Saturday morning smash
Chasing the Smash Bros. dragon is certainly a thing. Many games have attempted to mimic Nintendo’s all-star brawler and so many have failed. It was only a matter of time before Nickelodeon dove into the pool with Spongebob and the gang. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is the latest game to jump into the ring with Mario’s ‘fighting’ game series and like previous efforts it does some respectable things. I mean adding Powdered Toast Man automatically moves your game up a few notches, while also falling short in a few key categories. Still fans of Nickelodeon characters will find plenty to love with this brawler. The question remains will it stay relevant long enough to get more entries?
The biggest differentiator right out of the gate is how fast All-Star Brawl actually is. Smash Bros. is more of a platform brawler with long wind-ups and drawn-out matches at times. Developer Ludosity has instead opted for a much faster match flow. The game leans more towards a fighting game as opposed to a platform brawler. It doesn’t come without caveats though. It feels like the budget for this game was minimal at best. For something containing the likes of Spongebob the money simply doesn’t feel here. Animations are lite and the backgrounds are sparse. The lack of voice acting is also extremely disappointing.
MSRP: $49.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $39.99
What I enjoyed most about All-Star Brawl is how much tighter it feels. Unlike Smash Bros. when I get behind an enemy it feels more natural to turn and attack. There are also horizontal dashes that serve to cover distance, special attacks, and even recover from some moves. Just getting around the levels and interacting with them feels sped up just enough to make it more accessible. I feel like Smash Bros. has gotten away from its accessibility over the years and this game fills that niche nicely. There are still high-level maneuvers, but it is much easier to pick up and enjoy.
The cast of characters is great for both young and old Nickelodeon fans. An old timer like me really appreciates Ren and Stimpy alongside the Ninja Turtles (even if they are the newer style.) While more recent viewers will see Spongebob and Patrick alongside characters from Rugrats and The Loud House. There are also obscure characters like Invader Zim, the cast is well done. The real question is will this be it. It is an impressive roster, but with the stable of characters to choose from, so many more could be added down the line.
As mentioned, the stages are bland even if they are based on the shows themselves. It is awesome to see the Technodrome in the game, but it does feel lifeless without good music and no voice lines coming from the characters. If All-Star Brawl has one glaring strike against it, it is definitely the budget and presentation. Little things like no alternate colors also stand out, which means if you have four of the same character, it can be easy to lose yours in the chaos. Not fun.
Shockingly the online mode shines as it includes rollback net code. It is clear that the developers wanted to put care into the competitive aspect of the game. My online sessions were smooth most of the time, but like anything else it can be hard to find matches considering how few people are playing regularly. Sadly, this could have benefitted from cross play, which should be a standard by now. Maybe it comes down the line alongside new characters and stages, but I won’t be holding my breath.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is a solid alternative to Smash, and it is on basically every platform. It won’t overtake the king or even make it worried, but for the lower price (I have seen it on sale for sub $20) it is more than worth checking out. I had a ton of fun with it and just wish it had a bit more content and a bright future.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
