Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl was a platform fighting game featuring Nickelodeon characters duking it out. It got a lot of initial hype and proved to be rather fun, but its popularity and playerbase quickly died down. After some time in the spotlight, it vanished from fans’ thoughts and wasn’t really picked up again by players. Now, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 has officially been announced alongside a new trailer. Fans are just as pumped for it this time, but is it worth being excited for?

This announcement trailer for Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 contains a lot of details without revealing too much. It introduces new characters: Squidward, Jimmy Neutron, Raphael, and Donatello, as well as plenty of new stages and new takes on existing stages. It also showcases the graphics update compared to the first game, and by the looks of it, the developers were able to work with much more of a budget this time around. Full voice acting from the get-go is another indicator of this. 

The trailer also teases new gameplay, which has peaked a lot of interest. One of the large complaints of the previous game was that the characters’ movesets were too homogenous and their animations were a bit too janky. Having every character feel unique and the gameplay smoothed out is a huge step in the right direction.

One of the most exciting and ambitious updates revealed in the announcement trailer is the addition of a campaign. There will finally be a story tying this mayhem together, and it will allow for a whole new fun way to play the game. Single player campaigns are always a welcome way to dive into a video game.

The developers have also confirmed that there will be new game modes this time around, including a Boss Rush mode. This is fantastic news, as one of the reasons folks stopped playing the first game was that they experienced everything it had to offer and got bored of the same few things they could do in it. By adding more content, fans are sure to be able to spend much more time with this installment. 

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 already seems like more of what fans have been asking for. The developers appear to actually be listening to them, which is pretty huge. Compared to the first game, this new one is already looking much more polished with more characters, updated gameplay, new game modes, more stages, alternate costumes, full voice acting, and a campaign. Just about everything has been upgraded. As exciting as it all is, it might be worth being wary.

There needs to be a focus on actual “Nickelodeon All-Stars” and not just meme characters. To include Nigel Thornberry but not Eliza, or Helga but not Arnold, or Reptar without any of the Rugrats, or Powdered Toast Man instead of the Angry Beavers or Timmy Turner was an extreme let down in the first game. Not every Nickelodeon character needs to be included, but the “All-Stars” should really be present.

They also need to ensure that there’s less glitches during matches this time around. They most likely will, but it’s hard to tell until it’s in the hands of the players. There also needs to be better online play. The developers are teasing better netcode for the sequel, so hopes are high for that. It was a challenge to find good online matches in the first game, and playing against the computer on repeat got old real fast. Playing against real players online will be what gives the game its longevity.

This sequel, so far, looks to be much more worth the $50 price tag. That being said, there’s also a $70 Deluxe Edition and an $80 Ultimate Edition. The Deluxe Edition comes with the Season Pass, which includes 4 DLC characters and alternate costumes for them, as well as an alternate costume for Spongebob. The Ultimate Edition is the same as the Deluxe Edition, but comes with bonus alternate costumes for every character. After the first game falling off so quickly, will this one truly be worth up to $80? Only time will tell.

Overall, there’s more than enough for fans to be excited about with Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2. It looks as though those who enjoyed the first game will enjoy this new one even more. It looks like it will also be worth it for newcomers to check it out as well. The developers are clearly listening to their fans, and it looks super fun to play. It just may be worth being cautiously optimistic for the time being.

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