I really liked the first Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl game. It was fast and frantic and had interesting mechanics, especially for a platform fighter. I'm incredibly happy to report that Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is so much better than this game, it actually makes me realize a lot of its shortcomings.
NASB2's roster cuts may be disappointing, I personally was sad to see CatDog, Oblina and Helga go, but it makes up for it by having each character play so much more uniquely than the first game. This isn't just the same game with updated graphics and new characters, no, they completely remade the physics from the ground up. Even the veterans feel different with new mechanics like, Garfield's Sugar Rush and Reptar's fireball meter. I was a bit weary on the additions of side specials and back airs, initially preferring the Smash 64 simplicity of the first NASB, but they really do add a lot more to the hypeness of the combat and better ways to approach the opponent. Speaking of hypeness, the Slime Mechanic is the most insane thing this game adds. Not only can you cancel attacks into other ones at the cost of meter, but you can also Burst ala Guilty Gear, and power up your special moves to have better effects. Of course, if that sounds too complex, you could also do what I do, and hold off on using those in favor of a crazy super move. It can be blocked and rolled out of, unlike Smash, so being able to land these properly gets me excited every single time.
The visuals are so much better this time around, the environments and lighting are colorful, and the characters are way more expressive and are animated to represent their shows and personalities in more fitting ways, such as Danny Phantom's features being flattened out, or Ren and Stimpy's model morphing and contorting to their psychotic expressions. The music goes harder than it honestly has any right to as well, but after the team from the first game couldnt get the right sound that they wanted, it feels like this soundtrack is an overcorrection in the best way possible.
There's actually a story mode here too, a rougelike campaign complete with voice acting that makes Smash's World of Light pale in comparison. Actually, I should stop comparing this to Smash so much. Even though I have had more fun with this in a few days than years of playing Ultimate, I want there to be more room for platform fighters that don't get compared to Smash every opportunity. Of course, If we get more games like this where the devs prioritize fun and creativity, that reality could be well within reach.
Oh yeah, and fuck Multiversus. Just wanted to throw that out there.
NASB2's roster cuts may be disappointing, I personally was sad to see CatDog, Oblina and Helga go, but it makes up for it by having each character play so much more uniquely than the first game. This isn't just the same game with updated graphics and new characters, no, they completely remade the physics from the ground up. Even the veterans feel different with new mechanics like, Garfield's Sugar Rush and Reptar's fireball meter. I was a bit weary on the additions of side specials and back airs, initially preferring the Smash 64 simplicity of the first NASB, but they really do add a lot more to the hypeness of the combat and better ways to approach the opponent. Speaking of hypeness, the Slime Mechanic is the most insane thing this game adds. Not only can you cancel attacks into other ones at the cost of meter, but you can also Burst ala Guilty Gear, and power up your special moves to have better effects. Of course, if that sounds too complex, you could also do what I do, and hold off on using those in favor of a crazy super move. It can be blocked and rolled out of, unlike Smash, so being able to land these properly gets me excited every single time.
The visuals are so much better this time around, the environments and lighting are colorful, and the characters are way more expressive and are animated to represent their shows and personalities in more fitting ways, such as Danny Phantom's features being flattened out, or Ren and Stimpy's model morphing and contorting to their psychotic expressions. The music goes harder than it honestly has any right to as well, but after the team from the first game couldnt get the right sound that they wanted, it feels like this soundtrack is an overcorrection in the best way possible.
There's actually a story mode here too, a rougelike campaign complete with voice acting that makes Smash's World of Light pale in comparison. Actually, I should stop comparing this to Smash so much. Even though I have had more fun with this in a few days than years of playing Ultimate, I want there to be more room for platform fighters that don't get compared to Smash every opportunity. Of course, If we get more games like this where the devs prioritize fun and creativity, that reality could be well within reach.
Oh yeah, and fuck Multiversus. Just wanted to throw that out there.