'Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope' Is the First Game to Give Voice to the Rabbids (EXCLUSIVE)
Published Oct. 13 2022, 12:02 p.m. ET
Anyone who's a longtime Nintendo fan is probably familiar with the Rabbids — the wacky and chaotic white rabbits that are best known for being blown up and smashing into things in your favorite childhood party game. For much of the Rabbids' lifetime, the only sounds they've made consisted of some screaming and a frequent "BWAH!"
That is, until Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope.
For the first time since the Rabbids have graced our video game consoles, the chaotic Rabbids will be fully voiced by a host of comedians — a decision that helps set this sequel apart from its predecessor and really make the characters in the game stand out.
Meet the 'Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope' voice actors.
"We wanted people to love those characters, not because they look like Mario — for example, Rabbid Mario looks like Mario. Yes, he has Mario's cap and stash. But it was not enough," Xavier Manzanares, a producer at Ubisoft Paris, exclusively told Distractify. "We believe that if you have a [long adventure game], you need to connect yourself with those heroes."
"With the gibberish language of the Rabbids, you can eventually be stuck when it comes to more complex emotions," Romain Brillaud, Audio Director for Sparks of Hope, added. "Giving them words expands their language, it expands the range of things you can say."
Giving voice to these once voiceless characters offers more complex characters in Sparks of Hope than you may have seen from the same figures in Kingdom Battle — but they're not losing their Rabbids charm.
"They also can feel deeper emotions. They can be sad, they can be in love, they can be a lot of stuff that they couldn't be with just the previous language — but they are still Rabbids," Romain explained. "So some of the time, you'll be able to see that they are still going back to this gibberish thing. That's what we worked with every single voice actor on also having the mastery of this language."
Here's a breakdown of the cast of voice actors who will give life to the characters in Sparks of Hope.
Edge: Lexie Kendrick
Edge is an entirely new character in the Rabbids universe — and actress Lexie Kendrick gives voice to the sword-swinging Rabbid. Her work history includes other notable games, like Detroit: Become Human and Haven.
Rabbid Peach: Kaycie Chase
Kaycie Chase gave voice to some minor characters in Kingdom Battle, and now she returns as Rabbid Peach in Sparks of Hope. Rabbid Peach is the healer of the team, helping the team when their health is low.
Rabbid Rosalina: Laurie Winkel
Rabbid Rosalina is another new character (who's got a particularly laid-back temperament) — and voice actress Laurie Winkle brings the groaning, lazing Rabbid to life.
Rabbid Mario: David Gassman
David Gassman has a long history in voice acting, specifically in dubbing titles like Dragon Ball Z for English audiences. He voices the hilarious Rabbid Mario in Sparks of Hope — and Creative Director Davide Soliani says Rabbid Mario has become his favorite comedic relief in the game.
"It just makes me jolly. It's funny," he says. "Finally seeing the voice clip in the context in the game — it's very powerful."
Rabbid Luigi: Bruce Sherfield
Bruce Sherfield is another video game voice veteran, with credits like Adam Chapman in Detroit: Become Human and Bobby Yale in Blacksad: Under the Skin. In Sparks of Hope, he brings the Rabbid counterpart of everyone's favorite player two to life.