Summary
Fighting games have been a mainstay of the video game industry for decades, with the likes ofMortal KombatandStreet Fighteranchoring the genre alongside more off-beat efforts likeBrawlhallaandGang Beasts. Recent years have seen a surge in one particular fighting subgenre, the platform fighter, which for the better part of twenty years has been dominated bytheSuper Smash Bros.franchise. One such game that plans to throw its name into the ring of platform fighters isNickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2, the sequel to developer Ludosity’s first cartoonish foray into the beloved genre.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2comes off the heels ofNickelodeon All-Star Brawl, a modest but ambitious take on the platform fighting game that featured some of the most notable names in Nickelodeon’s history. This initial effort didn’t exactly reinvent the wheel, but it made for a good bit of fun for families and competitive gamers looking for a break fromSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2looks to take the foundations of the first and expand on it considerably, with developer Ludosity seemingly addressing every shortcoming while making other improvements.
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Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Has Full Voice Acting At Launch
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawlboasted a rather comprehensive roster of fighters at launch, withnames like SpongeBob SquarePantsand Danny Phantom making up just a few of them. The one caveat, however, was that at launchNASBdidn’t feature the equally iconic voices of its fighters. This was likely a budgetary and timeline issue at the time, as full voice acting was added later on, but it was a major downside for the overall experience.Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2is rectifying this issue with voice acting for each of its fighters at launch, ensuring the sequel is the immersive love letter to cartoon history the first game tried to be.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2’s Improved Graphics
In terms of graphical quality,Nickelodeon All-Star Brawlcould be a little rough around the edges. Most of the roster was thoughtfully adapted to the game’s colorful art style, but the occasional facial animation or combo would appear slightly unnatural.All-Star Brawl 2is overhauling the series' graphics with all-new character models, environments, and animations that put it closer in line with other modern titles. GivenNickelodeon’s history for remarkable animationand artistry, it’s refreshing to see thatAll-Star Brawl 2is more accurately reflecting that legacy.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2’s Overhauled Campaign
To say thatNickelodeon All-Star Brawl’s single-player offerings were bare bones would be an understatement. It largely boiled down to a series of standard fights against the computer with characters interacting through text boxes, on account of the lack of voice acting. Developer Ludosity seems to be going all-in onNASB2’s single-player, as this time around the campaign will feature mini-games in between the usual action, and roguelike elements. It remains to be seen how well these features will be implemented, but it already sounds like a major improvement from the first game.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2is already shaping up to be a huge step forward for the series, as Ludosity looks like it’s addressed almost every significant issue with its first effort. In addition to these more fundamental changes,NASB2is building on the roster ofNASB, with Squidward Tentacles,Jimmy Neutron, and Plankton already confirmed as new fighters. While it would take a gargantuan effort to ever reach the same heights as a game likeSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate,NASB2has a chance to be a major player in the fighting game space with its strong attention to detail and understanding of the genre.
NIckelodeon All-Star Brawl 2is currently in development for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
