![all that nickelodeon cast all that nickelodeon cast](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BY2Q2ODljZjQtMTU2Yi00N2I0LWI4M2EtNjNjOTkwM2MxMjAyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODY0NzcxNw@@._V1_.jpg)
But perhaps the most damning thing of all is that, despite being a game all about celebrating Nickelodeon’s finest, there’s very little Nickelodeon charm that comes through.
![all that nickelodeon cast all that nickelodeon cast](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/no-good-nick-cast-1555432850.jpg)
The character models and backgrounds lack detail, the original themes made for each level are extremely generic, there’s just one barebones single-player arcade mode, a barely worth mentioning Sports Mode, and zero meaningful unlockables or progression rewards outside of some images and songs in a jukebox. The first thing that comes across while playing All-Star Brawl is that this feels like a game made on a pretty tight budget. This puts All-Star Brawl in a great spot as an alternative to Smash Ultimate that’s available on practically every platform – but its subpar use of its wealth of source material, along with a general lack of polish and a few irksome mechanics, does mean it’s not a recommendation that comes without a few significant caveats. But despite Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl’s clear inspirations, developer Ludosity has made a notable effort to differentiate its mechanics and the overall flow of combat from Smash Bros., resulting in a fighter that is way faster than any Smash game has been since Melee in 2001. The idea of a Super Smash Bros.-style platform fighter that brings together some of Nickelodeon’s most beloved cartoons across multiple generations is one that just makes so much sense, and it’s kind of a wonder that it’s taken this long for something like Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl to come around.