Upcoming Smash Bros.-like fighting game Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl pits classic characters from various Nickelodeon cartoons against each other. Recently released gameplay footage gives fans a look into the mechanics and movesets of the different characters as they duke it out in both one-on-one and free-for-all combat.
As reported by IGN, the released gameplay videos include two one-on-one battles: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' April O'Neil vs. The Wild Thornberrys' Nigel Thornberry and CatDog vs. The Loud House's Lucy Loud. The videos also showcase a free-for-all brawl between SpongeBob SquarePants, Patrick Star, April O'Neil and Leonardo, along with a more in-depth breakdown of the game's controls.
In the breakdown video, character designer and programmer Thaddeus Crews goes through the various controls of the characters, using Spongebob as an example. Much like the Smash Bros. series of platform fighting games, attacks in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl generally come in three variants: up, down and side (or "mid," as Crews calls it). The game is based around the use of light attacks, strong attacks and special attacks, all of which have directional variants and can be used both on the ground and in the air.
While there are many ways the combat and mechanics of Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl differ from those of Smash Bros. games, one feature that has fans particularly excited is the characters' ability to wavedash. Wavedashing is a mechanic that was a fundamental aspect of competitive play in Super Smash Bros. Melee, and the fast-paced inputs that seem to be possible in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl bode well for casual and competitive play alike.
Additionally, the videos show what appears to be a more complex relationship between different kinds of strong moves in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl. Crews says that different directional inputs overpower each other and inflict various status effects. Crews goes through this rock-paper-scissors-like relationship, explaining that "down beats mid and causes a stagger. Mid beats up and causes a turn-around. Up beats down and causes a spinout."
As shown in the breakdown and reflected in the gameplay videos, there is a mix of casual, carefree mechanics and more high-level combos. Patrick Star has a sacrificial KO confirm, similar to Smash Bros.'s Ganondorf or Bowser side-b attack, and CatDog can ladder high-range up-aerials to earn kills off the top of the map. While the mechanics are intended to keep hardcore players interested, the game's developers are also attempting to inject plenty of humor to keep fans of the cartoons entertained: Nigel Thornberry attacks people with his nose like a feral woodpecker and SpongeBob's taunt turns him into the "SpongeMock" meme.
Published by GameMill Entertainment and developed by Ludosity and FairPlay Labs, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl launches for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch this fall.
Source: IGN