Wikipedia

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2is a 2023crossoverfighting gamedeveloped by Fair Play Labs and published by GameMill Entertainment. It is the sequel toNickelodeon All-Star Brawl(2021) and part of theNickelodeon Super Brawlseries. The game was released on November 7, 2023, forNintendo Switch,PlayStation 4,PlayStation 5,Windows,Xbox One,andXbox Series X/S.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2
The game's logo, reading "Nickelodeon All Star Brawl 2" is positioned in the center of the image. Lines resembling lightning bolts emerge from behind the logo outwards towards the image's border, forming radial slices in the spaces between them; each slice features a character striking a dynamic action pose. The radial slices are all colored blue, save the slice at the top center, which is purple. Characters appearing within each slice, beginning with the purple slice and moving clockwise around the logo, include: Vlad Plasmius, a ghost man in a white business suit; SpongeBob SquarePants, an anthropomorphic yellow sponge; Korra, a human girl in blue clothes; Lucy Loud, a small human girl in gothic attire; Raphael, an anthropomorphic turtle wearing a red bandana; Patrick Star, an anthropomorphic pink starfish; April O'Neil, a human woman in a yellow jumpsuit; Rocko, an anthopomorphic wallaby in a blue shirt; Jenny Wakeman, a blue and white humanoid robot; Aang, a human boy wearing orange and yellow monastic robes; Danny Phantom, a ghost boy in a black jumpsuit; Garfield, an anthropomorphic orange cat; and Nigel Thornberry, a human man in explorer's clothes.
Cover art featuring a selection of the game's playable characters and antagonistVlad Plasmius[a]
Developer(s)Fair Play Labs
Publisher(s)GameMill Entertainment
Director(s)
  • Diego Rodriguez
  • Sergio Chacón
Designer(s)Leopoldo Arguello Marsal
Artist(s)Diego Hernández Cruz
Composer(s)
  • Carlos Aguilar
  • Ivan Barquero
SeriesNickelodeon Super Brawl
EngineUnity[1]
Platform(s)
ReleaseNovember 7, 2023
Genre(s)Fighting
Mode(s)Single-player,multiplayer

Gameplay

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Like the previous game,Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2is a 2Dplatform fighterfeaturing characters from variousNickelodeonfranchises. Gameplay has been updated from the previous entry, with all characters' movesets having been revised and given new horizontal attacks, and new mechanics being added such as aerial dodging and dodge rolling.[2]During gameplay, a new "Slime Meter" can be built up by attacking opponents and used in different ways, such as powering up attacks, extending aerial recovery, performing attack cancels, pushing opponents away, and activating powerful character-specific super attacks.[2][3]

A new single-playerroguelikecampaign has been added, in which players must stopDanny PhantomvillainVlad Plasmiusfrom conquering the multiverse. Players start in the hub area, the "Timeless Stardial", where they can choose their character and interact withnon-player charactersto prepare for a run. When a run begins, players progress through nodes that each feature different challenges and special rules, including waves of enemies, platforming challenges, and boss battles. Players will receive free power-ups fromnon-player charactersor purchase them using an orange blimp currency they earn during battle. These powerups will remain active for the remainder of the run; upon completion or defeat, the player's power-ups and blimps are discarded as they return to the Timeless Stardial. Players will also earn new playable characters by defeating them in battle, as well as green Slimy and purple Splat currencies, all of which are retained when a run concludes. Slimies can be spent on equippable perks that will grant the player additional benefits during a run, while Splat can be used to purchase additional slots for equipping perks, decorations for the Timeless Stardial, and upgrades for shops that expand their selection of purchasable items.[2][4]

The game also features expanded arcade and training modes, new mini-games, and aboss rushmode.[5]The game includes 26 stages, some of which feature selectable alternate layouts.[6]In addition, support forcross-platform playhas been added to the game's online multiplayer.[5]

Playable characters

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The game features 25 playable characters drawn from 17 Nickelodeon franchises, including 14 characters returning from the previous game. Four additional characters were released as post-launch downloadable content throughout 2024.[7]New characters are marked inbold.

Plot

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SpongeBob SquarePantsandPatrick Starare blowing bubbles when a strange portal appears and pulls Patrick in. Another portal opens and a strange voice tells SpongeBob to enter it to save Patrick, prompting him to jump in. After passing through several different worlds, SpongeBob finds Patrick, who becomes enraged and attacks him. SpongeBob subdues Patrick, returning him to normal, and they are taken to apocket dimensioncalled the Timeless Stardial, where they meet the one who summoned SpongeBob,Clockwork.Clockwork explains thatVlad Plasmiushas gained the power to mind control other beings, and now seeks to gain control of everyone from every universe. Clockwork grants the heroes a time medallion, which will allow him to rewind time should they fall in battle, and sends them to free more potential allies from Vlad's control.

Development and release

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In June 2023, prior to its announcement, several images fromNickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2,including development screenshots and partial box art, were anonymously leaked online.[18]The game was officially announced on July 27, 2023. The game's graphics have been refined over its predecessor, and all characters feature full voice-acting, a feature which was not added to its predecessor until several months after release.[19]One week after the game's announcement, the full character roster was accidentally leaked via anAmazonretail listing.[20]

In addition to the standard release, the game is also available in a digital-only Deluxe edition that includes adownloadable contentseason passcontaining four additional characters, set to be released throughout 2024, and an additional "Quickster" costume for SpongeBob. A separate digital Ultimate edition includes the content from the Deluxe edition, as well as an additional costume for each character.[19]An additional "Elastic Waistband" costume for Patrick was available as apre-order incentive.[19]

Initially announced for release on November 3, 2023, the game was later pushed back to November 7, with physical copies released on December 1.[21]Patrick's Elastic Waistband costume was also made available for free to all those who purchased the game digitally during the first week of release.[22]

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2marked the debut of Jacqueline Grace Lopez asKorra,followingJanet Varney's departure from the role. Per her behalf, Varney insisted a woman of color should take over the role, as her final time voicing the character was inNickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedwaythe previous year.[23][24]

Reception

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Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2received "generally favorable" reviews for PlayStation 5 according toreview aggregatorMetacritic;[25]the Windows version received "mixed or average" reviews.[26]On the aggregatorOpenCritic,the game has a "Fair" approval rating.[27]Reviewers praised the game as an overall improvement over its predecessor, although the game's performance was criticized, particularly for the Nintendo Switch version.

Awards and Nominations

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Year Ceremony Category Result Ref.
2023 The Game Awards 2023 Best Fighting Game Nominated [37]
2024 13th New York Game Awards Central Park Children's Zoo Award for Best Kids Game Nominated [38][39]
27th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Fighting Game of the Year Nominated [40]

Notes

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  1. ^Characters pictured include (clockwise from top): Vlad,SpongeBob,Korra,Lucy,Raphael,Patrick,April,Rocko,Jenny,Aang,Danny,Garfield,andNigel.
  2. ^abcdDownloadable content
  3. ^Score based on 13 reviews
  4. ^Score based on 12 reviews
  5. ^Score based on 34 reviews

References

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  1. ^Saver, Michael; Pung, Julia; Stanton, Devon (January 4, 2024)."Made with Unity: 2023 in review".Unity Technologies.RetrievedJanuary 13,2024.
  2. ^abcMcWhertor, Michael (July 27, 2023)."Here's what's new in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2".Polygon.Archivedfrom the original on July 27, 2023.RetrievedJuly 27,2023.
  3. ^"Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Announced, Squidward & Jimmy Neutron Join The Roster".Nintendo Life.July 27, 2023.Archivedfrom the original on July 27, 2023.RetrievedJuly 27,2023.
  4. ^Shea, Brian (October 19, 2023)."Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Preview - Loaded With Potential".Game Informer.Archived fromthe originalon October 20, 2023.RetrievedOctober 31,2023.
  5. ^abMcCaffrey, Ryan (July 27, 2023)."Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Announced for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and PC".IGN.Archivedfrom the original on July 27, 2023.RetrievedJuly 27,2023.
  6. ^Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl [@NickBrawlGame](August 18, 2023)."Some keen eyes have pieced together that some of our stages are a bit different from video to video… because select stages in #NASB2 have multiple variants! Check out the different layouts of a new stage - Harmonic Convergence, from #TheLegendOfKorra below!"(Tweet) – viaTwitter.
  7. ^abcdeRomano, Sal (October 31, 2023)."Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 'Campaign' trailer; DLC characters Mr. Krabs, Zuko, Rocksteady, and Iroh announced".Gematsu.RetrievedOctober 31,2023.
  8. ^abcdefghijklmnopMcWhertor, Michael (July 27, 2023)."Nickelodeon's take on Smash Bros. gets a sequel with 100% more Squidward".Polygon.Archivedfrom the original on July 27, 2023.RetrievedJuly 27,2023.
  9. ^McWhertor, Michael (September 28, 2023)."Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 has an Angry Beavers problem".Polygon.RetrievedSeptember 28,2023.
  10. ^Fanelli, Jason (July 27, 2023)."Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Coming This Year With Playable Squidward And Jimmy Neutron".GameSpot.Archivedfrom the original on July 27, 2023.RetrievedJuly 27,2023.
  11. ^Chalk, Andy (October 6, 2023)."Watch the powerful firebender Azula kick the crap out of Stimpy in the final Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 character reveal".PC Gamer.Archivedfrom the original on October 6, 2023.RetrievedOctober 6,2023.
  12. ^Norman, Jim (August 30, 2023)."Exclusive: El Tigre Is The Newest Fighter Slashing Into Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2".Nintendo Life.RetrievedAugust 30,2023.
  13. ^Fanelli, Jason (September 7, 2023)."Ember From Danny Phantom Rocks Out In Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2".GameSpot.RetrievedSeptember 7,2023.
  14. ^Norman, Jim (September 8, 2023)."Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Character Roster - Every New And Returning Fighter".RetrievedOctober 1,2023.
  15. ^Deschamps, Marc (September 18, 2023)."Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Reveals New Fighter Grandma Gertie (Exclusive)".ComicBook.com.RetrievedSeptember 18,2023.
  16. ^Doolan, Liam (August 4, 2024)."SpongeBob's Plankton Joins The Battle In Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2".Nintendo Life.RetrievedAugust 30,2023.
  17. ^Borthwick, Ben (July 27, 2023)."Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 sees the Smash Bros alternative return for a second round".VideoGamer.com.Archivedfrom the original on July 27, 2023.RetrievedJuly 27,2023.
  18. ^Adam, Khayl (July 5, 2023)."Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 May Be PS5, PS4's Worst Kept Secret".PushSquare.Archivedfrom the original on July 27, 2023.RetrievedJuly 27,2023.
  19. ^abcRomano, Sal (July 27, 2023)."Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 announced for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC".Gematsu.Archivedfrom the original on July 27, 2023.RetrievedJuly 27,2023.
  20. ^Zwiezen, Zack (August 2, 2023)."Looks Like Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2's Full Character Roster Has Leaked".Kotaku.RetrievedAugust 4,2023.
  21. ^Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl [@NickBrawlGame](September 26, 2023)."Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is now available to wishlist on steam, available on November 3rd! #NASB2 Other platform digital pre-orders will be coming later in October! https://t.co/3tckZyV5UM"(Tweet) – viaTwitter.
  22. ^Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl [@NickBrawlGame](October 17, 2023)."A #NASB2 update: Brawlers! Our release date will be moving slightly as the team looks to put the finishing touches on Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2. Digital Versions will now release November 7th. Retail Versions will hit shelves on December 1st. As a special bonus, Patrick's Elastic Waistband costume will now be available to all digital purchases made during the first week of launch from November 7–14!"(Tweet) – viaTwitter.
  23. ^Fair Play Labs.Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2.Scene: Credits.
  24. ^"Janet Varney Won't Voice Avatar Korra Again".YouTube.June 30, 2022.
  25. ^ab"Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 PlayStation 5 Critic Reviews".Metacritic.RetrievedNovember 28,2023.
  26. ^ab"Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 PC Critic reviews".Metacritic.RetrievedNovember 22,2023.
  27. ^ab"Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Reviews".OpenCritic.November 11, 2023.RetrievedNovember 28,2023.
  28. ^Epps, DeAngelo (November 7, 2023)."Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 review: finally, a true Super Smash Bros. rival".Digital Trends.Designtechnica Corporation.RetrievedNovember 7,2023.
  29. ^Harte, Charles (November 7, 2023)."Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Review".Game Informer.GameStop Corp.Archived fromthe originalon November 7, 2023.RetrievedNovember 7,2023.
  30. ^Fanelli, Jason (November 8, 2023)."Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Review - More Than A Rerun".GameSpot.RetrievedNovember 8,2023.
  31. ^Wacholz, Charlie (November 7, 2023)."Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Review".IGN.RetrievedNovember 7,2023.
  32. ^Olney, Alex (November 7, 2023)."Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Review (Switch)".Nintendo Life.RetrievedNovember 7,2023.
  33. ^Minor, Jordan (November 7, 2023)."Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Review".PCMag.Ziff Davis.RetrievedNovember 7,2023.
  34. ^Fitzgerald, Simon (November 8, 2023)."Mini Review: Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 (PS5) - A Tighter, More Focused Platform Fighter".Push Square.RetrievedNovember 8,2023.
  35. ^Erskine, Donovan (November 7, 2023)."Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 review: Some decent tooning".Shacknews.RetrievedNovember 8,2023.
  36. ^Wood, Rhys (November 7, 2023)."Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 review - the fighter Nick fans have been waiting for".TechRadar.RetrievedNovember 8,2023.
  37. ^Makuch, Eddie (December 7, 2023)."All The Game Awards 2023 Winners Revealed".GameSpot.Fandom, Inc.Archivedfrom the original on December 8, 2023.RetrievedDecember 8,2023.
  38. ^McEvoy, Sophie (January 5, 2024)."Baldur's Gate 3 leads New York Games Awards 2024 nominations".Gameindustry.biz.Archivedfrom the original on January 5, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 21,2024.
  39. ^McEvoy, Sophie (January 24, 2024)."Baldur's Gate 3 wins big at New York Game Awards 2024".Games Industry.biz.
  40. ^Chandler, Sam (February 15, 2024)."The D.I.C.E. Awards 2024 winners & finalists".Shacknews.RetrievedJanuary 16,2024.
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