Hamada’s Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Review (PS5)

Review code provided by GameMill Entertainment, and thanks to Cart Boy for help with edits.

What was it about a Super Smash Bros.-esque Nickelodeon crossover that got everyone so interested? Were people genuinely excited to see a new platform fighter featuring so many nostalgic characters, or was seeing SpongeBob wavedash just too funny to ignore? Regardless, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl had more eyes on it upon its release in late 2021 than I’m sure the developers bargained for, levels of anticipation it, arguably, failed to live up to. Although it was fun for what it was, the lack of voice acting or single-player modes, janky balancing, and all-around cheap feel didn’t keep fans coming back for long. It still had its dedicated players, and the potential was definitely there for Ludosity to make something great, but it was all a matter of if Nickelodeon would greenlight a sequel. A sequel with a higher budget, at that. Cut to late 2023, and with the reveal of Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2, it seemed the devs were getting the opportunity they deserved. The game guaranteed cleaner visuals, more approachable gameplay, an enhanced roster, and more stuff for players to do. Now that it’s out, let’s see if it lives up to those promises!

Not to bring Smash up too much, but it set an unbelievably high bar for both platform fighters and their art directions. Most answers to it haven’t looked nearly as good, but that was especially true for the first Nick Brawl. They fixed things over time via updates, finally giving fighters some voicework and one extra recolor or hat to don each, but they still felt somewhat off. Yeah, most of these characters and stages were at home in two dimensions, not three, but there was clearly still room for improvement. Fortunately, the developers agreed, as Nick Brawl 2 looks so much better. The arenas are more vibrant and detailed, now featuring the occasional background spectators, and the cast better reflect their shows of origin. Quick disclaimer: since SpongeBob and Avatar are easily my favorite series here, I’ll primarily be using their reps as examples. Aang, for instance, felt more like a Sheik-inspired “function” than a character in NASB1, hardly embodying his canon techniques and personality. On the other hand, NASB2 sees him using all four elements and sporting a more recognizable attitude.

But there’s more to the sequel’s look than merely brushing up old content, as the addition of super moves for the entire roster is also cool to see. Granted, a lot of them feel like they’re lacking certain sound effects, and some are much better than others, but they get the job done. SpongeBob summoning Mrs. Puff and a boat is perfect, as he’s always at his most dangerous behind the wheel. Other personal highlights include Ren & Stimpy’s (even if the latter’s absent from it), Patrick’s (a reference as simple and satisfying as the character himself), and Rocko’s (but the reference is lost on me). On a side note, although NASB2’s got some great alternate costumes, most of them are ridiculously exclusive. If you want the most memorable parts of certain combatants’ wardrobes, like Ember Island Azula or Quickster SpongeBob, prepare to pay a lot more than I’d say is justified. Oh well, how much that bothers you will vary, so we’ll just move on…

With the visuals good enough to not distract most would-be buyers, let’s get to the gameplay. NASB1 distinguished itself as a platform fighter with some unusual mechanics, most of which weren’t especially fun. For one, the strong attacks had this strange rock-paper-scissors property when colliding with other strongs, making for situations where one arbitrarily beat out another. The grabs were similarly weird, acting like a clumsy blend of Donkey Kong’s cargo throw and Villager’s Pocket. It’s kinda unfortunate that NASB2’s only answer to these oddities was to stick closer to what Smash does, but the improvements are undeniable. Besides, NASB2 retains some of its predecessor’s more inspired ideas, like aerial strongs, so I can’t complain. They were a really cool idea in the last game, but brought down by many of them just repeating what the grounded strongs did. Conversely, now they’re as unique as the rest of the fighters’ kits, yielding more available slots for neat references and powerful attacks.

That being said, the most impactful of NASB2’s innovations has gotta be the Slime Meter. Gauges aren’t anything new to fighting games, but of the platform fighters I’ve played, this is the first to implement one across the entire cast. You can charge your three-notched meter by dealing or taking damage, and expend a notch to cancel moves or enhance specials. Unsurprisingly, seasoned players can do a lot of cool and complicated things with the former, but the latter ensures casuals can still make use of the resource every now and then. SpongeBob’s Bubble Blow goes from a straightforward projectile to three massive ones, the considerable windup on Azula’s Lightning shortens, and so on. Of course, three notches can be burnt to perform the aforementioned cinematic finishers. All things considered, NASB2’s moment-to-moment gameplay is easy to grasp, builds atop what you’d expect from its genre, and adds new mechanics that fit like a Glove World-branded glove.

All right, here comes a room-temperature take: Smash Ultimate’s single-player and online modes are underwhelming. World of Light’s a poor substitute for both a story mode and the event matches of old, and competing with players from around the world can feel like a totally different, more frustrating experience. NASB2 does a lot better with both of those fundamental parts of any modern fighting game. First, there’s its roguelike campaign, an inspired idea for a platform fighter. I haven’t made it all the way through, but what I did play was pretty good. You’re constantly improving yourself throughout your runs, fighting a few bosses, and enjoying some fun interactions whenever possible. As for NASB2’s online, I couldn’t ask for anything better. Rollback netcode, crossplay, and an actual ranking system are all accounted for (none of that “GSP” nonsense), and for the most part, matches play as smoothly as they would in person. Great stuff, Ludosity!

It’s time for the part I’ve most looked forward to talking about: the roster. NASB1’s was a decent one, and it only got better as free updates and paid DLC introduced more fighters. Going into its sequel, many were expecting virtually all the veterans to stick around, but that didn’t pan out. Toph, Catdog, Helga, Sandy, Michelangelo, and others were all left out, often replaced by new faces from their respective series. If you ask me, this was inevitable, as it would’ve been unrealistic to expect NASB2 to salvage and rework everyone. Besides, most of the newcomers make up for these losses, and add more to the game than what it took to get them. Squidward and Jimmy are such natural additions that I’m surprised they missed the last game, Azula’s a solid compromise between giving us a full-on firebender and new villain, El Tigre and the Angry Beavers add more franchises to the pile, and Gerald and Ember are intriguing left-field choices. On top of that, the upcoming DLC looks promising, with Mr. Krabs and Zuko being particular highlights. Iroh’s another beloved face, but since his niece and nephew already bring plenty of firepower to the game, he’s definitely a strange pick.

But there’s more to a good cast than what they represent, so how do their movesets fare? The first game gave its contenders some baffling attacks, including loose-fitting references like SpongeBob’s old Chomp down special. Using his kit as an example of how much things have changed, he’s been upgraded to feel more like an entry-level character than ever. His projectile, reflector, and simple recovery evoke Mario, but honestly, I think the fry cook’s Fishbowl Strike side special—a reliable burst of speed and damage—helps make for an all-around better specials list than the plumber’s. Aside from that, there are other comparisons to be drawn between the games’ lineups: Garfield’s like Fox, Squidward’s like Wii Fit Trainer, El Tigre’s like Wolf, and Ember’s like Cloud. Sure, this style of designing movesets isn’t all that original, but there’s definitely value in seeing how these weirdos can occupy familiar niches and make them their own.

If I could dive deeper into the movesets before wrapping this up, even with all the borrowed ideas from Smash, some of these fighters’ attacks and gimmicks are very inspired. Just look at the Angry Beavers, iterating upon the two-in-one gimmick with assist-based specials that make them feel more like a team than the genre’s other duos. You can have one rodent toss projectiles as you control the other, or switch to said projectile user mid-attack and really keep foes guessing. Self-contained techniques also get this sort of creativity, like with Korra’s neutral aerial and the way it takes after whichever element you used last. Meanwhile, Azula’s strong forward aerial is a spinning kick that lets loose a powerful fireball, a gratifying maneuver to land and an awesome reference to a move of hers in the show. Finally, Patrick (my current main, but Zuko might have something to say about that) lobs a Krusty Krab table for his up aerial. On its own, it’s interesting seeing such an unorthodox projectile on a grappler’s kit. However, during one of my runs through the campaign, I grabbed a boon that grants projectiles homing properties, and one that gives aerials a chance to burn victims. Without even realizing it, I’d made Patrick an unstoppable monster that could hurl inescapable, flaming furniture at anyone in his path. Needless to say, that was a fun session (and it makes me wonder why Ultimate’s Spirits’ effects were so much lamer than NASB2’s).

You know, it’s completely natural for some series to hit their stride with the second entry, the likes of Street Fighter and Borderlands come to mind, but the extent to which Nick All-Star Brawl 2 took that trend is shocking. The first game’s immense potential was quickly buried under the release of fellow cartoonish clash MultiVersus, so it’s really satisfying to see Ludosity finally presenting their unfiltered vision. Licensed games are a dying breed, yet these developers managed to take a risky concept and craft one of the all-time best platform fighters out of it. Outside of its considerable worth as a game, it’s refreshing seeing these mascots portrayed with so much care. Back in the first game, I ignored the SpongeBob and Avatar reps and chose a main whose origins I hardly cared about, which really showed how little all the fighters’ personalities seemed to matter. Nowadays, I’m happily playing Patrick and Azula, mostly because they actually feel like the characters from two of my favorite shows ever. Shoutout to Thaddeus Crews—NASB2’s character designer and an all-around based individual—for showing these icons more respect than the scrooges over at Nickelodeon have in years. Overall, I can’t wait to see how platform fighters continue to grow from here, and respect the heck out of Ludosity for giving us one of the strongest credits to the genre we’ve ever seen!