Man, as a hardcore platform fighter fan, I've gotta say—the battle between Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl and MultiVersus has been WILD to watch these past couple years. Both tried capturing that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate magic with their own crossover rosters, but man oh man, did they take wildly different paths. Let me break down why one soared while the other kinda... faceplanted. 😅

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl dropped first back in 2021, hyped as the real Smash alternative outside Nintendo. Seeing SpongeBob throw hands with Aang while Michelangelo chucked pizzas? Pure nostalgia overload! The core gameplay? Actually solid—it nailed that chaotic, weighty platform fighter feel. But bro... launching without VOICE ACTING? Big oof. Characters felt like cardboard cutouts. Zero banter, zero personality. Just silence... and awkward grunts. For $50?! 😬

And the content? Oof. Launch felt BARE:

• 🎮 Only local/online versus modes

• 📉 Tiny roster (20 characters)

• ❌ No items, no story, no single-player depth

Fans felt ripped off. Charging full price for what felt like an early access build? Not cool. They did patch in voices and more characters later... but by then? Everyone had moved on. Classic case of too little, too late.

Then BAM—2022 hits, and MultiVersus enters open beta. FREE-TO-PLAY. Instantly, the playing field changed. Suddenly, convincing your squad to download it took zero effort. No $50 gamble. Just pure, accessible chaos with Bugs Bunny dunking on Batman while Arya Stark shanks Shaggy. 😂 And the VOICES? Chef's kiss! Hearing Kevin Conroy’s Batman growl "I am vengeance" or Maisie Williams as Arya? Immersion LEVELED UP. Characters FELT alive, trading quips mid-fight!

MultiVersus understood the assignment from DAY ONE:

Feature	Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl (Launch)	MultiVersus (Launch)
Price	$50	FREE
Voice Acting	❌ None	✅ Full Cast
Monetization	Full price upfront	Battle Pass/Skins
Hype Factor	High (then crashed)	Sustained

Plus, MultiVersus launched with:

• 🔥 Team-based mechanics (2v2 focus)

• 🗣️ Character-specific voice interactions (Harley Quinn flirting with Batman? Gold.)

• 📈 Regular content drops (seasons, new fighters, maps)

Result? Millions of players. A thriving community. Constant updates. Meanwhile, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl? Basically a ghost town now. Sadge.

Look, Nickelodeon’s game had HEART. The movesets were creative (Oblina’s weirdness? Love it!). The patches tried fixing things. But launching incomplete AND pricey in 2021? Suicide against a polished, free competitor packed with personality. 💀

The Takeaway?

1. ❌ Don’t charge $50 for half a game – Players expect CONTENT.

2. 🎙️ VOICES MATTER – Silence kills immersion in crossover fighters.

3. 🆓 Free-to-play works – Low barrier = massive player base.

4. ⏱️ Timing is EVERYTHING – Late fixes won’t save lost hype.

If Nickelodeon ever makes a sequel? They NEED to study MultiVersus. Go free-to-play, flood it with modes, and LET THE CHARACTERS TALK. Otherwise? It’ll just be another footnote in platform fighter history. Fingers crossed they learn, ’cause man... I’d kill for a legit SpongeBob vs. Jimmy Neutron comeback. 🙏