Combining the iconic plumber with Ubisoft’s equivalent of the infamous Minions sounds like a match made in annoyance, but surprisingly, the Mario and Rabbids series is great. A strategy role-playing game involving Nintendo’s popular mascot and a bunch of annoying rabbit-like creatures shouldn’t work this well, but you can see for yourself with this Mario and Rabbids: Sparks of Hope sale, with a huge 67% off the retail price.
Rabbids being a part of the best Switch RPGs list is certainly a bizarre thing, but both Mario and Rabbids games are excellent experiences. Dare I say, they’re some of the best Switch games on the market, and Mario and Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is an improvement over the surprising first game in many ways.
Instead of the usual platformer everyone loves from the famed Italian or the occasional bout of racing around the best Mario Kart courses, Mario and Rabbids has more in common with the XCOM series than your usual Mario endeavor. If you’re unaware of the hardcore gameplay that XCOM delivers, it’s a tactical strategy game that puts turn-based combat and a lot of luck at the forefront, and Mario and Rabbids does this brilliantly while tuning it down for a family-friendly audience.
You don’t need to experience the first game, even if it does add some context as to why the blabbermouth bunnies are now seemingly citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom. The general gist is, that after the period of peace that followed the first game, a new evil arrives in the form of Cursa, who is using the powers of Sparks or Luma Rabbids to commit their plans of… well, evil. Like many other Mario adventures (especially Super Mario Galaxy), you’re off to stop the antagonist across a multitude of planets.
What’s excellent is that Mario and Rabbids: Sparks of Hope doesn’t shy away from offering challenging moments. Some levels can be quite difficult, requiring you to have knowledge of your squad and how to move around the small arenas to complete the mission. But don’t just take my word for how much I enjoy this series, as in our Mario and Rabbids: Sparks of Hope review, Connor Christie calls it a “masterclass in making turn-based battles feel fresher than ever.”
For a short time, you can grab Mario and Rabbids: Sparks of Hope for just $19.93 on Amazon, a whopping 67% off the retail price and a must-have for your collection, especially if you’re a fan of the best single-player games around. You can get a similarly impressive deal in the UK from Amazon, with the game sitting at £16.97 right now at 66% off.
If you’ve been looking to enjoy something a bit more tactical than the best action games on your handheld console, this Mario and Rabbids: Sparks of Hope discount isn’t one to miss. Even if you’re waiting for the Switch 2 pre-orders to go live, the upcoming console is actually backwards compatible, so you can still grow your collection while waiting for the anticipated handheld.