In a move so many hoped would be made, Universal and DreamWorks have announced that a fifth Shrek movie is on its way to theaters. The long-awaited film aims to release on July 1, 2026, giving fans ample time to get dust off their Shrek nostalgia goggles and embrace all things green and swampy. Of course, this means a bunch of Shrek franchise rewatches are likely to unfold in the coming months, but that's not all those deep in the Shrek fandom are up to in preparation for the sequel.

While he's best-known for his big screen adventures, Shrek (Mike Myers) is a multimedia icon. In addition to movies, shorts, and boatloads of merchandise, the ogre is no stranger to the gaming scene. He has appeared in tons of titles over the years, from the video game adaptations of the Shrek movies to more off-beat endeavors like Shrek Smash n' Crash Racing and Shrek Super Party, leaving fans with plenty of play throughs to enjoy between now and the release of Shrek 5.

Speaking of odd, non-movie-related Shrek video games, perhaps none are as fascinating and fun as Shrek SuperSlam. Courtesy of publisher Activision and developer Shaba Games, this 2005 release is a wacky platform brawler featuring numerous Shrek franchise favorite characters, locations new and familiar, and a handful of engaging game modes to take for a spin. Overall, it's an absolutely bonkers game that, unfortunately, many have f?orgotten as the years have wore on, yet still retains a devoted following.

Thus, not only does Shrek SuperSlam deserve a second look almost 20 years after it hit store shelves, but it's overdue for a remake, and now is as good a time as any to ??make it hap?pen.

A Shrek SuperSlam remake can capitalize on mounting Shrek nostalgia

Even though the Shrek film franchise came to fruition almost 25 years ago as of publication, and a new big screen entry in the saga hasn't release in almost a decade and a half, Shrek has hardly faded from the public eye. Through memes, streaming services, and the character's enduring marketability, he and his entire supporting cast have remained relevant to some degree. They may not be at the forefront of popular culture currently, but that is about to change in a big way with Shrek 5 on the way.

It stands to reason that Universal and DreamWorks are cooking up all kinds of merchandise and brand deals for Shrek and his companions with their next film in progress. In the 2020s, the movie tie-in game is no longer a thing as it was in the 1990s and into the 2010s, but that's the beauty of a Shrek SuperSlam remake. It doesn't have to directly follow the plot of the new film. It can simply give fans a nostalgia trip as they duke it out with longtime favorites in famous locales. Fans of the original will be intrigued by the idea, and those unfamiliar with the first release might be enticed by the nostalgic nature of Shrek alone.

Additionally, remakes rooted in nostalgia for beloved TV shows and movies have generated all kinds of positivity. Look no further than the critically successful SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated and the excitement surrounding the forthcoming Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake. Considering the responses to these titles and others, Universal and DreamWorks would be foolish to leave the customer goodwill and, of course, money, in a Shrek SuperSlam remake on the table.

Shrek SuperSlam needs a facelift in more ways than one

Of course, the question you're likely asking, dear reader, is why Shrek SuperSlam? ??Of all the Shrek games to remake, why that one specifically?

Well, as established, strict movie adaptation games really aren't all the rage these days, and, truth be told, the bulk of the Shrek games aren't that great. A lot of them are pretty bare bones and not super fun to play. Shrek SuperSlam brings the fun factor, there's gameplay variety, unlockables worth chasing, and it serves as an excellent translation of Shrek's world into video game form. Not to mention, platform brawlers are still adored, as evidenced by the Super Smash Bros. franchise remaining a powerhouse and the likes of MultiVersus and Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl finding niche followings.

It should also be said that Shrek SuperSlam is dated, to put it lightly. The game mechanics are clunky, with hit detection and targeting being pretty hit or miss, and the graphics aren't great by modern standards. So, graphical and gameplay overhauls would be nice, especially if the minds behind it studied some of the afore?mentioned games, determining what works for them and what doesn't. An online mode wouldn't be a bad additi?on either, as the original game released prior to the popularization of such gaming.

Continuing the improvement wishlist, it would also be wonderful to see inclusions from projects released post-Shrek SuperSlam. Playable characters like Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn), Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek), and Jack Horner (??John Mulaney) and stages like Worcestershire Academy, Rumpel's Far, Far Away palace, and San Ricardo would be awesome to see join the fray, and would beckon those on the fence about spending the money to give the remake a try.

The fan demand for a new take on the game is ogrewhelming

As if these reasons weren't compelling enough to build a case for a Shrek SuperSlam remake, to further drive the point home, one can look to the people. Suffice to say, Shrek fans new and old alike harbor a lot of love for this bizarre yet endearing fighting game. For proof of this, look no further than the r/ShrekSuperSlam Reddit community, where thousands of users have come together to share all things related to the game. A scroll through the homepage brings up everything from recent social media posts about the game to tips and tricks fo??r new players to memes.

Not only are Shrek SuperSlam fans eager to chat about the game itself, but some have even taken their interest in it to another level. For example, back in 2021, one fan known simply as Victor took it upon himself to basically single-handedly remaster the game. Despite not having much of a background in game development, his love for Shrek SuperSlam helped him to push through the project, remastering characters, stages, HUDs, menus, and more. “Just like the Shrek movies are a parody of fairy tale movies, Shrek SuperSlam is a parody of fighting games. But even though they are parodies, Shrek is still a great fairy tale movie, and Shrek SuperSlam is still a great fighting game,â€?he told Fanbyte.

Evidently, we're in the perfect storm for a Shrek SuperSlam remake. Love for the Shrek saga is high, as is the love for the 2005 game, and platform brawlers are currently a hot commodity in the gaming world. Time will tell if such a project will become a playable reality, or if fans will have to rely on the existing copies out there as well as other fans updating the original to get their Shrek SuperSlam on.

The post There’s no better time than now for a Shrek SuperSlam remake appeared first on Destructoid.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is indefinitely an improvement over the original. Like Aang learning all four of the elements, developer Fair Play Labs has created a more?? comprehensive package for this game.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 (PS4, PS5 [reviewed], Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, Nintendo Switch)
Developer: Fair Play Labs
Publisher: GameMill Entertainment
Released: November 7
MSRP: $49.99

Fun Smash-like gameplay, elevated from the first

Every character's moveset has been recreated from scratch (except for a handful of moves sticking around). That effort from the developer has paid off. While the gameplay isn't as refined as its contemporaries, each special a??ttack feels more suited to the platform fighter genre. Both Korra and Aang use all of the elements rather than just one as well.

The new characters also bring some entertaining elements to the game. Azula unleashes her lightning and flame-focused attacks in an acrobatic fashion. Meanwhile, Jimmy Neutr?on's moveset revolves around his gadgets and?? his pet robot dog, Goddard.

Despite many positives, the game still feels somewhat awkward. Jumping in the air still feels floaty, and the impact of some moves feels too muted. What does help the gameplay, though, is the addition of the dodge roll and shield. They add more strategy to the overall flow and fit right in. Each character's shield looks different, as opposed to the Super Smash Bros. series. Garfield, in ?this instance, hugs a pillow.

Unfortunately, while playing the Arcade mode, the AI can be dumb. It jumps off the stage and accidentally falls to K.O. itself. This has happened around three to five times during my time with Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2.

A graphical upgrade

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 looks far better than the first game. The characters are more expressive, and the lighting upgrade is gorgeous. For example, SpongeBob grins when he lifts his two hands up for an upward atta??ck. Aang also looks angry whenever he charges an earth at??tack.

I love fighting on Jellyfish Fields because it's so vibrant and brighter than the original. You can see the sunlight glimmering within the water. Additionally, you'll notice Bikini Bottom in the background. This amount of detail wasn't in the origin??al. The graveyard stage also looks stunning with a darker atmosphere and a hint of light from a lamppost.

However, there are still some issues to address. Most "Final Smash" attacks that have been added to the sequel seem rushed and don't have the animation quality of the overall game. Aang's Final Smash attack, for example, lacks the impact of the four elements fusing into an almighty beam?. On the other hand, there are some funny final smash attacks, like Ren blowing up the entire planet and Reptar rampaging thr??ough a burning city.

While the overall game looks much better than the first, there are some technical issues. In one instance, the victory screen d??idn't show the character, and I had to restart the game to get back to the menus. Some of the hitboxes are als??o too big, leading to less exciting and frustrating matches.

New modes in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2

There's a single-player story mode that features rogue-like gameplay. Danny Phantom villain Vlad Plasmius has corrupted characters across the Nick universe. To save them, you'll n??eed to defeat them in combat. Each run lets you purchase upgrades with the currency you gain. These are fun as you gain a damage perc??entage and use buffs.

Part of what makes buying upgrades fun is the interaction between characters. For example, the Cabbage Merchant gets freaked out by Aang and Azula showing up. If you've watched the show, you'd know the Last Airbender ruined this poor guy's shop (by ac??cident) while getting chased by the Firebenders.

The bosses are a bit of a mixed bag. They?? can be fairly tough and have certain interesting patterns to avoid. However, I found that too many of them stood still for a long time, letting me take out a quarter or even a half of their health before they activated another attack. As a result, I didn't fe??el satisfied after taking out the bosses.

However, it is funny to see Aang commenting that he's unhappy about taking out a spirit like SpongeBob SquarePants' Flying Dutchman.

Overall, this mode had me playing the game for hours in one sitting. I loved getting new characters for this campaign and evil costumes for the roster.

Finally! A good platform fighter that has great online!

I've played Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 with a friend of mine from the other side of the continent. I live in Western Canada, and my mate is from an Eastern U.S. state. Thankfully, while playing this game, it was as if he was playing next to me. The connection is flawless, and I'm so happy to play a platform fighter with him. He refuses to play Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with me due to the sloppy connection.

Unlike the last game, this sequel supports cross-play. This means someone on the PS5 can check out the game with a PC player. You'll need to copy a password down, and then you can join your pal in a lobby. It works well, but you? have to make sure that crossplay is on. For some reason, my Eastern American friend had the crossplay feature off by default.

There's full voice acting, but man, the music's just okay

One of the major complaints of the original game, when it was released, was that it lacked voice acting. It was later added in an update, but the second game received this feature from day one. Most of the actors, ?like Rob Paulsen and Billy West, reprise their roles, and they sound fantastic. There are some un??ique voice lines in the campaign as well, which is a neat touch.

Unfortunately, the so-so music doesn't match up to the outstanding voice acting. While it gets the general gist of the atmosphere around the stages, most of the tracks bore me. There are some standouts, though, like the Jellyfish Fields and Campaign themes. The second is grand and epic, while the first maintains the charming vibes of the SpongeBob SquarePants show. I a??lso like the mariachi-fueled "Miracle City Volcano."

It would be neat if the next game could get the official music from each of the series rather than making ?original track?s that fail to meet the mark.

Perhaps GameMill Entertainment could hire composers to remix memorable songs like Avatar: The Last Airbender's "Peace Excerpt" or SpongeBob SquarePants' theme music like Nintendo does with Super Smash Bros.

Is Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 worth playing?

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is worth trying out. The new movesets make this game more exciting than the original, and the online netcode is surprisingly stellar. If you want to check out All-Star Brawl 2 a?lone, the campaign mode is compelling enough to play it for hours. While the music is disappointing to li?sten to, the new voice acting does add so much to the game.

[The publisher provided one PS5 code and one PC code to the writer]

The post Review: Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Platform fighter Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 has been delayed both digitally and physically, publisher GameMill Entertainment an??nounced on Tuesday. The digital release has been pushed to November 7, while the physical version is going all the way back to?? December 1.

"Our release date will be moving slightly as the team looks to put the finishing touches on Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2," said GameMill Entertainment. No further detail was provided on what finishing to?uches they're adding to the game.

A fighting game needs to be pinpoint accurate. Otherwise, it will fail to land with its audience. For example, Street Fighter V had what felt like a rushed launch. The roster?? was lacking in characters, and there wasn't a classic Arcade Mode on day one, either. It didn't impress long-time fans.

Those who buy the digital version between November 7-14 get a bonus Patrick's Elastic Waistband costume, says the official X/Twitter account. The publisher has also confirmed in a reply that the Switch ve?rsion will only have a co??de inside, not a cartridge.

Making the finishing touches

Despite the Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 delay, the game is releasing with new characters in the sequel, including Squidward and Jimmy Neutron. Some veterans are returning too, like SpongeBob SquarePants and Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender.

The returning characters receive an overhaul with new abilities at their disposal. There are also super attacks within the combat and an all-new roguelike campaign mode to sin?k your teeth into. Hopefully, the sequel will improve upon the initial game's issues.

"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," said our 7/10 review for the original game. "If Super Smash Bros. is a celebration of all things Nintendo, I don’t see why an All-Star Brawl 2 could??n’t be a celebration?? of all things Nickelodeon."

The post Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 has been delayed appeared first on Destructoid.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2's official release date is November 3, as announced by the game'??s Twitter page on Tuesday. You can now wishlist the platform fig?hter on Steam, and digital pre-orders will go live in October.

This out-of-the-blue announcement for the Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 release date does not mention any special editions. However, we know the game's content-packed already. The sequel adds a new roguelike single-player campaign: you'll be fighting Danny Phantom villain Vlad Plasmius as you explore the Nickelodeon universe. Furthermore, the Steam page shows bosses like SpongeBob Squarepants' King Jellyfish, and the presentation overall looks inspired by the World of Light mode from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

On the same Steam page, publisher GameMill Entertainment claims "Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2’s roster is better than ever, with even more variety in how each unique character plays," Some characters like Helga seem to be cut while newer entrants like Squidward and Jimmy Neutron take center stage. Fo those that made it, every character is getting a revamped moveset in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2. The visuals and audio have also been improved with "new animations, modes, stages, mechanics, [and] taunts." Similar to Super Smash Bros. Brawl, this follow-??up introduces new supers for each character a??s well.

These new features may improve the review score for the game. The original currently has a middling 63-71 Metacritic rating, based on the platform.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 heads for the PS4, P??S5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Ninte??ndo Switch, and PC on November 3.

The post Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is out in November appeared first on Destructoid.

The NBA star can soon dunk on Bugs Bunny

Warner Bros. platform fighter MultiVersus is adding some more combatants to its roster. LeBron is set to join the MultiVersus lineup on July 26, while animated duo Rick ?and Morty arrive as pa??rt of Season One.

MultiVersus is currently in a closed alpha, but the game goes into open beta next week on July 26. LeBron's debut will coincide w?ith the open beta, bringing passes, dunks, and three-pointers to the melee.

It's worth noting that this is LeBron as he appeared in Space Jam: A New Legacy. Which, granted, he appeared as himself in that movie. But that means he'll be donning the Toon Squad jersey and doing some basketball m?oves beyond conventional, human bounds. It seems like the main ??mechanic involves passing the ball around and going for big dunks.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMnx77Djnu4

Voicing LeBron is John Bentley, who also lent his vocal talents to Barrett Wallace in 2020's Final Fantasy VII Remake.

Rick and Morty, meanwhile, will be waiting a little longer for their debut. The pair will be arriving in MultiVersus sometime in its first season.

//twitter.com/mu?ltiversus/status/1550539268098953216/

A massive crossover

MultiVersus is Warner Bros. and Player First Games' take on the Smash Bros. concept. It?? boasts crossovers from across a bunch of Warner Bros. properties, ranging from Shaggy and Velma to Harley Quinn, Bugs Bunny, the Iron Giant, and soon, LeBron James.

Is this an absolutely bonkers character idea? Of course. But I really dig it. Part of the appeal in these crossover platform fighters is seeing a bunch of recognizable faces duke it out, and while LeBron's made game cameo appearances before, just the possibility of dunking on Batman as LeBron seems reason enough to try Multiversus out.

MultiVersus goes into open beta on July 26, though you can also get in now with early access via Twitch drops or purchasing a Founder's Pack.

The post LeBron, Rick and Morty coming to MultiVersus appeared first on Destructoid.

He was number one!

Nickelodeon's platform fighter is adding a little more variance to its current roster. Today, it was announced that Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl would be getting some free costumes added to?? the game, letting these Nick characters sport some new looks in fights.

The trailer (via IGN) says this free costume DLC will add new looks for every character in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl.? The costumes are live for every platform but Nintendo Switch now. Switch owners will get the DLC later on this? month.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2RiMmscG0c

The costumes range from retro looks for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to alternate looks that characters sported in their own serie??s. I'm particul?arly fond of SpongeBob getting the 'Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen' hat. It's a good hat.

Others are just the additon of a hat or other piece of costume characters wore during their run. Though I will say, when it came to Korra's alternate option, I was hoping it would be the short-hair look she sports at the end of Legend of Korra. If we can't get K??uvira in this game yet, let's at least get that.

//twitter.com/NickBra?wlGame/status/1466489849045663744

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl was a pleasant surprise when it was first announced, mashing up famous Nickelodeon characters in one big platform fighter. The end result, however, hasn't been received so well. The online play is great, but the lack of voice acting was a major drawback, alongside lack of alternate colors. At least the cos??tumes should help a?ddress the latter.

Meanwhile, the platform fighter genre looks like it's going to get even more crowded with the announcement of MultiVersus, the Warner Bros.-themed platform fighter. With Super Smash Bros. Ultimate development come to an end, it seems like everyone's inching in for the spot. If you're still playing Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, or if you were at one point and have since s??topped, let me know below if these costumes are enough to bring? you back.

The post Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl gets free costume DLC for e?very character appeared first on Destructoid.

The Multiversus could be happening

Nickelodeon may not be the only brand moving in on the platform fighter genre. New reports are saying a Smash-alike is in the works at Warner Bros., though one noted fighting game studio is reportedly not handling it.

A thread on the r/GamingLeaksAndRumours subreddit initially pointed to a new crossover platform fighter starring Warner Bros. characters. The original post indicated that Mortal Kombat and Injustice studio NetherRealm Studios was developing it.

GamesBeat's Jeff Grubb corroborated the existence of a Warner Bros. platform fighter, but said it's not a NetherRealm game. In a new report from GamesBeat, Grubb reports the working title of the game is Multiversus, bringing together various Warner Bros. characters in a Smash Bros.-style crossover.

According to the report, characters like Shaggy from Scooby-Doo, Gandalf from Lord of the Rings, Tom and Jerry, and Batman could be set to appear in Multiversus. Grubb also says Warner Bros. Interactive has tested Multiversus with fans and that it's considerin??g a free-to-play model.

With Super Smash Bros. Ultimate ending its DLC rollout with Sora, there will certainly be a gap in the "who's next" speculation sphere. Nickelodeon has already moved in on that space with Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, another crossover fighter that? will garner a lot of attention for its future fighter reveals. With Warner Bros., there's plenty of fodder too. I'd have to at least put forward the Animaniacs, if nothing else.

The post A ?Warner Bros. platfo??rm fighter is reportedly in the works appeared first on Destructoid.

Now we wait for Garfield

I feel somewhat sorry for Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl. Following its big reveal over the summer, it had several solid weeks of anticipation and hype-building as the world got a glimpse of a platform fighter that looked legitimately good, featuring characters from some of the shows most of us grew up with. People were genuinely excited about it. And then, on the day it released, Nintendo decided to do its final Super Smash Bros. Ultimate song and dance and reveal Kingdom Hearts�Sora as the last DLC character for the game. Following that, there was nary a peep about All-Star Brawl on social media.

This is a shame because, despite all the odds, i??t’s actually a pretty good f??ighter.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl (PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch [reviewed], Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Ludosity, Fair Play Labs
Publisher: GameMill Entertainment
Released: October 5, 2021
MSRP: $49.99

In a way, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl defies the odds. Here is a licensed game, published by GameMill Entertainment, that’s of the platform fighter genre, which has seen many titles come and go over the past two decades. Everyone wants a piece of the Smash Bros. pie, but very few have had the discipline and tenacity to actually warrant a slice. With any other developer, this might have been just another forgettable GameMill title your grandmum buys you for the holidays. But with Slap City developer?? Ludosit??y at the helm, assisted by Fair Play Labs, it’s worth paying attention to.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl brings together 20 characters from about 30 years of Nickelodeon history to fight it out on battlefields inspired by their respective shows. It’s a dream come true for a certain sub??set of fans who finally get to see Ren & Stimpy duke it out with Reptar, Sandy Cheeks, and whoever the hell Lincoln Loud is. As is the norm for th?e genre, the goal isn’t to whittle down your opponent’s health bar but rather to do enough damage so that you can blast them off the screen.

The actual fighting mechanics here are very easy to learn. Each character has weak, strong, and special attacks that vary depending on if you’re pressing up or down â€?jumping is mapped to the X button, as it should be â€?as well as if you are running, jumping, or standing still. In total, every character has about 17 different attack inputs, as well as block, taunt, grab, and air dash capabilities. One big difference from Smash is you aren’t guaranteed an easy combo with your general weak attack. Some characters, like Sandy, do have a short combo if you keep pressing the button. Other?s, like Patrick and Danny Phantom, do not.

//youtu.be/0Yl-_LYD0ik

I learned that the hard way, immediately playing through the arcade mode on its second-highest difficulty thinking I would just dominate this game with my 20+ years of Smash experience. That wasn’t the case as I really had to get in there and study these characters. I found ones I like (April O’Neil, Helga Pataki, Sandy Cheeks) and some I just haven’t been able to mesh with yet (Danny Phantom, Zim). With 20 available characters, most players should be able to find one that matches their play style. If you like ‘em strong and slow, Reptar is a fine choice. If you prefer 'em lean and limber?, Aang is your man. Or, if you just want to be cheap like most of the people I fought online, pick Catdog.

If you really get into the fighting and want to take your skills to the next level, there are options at your disposal to get you there. While there isn’t a good tutorial to show you each character’s move set outside of a scrollable list, you can go into the training mode here and see the attacks in action frame by frame. You can even turn on the hitbox indicator to show you the reach and scale of each attack. If Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is to be an esport??-worthy platform fighter, having a feature like that will hel??p get it there.

In fact, I can’t shake the feeling that All-Star Brawl is aiming to be some sort of Melee alternative, something that can be played at Evo without broken controllers or the fear of Nintendo sending in the lawyers to shut it down. And I think that’s an admirable goal if that’s the case here. But in aiming for the more competitive side of the platform fighter community, All-Star Brawl has left the more ca??sual, party-game scene behin?d.

Don’t forget, no matter what Smash is today, it was a party game back on the Nintendo 64. It was the fighting version of Mario Kart. While I know there is the stereotype that Smash players are all “No items, Fox only, Final Destination,â€?every time I have people over to play, we’re turning on all items and playing on the most ridiculously large stages available??. It’s just how w??e roll.

All-Star Brawl has a few large stages and you can play with up to three other people locally, but that’s the extent that it reaches in terms of being a party game. There are no items or weapons here, the collectibles you get are lousy, and even the single-player arcade mode limits you to 1v1 fights. There are no special battles against a giant Nigel Thornberry or metal Powdered Toast Man or anything of the sort that would add some variety to the package. There are also no additional single-player challenges here, so fighting is really all you’re going to be doing. You can play the sports mode, where you compete against other players to hit or thro??w a ball through a goal, but you probably won’t after the first few times.

With such a good fighting system in place, it’s shame that everything around it is holding the game back from its true potential. And that’s something that shouldn’t surprise us. Af?ter all, this is still a game funded by GameMill Entertainment. There are going to be some corners cut, like with the lack of voice acting, something that didn’t become a problem for me until the game insisted on having the characters chat before each fight. Some of the other omissions are quite questionable. For?? instance, there are no alternate colors for when more than one person picks the same character. All you have is the icon above the opponent's head that you're expected to keep track of.

I also have to question the hitboxes for some of these characters. As I discovered right out the gate, some fighters like April O’Neil and ?Patrick can hit people with their basic weak attack even when striking in the opposite direction. I know there are some characters with moves that are supposed to hit to their left and right, but I don’t think a forward jab should hit somebody behind you just because your foot steps back.

While I hope that can get worked out with updates, one place where I’m very satisfied with All-Star Brawl is with the stage selection. There are 20 stages in total, one for each character, and a few of them are deep cuts. Seeing Showdown at Teeter Totter Gulch make the list for Reptar was an absolute delight for this lifelong Rugrats fan. I even love the layout of Powdered Toast Trouble with its frying pan stage hazard and milk bowl deaths. Some of the stage layouts are straight rips from what you can find in Smash Ultimate, but I think? the developers did a fine job forging their own path for most of them.

Except for Space Madness. That one’s just awful.

If there is one area where All-Star Brawl stands head and shoulders above Smash Ultimate, it's in its online play. Admittedly, there isn’t much here in terms of options. You have a quick play mode, ranked mode, and a custom lobby system that I still haven’t been able to find anyone in. Both quick play and ranked are 1v1, and in ranked mode, you can only choose from the four stages that are most â€?em>Smash-likeâ€?in their design.?? That latter point may be disappointing, but it’s negligible wh??en the online play is this good.

Even with a wireless connection to my router â€?which, remember, is the only option for people playing this on a Switch Lite â€?I’d wager about 85% of my online matches were incredibly smooth and responsive. Yes, I did have some sputtering sessions when playing against people with awful connections, but overall, All-Star Brawl's online works better than anything I’ve ever experienced with the Smash series.

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 cele?bration of all things Nickelodeon. I think it's possible with the right amount of time and money, and I hope this gam??e is successful enough to convince GameMill to invest in a sequel that could be truly spectacular.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl appeared first on Destructoid.

One last time for wild speculation

In less than 24 hours, we'll know who the final downloadable addition to the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster is. The absolutely massive platform fighter will have its last fighter revealed on Oct. 5, but before then, let's take the chance to? take a few more shots at who will make it in.

The stream goes live on Oct. 5 at 7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. ET, over on the Nintendo YouTube channel. It will be roughly 40 minutes long, and alongside the last fighter, Director Masahiro Sakurai will a?lso reveal the final Mii Fi??ghter costumes as well.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-q6Gz_4Yqc

As Nintendo notes in the video's description, this is the final presentation for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The game launched right at the end of 2018, and has since rolled out a lot of DLC fighters, ranging from Persona 5's Joker to Banjo-Kazooie, the Hero from Dragon Quest, and Tekken's Kazuya Mishima. It's a big party, with every Smash fighter so f??ar included, and even more get ad??ded over time.

//twitter.com/Sora_??Sakurai/status?/1444895062882619401

Of course, for every character that makes it into Smash, there are plenty of fans who grow despondent over their favorite not making the cut. Whether they wield a key, a pair of swords, a Battle Rifle, or simply a "wah," everyone has a favorite to make the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate lineup. And now, only one last fighter spot for Smash Ultimate remains.

With that, it means we've only got one chance left to wildly and irrationally speculate about which famous (or infamous) character from video game history may get immortalized in the Smash lineup. Will it be a Pokemon? A Nintendo character? A guest? Or even Sakurai himself? Here are ??our takes on who would really make a splash as the last add??ition toe the lineup.

Eric �The Hunter (Monster Hunter)

Dragon Quest got its Hero, and Animal Crossing got its Villager. It's time for Monster Hunter to get its Hunter in the game. Now, I know that Monster Hunter stuff is already in Smash Ultimate, but I think the?? series has enough Nintendo history to merit inclusion in the big party.

The Hunter could easily be a character like Byleth, able to use a wealth of different weapons for each direction and special. And Hunters have no shortage of sick weapons, from the Insect Glaive to the Heavy Bowgun. Even Dual Blades would be sick. I've long believed that Monster Hunter would get a rep in Smash eventually, and now for my last slot, I have to keep the faith that the Hunter is the last Smash Ultimate fighter. A dark horse candidate for a big surprise, though? Crono from Chrono Trigger.

CJ Andriessen �Stanley the Bugman

I'm writing this on my phone, so I'll keep it brief. It's time Nintendo remind everyone of its greatest hero by adding Stanley the Bugman to Smash.

Look him up.

Noelle �Waluigi

As someone who doesn't really play fighting games, I don't know much about Smash Ultimate. I am, however, well versed in memes, and which means I know just how badly the Smash c??ommunity wants to see Luigi's long-legged counterpar?t on the roster.

??I have no idea what his attacks or anyth?ing would be like, but as someone whose friends are really invested in seeing this happen, I would be over the moon by association. Considering it's the last fighter to be added, I think Nintendo could really win some brownie points with the community for this one. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Jordan �Voldo (or anyone from Soulcalibur, really)

The ?final character is the friends? we made along the way.

So many boxes were ticked with this game. If the last Smash Ultimate fighter is from a series I don't vibe with, someone who's been hiding in plain sight all along, or something completely unconventional that came to Sakurai in a dream �whatever the case may be, it's been a wild ride,?? and it'll be nice to have closu??re. Let this man take a break!

I've got a real guess and a fun guess. For the former, I'm saying Zagreus from Hades; lots of possibilities with his weapons. For the latter?, I'm going with my man Voldo.

If I'm making a wishful pick �a one-in-a-million shot that defied corporate expectations and just felt weirdly right �I would turn to the Soulcalibur series. Having Link as a guest character in Soulcalibur II was awesome back in the day; now it's time for Nintendo to return the favor in Smash Ultimate. Honestly, I'd be down for any of 'em. But the masked, wriggling, chaotic energy of Voldo i?s immediately where my mind goes.

Those are our guesses, but what about yours? Leave 'em below and who knows? If you get it right, you can have—at the very least—eternal jbsgame.comment section bragging rights.

The post What’s your guess on who the last DLC fighter for Smash Ultimate is? appeared first on Destructoid.

Adding in the key elements

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is only a few days out from launch, but it's locking in some of its last roster spots today with two elemental masters. Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender and Korra from The Legend of Korra will be in the lineup for Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl.

The roster for All-Star Brawl supposedly leaked a while ago, but for those who weren't intensely following the platform fighter, Aang and Korra are likely welcome additions. Both of their series have garnered acclaim, alongside several video game adaptations (to varying success), and now both Avatar protagonists will appear as fighters in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl.

Aang's moveset looks to be focusing on his airbending abilities, including the ?use of his glider and the air-orb he can roll around on. I definitely dig some of the air combos and tricky moves the devs put together for?? the showcase breakdown.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iEHVVgCTPI

I'm honestly a bit more of a Korra fan though, ?and her moveset looks to highlight the?? difference between the two incarnations of the Avatar. While Aang relies on airbending and swift movement, Korra's moveset looks more like the raw offense she exhibits in the show.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5BweB8hLWY

I dig both the move sets, though I wish Korra's stage was maybe the fourth season's Republic City and not the second. Or maybe the pro-bending arena? That would be a pretty neat DLC addition if they add more Korra characters (hear me out: Kuvira).

So far, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is managing to both acquire a large roster of Nick characters to bring in, and keep a lot of the modern platform fighter mechanics you'd want. Hopes definitely seem high for this to be an interesting alternative to Super Smash Bros. for those who grew up with char??acters like Nigel Thornberry, SpongeBob SquarePants, an?d Helga Pataki.

We'll see how it comes together in a few days. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl will launch on Oct. 5 for consoles and PC.

The post Avatars Aang and Korra confirme?d for Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl appeared first on Destructoid.

He's just wavedashing at me... menacingly!

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl has been building up some steam on the promise of a platform fighter featuring some beloved Nick cartoons. Today, we got a gameplay breakdown that shows just how much platform fighter influence this All-Star Brawl will have. And really, the answer is best summed up in one?? sentence: here's SpongeBob SquarePants wavedashing??.

The wavedash is best summarized as utilizing downward air-dashes to propel your character across the arena. By dashing into the ground, you can practically skate across the arena. It's a pretty well-known mechanic in the Smash Bros. scene, and seeing it here is probably reassuring to folks who want to play some more competitive All-Star Brawl.

Here's a short clip of the wavedash in question, via IGN's Mitchell Saltzman on Twitter:

//twitter.com/JurassicRab??bit/status/143565519093006?7462

IGN hosted a number of exclusive gameplay breakdown videos today. The first is where the above excerpt came from, where Thaddeus Crews—character designer and programmer at developer Ludosity—breaks down some of the basics using SpongeBob and Patrick. It definitely looks like this platform fighter is utilizing some of the usual staples, which makes sense given that Ludosity's previous game Slap City.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXiOWSKPDG8

It's also different from Smash in a few ways, too. You're still trying to build up percentages and ring-out opponents, but there are some neat interactions where directional inputs (up, down, or mid) can "beat out" other moves, causing opponents to get stunned or turned around. Grabs have a few more options, and I dig the projectile option that turns it into a volley back and forth. You can find some more examples in IGN's four gameplay segments they uploaded today.

It might seem a bit high-level if you're not a Smash player yourself, but even for casual play, I'm really into options like grabbing projectiles or flipping my opponent around with the right attack. I was already interested in the very concept of a Nickelodeon-themed platform fighter, but now that I know I can bring it around town as SpongeBob, I'm eager to see what the high-level Melee folks do with this.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintend?o Switch, and PC sometime i??n Fall 2021.

The post Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl shows off its m?echanics, including wavedashing appeared first on Destructoid.

Who needs to enter the ring?

This week, we got the reveal of a new Smash-alike, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl. It looks like it's a platform fighter, pitting beloved anima?ted Ni??ck characters against each other in a multiplayer brawl. Rad, right?

That's what the internet at large seemed to think too, as my social feed was soon inundated with memes and videos. Mixing fighting game with childhood nostalgia led to a flood of memes, combining fighting game jargon with jokes from the shows. It was, to put it simply, beautiful.

??//twitter.com/True_D??ragon_Kid/status/1415011288049242123?s=20

But as I sit here, contemplating the potential of Patrick Star as a grappler, I'm also left to think about the many other characters I want to see in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl. A supposedly leaked box art has some silhouettes on the cover that i?ndicate characters like Ren, Stimpy, Korra, an?d more could appear.

There's even more potential out there, though. Nickelodeon has been running for a long time, and as one commenter noted on our news write-up, you could easily tell the age of those commenting by who they wanted for a spot on the roster. SpongeBob and Patrick might be obvious choices, but there's also shows like CatDog or Ren and Stimpy, or even the Avatar: The Last Airbender series to draw from. Toph would be pretty cool? to play ??as in a platform fighter, I'd think.

I want to know, who's your dream addition? Which staple of the Nickelodeon lineup needs to get their time in the ring in All-Star Brawl? Is it Jimmy Neutron, or Timmy Turner, or maybe even Nickelodeon GUTS announcer Mike O'Malley? Let us know below!

The post Who’s your dream addition to the Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl roster? appeared first on Destructoid.

As Nigel Thornberry would say, "smashing!"

Nickelodeon is getting in on the platform fighting game genre with its animated cast of characters. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl was announced today for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox?? Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch this fall, and it's got a whole hos?t of Nick stars ready to brawl.

Revealed over at IGN, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl looks like a platform fighter, or put a little more directly, a Super Smash Bros.-alike. It definitely seems like there's some knocking around of opponents, and the moves definitely have the sort of animations and attack style you'd expect from a Smash.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESR3cvErqCg

There have been plenty of other platform fighters in the past, and Nickelodeon is no stranger to show-crossover games. The prospect of fighting on some platforms with them, thoug??h, sounds kind of entertaining.

The full lineup isn't announced yet, but here's a rundown of who's confi??rmed to appear in the game so far:

• Michelangelo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
• Leonardo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
• Nigel Thornberry (The Wild Thornberrys)
• Powdered Toast Man (Ren & Stimpy)
• SpongeBob SquarePants (SpongeBob SquarePants)
• Oblina (Aaahh!!! Real Monsters)
• Lucy Loud (The Loud House)
• Lincoln Loud (The Loud House)
• Helga (Hey Arnold!)
• Reptar (Rugrats)
• Zim (Invader Zim)
• Danny Phantom (Danny Phantom)

It's a pretty solid lineup, though I'm hoping that it being unfinished means there's a certain element-bending Avatar on the way. Though honestly, Powdered Toast Man ?is not a character I would've ever expected to see in a video g??ame in the year 2021.

There are also 20 levels based on Nickelodeon shows, like Jellyfish Fields from SpongeBob, as well as both local and online support for four players and unlockable new? moves for fighters.

We'll see if this has any sticking power, but any fighting ??game that includes Nigel Tho?rnberry in its cast has my attention.

The post Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl will pit the likes o?f SpongeBob and Patrick against Powdered Toast Man appeared first on Destructoid.