Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle / Sparks of Hope Double Pack

Genre: Compilation / Turn-Based Strategy-RPG

Players: 1-2 Co-Op (Local)

Game Company Bad Behavior Profile Page: UbiSoft

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Review:

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle / Sparks of Hope Double Pack, released in 2025 on Nintendo Switch, is a physical-only Compilation of the first two games in the Mario + Rabbids series, both games that combine the Mario and Rabbids franchises in an accessible XCOM-style Strategy-RPG.

I have previously separately reviewed these games. Here is what I thought of each of the games in this collection:

Game	Genre	# of Players	Score
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle	Turn-Based Strategy-RPG	1-2 Co-Op (Local)	B+
tl;dr Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is a Turn-Based Strategy RPG that plays a bit like the XCOM games, but is designed to be more approachable for players who are new to the genre. It looks gorgeous, has some unique gameplay elements, and is pretty user-friendly overall, although genre veterans may find some elements of the game frustrating.
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope	Turn-Based Strategy-RPG	1	A+
tl;dr Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is a family-friendly Turn-Based Strategy-RPG that improves on its predecessor Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle in virtually every way. Players have plenty of ways to adapt and change their party, the combat is delightfully deep but also wonderfully accessible, the game is bursting with personality, has a killer soundtrack, a great sense of humor, and plenty of content to explore. This just about everything you could hope for in a sequel, and then some.

These are both excellent games, and I feel like Sparks of Hope improved on its predecessor so much that I named it eShopperReviews 2022 Game of the Year. Suffice it to say, this bundle is top-notch and the games in contains are absolutely well worth getting.

The only question that leaves then is one of value, and here, the Double Pack is a bit tricky to assess. I’ll start by getting the elephant in the room out of the way first: even though this is a physical-only bundle, it is a download code-only bundle, without a cartridge. This despite that both games, when released separately, did come in the form of a cartridge in their physical release. I suppose this makes sense as a cost-cutting measure for this bundle, but players who prefer physical media will nevertheless be disappointed.

When it comes to the actual price comparison, the standard pricing in this bundle looks amazing. Only $30 for a pair of games that separately sell for $100? That’s a crazy-good deal, right? Well… hold your horses. Both of these games go on sale extremely frequently, with their combined prices going as low as $25 or even $20 if you shop around. Or for another comparison, for the same price as this bundle, you could buy the Gold Editions of both games, which come with plenty of additional content. This bundle did briefly go on sale for $20, but even so, it’s hardly a steal at that price.

So in the end, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle / Sparks of Hope Double Pack is a package with two great games, one of which I’d even argue is a must-have on Nintendo Switch… but despite the great games included here, the value of this bundle as a package only seems worthwhile if you absolutely cannot wait for the individual games to go on sale. And since those games have been out for 3+ years now and go on sale very frequently, I’m guessing you can wait.

tl;dr – Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle / Sparks of Hope Double Pack is a physical-only (download code in a box) Compilation of the first two Mario + Rabbids games, both fantastic Turn-Based Strategy-RPGs. The games are absolutely worth getting, but the value this bundle presents isn’t great when you consider that the individual games go on sale frequently, and you can usually get a better deal that way. Given the lack of a physical cartridge here, I recommend just doing that instead.

Grade: B+

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