Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope levels up with a dash of Mario Galaxy Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope levels up with a dash of Mario Galaxy Watch today's livestream, with a chunk of new footage. News by Tom Phillips Deputy Editor Published on 29 Jun 2022 4 comments Ubisoft has today unveiled a feast of fresh Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope gameplay footage, showcasing its intriguing new settings, characters and chaos. This sequel to the excellent Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle takes place in a "whimsical" and gorgeous new galaxy, that's a curious blend of both Mario Galaxy and Rabbids universes. Within its orbit float worlds of autumnal colour, frozen snow and sandy beaches, like a Mario Galaxy game in miniature. The story here revolves around Cursa, a dark entity that wants to absorb this hybrid galaxy's energy and capture the Sparks - cute creations that are a mix of Galaxy's Lumas and the Rabbids. It's up to Mario and his Kingdom Battle crew to save the day, now aided by Rabbid Rosalina, the punky-looking rabbid Edge, and - as we found out yesterday during the latest Nintendo Direct - Bowser himself. Watch on YouTube Today's Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope - Game Introduction Trailer. Sparks of Hope's worlds are now seemingly more open, with sidequests to complete and secrets to find via some light puzzle-solving. Even in battles, you'll control characters in real-time - without a grid to stick to. I'm intrigued to see some new Rabbids characters here also - perhaps a way around Nintendo's own weird rules around designing fresh Mario faces - some of which are amusingly Rare/Playtonic-esque. Today's footage also goes into detail on the game's combat system, where each character has their own unique ability (eg. shields, putting enemies to sleep, counter-attacks), call upon different Sparks for extra bonuses, and can level up. Today's Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope - Team Trailer. "Battles are truly at the core of our game," game director Davide Soliani said in a presentation attended via Eurogamer. "We wanted to go crazy with the combat system beyond what you usually see in the turn-based combat genre." Soliani also confirmed Sparks of Hope's music will this time be provided by the returning ex-Rare veteran Grant Kirkhope - as the composer revealed last year - as well as Ori and the Blind Forest's Gareth Coker and Yoko Shimomura, of Kingdom Hearts and Mario & Luigi fame. So, what did you think of the new gameplay? For me, it's the most promising game to come out of Ubisoft in a while - and the best-looking game starring Mario in some time as well. Finally, if you missed it yesterday, Ubisoft has now confirmed the game's 20th October release date - catch up on that and everything else from the new Nintendo Direct. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 7 Nintendo Switch firmware update lets you take screenshots in the Switch Online app The app on your console, not your phone. 7 Latest Articles Genshin Impact Path of Gleaming Jade dates, login event rewards Including other anniversary rewards and how to claim them. Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Jelly Deals Logitech's G Pro X gaming headset is its lowest-ever price during Amazon's Early Access sale Prime Members can get it for just £52. Jelly Deals Save over £500 off the retail price on this beefy ASUS TUF Dash gaming laptop from Amazon Under £1080 for an RTX 3070 laptop. Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store