Xavier Manzanares Interview - Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope

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The Nintendo Switch already had a packed 2022 schedule before the Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase, which confirmed that Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is launching on October 20. Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is the sequel to 2017's Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, which combined the worlds of Super Mario Bros. and the Raving Rabbids franchises. This mixture might seem like an ideal fit for a platformer, but the Mario + Rabbids series actually consists of turn-based battles, not too dissimilar from the XCOM series.

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle took place within a warped version of the Mushroom Kingdom, while Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is taking the series to outer space. The Mario + Rabbids universe is under threat from a dark entity known as Cursa, who wishes the drain the energy from the galaxy. Cursa has sent her armies out across the reaches of space, in search of beings known as Sparks, which are Rabbidified versions of the Luma from Super Mario Galaxy.  It's up to Mario and the Rabbids to save the Sparks, and this time, they are joined by the likes of Bowser and Rabbid Rosalina, as they battle Cursa's troops on each world.

Related: Mario's Rabbids Gun Predicted Chris Pratt's Casting

Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is launching in 2022 and Ubisoft gave members of the press the chance to preview the game ahead of the Nintendo Direct Mini. Screen Rant recently sat down with Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope lead producer Xavier Manzanares to talk about the upcoming sequel. He discussed the removal of the Versus mode (introduced in Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle), the changes made to the gameplay, and how Bowser plays, now that's a member of the roster.

The trailers for Sparks of Hope have shown the