Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Rayman returns in Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope DLC later this month

Tomas Franzese
By

Ubisoft is finally bringing Rayman back as part of a new piece of DLC for Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope later this month. Called Rayman in the Phantom Show, this DLC releases on August 30.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope - DLC 3 Reveal Trailer

For a long time, Rayman was Ubisoft’s premier mascot and starred in a series of platformers that people who grew up in the late 1990s and early 2000s remember fondly. Unfortunately, Ubisoft’s focus has primarily been on more mature series like Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Watch_Dogs as well as the Rabbids (which spun off from a Rayman game) over the last decade, so Rayman took a back seat to those series following the launch of Rayman Legends. That’s why Rayman in the Phantom Show is a big deal for fans of this dormant franchise; it’s the most prominent role Rayman has had in a console game in almost a decade.

Recommended Videos

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is a turn-based strategy game that launched on Nintendo Switch to critical acclaim last year. This latest (and final) piece of post-launch DLC for the game follows Rayman, Rabbid Peach, and Rabbid Mario as they take on the Phantom — a boss from Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle — in an otherworldly TV studio called the Space Opera Network. David Gasman, who voiced the titular character in Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc, reprises his role here.

Rayman, Rabbid Mario, and Rabbid Peach in Mario + Rabbid Sparks of Hope: Rayman in the Phantom Show
Ubisoft

It’s not a full-on platformer, but the reveal trailer for the DLC does show how players can use Rayman’s detachable limbs and helicopter ability to explore the Space Opera network. At least it’s something that looks pretty entertaining for fans of classic Rayman, who Ubisoft hasn’t appealed to in quite a long time. Hopefully, it’s as good as Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle’s excellent Donkey Kong DLC.  

Related

Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is available now exclusively for Nintendo Switch. Rayman in the Phantom Show comes out on August 30, and it can be purchased individually or as part of Spark of Hope’s season pass. 

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Tomas Franzese
Tomas Franzese
Gaming Staff Writer
Tomas Franzese is a Staff Writer at Digital Trends, where he reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope: best skills and how to level them up
Mario shooting two blasters.

Mario is no stranger to RPGs. He's been leveling up and adventuring in turn-based worlds ever since the SNES, and yet never quite in the way we get in the two Mario + Rabbids games. While the tactical style of the gameplay is still novel and by far the most approachable game in the genre for newcomers, there is still a robust RPG leveling system under the hood as well. While the skill trees themselves won't be too intimidating on the surface, the number of different skill types, plus having them for each character, can easily get overwhelming.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope breaks down skills into four different categories: Health Skills, Movement Skills, Weapon Skills, and Technique Skills. There are a ton of skills among them, some of which only one character can get, while others can be learned by many. Having a good spread of skills among your team, and focusing your characters on skills that improve their natural abilities, will make the tougher boss fights that much easier. Here are all the best skills you should go for, plus how to level them up, in Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope.

Read more
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope beginner’s guide: 7 tips and tricks to get started
Mario and company in Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope.

No one expected the first game to work, and yet somehow, the mixing of three unlikely unions -- Ubisoft and Nintendo, Mario and Rabbids, and Mario and a turn-based tactics game -- resulted in one of the best Mario spinoff games for the Switch. Even those who had no love for the Rabbids found the game a breath of fresh air for the franchise, as well as a perfect introduction into the tactics genre that is usually seen as overly punishing and complex.

With Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, the heroes of the Mushroom Kingdom, along with their Rabbid counterparts, are all back on a new quest to save the Sparks from the mysterious Cursa. Even if you played the first one, this sequel does a lot to the formula, both in battle and outside of it, to create another amazing adventure. Just because it's a Mario game doesn't mean this journey will be a walk in the park. It's time to grab your blasters, plan your moves, and execute these tips and tricks when first starting out in Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope.

Read more
Rayman DLC is coming to Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope
10 characters we want super smash bros for switch raymansmash

Just when we thought we'd never see him again, Rayman appeared during Ubisoft Forward 2022. The titular character of the classic Rayman series of games is set to appear as a DLC character in the upcoming Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope: RAYMAN DLC 3 Teaser | #UbiForward

Read more