Sparks of Hope Solves Mario + Rabbids' Biggest Problem

screenrant.com:

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was a remarkable strategy game with one major flaw, butits sequel, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, seems to have corrected it. Sparks of Hope aspires to improve upon core areas of its predecessor by offering a wider roster of characters and allowing free movement rather than a rigid grid system. In addition, one less noticeable change that will have a major impact on the game appeared in its most recent Nintendo Direct trailer: The developers of Sparks of Hope have removed Mario as a required party member.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was awesome according to many, praised for its seemingly impractical blend of wacky humor and thought-provoking strategy. The game melded two entirely separate franchises and created something altogether unique. However, within this mixture came the title's largest problem. Players were forced to use Mario as the leader of their party at all times, and one slot had to be filled by a Rabbid, leaving very little room for customization. Being forced to use Mario in a squadron of three meant players had much less freedom to flex their favorites. This became especially restrictive given that Kingdom Battle's strategy encouraged players to choose one of the two healers in the game, Peach or Rabbid Peach, essentially limiting them to choose only one out of a roster of eight characters.

Related: Best Nintendo Switch Co-Op Games To Play With Your Kids

In Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope's initial trailer, it was made clear that players could swap Mario out as the party leader, allowing characters like Rabbid Peach and Rabbid Luigi to lead the traversal of the overworld. This raised the question: if Mario's role could be altered, could he be removed from a player's