It's too soon to tell whether Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope will be any fun to play, but it'll almost certainly have excellent music, as Ubisoft just revealed the three legendary composers that'll be scoring the sequel.
Returning for the sequel is BAFTA-nominated composer Grant Kirkhope, whose great work on the first game already inspires plenty of confidence in the sequel's music. However, it's been announced that Kirkhope is making the music for Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope alongside two other very well-known composers: Gareth Coker and Yoko Shimomura.
For some introduction, Coker made a name for himself composing Ori and the Blind Forest as well as its sequel, Ori and the Will of the Wisps. He's also worked on Minecraft, Dota 2, Immortals Fenyx Rising, Halo Infinite, and the upcoming Halo Infinite.
The prolific Shimomura's portfolio is incredibly impressive, with some of her earliest work being featured in Final Fight, Street Fighter 2, Breath of Fire, and Super Mario RPG. In 2002, she was composer for Kingdom Hearts and went on to work on both sequels and several spinoffs. More recently, Shimomura has contributed her talents to games including Final Fantasy 15, Streets of Rage 4, and Gran Saga.
After reading my colleague Joe Donnelly's Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope preview, I was already plenty hyped for the sequel, but now knowing how much care Ubisoft is putting into getting the music right, it's quickly becoming one of my most anticipated releases of the year. Come on, October 20.
