Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 – First Impressions

When Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl was first announced in July 2021, I was super excited for it because the idea of some of my favorite Nickelodeon characters being able to fight it out in a way like Super Smash Bros. was something I had wanted since I was very little. And looking at the developers who had previously worked on Slap City and were even very knowledgeable on Brawl mods like Project Plus, the game was clearly conceptualized from a place of love and knowledge about the platform fighter genre.

However, when the game was released, it was riddled with a number of issues that ended up really holding the game back from reaching its full potential. Barebones content, lack of voiceover, awkward navigation, lack of cross-play, and some game breaking bugs ended up not leaving a good first impression at all. While some of these solutions were addressed in future patches, not all of them could simply due to the lack of a budget given to the developers. While the gameplay itself was certainly unique and had some good qualities of its own merits, that was not enough to escape the perception that Nick Brawl was a competitive failure in spite of garnering a niche, but dedicated, player base.

Two years later, when the game was starting to become just a memory, the developers had announced and showcased a sequel that served to address every single criticism that was lodged at the first game and completely rectify it in some way. More diverse game modes, cross-play, voice acting from the start, and even more expansive training mode options. As release became closer and we knew more about the game, I was very excited but cautiously optimistic about what I’ve been following so far. When I finally got the game in my hands, I was seriously blown away with what I was playing. The game felt smoother, more responsive, dense in content, and even had that Nickelodeon soul that felt missing from the first game. As someone who personally liked Nick Brawl 1, Nick Brawl 2 was leaps and miles superior to its predecessor in nearly every single way. They discarded the digital control system in favor of a traditional analog one, button mapping is much more expansive that gives more freedom of movement in spite of the game speed being slowed down a bit, and the RPS system of strong attacks was retired in favor of a much more creative system in the form of slime.

Slime essentially serves as a meter for the player to perform special techniques such as more powerful strongs, specials, movement and attack cancels, or even bursts seen in fighting games like Guilty Gear. Slime adds an extra layer of nuance to the game that makes you wonder when the best will be to use it because while it can help you turn the tide, burning through it too prematurely can easily cost you the game. In addition to that, having a full slime meter will give you an option to use a super attack which functions similarly to Final Smashes in Smash, but balanced around competitive play in that they are not nearly as strong and take a lot of time to build up. In that way, Super Attacks can serve as a way to get you out of a sticky situation, but you should not count on it to bail you out every time.

Overall, Nickelodeon All Star Brawl 2 has given an amazing first impression and not in the same way the first game did. It is a legitimately great game that is enjoyable from both a casual and competitive standpoint, something that other platform fighters have struggled with for years. Even Smash has had difficulties with it but has always had staying power due to Nintendo’s IPs and money appealing to casual audiences so much, they can (and have) safely seen the competitive part of it as an afterthought. But rather than wanting to replace Smash, which is something the first game did not even want to do, Nick Brawl 2 wants to establish itself as a deep and content rich platform fighter that is capable of standing alongside its fellow games like Rivals of Aether, Brawlhalla, and Smash Bros. as another game for fans to sink their teeth into. I know I personally will be sinking as much of my free time as I possibly can into this game so I can learn more and more about it as the community continues to grow.

Cymon “StarWind” Butler is a Photographer of Team SMAK, LLC and Helper of Team Sentry. He actively engages with the local scene on their experiences with events and likes to introduce new games to keep the scene alive. An avid fan of Nickelodeon All Star Brawl 2, he regularly keeps up with the development of the game and major updates that happen along the way. Having joined Team SMAK officially in 2023, he hopes to create a space that is available and safe for everyone who wishes to enter it looking for a sense of community.

Posted on March 1, 2024