One of the biggest gaming surprises so far this year has been the reception and interest surrounding Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl. Set for an October 5th release, the fighting game looks to share many similarities with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and like that title, it’s hoping to bring together a number of iconic characters that you can play around with. Licensed games are nothing new in the game industry, especially when it comes to children’s properties. Nickelodeon itself has multiple titles released in the last handful of years that bring together a number of their famous shows.

Many people immediately took note of the title when the trailer made the game actually look good. Initially, All-Star Brawl's roster wasn’t fully unveiled, and the only clue to the other fighters that weren’t yet revealed was box art with various darkened silhouettes. Before the cover art leaked a few weeks back, many members of various online communities did some impressive sleuthing and were able to correctly identify those hiding in plain sight. With the game right around the corner, it seems like a perfect chance to highlight five of the characters that we’d love to see included in the final game, whether as DLC or to round out the original roster.

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Arnold ('Hey Arnold!')

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Image via Nickelodeon

Out of all the included characters in the game, there are a couple of big surprises that have yet to be announced. Though Helga Pataki from Hey Arnold! will be playable in the final game, surprisingly, Arnold himself is nowhere to be seen. The boy with the football head, and the namesake of the show, could make a great addition to the game’s roster. As Arnold is a fan of baseball and often plays with his friends, it would be interesting to see him utilize a bat in his moveset, which could make for some varied gameplay mechanics.

It’s unclear as to what Helga’s stage in the game will be, so that leaves a few choices for Arnold himself. A good option could possibly be an area from his school, P.S. 118, like the playground or an area within the school itself. There’s also the baseball field where Arnold and his friends often play. If the developers wanted to get really experimental they could even try to expand his bedroom into a larger space and make that the stage, as it’s clearly one of the more recognizable areas from the show.

Angelica Pickles ('Rugrats')

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Image via Nickelodeon

Though he isn’t a stranger to these types of licensed games from Nickelodeon, it’s still a bit surprising to see that Reptar is the only representation that Rugrats has in the game so far. Along with the other original Nicktoons, The Ren & Stimpy Show as well as Doug, Rugrats has a long history at Nickelodeon. Because of that, it would be surprising if Reptar was the only character in the game.

As funny as it would be to see one of the several babies in the show dueling it out in the game, it feels like the mischievous Angelica Pickles would actually be one of the best choices. If they weren’t to include any of the babies themselves, perhaps Angelica could also incorporate them into her fighting style and various moves, as they could possibly lend her a hand in these fights. A fun stage for her could be the Pickles’ family backyard, or perhaps inside the house itself. Toys could lie sprawled out, creating possible environmental hazards that players have to deal with.

Jimmy Neutron ('The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius')

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Image via Nickelodeon

Out of all the listed characters that we’ve talked about so far, there’s one, in particular, that’s missing that definitely appears to be a good fit. Jimmy Neutron seems like he’d be the best one to actually translate into a fighting game. With all of his various tools and gadgets at his disposal, the possibilities seem endless as to how he could be incorporated into the game.

Like many of these other properties, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius, is a series that has a large cast of supporting characters that could make their way into the gameplay in fun ways. The stage that could be chosen is also a pretty clear winner, as the Candy Bar, an old-school ice cream parlor, could serve as a fun place to duke it out with some of the best characters Nick has to offer.

Rocko ('Rocko's Modern Life')

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Image via Nickelodeon

It’s clear that the developers behind the game, Ludosity, aren’t afraid to reach back in the catalog, which makes the absence of Rocko very surprising. One of the staples of the early 90s run of Nickelodeon cartoons, Rocko’s Modern Life is still one of the most memorable series the network has produced. Though there are a number of great characters to choose from in the show, Rocko himself seems like the most obvious choice.

Rocko’s smaller stature could play an interesting role in how he’s built for the game. We’ve already seen the game’s implementation of CatDog, and how they appear to play differently than other characters, so a small character like Rocko could make for some complex gameplay mechanics. Like Hey Arnold!, Rocko’s Modern Life also had a bit of a resurgence as of late, with the addition of a new Netflix special.

Doug Funnie ('Doug')

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Image via Nickelodeon

Out of the original Nicktoons so far in the game, all are present except one. The one character on this list that has the most unlikely chance to appear in the game is easily Doug. After an acquisition in 1996, Disney would end up acquiring the rights after the show wasn’t picked up for renewal from Nickelodeon. This is why in all of these games that bring Nickeledon characters together, you don’t ever see Doug and his friends present. As great as it would be to see him and his buddies in the game, it seems like the chances of that happening are about as likely as seeing a live-action character from one of Nick’s shows.

However, right now were dreaming, so let's dream big. Imagining different ways Doug’s dog Porkchop might help you out is really fun, as he could possibly trip up opponents on the battlefield. One of the most fun mechanics that could be implemented could be Doug’s superhero alias, Quailman. This alter ego could act as an interesting gameplay mechanic. Perhaps its implementation could be similar to how Sephiroth in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate goes into Winged Form when he reachers a higher percentage, allowing for enhanced abilities.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl appears to be a game that’s not afraid to go deep into the catalog of characters that the animation giant holds. With characters like CatDog, Nigel Thornberry, Oblina, and Powdered Toast Man, it appears that the developers are really pushing for more “out there” picks rather than a conventional line-up.

From the creators of Slap City, the game appears to be in good hands with developers Ludosity at the helm, as the devs themselves are saying exactly what fans want to hear in the lead up to its release. With the talk of rollback netcode being included, which should allow for better online play, as well as mechanics that fighting game fans can be excited about, it’s no wonder that the hype behind Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is continuing to grow as it gets closer to release.

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