The idea of a Super Smash Bros style fighting game, which brings together important personalities of some brandIt is certainly something that many have taken advantage of, and from which they have had mixed results. Nintendo has the upper hand in this regard, because on the one hand it has a catalog of characters quite loved by its fans, as well as a formula that has been improving since the time of the Nintendo 64. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl has a formula similar to a Super Smash Bros, but with the Nickelodeon cartoons.
The world of Nickelodeon undoubtedly has a large number of characters loved and remembered by all, from Avatar Ang to Teenage Ninja Turtles. It’s strange that they took so long to get a game out of the style. But once the result has arrived it has been quite mixed. Not because of originality, but because it made him refine many details, and also because (at least for me in this Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl review) his set design leaves much to be desired.
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Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl review
When you first get with Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, you find out this won’t be a high-budget fighting game, which worked with licenses, great graphics, ton of content. On the contrary, the models of the characters and the backgrounds lack detail, much of their look and sound is generic, and as for the game modes, it must be said that there is also a problem here: an arcade mode, a mode online, and a sports mode (which is not interesting).
And to this we must also add the fact that being this a brawl full of stars, you would expect it to be packed with bonus content, unlockables, but it seems that the decision has been different, and that the rewards for your progression will be terribly limited. The interesting thing here is that despite being a game that clearly lacks its own stamp, it is still a fun game to play, with which you can have a great time with friends, but sadly it could be much better.
A game to be with friends
It is clear that the Super Smash Bros formula that Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl uses is not primarily intended to be a competitive combat game. The reason for this is how simple it is to learn to play it and enjoy it. A conventional fighting game requires technique, memory, knowledge and experience. And although this also helps in this other class of fighting games that Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is part of, it is not necessary to play and enjoy a good time with several friends.
Follow the same basic formula as other platform fighting games: health bars are exchanged for percentages of damage, and the idea is to remove the other from the stage, either by one of the traps on the stage, or because we hit him until he has a very high percentage of damage. This formula allows the winner to be not only the one who does the most damage, but also the one who takes better advantage of the advantages they have to achieve it.
What’s more, with two attack buttons that combine with the stick to make different hits, it is easy to get used to its controls, and learn to handle the special blows of each of the characters. The best thing is that it will not stop being fun hitting the others, even more so when you have these great characters from great shows of Nickelodeon like Rugrats, Hey Arnold, or Avatar the Legend of Ang or the Legend of Korra.
It’s more than a copy of Super Smash Bros
It’s clear that Nintendo made the platform fighting game formula popular with Super Smash Bros, but that’s not why they own this style of games. The problem has always been that the games that emerge within the genre either fail to distance themselves enough from the Nintendo game or fail to do better. As for what we could see in this Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl review is that something in what distinguishes this game is that offers a fairly quick combat. Besides that, of course, you can play this one on your Xbox.
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This speed is especially felt in the short wait between special attacks, and recovery from damage is fast. And there are good special attacks to do a lot of damage. There are also a number of small differences that allow the game to offer something more original. For instance: to avoid taking damage when hit you must block the attack or cancel it at the right time with one of your own, as there is no possibility of rolling or dodging.
In addition, we have strong attacks available that can be carried out in the air. Having pointed out the differences, it must be said that Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl fails to separate itself from Super Smash Bros shadow entirely, because some of its characters and movements that become similar, as well as the menus, the selection of characters, and some of the options it offers; something that is perhaps inevitable due to the impact this game has had on the industry.
A game that failed to polish the details
In a Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl-style fighting game, settings are a key element. Both because they are part of the confrontation, and because they will be a cause of satisfaction or frustration. In this title, we will have a total of 20 scenarios available, which sounds like a large number. The problem is that many of these scenarios are poorly designed and become death traps.
And it is not like they are death traps because they represent a challenge, but by design they are frustrating and not really enjoyed. The good scenarios, on the other hand, are those that aspired to little, with a fairly flat proposal, but that work within the limitations of the game. To this we can include how poor these scenarios look in textures and color palette. The truth is that this is one of those aspects in which it could be much better.
And this is not the only problem. There are many small details that could stand out in the game but were left half done. An example is the fact that if multiple people choose the same character, the game does not use widely known tools such as changing the color of characters or clothing, but instead uses rather insufficient signage.
conclusion
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is a platform fighting game that offers fun and good times with friends. Evaluated from this perspective, the game fulfills, and if this is what you are looking for, surely you will not regret it. However, this game could have been much better, especially in detail, fluidity and content. If you can look past its disappointing visuals, or its unoriginal soundtrack, this game may have something interesting to give you.
Perhaps the secret weapon of Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is its online game, which works quite smoothly, which is not something minor, since it offers that differentiating touch in this class of games. It would be interesting if the game evolved with new updates to add some of what he lacked and correct problems he had. But I think this is already a finished product.
Last updated on 2021-10-15. Prices and availability may differ from those published. SomosXbox could receive a commission for your purchases. More information.