While the various entries in theSuper Smash Bros.franchise helped pioneer platform fighters as a subgenre, several indie efforts in the same vein have seen similar popularity.Rivals of Aether,Brawlhalla, and other projects have grabbed the attention ofSmashfans on Nintendo Switch, as well as other platforms like PC. One more recent addition to the platform fighter subgenre was an original title, developed by Ludosity, calledSlap City. The game saw some decent success on Steam, but it seems the game’s wacky characters and gameplay caught the eye of Nickelodeon. Now, Ludosity has moved on to another platform fighter:Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl.
Building off the studio’s experience withSlap City, Ludosity’s latest project brings the same enjoyable chaos of the studio’s inaugural fighter to some of Nickelodeon’s biggest stars.Nickelodeon All-Star Brawlgot a lot of positive attention with the game’s surprise announcement, with many drawing immediate comparisons to theSuper Smash Bros.series, as well asCartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion. However, the connection toSlap Cityand Ludosity developing the game should excite fans of the studio’s previous title, as well as fans ofSuper Smash Bros. Meleespecifically.Nickelodeon All-Star Brawlbrings that inspiration, and more, to platform fighting fans.
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What Makes Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl Exciting
Many praisedSlap Citydue to its connection toSuper Smash Bros. Melee, specifically the slightly competitive-oriented lean that many hardcore fans came to love. Even thoughSlap Citypresents itself in a similarly campy manner and atmosphere asSuper Smash Bros., many of the game’s mechanics catered to the advanced techniques ofhardcoreSuper Smash Bros. Meleeplayers. That means wavedashing, L-cancelling, as well as otherSlap Cityspecific movement tech that is particularly useful in-game, is available to any players who are familiar withMelee-esque competitive movement. Ludosity has confirmed all that and more is coming toNickelodeon All-Star Brawl.
WhileNickelodeonAll-Star Brawlwas built with similar design intentions and style, this new Nickelodeon brawler was rebuilt from the ground up, instead of being strictly based onSlap City’s code or foundational design. Instead,All-Star Brawlplays quite differently compared toSlap City; the game is fundamentally faster, but doesn’t have as much advanced tech asSlap City. Additionally, each of the characters inAll-Star Brawlhas a vastly different moveset compared toSlap Citycharacters. Among other fundamental changes,All-Star Brawlhas a ton of additional perks: rollback netcode for online, additional Nickelodeon characters, and competitive lobbies.
Why Melee and Slap City Fans Will Love Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl
This is obviously huge forSuper Smash Bros. Meleefans, especially in the last year. CompetitiveMeleeplayers have always preferred playing the game as it was originally intended: on an original GameCube, displaying on a CRT television only. However, during the pandemic, a version of the Dolphin GameCube emulator had released called “Slippi.” Representing the closest thing to offlineMeleeon an online platform,Slippi improved and streamlined theMeleeexperienceto a comparable gameplay experience with rollback netcode. Rollback being baked intoNickelodeon All-Star Brawlis only going to improve the game’s multiplayer experience.
Pair that withSlap Cityfans, who enjoyed the game when it first released back in 2018 in early access,Nickelodeon All-Star Brawlis the next logical step for Ludosity. The variety and silliness ofcharacters like Patrick Star fromSpongeboband Reptar fromRugratsfighting each other is perfect for a similar platform fighter. Many fans were surprised to see theSlap Citydeveloper move on to a licensed platform fighter for Nickelodeon, but the network’s numerous iconic characters make perfect sense for a new brawler. ASlap City-esque platform fighter, in a similar vein toCartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion, will likely build uponSlap City’s foundation in a big way.
From the gameplay shown ofNickelodeon All-Star Brawlthus far, the game is shaping up to be a solid iteration on what Ludosity started withSlap City.Super Smash Bros.fans, or fans of platform fighters in general, will likelyfind a lot to love inAll-Star Brawl: Iconic characters, fast-paced gameplay reminiscent of popular advanced mechanics as well, plus all the benefits of a multi-platform release and rollback netcode. For those who are able, anySuper Smash Bros. MeleeandSlap Cityfans should check outNickelodeon All-Star Brawlat release, regardless of whether they’re a big Nickelodeon fan or not.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawlreleases in fall 2021 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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