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The new playable characters don't just expand the roster - they genuinely add to the story and to the unique strategic possibilities their special abilities bring to the mix, such as using Rabbid Rosalina's ability to put enemies to sleep before taking them out with Edge's ability to dash multiple times in a turn. The game replaces the original's grid-based movement by allowing players to move anywhere within their movement range. Sparks of Hope improves on the already impressive first game in just about every way.

It does everything a sequel is meant to do and then some. With some mighty Mario-sized boots to fill, Sparks of Hope does the plumber proud by easily leaping over the high bar set by the original.

And yet, not only was it a huge hit, but it spawned this eagerly anticipated sequel: Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope. The crackpot idea of teaming Nintendo's iconic mascot with Ubisoft's loony Rabbids and then topping that off by throwing them into a turn-based strategy game seemed like a crazy concept.
