Nigel Thornberry, patriarch of the eponymously wild Thornberrys, is one of the weirdest characters in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl. Earlier today, the developers behind this cartoony platform fighter released a breakdown of the nature documentarian’s moveset, which includes one very big homage to the undisputed king of the genre, Super Smash Bros.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl wears its influences on its sleeve. Not only does it harness the power of fanservice by utilising popular memes spawned by Nickelodeon’s various animated properties, but it does so alongside a fighting system that is very clearly built atop the genre foundations Super Smash Bros. first established back in 1999. And while it’s hard to avoid comparisons when every major mechanic can be traced back to a single franchise, some parts of the game have obvious 1:1 analogues.
Case in point: Nigel Thornberry employs a move that is essentially Jigglypuff’s infamous Rest attack. If the timestamp below doesn’t work, the technique in question is demonstrated around the 3:30 mark.
“[Nigel] flicks his opponents with insane force, often finishing them on the spot,” community manager Thaddeus Crews says, explaining the attack. “Beware that this move has a tiny hitbox and long [recovery], which leaves him quite vulnerable if he misses.”
Sadly, I don’t see Nigel’s flick being quite as character-defining as its Super Smash Bros. counterpart.
Much of Jigglypuff’s strength in a game like Super Smash Bros. Melee is derived from the Pokémon’s ability to out-manoeuvre opponents by floating around the stage and conducting hit-and-run attacks. Her unique movement options are the perfect complement to Rest, which needs to be positioned just right to maximise its effectiveness. Watch any Melee match featuring Smash god Juan “Hungrybox” Debiedma and you’ll see what I mean.
Nigel, on the other hand, is slow and heavy. Not only is that obvious from the Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl gameplay we’ve seen thus far, but Crews also makes sure to point it out at the beginning of today’s demonstration. Unless there are further differences between the two moves that the devs have yet to share, I don’t think Nigel has the movement options necessary to make the best use of his Rest-like attack. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how things shake out competitively.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl arrives on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC this fall. For more in-depth gameplay, be sure to check out previous breakdowns of Danny Phantom, Helga Pataki, and Michelangelo on the game’s official YouTube channel.
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