Guide to every Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl character

Whether you want to play as a favorite character or are searching for the fighter who best matches your playstyle, loading up Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl for the first time can be daunting. With 20 combatants to choose from, how do you know who to choose or what to do once the fists and projectiles start flying?

While nowhere near a comprehensive guide, we spent time with every character and put together a short introduction to their movement and offensive styles, some of their best attacks and other tips and instant need-to-knows to start having success in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl.

You’ll certainly build on this information as you continue to play, but it should help you jump into battle and give you a fighting chance even if you’re a noob going against an experienced foe.

Full moves lists that compliment this guide are available at nickelodeonallstarbrawl.com

SpongeBob SquarePants

Though SpongeBob has ranged offense such as his fishing net swat, the Jellyfish Swing, as well as the mildly annoying soapy water from the Bubble Blow, several of his most impactful attacks require luring opponents in close. The Chomp special, for instance -- while devastating -- takes a second or two to “charge,” telegraphing the move enough so opponents can maneuver to safety or launch a counteroffensive.

Fortunately, SpongeBob does possess a quick and effective strong attack in the Kah-Rah-Tay Uppercut. He’s also fairly agile and capable of doing solid damage on the move and through the air.

Patrick Star

Some players will lament Patrick’s lack of quickness and long recovery times between moves, but there’s no denying his offense packs a wallop.

Light attacks like the Belly Bump, Toot Laser and aerial Side Kick still deal up to 10% of damage with little to no recovery, meaning Patrick can still get his while minimizing exposure to counter blows. And when he’s able to get the high ground and the opponent is in a compromising position, come off the top rope with his Cone Crash special, which sends him crashing to the earth and through enemy combatants like a giant drill bit.

Be forewarned: Use his Hugdriver special too close to the edge of the map, and Patrick will suplex both his opponent and himself straight into the abyss.

Sandy Cheeks

With mostly short-range attacks but one game-changer of a special, Sandy’s straightforward brawling style is greatly enhanced by “The Sheriff,” in which she uses her lasso to drag an opponent in close. The rope itself does no damage, the technique has a bit of a learning curve and it will leave Sandy vulnerable when she misses, but when it works, enemy combatants are in for a world of hurt.

There’s a high level of risk-reward with The Sheriff, and Sandy isn’t really worth playing as if it isn’t going to be a major part of the strategy, so that’s probably something to keep in mind.

Michelangelo

The cool Ninja Turtle has already been the source of some controversy, as he is officially banned from the first big Nickelodeon All-Stars tournament. Believe it or not, it’s a combo using the aerial light attack Shielding Strike and a simple throw that will totally wreck an opponent’s day, although his deadly Party Dude special in which he spins around/breakdances on his shell is also quite a handful.

Mikey has the power and quickness to take the fight to the enemy. He also has decent ranged specials in Wanna Pizza This? where he uses whole pies as projectiles, as well as his Turtle Line grappling hook which can either do damage or prevent him from falling to his doom.

Leonardo

Image credit: Ludosity

Don’t let the dual katana swords fool you. Leonardo isn’t going to do huge damage with any single blow. Rather, the leader of the Ninja Turtles is all about combination offense and keeping brawlers at a distance to maximize each attack.

Most of Leo’s offense maxes out at 16% damage per successful jab, and to really get the most out of him requires striking your target with the tip of his blades. It’ll take some practice to really become effective. There is one move that is both somewhat defensive and requires slightly less precision: his Endless Screw special where he spins in the air like a helicopter, which can slice opponents multiple times under the right circumstances.

April O’Neil

Some of the most heavy-duty offense in All-Star Brawl is coming via ace TV reporter, April, who busts out microphones and cameras to get the scoop on her opponents. (Go journalism!) Strong attacks like Pose Pose Pose!, which fires blinding lights, as well as Overhead Recording where she uses a boom mic as a club will inflict nice damage and send fighters flailing across the map.

April also has a unique “Reporter Rating” system where, as the stars around her microphone increase in number, so too does the power of her special attacks. When full, her Breaking News! strike can end a skirmish instantly.

Zim

If you prefer your encounters in close quarters, Invader Zim probably isn’t the fighter for you. He doesn’t control with a sense of urgency, and certain strong attacks, particularly his Shock Spear uppercut, are difficult to land.

Instead, you’ll want to hang back where possible and let Zim use the many weapons at his disposal to do your dirty work. The GIR special which sends his malfunctioning, exploding robot buddy toward opponents is especially effective -- albeit avoidable. Somewhat more conventional distance offense such as the Burning Lasers strong attack and even light hitters like his various Spider strikes keep him in the fight until he hits the home run.

Aang

For top mobility paired with above-average strength, Aang has few rivals in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl. Due to his speed and rapid recovery, he’s seldom overexposed, while his strong and special offense are capable of dealing meaningful damage.

The strong Tornado Strike and Slashing Air Blades are great combo builders along with any number of light attacks. Aang’s not without some surprises, either, like his dynamic Spinning Staff special. It’s a seemingly standard-yet-potent sweep at first, but when he’s pushed above 100% damage, the move becomes Elemental State, which places a forcefield around Aang and allows him to fly around the stage smashing into his opponents.

Korra

An imperfect comparison to be sure, but Korra is sort of the opposite of Aang in that she combines functional mobility with high-end brute force offense.

It seems like every move at her disposal is punishing. Light attacks hit like some character’s strongs. All of her strong attacks can be charged by holding the button for extra damage. And Korra’s specials -- also able to be charged -- are some of the most effective in the game in terms of both damage done and connectivity. Bending Leap, a flying rocket punch of sorts, and Landslide, a rush attack that kicks up rocks and dust, both cover a ton of ground and will put a hurting on anything in their path.

Reptar

I’m just going to come right out and say it: Reptar is by far my favorite character in All-Star Brawl. There’s just something about firing his Volcanic Beam or Flame Breath specials for 30% damage, utterly destroying everything in his path. Does he get around slower, have longer recovery times and telegraph his most potent attacks? Yes, yes and yes. As long as you can get around all of that, though, you’re gonna smash.

Plus, Reptar can put a hurting on opponents with the rest of his attacks, too. Go light with Headbutts and throw in the occasional strong move like a Heavy Tail Swipe to soften ‘em up before you go for the kill.

Nigel Thornberry

Image credit: Ludosity

Conversely, Nigel is my absolute least favorite character in All-Star. He has a brawling style but lacks the agility to get the positioning he needs or the muscle to make it worthwhile. And his specials? Ugh. Two of the three are of extremely limited use: The Worm is an evasive maneuver that does no damage, and the Flick, while one of the more powerful singular attacks in the game, requires Nigel to be standing directly adjacent to his target.

If you’re willing to invest the time, there is some variance in the animal-themed moveset that probably makes Nigel unpredictable or something. But if you’re a fan, don’t expect to pick him and mop up right away.

CatDog

One of the most versatile characters in the game, CatDog is like controlling two characters in one -- and not in the useless way we’ll see with Ren & Stimpy in a moment. To the contrary, CatDog actually never has its back turned on an opponent and is able to fight in either direction. Though some attacks may vary depending upon whether it’s Cat or Dog performing them, CatDog has double the moveset of most of the roster.

While maneuvering the unwieldy beasts can take some getting used to, CatDog is mobile enough and has powerful strongs with decent recovery like the Heavy Punch, Golden Hydrant and Talking Stone.

Ren & Stimpy

It’s odd that Ren & Stimpy don’t have comparable capabilities to CatDog, even if on a more limited scope. Instead, all of the duo’s offense is entirely in tandem, meaning they act as a singular entity.

Not an especially dangerous entity, either. Ren & Stimpy, no surprise, are not fleet of foot, their recovery after attacks is also slow, and the strength of their attacks does not counterbalance this. In fact, one special Log from Blammo! is difficult to land on an opponent and not really worth the effort in terms of damage. If you absolutely must play as Ren & Stimpy, strong attacks Watch Out!, where Stimpy’s eyes bulge from his head, and Beep Beep! in which Ren drives his partner like a car will at least allow you to keep some distance from opponents.

Powdered Toastman

Image credit: Ludosity

At first glance, Powdered Toastman might seem like one of the most dominant fighters on the Nickelodeon roster. His agility is off the charts, even at walking speed, and his light and strong attacks pretty much all do 10% damage or higher. Those abilities alone make him a force to be reckoned with.

The main thing preventing Powdered Toastman from being a god-tier character are his specials. The Hyper-Corrosive Croutons are a potent projectile when charged, but are difficult to control, while the Toast is Done is performed more to get out of harm’s way than hurt people, and Armored Crust is also a defensive play -- though it can be used to kick off a combo. Mastering these tricky attacks might just turn Powdered Toastman into a true hero.

Lincoln Loud

Once you get past the fact that Lincoln’s various light Yoyo attacks aren’t going to inflict a ton of damage, there is some promising offense at your disposal. Strong moves such as the Hey, Batter, Batter baseball swing and Lift Off! toy rocket uppercut will get those percentage points scrolling and lift enemy combatants off the ground.

Combine that with The Splasher, Lincoln’s special water gun that simultaneously hurts and stuns, and he becomes a handful. On more than one occasion, I was able to stun an opponent as they climbed up from the edge of a stage, then batted them out of the park.

Lucy Loud

Quite possibly the most complicated character in All-Star Brawl, Lucy has a moveset unlike any other. She has light attacks that deal almost zero damage. She has the ability to become invisible for a brief period or fly to the top of the map. The key to unlocking her offensive capabilities is figuring out how to use her three “Scare Modes” that alternate between Normal, Vampire and Ghost.

Without this knowledge, Lucy is tough to use, as her movement and range are not great. Serious players who are willing to invest the time, however, may find her to be one of the most powerful fighters in the game. (Not me, though.)

Danny Phantom

For those who prefer to keep their opponents at a distance, Danny Phantom very well might be the best option. Nobody on the roster covers more ground faster or moves more unpredictably thanks to his special Spectral Leap ability that allows him to teleport on the map. Quite a few of his attacks are ranged as well, such as his Phantasmal Bolt special, or utilize his great speed like the strong Sliding Ghost Punch.

Danny Phantom does reasonably high damage considering his other advantages. His abilities allow the player to lie in wait until they catch their opponents out of position before moving in for a sudden strike.

Oblina

Proof you should never judge something on appearance alone, Oblina may look tiny and fragile next to many of her counterparts, but her offense is dangerous and varied.

One of the best combination fighters in All-Star Brawl, her light attacks are quick and damaging, while strongs like her Big Scare strike feed seamlessly into more offense. She even has a projectile that leaves a pile of poison on the ground. And for a special, the rolling Spinout is tough for opponents to get out of the way of. Just a solid all-around brawler here.

Helga

Helga seems to do everything above average -- movement, strength, moveset variance -- but not necessarily at any higher of a level. The one exception might be her special attacks, which are all good. The Golden Magic Slingshot is one of the better projectiles, and the Approaching Uppercut will rock a jaw when it connects, especially when charged. The Homerun baseball swing, while it leaves her vulnerable for a moment, will send opponents flying off the stage.

And the rest is fine, even if a tad underwhelming. Then again, maybe Helga’s unassuming nature compared to some of the more outlandish characters on the roster will wind up lulling opposing players to sleep.

Toph

The ability to shake the earth loose more than makes up for her having some of the weaker light offense in the game. Strong attacks such as the Crashing Earth Wave and Wall Slam are far superior to many fighters’ hand-to-hand combat, the latter able to do about 20% of damage, while specials like the Iron Boot threaten to kick opponents right off the screen.

Toph is also able to get around pretty good due in part to her ability to create her own platform to stand on, and she can further keep enemy combatants at bay with a rock projectile that isn’t particularly harmful but is annoying. A fine addition to the lineup, though she may lack the upside of some others.

Lead image credit: Ludosity