Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle Celebrates Its Fifth Anniversary on the Eve of its Sequel

gamerant.com:

As the old saying goes, «time flies when you're having fun.» Many gamers likely experience this sensation every fall, as they are shuffled from major release to major release and major event to major event. September will be kicking it off with releases like The Last of Us Part 1 and Splatoon 3, but October will shift into the next gear. For example,Gotham Knightsreleases one week before Bayonetta 3 and Modern Warfare 2 (which share a release date), and there is plenty more in that month and November. One many fans are keeping an eye on, of course, is Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope releases on October 20, but today, August 29, is the original's fifth anniversary. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is the perhaps odd collaboration between Mario and the Rabbids, between Nintendo and Ubisoft, that no one expected. Yet, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle launched to solid reviews, enough to warrant the two companies to continue the crossover with a sequel. While appreciating the original on its anniversary, perhaps by returning to it and playing it some more, it's also worth seeing how Sparks of Hope expands upon the original.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope Reveals Gold Edition and Season Pass

A sequel has to innovate on the first game enough to warrant a new title, while also being familiar enough that fans can connect the two easily. Oftentimes, it's not until a threequel comes along that there are major changes, but it doesn't seem Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope intends to rest on its laurels and namesake to carry it. It is expanding on the first game in several ways, including location. Whereas Kingdom Battle took place in the Mushroom Kingdom, Sparks of Hope is a galactic adventure. It's a nice