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The original Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl was received very favorably by critics and fans of the fighting game genre, but there were still undoubtedly a few areas where it was lacking. Luckily, the sequel has not only rectified pretty much all of these issues but it’s also added a tremendous amount of new content that gives the game much more replay value, whilst also making it a tremendous amount of fun in the process.
Developers Fair Play Labs have really gone the extra mile to make sure Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is a game that players can enjoy for many years to come, especially since the many improvements and additions have ensured both casual and professional players can feel right at home when booting it up. These are all the biggest and most important updates and changes that Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 has made over its smash-hit predecessor.
5 Overhauled Graphics
Visual Improvements To Character Designs & Stages
The original game wasn’t a bad-looking game by any means, but it was admittedly a little rough around the edges in the visual department, with a lot of the characters looking a little basic and bland in their appearance. This was a shame considering just how many colorful and whacky fighters were in that game, but the good news is, the graphics have received an entire overhaul in the sequel with the characters looking a lot closer to their original appearance from their respective shows.
This big improvement doesn’t just show on the characters though as the stages featured in this game are also much more exciting and vibrant than they were before. Stages like the Bun Wrestling Ring and Angry Beavers’ Dam really make full use of the game’s enhanced lighting and graphical quality which helps to make each match just a little more engaging.
4 More Iconic Characters
Inclusion Of Nickelodeon Fan-Favorite Characters
While the first game had a pretty big cast of fighters to choose from, there’s no doubt that a few of them seemed a little out of place, especially considering just how many other Nickelodeon characters could have taken their place. The Powdered Toast Man and Jimmy Neutron’s dad, Hugh Neutron, are just a few examples of combatants who felt a little random since there’s such a wide array of more interesting characters from both of their series that could have been included instead.
Fair Play Labs has decided to switch around a lot of the characters in the sequel, with 11 fighters being dropped overall to make room for some much more recognizable characters, such as Azula, Jimmy Neutron, and the Angry Beavers. The roster this time around not only features far more iconic characters, but it also has a much wider representation of the shows which helps give players an idea of the tone and general design of the many series that are included in the game.
3 Super Attacks
Super Attacks Add Chaos & Highlight The Unique Personalities Of Each Fighter
Super moves can be found in the majority of fighting games these days, so it was quite surprising that these high-damaging attacks were nowhere to be seen in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl. While this obviously dampened the gameplay a little bit, it was also a giant missed opportunity where the developers could have put the unique and quirky personalities of the characters on display with a massive finishing move.
Not only does the sequel introduce these abilities which are known as “Super Attacks”, but the developers made sure to go above and beyond to ensure each of them is as eye-catching as possible. These Super Attacks are also incredibly creative, with a lot of them referencing fairly deep cuts from a series, such as Squidward’s which involves the Handsome Squidward meme dancing around the screen to fling opponents off the stage. There’s also the fact that Super Attacks fit in perfectly with the frantic and chaotic nature of the gameplay, making them a very welcome addition that the first game desperately needed.
2 Slime Meter
An Increase In Strategic Gameplay & Competitive Skill Ceiling
The major draw of the first game for many people was simply the amount of fanservice that it included. Being able to duke it out as classic Nickelodeon stars is a dream come true for anyone who grew up with the cartoons, but the game unfortunately wasn’t very deep in its actual mechanics which ended up making it a little too simple and basic. This was especially the case for experienced fighting game players who were hoping to pull off some crazy combos by utilizing all the tools that the game offered.
The truth is though, matches would end up becoming very repetitive because of this, and it also resulted in the game’s popularity declining rapidly. This issue was clearly picked up on by Fair Labs Games who have completely resolved it by introducing the Slime Meter which charges up throughout the course of a fight. Players are able to use up some of their Slime to enhance certain moves, activate a devastating Special Attack, or even cancel one move into another which instantly raises the skill ceiling to allow competitive players to have a lot more to sink their teeth into. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is most definitely still a casual game at its core, but this simple addition makes the game just a little more strategic which helps the replay value of the game out a lot.
1 Story Mode
A New Roguelike Story Mode As Additional Offline Content
Arcade Modes can be great for practicing a new character in a fighting game, but they are ultimately very forgettable and don’t provide much content outside of a few fights and maybe a boss at the end. This definitely applied to the Arcade Mode included in the first Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl which just came off as bland and boring, providing very little to keep the player engaged up until the very end.
This has been completely replaced by a fully-fledged Story Mode which is far more interesting and is actually a highlight of the game due to just how layered it is. The Story Mode essentially plays like a roguelike with the player getting as far as they can while carrying across certain perks and abilities to help them progress. Along the way, a few bosses will appear out of the shadows to face the player which range quite wildly in their difficulty. By far the biggest complaint of the original game was the sheer lack of content, especially in terms of the offline modes, but the amount of effort and creativity that’s gone into this Story Mode guarantees that there’s still plenty of fun to be had outside of the online battles.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Released
- November 3, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Ludosity, Fair Play Labs
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+
