Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope’s hidden pathways, explained

polygon.com:

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is as much a puzzle game as it is a tactics one. And solving its most obtuse puzzles — the ones you may not even realize need solving — demands a keen eye. Many solutions are contingent on picking up extremely subtle details hidden around the environment. Many lead to secret pathways (that, yes, end in a pile of coins).

Unfortunately, the game doesn’t always teach you the extent of your abilities, or the extent to which you can use them to navigate Sparks of Hope’s five distinct planets. From cracked walls to swirly symbols on the ground, here are the vaguest environmental puzzles — plus info on how to actually solve them.

One of the earliest “secrets” you’ll come across in Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is a swirl on the ground. You’ll see a few in the Mushroom Kingdom around Peach’s castle and then another nearby your ship on Beacon Beach. These swirls glow and look a bit like the Ubisoft logo, but the game never tells you how to open them.

If you’re familiar with Mario’s oeuvre, you probably saw these swirls and assumed you’d eventually get a ground pound or similar ability that would open them. However, all you need to do to claim the coins hidden in these swirls is to quickly move your analog stick in a circle. This will cause your lead character to spin, which will open up the swirl.

Though the game doesn’t let you know, you have this ability from the very beginning of Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, so make sure to use it whenever you see the swirls to earn some extra cash.

Early in Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope’s second world, Pristine Peaks, you’ll earn the Wave ability for Beep-O. This will allow you to break objects with the special swirl icon on them; you’ll need it for