Since the late '90s, the Super Smash Bros franchise has established itself as not just one the most iconic video game crossover of all time, but the definitive platform fighting game series. While the vast majority of traditional fighting games have players attempt to widdle each other's health bars, platform fighters allow players to maneuver around battlefields with controls more akin to a platformer as they attempt to knock their foes off of the screen.
While Smash has long dominated this fighting game sub-genre, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is giving Nintendo's classic franchise a run for its money.
Developed by Ludisity, the team that created Slap City, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl has impressed many with its strong core gameplay mechanics that feel reminiscent of those of Super Smash Bros. Melee. However, as Melee is often viewed as the most difficult Smash game to play at a competitive level, polishing one's Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl gameplay is similarly not as easy as some may anticipate. There are many elements of gameplay that some may not be prioritizing that are key in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, so let's shine a light on some tips that will help players get better at the game.
Know Your Character
While Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl has far from the largest roster on the fighting game market, each of its character's tote greatly varying abilities and play styles that make them feel distinct from one and another. For example, Oblina and Zim are "zoners" that rely heavily on the use of projectiles and spacing; conversely, characters like Leonardo and April O'Neil prefer to get up close and personal to combo their opponents.
When deciding which Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl character to use, it's important to know what a given member of the roster excels at to get the most out of their abilities and capabilities. Additionally, knowing all of a character's moves is integral as using a portion of a moveset means players are only taking advantage of a fraction of the resources available to them.
Know Your Recovery Options
As Nickelodeon All-Star Braw is a platform fighter, the game doesn't require a player to simply focus on dealing damage to their opponent and preventing themselves from sustaining damage. People also need to prevent themselves from being knocked off of the stage. As leaving the safety of the stage is an inevitability as a match goes on, players will need to attempt to return back to the main platform.
This is most commonly done through the use of a character's special move known as their recovery. Frequently taking the form of a character's up-special move, a recovery usually provides a character with upward or horizontal mobility, allowing them to more easily return to the stage. As every character in the game is quite different, knowing how a fighter's recovery functions is important when taking the defensive. Some recoveries tend to function better on certain stages, so it's a good idea to get comfortable with a character's recovery in different situations.
Know Your Character's "Kill Moves"
Outside of a character's recovery, some of the most integral moves for players to keep track of are their fighter's "kill moves." These can be used to reliably knock out opponents once they have amassed a high enough damage percentage. While these most often come in the form of strong attacks, the most effective "kill moves" vary greatly from character to character, with some fighters even having solid options through given special moves.
Knowing a character's "kill moves" is paramount as it allows a player to more reliably take away their opponent's stocks rather than needlessly amass additional damage when it would be unnecessary. While someone like Reptar may aim to knock out foes with a single potent attack, a character like Leonardo may aim to use a quick spiking attack that quickly sends a foe downwards.
Mobility Is Key
The movement of a player's character is by and large one of the most integral elements of Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl. While simply running and jumping are easy feats, getting the most out of a fighter's mobility is linked to the game's air-dashing. Rather than offering an air-dodge like the Smash series, All-Star Brawl allows a player to greatly influence their character's aerial movement with a simple touch of a button.
It's important to note that the speed of these air-dashes is quite fast, making it the ideal method to maneuver around the stage. This means players will often spend much of their time in the air or short-hopping to get the most out of air-dashes. By air-dashing diagonally into the ground as soon as a character jumps, a special technique known as a "wave-dash" can be performed. This allows the quick movement of an air-dash to be accessed on the ground.
Be Unpredictable
In a game based around mobility and knocking an opponent off the stage, the worst thing a player can do is be predictable. If a player is utilizing straightforward and predictable movement, an opponent can easily time their own effective counterattacks through "reading" or anticipating one's movement.
Luckily, through the use of the excellent movement options available to players through the likes of Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl's air-dashing and wave-dashing capabilities, players are able to approach each other in creative and unpredictable ways that make them much more difficult to read.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.