Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl Reviews
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is definitely more than just Nickelodeon Smash Bros., but you'll need to be willing to overlook some pretty substantial flaws to find the surprisingly nuanced fighter underneath the surface.
Right now, All-Star Brawl stands on its own two feet, not trying to be Smash Ultimate now that its DLC has dried up, but trying to show us a good ‘ol nostalgic time. It lulls you in with its lightning flash fights and accessible combat, keeping a grin on your face throughout.
Nickelodeon's characters and stages translate well into Nick Brawl with easter eggs of character-favorite moments hidden in each move. However, it's missing the accessibility and party feel of other platform fighters
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl offers a smashing competitive experience… but that's about all the substance it has.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is a solid platform fighter with an awful lot of hidden depth, and also an unfortunate lack of polish outside the fighting. If hardcore gameplay is the number one concern you'll have a wealth to sink your teeth into here, but expect to be underwhelmed by various elements that surround it. There's a grand old time to be had, but it's no Super Smash Bros. (damn it yet again).
Probably the most fun you can have in a Nickelodeon videogame, this is a derivative but fun fighter that kids will enjoy, but will probably do quite well in the competitive community too.
Hopefully, characters can be voiced soon, because currently, without voices or soundtracks containing memorable tunes from shows, “Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl” feels lifeless, with the characters and stages appearing as copies that don’t quite nail the memories we cherish from the cartoons. Sure, the gameplay is tight and fun, but without the iconic phrases, noises and soundtracks, these fighters might as well be anyone.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is obviously in no position to take the platform fighter throne right now, but I think the teams at Ludosity and Fair Play Labs have created a very good blueprint for what could be a very great franchise. If Super Smash Bros. is a celebration of all things Nintendo, I don’t see why an All-Star Brawl 2 couldn’t be a celebration of all things Nickelodeon. I think it’s possible with the right amount of time and money, and I hope this game is successful enough to convince GameMill to invest in a sequel that could be truly spectacular.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl simply feels like a barebones platform fighter. Combat is pretty decent, but there’s just so little surrounding it. The game’s greatest sin is how little it leans into the over-the-top zaniness that is Nickelodeon and its extensive history of memorable characters and moments. It lacks identity while being based on some of the most unique entertainment properties of the past few decades.
Most probably the best Super Smash Bros. clone on the market, a competent 4-player brawler with enough content to keep players engaged. To be avoided if you plan to play it for the single-player modes.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is a must-play for the hardcore, but doesn't look after casual audiences.
A mechanically solid and fun Super Smash Bros. clone which doesn't have the style, personality or affection for its characters to reach the heights of its inspiration.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is a great Smash clone that painfully underutilizes its Nickelodeon license, to its own detriment. Lacking some of Nick's biggest characters, franchises, and environments, absolutely no voice lines whatsoever, and all wrapped up in a rather unimpressive package, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is a good concept, and one of the best Smash-alikes to come along in the last 20 years. But it really needs a stronger presentation and more thorough use of its namesake license to earn a better foothold as a mainstay character brawler.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is brimming with fantastic characters, fun combat, and legitimate potential. However, limited content and a laundry list of bugs keep it from thriving as a platform fighter right now.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is a solid alternative to Smash, and it is on basically every platform. It won’t overtake the king or even make it worried, but for the lower price (I have seen it on sale for sub $20) it is more than worth checking out. I had a ton of fun with it and just wish it had a bit more content and a bright future.
With a little more content, better accuracy and the desire to integrate a little more those who do not know this style of play, the title could be a small reference in the field, but for now, the copy is not perfect. Fortunately, the developers have announced that they will take special care in the follow-up, and no doubt expand the roster. To see in the long term therefore.
Review in French | Read full review
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is a fun fighter that still requires some fine-tuning. Outside of the fun combat, the game really falls short with dull unlockables and the lack of voiceovers that were really needed. The developers do have a strong foundation for a great follow up game.
Any Nickelodeon fan could easily name off a dozen or so characters notably absent from the game’s roster – as a TMNT fan, the lack of Raphel, Donatello, and the expansive list of their villains, such as Shredder, Bebop, Rocksteady, and more, is a big disappointment. I imagine we’ll get some DLC in the future, in fact, there have already been some rumours about who might be included. My only hope is that they’ll provide new stages in addition to new characters. If you’re finally bored of Smash Bros. Ultimate and need a similar alternative, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl might scratch that itch, but just barely.
Nickelodeon All-Stars is an obvious yet forgivable clone the manages to squeeze tiny sprinkles of originality in to its mix. However, the chasm left by what is missing from the game at the moment is almost irredeemable. Whilst the actual fighting mechanics of the core gameplay are well worked for competitive play, the lack of voice acting, game modes and general party utility leaves much to be desired. The general zaniness of Nickelodeon carries reasonably in the game, but certainly not enough to warrant purchase by casual players who are fans of the franchise.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl tries to be a challenger for Super Smash Bros. and aims for the weak spot of his opponent, showing off a stable and solid netcode. A good multiplayer and tight controls, though, are not enough to reach the stars. The roster is good and varied, but a little scarce right now (maybe DLCs will fill the gap) and characters lack characterization (no pun intended): a pity, because Nickelodeon's original voices and music would have added a lot of value to the game.
Review in Italian | Read full review