Random: Stop Calling Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl ‘Smash-Killer’, Lead Artist Pleads
When Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl launched on Switch in October 2021, comparisons to a specific Nintendo platform fighter were natural and inevitable. Heck, we did our review in an attempt – and admittedly without success – to avoid the obvious resemblance to Super Smash Bros. ultimate. Indeed, when a game comes out that brings together characters from multiple franchises to fight in a platforming arena and kick opponents out of bounds, it almost begs for some comparisons. After all, Super Smash Bros. essentially spawned a subgenre.
It seems one developer didn’t like a particular comparison, and we can see why. From the very beginning, both enthusiastic fans and detractors were unceremonious with their exaggerations, and, in short, Thread on TwitterAll-Star Brawl character designer and programmer Thaddeus Crews stated that he would rather people no longer use the term “Smash-killer”, stating that the comparison has a proven track record of fomenting conflict.
In a separate post, Thaddeus quoted YouTuber IntroSpective as saying that jokes made about All-Star Brawl on his channel would stop after the creators contacted them. Thaddeus clarified that the interaction between them did not evoke hostility:
Needless to say, we got it. We have watched the video in question and so far IntroSpective Comparison apparently not to be taken seriously, it was clearly meant to be a snub of the Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl. The Nickelodeon game is a very solid piece of work, but it’s much smaller in scope than the Nintendo behemoth in terms of developer resources. For developers who work hard to bring a game like this to life, we understand why constant comparisons – light-hearted or not – can be a challenge.
What do you think of Thaddeus’ Twitter comments? Do you agree with his statement or do you think that any comparison between the two IPs is appropriate? Let us know in the comments below.
