Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope guide - How to the unlock hidden skill tree

There are several secrets and hidden challenges in Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, such as a hidden skill tree. Besides Health, Movement, Weapon, and Technique, a hidden “Sparks” skill tree shows up a little later in the game, depending on how powerful and clever you are as a player.

Unlike other skill trees, this one has to be unlocked with the exceedingly rare Gold Prism, which cannot be refunded once used. For this reason, players must be mindful of how they are used, but the reward for unlocking this skill tree is game-changing.

But what are these Gold Prisms, and what abilities can players unlock in Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope with them? The following dives into everything you need to know.

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Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope features a hidden skill tree

In Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, players have all sorts of secrets to unlock, even on the first planet. That’s where the first Gold Prism can be found, but it will require some time and work. After exploring Beacon Beach, you will encounter a Gold Pipe that you cannot enter yet.

You will want to return when you have 12 Sparks and more experience. The Giant Goomba boss in this pipe is mighty. It’s worth coming back around the third island; by then, you’ll have the required Sparks and the strength to do battle with this optional Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope boss.

The reward for beating him is a Gold Prism, though. You’ll want to keep as much distance between you and it as possible because it is a ferocious foe. Rabbid Peach, Luigi, and Bowser make an excellent team for this battle.

You’ll also want to take advantage of Team Jump so you can get much farther away, and Rabbid Peach with Ethering Spark so she can hide and not be discovered as Luigi and Bowser getaway.

These hidden Gold Pipes are the key to unlocking Gold Prisms, but you'll have to explore them and work hard to get them. They are a precious resource.

Thankfully, each character has the same Spark Skill Tree in Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, so it’s highly advised that you use them on the characters you use the most in battle instead of wasting them.

This is the hidden skill tree, and all characters can access it with a Gold Prism (Image via Ubisoft)

This skill tree has four abilities; thankfully, it only costs regular prisms to unlock and upgrade the skills. The Spark Tree is mighty, so you will want to take the time to discover the optional battles for Gold Prisms.

• Spark Gift: At the first turn, a Spark has a 25% chance to gift a random item (2 prisms)
• Spark Refresher: After activation, each Spark has a 35% chance to not go on cooldown (3 prisms)
• Spark Guard: A Spark has a 30% chance to save a Hero from a deathblow (3 prisms)
• Spark Energy: When used, each Spark has a 25% chance of granting a new Action Point (4 prisms)

These are all built around the activation and usage of Sparks, but it’s not restrictive - they work with all of your Sparks in Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope. While players receive normal prisms for leveling up, the Gold Prisms are significantly harder to find and will require hard work to acquire. For this reason, only use them on the characters you use the most.

Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is now available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch from Ubisoft.