Fighting Games Friday: Nickelodeon Bros. Brawl
Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. franchise has existed for over two decades now, yet it’s incredible to consider how there has never been a serious challenger to the throne when it comes to, for simplicity’s sake, “casual” vs. games in terms of budget and advertising. Part of the appeal for Smash Bros. involves the crossover potential with characters from a wide assortment of Nintendo franchises, though others from third party titles have since joined the mix. It would be admittedly tough for another developer to compete against the behemoth it’s become, yet it’s nonetheless surprising that no one has even tried to.
There have been several Smash Bros. clones over the years, the biggest being PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. But I wouldn’t consider Sony’s effort a try thanks to its egregious mistakes. It felt like a soulless Smash Bros. clone that attempted to mimic it from a gameplay perspective rather than play to the strengths of Sony’s franchises. (In English: A 3D title like Power Stone should have served as better inspiration, particularly the second game.) The cast choices also left a lot to be desired, with characters clearly chosen for marketing opportunities while other ostensibly obvious ones were left out.
It is now 2021, and we now have a game that could serve as ample competition to Smash Bros. even if there’s no chance of dethroning it. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl was revealed this week, which has the potential to draw away a good number of Smash Bros. fans with the quality of the franchises and the characters in their catalogue, even if we’re only talking about the animated works. Note the word “potential,” as a number of elements will have to be in place for it to compete.
The game could deliver a good roster. Characters that have already been confirmed include Leonardo and Michelangelo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (in case you didn’t remember that Nickelodeon owned the franchise now), Nigel Thornberry from The Wild Thornberrys, SpongeBob SquarePants, Sandy Cheeks, and Patrick Star from the titular SpongeBob SquarePants, Powdered Toast Man from Ren & Stimpy, Lucy Loud and Lincoln Loud from The Loud House, Oblina from Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, Helga from Hey Arnold!, Reptar from Rugrats, Zim from Invader Zim, and Danny Phantom from… Danny Phantom.
There was no way some of these characters would be left out of any Nickelodeon game, but others suggest that big fans, old people like me, got their picks in. Staffers on one of the development teams at Ludosity suggested on their Discord that a number of comparatively obscure picks would have been made if they all had their way, but it’s clear some made it in. It’s the only way to explain Powdered Toast Man, and perhaps Oblina, among the roster. This is already enough to suggest it will have the best cast of any title inspired by Smash Bros.
And here I haven’t gotten to the characters teased in the silhouette, as part of a piece of cover art that initially accompanied Target’s listing of the game before being removed. It was posted on the internet, so it’s here forever. It couldn’t be clearer that Korra from The Legend of Korra is on the left, but others like Ren and Stimpy themselves and likely Aang from Korra’s predecessor Avatar: The Last Airbender might also be there. The cast will likely be special, alongside the 20 backgrounds based off Nickelodeon franchises — one of which is notably from the world of Avatar.
There are several elements this game will need in order to both be a good competitor to Smash and, more simply, an enjoyable game for anyone who likes Nickelodeon’s franchises. The gameplay fundamentals will need to be good while incorporating inspiration from other four-player vs. games, but in a way that doesn’t soullessly mimic Smash Bros. I won’t delve into precisely how to do this, because I’m not a game designer, which sounds like a difficult job. It will already have a clear gameplay-related advantage over its main competitor by actually being playable online with rollback netplay.
Nickelodeon will need to not skimp on the budget to help the developers craft a memorable experience that can be played with friends and others online. For instance, previous Nickelodeon games like the recent Nickelodeon Kart Racers titles didn’t include voice acting to accompany the characters from a number of franchises. This will not do here. Bringing back as many of the old voice actors as they can would elevate the experience. It’s still early, but it’s a bit concerning that this detail wasn’t among the early bullet points. Yet it remains something that could be saved for a future showcase.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is due for release sometime this fall for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, the current Xbox family, and Switch. One developer claimed a PC version is in the works, but it may not release simultaneously with the console versions. Given how soon it’s coming, Nickelodeon should provide more details in the very-near future. If your favorite character doesn’t make the initial roster, there’s always the potential for downloadable content like previous Nickelodeon games received.
About The Author
Geoff
News Editor | Geoff is some nerd who writes for a blog and thinks he's knowledgeable. He write a lot about video games, but is capable of writing about other subjects, too. Twitter
