, and both would certainly fit well with the game if the real Rosalina turns up as one of the unrevealed party members. And of course, few players can forget that platforming challenge galaxy made of moving sweets, or the purple coin challenge set on an eight-bit Mario made of disappearing, rotating, and harmful platforms. Creative locations like those really gave the Galaxy games their own personality, and they could do the same for Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope.

To go along with the expanded location list, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope should bring back many of the creatures Mario encountered on his interstellar journeys. Seeing some normal Lumas, at least around Rosalina if she shows up, would be a breath of fresh air for people who aren't fond of the Sparks' appearance. Lubba, captain of the Starship Mario, would certainly be a sight for sore eyes. The penguins, robots, rabbits, and bees that dotted these games would also be nice to see again in their usual habitats.

Of course, it wouldn't really be a Mario experience without some iconic enemies. While Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 didn't really introduce any new staples, they certainly still had some iconic enemies that fill out Sparks of Hope's rogue's gallery. The rock-shooting Octoombas can finally return here, along with references to some of the memorable bosses. Now, lifting old Galaxy bosses outright wouldn't be terribly impressive, but calling back to the deep space horrors in the vein of Bouldergeist, Kingfin, and Tarantox would certainly win points with fans. With gamers enjoying the Ruined Dragon from Mario Odyssey's Ruined Kingdom a lot, there's no reason not to include some darker parts to contrast with Mario + Rabbids' much wackier tone.

Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope will be released for the Nintendo Switch in 2022.

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