Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, as a crossover, is full of Easter eggs nodding to both the Mario and Rabbids franchises. Beyond the references, the game is full of clever humor, intriguing NPCs, and the wacky antics of Rabbids living on each planet.
There’s so much to take in just from exploring each world, from the giant chicken living in the middle of Beacon Beach to the Toads in need of rescuing from Darkmess. With so many details giving each world life, it’s only natural to gloss over a few aspects of the game, from subtle character details to overlooked challenges.
9 Augie Steals The Spotlight
Augie is the warden of Beacon Beach, the first world in the game. As you make your way through Sunrise Temple as a part of the main quest, you probably noticed the murals painted on the temple walls. If you stopped to read them, you’d learn that Augie was often overlooked as a kid and grew up in the shadow of his incredibly successful brother.
After you complete Beacon Beach’s main quest and restore sunshine to this tropical planet, if you chat with one of the Rabbids walking along the beach, he’ll reveal that Augie is claiming to be the real hero and take credit for what you accomplished. It’s a funny detail about his character that makes complete sense, considering Augie’s past.
8 Woodrow’s Poems Are Cursed
Like the wardens of other worlds, the story of Palette Prime’s Woodrow is revealed through murals you can interact with. His story is a little harder to find, as it’s scattered throughout the village homes, but if you track all of them down, it reveals exactly why Woodrow is so sad all the time.
The murals reveal that Woodrow’s poems always come before disaster strikes Palette Prime. In other words, Woodrow’s poetry is cursed with bad luck. It’s a tragic part of his character and makes you feel for him a little more.
7 Momma’s Name
Barrendale Mesa’s leader is the mechanic Momma, who plays a big part in helping the heroes defeat Cursa. What you may have missed about Momma’s character is revealed in the billboards you come across on the path to fix the windmill.
One part of her story that’s easy to overlook: Momma gets her name from the Rabbid residents of Barrendale Mesa, who appreciated how she rescued them so much; they now look up to her as their honorary Mom. She’s up there with the best video game “Moms!” It’s a sweet detail about her character that makes her even more endearing.
6 Secret Zones Have A Secret Challenge
Sparks of Hope doesn’t really keep each world’s “Secret Zones” a secret. They’re marked in plain sight on your world map for each planet, but you must complete a number of side quests to purchase the respective planetary key to unlock the area.
What you may not know about the Secret Zones, though, is that they also have a secret challenge. After you’ve completed the first challenge to rescue the Spark hidden there, jump back through the portal to find a new challenge. You’ll have to resolve the original puzzle on a time crunch, and completing it within the time limit awards you with a new weapon skin.
5 Planet-Sized Cheeseball Cup
Apparently the Rabbids have a sporting event involving a giant cheeseball. This is a part of Terra Flora’s background activity, but it’s easy to miss because it’s on the planet’s edge. If you see a giant cheeseball with a Saturn-like ring around it, approach it to reveal this fun fact.
You’ll also see Rabbids running in circles around the cheeseball, seemingly training for their next big matchup. It’s hilarious to think about, and we want more details on how this weird sport works.
4 Victor Challenges Music
On each planet, you’ll come across the Rabbid named Victor, who challenges you to wrangle up as many Sillyfish as you can within a certain time period. This is one of the reoccurring side quests throughout your travels.
As you take on the challenge, listen very closely to the background music, and you might just hear a familiar jingle. The music that plays during the challenge is a remix of the iconic Super Mario World Overworld theme. It’s a fun nod to one of Mario’s most iconic 2D platformers.
3 Rabbid Mario’s Musical Gift
Rabbid Mario is a musician. If he’s in your party and you stand still for a few seconds, he’ll pull a guitar-like instrument out and strum on it for a moment or two. It’s easy to miss if Rabbid Mario isn’t usually on your team or if you’re moving quickly from one quest to another.
Though his musical abilities might surprise you, it aligns with his character and attempts to be suave. Maybe he’s practicing the guitar on their quest to win Edge over…
2 Conkdor Candy Corn Farmers
Palette Prime, the Fall-themed planet, uses Conkdors, a bird enemy introduced in Super Mario 3D World, in their farming. Specifically, one farmer uses a small flock of them to help plant candy corn. While his efforts don’t appear to be working, Beep-0 blames his choice of crop rather than using the Mario enemies for assistants.
This Mario Easter egg is easy to overlook, as the birds are hidden behind a Darkmess puddle in the village. Removing it reveals this entertaining reference.
1 JEANIE’s Character Arc
If you’re not one to check the Memories as you unlock them, you might miss an important part of JEANIE’s character. JEANIE, the AI of your ship, is the narrator of the Memory entries, which show her perceptions of the characters and your adventures.
What’s more, reading the Memories also reveals how JEANIE started to develop the emotions she gains by the end of the quest. They contain her growth as a character, as the actions of the Heroes inspire her to hope and to feel human emotion. It’s a touching detail that makes JEANIE even more likable.