Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 released earlier this week, with critic reviews surfacing the internet already. It serves as the sequel to the original released back in 2021. Additionally, it marks the eight installment in the Nickelodeon Super Brawl series, which started back in 2009. So, how does the latest brawler game from Fair Play Labs hold up against the original? Let’s find out as we look at critic reviews.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Review Scores – 72 Average on Metacritic Across All Platforms
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is available for PC via Steam, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and the Nintendo Switch.
Based on 19 total reviews across three platforms (PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch), the game currently averages a 72 total score across all platforms. On PC, the game averaged a 76 metascore based on 9 reviews. The PS5 version averaged a 78 score through 8 reviews. Lastly, the Nintendo Switch version only has two reviews, averaging a 45 between both scores. Overall, that leads to a 72 average score between all three platforms (1365/1900).
IGN gave the game a 9/10, 2 points higher than their score for the original title. “Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 knocks nearly every single one of the first game’s problems into the blast zone while also introducing the exciting new Slime mechanic, a more interesting roster, and better visuals throughout.” The reviewer felt the developers did a great job of listening to feedback from the first. They also felt approved of the game’s roster, which they believe “puts a fighting game into the next stratosphere.”
GameGrin gave the game an 8.5/10, saying it “improves on its predecessor in every way, offering more content, an enjoyable campaign, and tight, responsive fighting.”. While they were upset about certain roster omissions, they still enjoyed the new fighters. Thankfully, All-Star Brawl 2 comes with fully voiced characters, something the reviewer mentioned. However, they also noted that “not much has changed in terms of gameplay”.
Game Informer gave the game an 8/10, saying it “is a successful second attempt at the groundwork laid by its predecessor”. They enjoyed the new campaign experience, despite the fact that “the narrative falls completely flat overall”. The roguelite campaign experience offered some cool interactions with all the characters, shopkeeps, and bosses. They ended their review, saying “it’s certainly not the next Super Smash Bros., but it’s engaging, exciting, and worth your time.”
Digital Trends gave the game a 4/5, saying “the sequel takes so many steps beyond its predecessor that it nearly feels like a different beast entirely”. Overall, they liked all the new content, including the new campaign. Additionally, they enjoyed polished gameplay and added voice acting. However, the reviewer noted some oddities with the controls and weird gameplay quirks. When comparing the original to the sequel, they said “While the original NASB felt like a low-budget tech demo for what a Nickelodeon fighter could be, the sequel actually feels nearly full-baked.”
Gaming Trend gave the game an 8/10.“It’s clear that a lot of love and care went into the first NASB game but in the second game the team was given a lot more time and budget to really go wild in the best ways possible.” Overall, they felt the game was a vast improvement over the original. While they were upset about a few roster cuts they also enjoyed some of the new characters joining the scene.
Noisy Pixel gave the game a 7/10. “Although Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 makes some improvements over its predecessor, including new characters and a campaign mode, it still falls short of offering a truly distinct gaming experience.” Overall, the omission of certain characters from the first game and the lack of a unique identity didn’t help much. However, they did appreciate the fully voiced characters and the randomly generated campaign experience.
TheGamer gave the game a 3.5/5, saying that “Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 has done right to live up to the potential of a Nicktoons platform fighter”. The reviewer loved the “completely reworked combat mechanics” and new Slime Meter. Additionally, they enjoyed the abundance of content the game had compared to the first. However, the reviewer docked points due to an “uneven roster” and slowed down movement.
GameRant gave the game a 3.5/5, saying that “Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 will be a solid option for Smash fans who are hungry for something fresh”. They praised the game’s roster of fighters and multiplayer mode. However, they didn’t care too much for the offline experience. Additionally, they felt the roguelike elements of the campaign were “tedious”.
Nintendo Life gave the game a 5/10, citing performance issues as a main hindrance. “Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 has the potential to be a strong platform fighter, but on Switch it’s wrapped up in a frankly incredible amount of poor performance and presentation.” Some of the performance issues included 30 fps, long loading times, and a low resolution. However, they did like the adjustments made to combat, as well as the new Slime Meter.
Cubed3 gave the game a 4/10, saying “Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is rife with problems on Nintendo Switch”. Like the Nintendo Life review, performance issues seemed to plague the experience. Between long loading times, 30 fps, and game crashes, it’s just not worth it on Switch. While they were excited for multiplayer and crossplay functionality, they said “it is difficult to recommend this version of the game.”
Nickelodeon All Star Brawl 2 Review Score Roundup – Is Nickelodeon All Star Brawl 2 worth it?
Overall, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 received generally positive review scores. However, outside of a few new faces, this title doesn’t feel like anything brand new. While that might not entice new players to get it, those who liked the first might appreciate the familiar feeling.
The launch roster seems pretty good, with Garfield, Plankton, and Jimmy Neutron joining the mix. Hopefully the DLC adds some more memorable Nickelodeon characters that we all grew up watching. If you’re looking for which platform to play on, it seems next-gen systems and PC offer the best experience based on performance.
If you own a Nintendo Switch, you might rather play Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Performance issues on that specific version of the game might hinder your experience, and thoughts on the game. Overall, only check out the game if you don’t own a Switch and love classic Nickelodeon characters. It might provide some hours of fun on game night.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 released this week. Depending on how the game performs, we might see a third game come into the works.
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