Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2, the highly-anticipated sequel to the original platform fighter that stole our hearts, may be going through something of a momentary hiccup in its roll to the digital shelves.
Several major retailers, including GameStop, Target, and Best Buy, have pushed the listed release date from October 24 to November 14, amounting to a delay of just over two weeks.
Though it’s not quite the October surprise fans were hoping for, this delay might actually be a blessing in disguise.
Release has been updated for November
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Now, just to clarify, neither Ludosity nor Fair Play Labs, the dynamic duo behind this Nickelodeon-branded brawler, have officially confirmed a release date. However, considering some of the biggest names in retail have shifted their listings, this feels like one of those “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” situations. Amazon, often the contrarian, still displays the October 24 release date, but you’ve got to wonder if Jeff Bezos’s behemoth will eventually toe the line.
While it’s tempting to interpret this delay as a fumble, it’s actually a savvy dodge away from an October schedule that was already swamped with AAA titles. Seriously, you’ve got heavy hitters like Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Spider-Man 2, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, and Alan Wake 2 all releasing in the same window.
NASB 2 would’ve been like a freshman trying to crash the senior prom; sure, you can show up, but you’re not stealing the limelight. Even a recent tweet from Fair Play Labs seems to cryptically acknowledge the shift in timing. A meme of Filburt dressed as a fairy cautioned, “Don’t rush the magic.” Sage advice considering the state of crunch culture in the gaming industry.
If true, a November release pits the game against only Wario Ware, a Mario RPG remake, and Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections, a much softer competition that could actually be beneficial.
No one likes to wait; we’re all impatiently tapping our fingers, eagerly gobbling up every piece of leaked cover art and rumored character additions. We’re in that weird stage of anticipatory limbo where we’re happy because the game isn’t going to be eclipsed by the gaming giants but sad because, well, we’ve got to keep those fingers tapping for another two weeks. But let’s put on our big-kid pants and look at the bigger picture: the game’s got more room to breathe and more time for the devs to sprinkle in a bit more of that aforementioned magic, giving it a far better shot at capturing our full, undivided attention.
Remember, this is still unconfirmed by the developers, so the grain of salt we’re all taking should be a hefty one. But if these rumors ring true, this modest delay is what Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 needs: a momentary step back to leap higher and farther, landing squarely in the spotlight where it belongs. And in that newfound limelight, the likes of newly announced characters like El Tigre, Squidward, and Plankton can brawl to their hearts’ content, free from the burden of the towering shadows of industry juggernauts.
So let’s not rush the magic; good things, especially in the gaming world, often come to those who wait.
