For cartoon fans of the 90s and beyond, there are basically two camps you fall into, team Cartoon Network or team Nickelodeon. Nickelodeon is home to inarguably the most well-known cartoon properties of all time, including SpongeBob SquarePants, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Danny Phantom, etc. It is no wonder there have been so many gaming adaptations of these beloved series, with multiple crossovers over the years. If you grew up in the 2000s, you might remember games such as Nicktoons: Battle for Volcano Island (2006) or Nicktoons Unite! (2005). These games were released with positive to mixed reviews but would pave the way for future crossover games in the Nickelodeon universe.

The team behind the hilarious yet fun, Slap City (2020), worked in tandem with Fair Play Labs to unleash Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl back in 2021. The platform fighter genre fused with the lovable world of Nickelodeon; what could go wrong? Unfortunately, trouble quickly spread in paradise with the release of the first Nickelodeon All-Star due to multiple factors. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was getting ready to announce the final DLC character for its second season pass, which was revealed to be Sora from Kingdom Hearts. Warner Bros. was also gearing up to release their own platform fighter, Multiversus with a larger budget and voice acting. This announcement would follow the day after Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl launched and almost single-handedly put a halt to any momentum Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl would gain. 

The unpolished nature of the game coupled with a lack of voice acting added insult to injury. The game fell out of the public eye rather quickly. The competitive scene soon dissipated as well. Not all hope was lost for the franchise, though, as Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 was revealed in a comical trailer in the Summer of 2023. The reveal trailer showcased a promising sequel with new mechanics, wild card character choices, and a fresh coat of paint. From the characters to the stages, every facet of Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 looked noticeably better than its predecessor, with a reworking of character move sets and overall design respectively. How does Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 improve upon the original? The short answer is in every conceivable way possible.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is a fighting game developed by Fair Play Labs, who also worked alongside Ludosity on the first one. Fair Play Labs is based in Costa Rica, and not much else is known about the development studio. Fair Play Labs has a small portfolio, with the most notable release outside of Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 1 and 2 being G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout. While the portfolio might be small now, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 ensured they have a bright future ahead of them. So many new features have been incorporated that make this brawl a much meatier experience this time around. The inclusion of a campaign was one of the most significant additions, especially when you get to see Nickelodeon characters from different shows exchanging dialogue.

If you are a huge fan of Danny Phantom, then you are in for a real treat as not only is Danny’s arch nemesis, Vlad Plasmius the big bad, but Clockwork also plays a pivotal role in the story. The campaign features roguelike elements, resulting in Clockwork rewinding time the second you lose all your stocks to start again. You will begin your journey as SpongeBob, but as you progress, you will meet other familiar faces along the way. These characters have fallen under Vlad’s influence, making them enraged. Once you defeat them, you will unlock them for use in the story. If you played a roguelike worth its salt, you know it gets harder the further you progress, especially if you don’t have the right builds. It is no different in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2. To see the campaign through, you will want to make sure your character has a build that is well put together.

There are several different mode types in the campaign to make the experience a more well-rounded package. When you aren’t battling playable characters, you are taking on waves of enemies from different Nickelodeon properties, like Foot Soldiers from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Jellyfish from SpongeBob SquarePants, for instance. This is akin to various Super Smash Bros. titles, where you would battle a horde of “Fighting Wire Frames”. There are also stages where you will be platforming and seeking out treasure chests for collectibles such as blimps or slime, which act as currency in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2. These can be applied to shops you can find during a run, like one run by the famous Cabbage Merchant from Avatar: The Last Airbender. In the shop, you can purchase new abilities or consumables to heal your health, amongst a host of other options.

You will interact with certain characters in the hub world, where you can purchase upgrades for your abilities. For instance, certain abilities will increase how many stocks you begin with for each run you attempt. You can mix and match so many different combinations that the campaign remains fresh throughout your play sessions. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 never becomes dull; in fact, it is anything but. The all-new slime meter is a game changer not only for this franchise, but I would argue the entirety of the platform fighting genre as a whole. Combos were so satisfying to land in the first title, but in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2, the slime meter allows you to cancel a move into another one while freezing your opponent momentarily. Spending countless hours playing with friends and hitting up practice mode led me to craft some flashy combos.

Slime canceling opens up a whole new world of possibilities for your offensive and defensive capabilities. When it comes to defense, you are able to recover from further distances with the slime-powered maneuvers. Additionally, if an opponent attempts to knock you out, you can slime cancel at the perfect time to avoid an otherwise untimely death. The offensive options are where this mechanic truly shines. As I mentioned, you can craft some truly outrageous combos in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2. With slime canceling, it can take those combos and run with it a mile. For instance, certain aerial moves I landed on the opponent might not have been enough to knock them out the first time. When I use a slime cancel, it momentarily freezes the opponent, giving you a short window to follow up with a second attack. Future platform fighters should lead by example when it comes to this exciting new maneuver. 

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 not only plays like a dream but looks like one too. It is evident at first glance that this is a budget title, however, the enhanced visuals stick out much more when compared to its predecessor. Some of Nickelodeon’s most iconic characters have never looked so good, with Jimmy Neutron being a shining example of this. Jimmy Neutron was the first program to be completely made in CGI for Nickelodeon back in 2001, so it is nice to see him looking much sleeker with recent technological advancements. Each stage, both returning and new, faithfully captures the essence of each Nickelodeon property represented. It was nice to see supporting characters like Barry Bear or Appa hang out in the Angry Beavers Dam and Western Air Temple respectively.

The soundtrack wasn’t lacking either, as it is clear that it was lovingly arranged for each stage. While Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 does not feature original soundtracks from each franchise, there is plenty of music to get excited about. Jellyfish Fields features iconic lap steel guitar chords which produce those Hawaiian sounds you would recognize in SpongeBob SquarePants, and Angry Beavers Dam features the bombastic horns you would hear in the intro to the cartoon. The accurate and engaging adaptation of the source material allows gamers to fully immerse themselves in the world of Nickelodeon. The fact that most of the original voice actors could reprise their roles was the cherry on top of this sundae.

The roster of playable characters is largely fantastic, with a few personal gripes. The first Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl featured Michelangelo and Leonardo (TMNT) as playable characters while excluding them in the sequel, which does not feel right. Raphael and Donatello are included this time around, which is nice to see, but not having all four brothers together is an odd choice. Hey, Arnold’s representation loses Helga, one of the most famous characters from the series, for Grandma Gertie and Gerald. While the latter are fine characters, dropping Helga is such a strange choice, and even stranger–Arnold himself hasn’t shown up in either title. Only time will tell if we will see a reintroduction of cut characters like CatDog or Oblina (Aaahh!!! Real Monsters) though paying for characters that were in the first title may not bode well for fans.

There are not many flaws when it comes to Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2. The controls are tighter than ever, leading to fast-paced gameplay that entices you with the new slime mechanics and focus on combos. The campaign offers a fun alternative for players who want an addictive roguelike experience with a fun story. The inclusion of other gameplay types like action stages, minigames, and fighting hordes of enemies prevents the campaign from ever feeling stale.

The boss fights are even more of a sight to behold as you square off against the likes of The Flying Dutchman (SpongeBob SquarePants) or Sartana of the Dead (El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera). While the roster may include some unexpected choices, it ultimately delivers a strong lineup of Nickelodeon favorites, with DLC already planned to add more fighters. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 vastly improves upon every facet of its predecessor and is a sequel done right. At $49.99, it is well worth the many hours you will want to sink into it. It is time to get your slime on!
 

Michael Nicolosi (@ChipmunksMikey)
Editor, NoobFeed