When the Nintendo Switch first came out in 2017, a rumor sprouted out early about a “unique collaboration” between Mario and the infamous Rabbids. The rumor was so “weird” that gamers truly felt it was fake and that if it was real, it would be a terrible thing. When the collaboration was released later that year, gamers couldn’t get enough of it. So much so that Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle became the best-selling 3rd party Switch game at a time, and it wasn’t long before its sequel, Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope, was announced. But that game had a unique “behind the scenes” story all its own.
Ubisoft let the original team “go nuts” and make an even bigger game with all sorts of worthy changes to the gameplay to make it even better. You know, like all sequels should do when appropriate? But in the minds of the Ubisoft leaders, the sequel should have been able to sell MUCH more than the original. So, when it was released in 2022, and it wasn’t “doing as well as hoped,” they labeled it a “disappointment.” Even going so far as to say that they should’ve waited until the Switch successor came out so that they could have banked off of a new system and “fresh eyes.” During that entire period from October 2022 to now, we’ve not gotten any indication of how much Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope sold.
That was until VGC discovered the game had sold about 3 million units! And since we doubt that most of that happened in the last few months, we’re pretty safe in saying that it had a good launch. So why was Ubisoft “disappointed” in it and saying that the game was basically a “flop”? The answer is that they were dealing with multiple delays and uncertainties across numerous titles. So much so that they expected the crossover game to do so well that it would “fill the gap” until their next title dropped. When that didn’t happen, they got mad.
But that wasn’t the game’s fault! Plus, as VGC further notes, this current sales number actually puts it in line to match what the original title did. Sure, you’d think the sequel could have done better, like many other sequels have done on Nintendo Switch, but it’s never guaranteed. Plus, when the original came out, it was one of the ONLY games to get on Switch. The console has gotten many titles since then, possibly “lowering” its performance. Either way, selling 3 million is a huge accomplishment and something to be proud of, not scoffed at.
