Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope producer Xavier Manzanares discussed the team’s connection with Big N in an interview with our pals over at Nintendo Everything.
As with the previous game and the Donkey Kong Adventure DLC, the firm serves as a “adviser,” and Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto “tests the builds.” Manzanares further said that the links between the two parties are now “stronger.” That’s what made it possible for components like the Luma-Rabbid hybrid and Bowser to be playable.
How working with Nintendo is like
Manzanares shared the following information:
The connection with Nintendo is excellent. Of course, we’ve now been working with them for eight years, so we’ve gotten to know them and they know us. The difficulty was unique. The first game was all about learning about this new brand and the connection between Mario and Nintendo IPs and the Rabbids, as well as having Mario in a tactical game. So those were the talks we had at the time.
They now share the same job, that of adviser. Mr. Miyamoto is testing the builds in the same way as he did with Kingdom Battle. They also told us that it’s your game, your vision, you go where you want to go, and then we’ll give you input in terms of gameplay and scope, and it’s up to you to determine what you want to do with it.
This is a little different when it comes to Nintendo IPs. We must confirm everything – the tale, the history of the characters, their archetype – everything associated with Nintendo IPs.
Again, I suppose it’s fairly similar to Kingdom Battle – maybe the only difference is that our relationships are stronger now since we’ve already played one and a half games together before Sparks of Hope. That’s probably why we were able to incorporate things like real-time movement in combat instead of a cursor or combining Lumas and Rabbids together, which was a huge gamble and a lot of conversation with Nintendo. Including Bowser in an adventure game with Mario. Those are fantastic instances of the strong ties we began to form with them.
About Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
On a cosmic mission to combat a wicked monster and rescue your Spark buddies, join Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Rabbid Peach, Rabbid Luigi, and their pals. Discover strange mysteries and exciting adventures as you travel around the cosmos!
- Create your own squad by selecting three heroes from a diverse cast of nine.
- Defeat all new bosses as well as some old adversaries around the galaxy.
- Save the charming Sparks scattered around the galaxy, each with unique abilities that can aid you in combat.
- Use your heroes’ abilities to dash your adversaries, team leap on your comrades, and hide behind covers.
On October 20, 2022, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope will be released on the Nintendo Switch.
