The Super Smash Bros Player a guide for Nickelodeon All Star Brawl 2
This is a draft for an upcoming video I'm working on!
With NASB2 being a year old now and going through a boat load of patches people are starting to regain interest thanks to events like platfight, heatwave 7, and Hungry games. If you'd like to hear why, watch this video I linked above (platfight one). But simply its due to how well the game is balanced nowadays compared to its launch and later builds.
Due to these changes some general guides and definitely most character guides are completely obsolete. So first let's discuss some examples of engine changes in nasb2 that have taken place over the past year:
Release parry being removed with only perfect shields being a thing
Ex Strongs no longer adding additional knockback
These are a few examples of how the game has been altered that most will notice if they previously played.
Now I’ll get into some ways nasb2’s engine differs from Smash bros and other fighters.
Shield dropping is shield plus special
Shields can't be tilted or poked but can be broken and “powered shielded”
When a shield is broken you are stunned in place and mash all buttons but jump to escape. This punish is 99% of the time devastating
Taunting inputs are slightly different
The biggest and most obvious way NASB2 differs is the genre changing inclusion of Slime. Slime in NASB2 is the key that unlocks a boatload of options for players.
Slime grants you a bunch of options that we’ll first go over in bulk here and I’ll likely bring them up again during other segments of this video.
Slime Cancel: This option is extremely flexible and allows you to cancel any move at any point during its duration.
Offensive options for this allow you to extend your advantage state to chain even more options together. For example, as spongebob you normally finish an up air ladder combo with up special or forward air. But, with slime canceling you can potentially end it with a strong up air and net yourself a kill off the top. Slime canceling a move that has hit an opponent results in them being frozen briefly allowing you to hit them if you're in position to do so.
You can also use slime to cancel a move to act sooner than you normally would. This can allow you to do options like canceling an up special to grant you different options like air dodging to ledge, rather than being stuck in free fall. You can also use canceling to cancel an end lag on a whiffed move that otherwise would get you punished in neutral.
This option has plenty of character specific techniques and combo routes associated with it so you should play around with this where possible.
EX Specials or Slime Enhanced Specials are one of the ways you can use slime to alter or upgrade your current specials. Every EX Special grants something extra to the move you use it on. This can be as simple as more distance and damage on a recovery special option or literally a completely new option that is locked behind a meter. Slime specials are coded as entirely different moves so some of these options may look wildly different and mechanically act like entirely different moves. This usefulness of this is entirely character and even option specific so play around with this as you learn new characters. To perform an EX special, hold down the slime button then press special. You’ll see a green flash and then your enhanced special will activate.
EX Strongs follow the same principle as EX Specials but are unfortunately far less useful than EX specials. For the most part EX Strongs generally only do have the property of dealing additional damage. This can be useful for potentially getting a kill with a combo that normally wouldn’t kill just yet, but this option isn’t widely used as the use of a meter for something like this is currently seen as not very useful. To do this you hold down the slime button and then press the strong button.
is a mechanic that when you’re in hitstun, allows you to cancel any knockback, hitstun, and break an opponent's combo or string. Its a pretty important feature of slime as without it this game would turn into touch of death simulator due to its fast and explosive advantage state. Burst requires 2 bars of slime to activate to do so, you need to also be in a form of hitstun or knockback then press shield plus slime. The move does also have a hitbox so you actually can get a kill from bursting in very specific scenarios. While it seems like a strong option to constantly use for at lower levels it does have its drawbacks. Using slime for burst means that you’ll lose slime that could be made useful for your advantage state, recovery options, or other ways to help net you more kills quickly. It is a strong option when used at the right time and a very hurtful option when used incorrectly so play around with when you should and shouldn't use it.
Slime Dash is as of the time of making this video the most overall useful option when using slime. Slime dashing is another branch of enhanced slime moves like strongs and specials before them. This option allows characters to move further, faster, and act sooner than a traditional air dash. It can be used for recovery, chasing opponents for new combo routes, and kill confirms, and be used for other options as well. This option, while powerful, does have its drawbacks. One major one is that Slime dashes lose their iframes that the regular air dashes have. This means that your character when slime dashing is vulnerable to hitboxes your opponent throws out making this risky to use during an edge guard situation. Use this option constantly in the training room or in casual matches to learn all about it. It's one of the greatest ways to use slime both meta wise and coolness factor wise.
A defensive mechanic that essentially allows you to reduce shield pushback taken from an opponent's attacks. This mechanic is tied to the slime meter and can be activated by pressing slime + shield when you have any amount of meter. This mechanic acts as this game's version of “power shielding”. It’s a pretty important feature to get used to using and can single handedly change how hard or easy matchups can be. So I’d recommend learning this aspect of slime first above all others.
Super is a mechanic that is one that universally works the same across all characters. You build up three bars of slime and then get access to a move that when successfully landed activates a cutscene that across the cast does 40% and also stops a players DI from working as well as negates their ability to use Slime Burst. This makes Super a high risk and high reward option that can net a kill in exchange for all your slime. To do a slime super you will press your attack and slime button at the same time when you have 3 full bars of slime.
That’s everything you’ll need to know about slime. Lets talk now about Defense.
Part 2: Defensive Mechanics
Shields in NASB2 are similar to other games but they do not get poked. no shield pokes but unlike nasb1 there are shield breaks. When your shield is broken you are dizzy in place and very punishable.
Slime block & Shield Push back & Teeter
Moves in this game have pretty noticeable pushback. The longer you hold shield the more you’ll be pushed backwards as an opponent continues to hit your shield. This can make it hard to have the right positioning out of shield to punish an opponent for an unsafe option. Using slime block counters this by negating your shield push back and keeping you in place. This allows you to safely punish moves that are unsafe on block.
Slime blocking also helps you avoid one of NASB’s biggest changes from smash, and thats Ledge teter.
is a state your character is put into when while shielding you are hit with an attack that pushes you onto the ledge. Your character will drop shield and become put in a helpless animation indicating you are free to be punished. To avoid being teetered, use slime shield at ledge or avoid shielding when at ledge vs an opponent unless you know they won’t swing.
When shielding on a platform when an opponent hits your shield. You will be pushed towards the edge of the platform until you eventually hit the edge. You will be pushed off and be put into tumble. You can slime shield to stop this from happening. You will not be put into teeter on a platform ledge.
Parries In nasb2 do not work like they do in smash ultimate. Instead they are based on reaction not on release of the shield button. This means Parry is a perfect shield.
Di is more similar to Melee than it is Smash Ultimate. What this means is this:
Survival DI consists of altering the knockback direction towards the upper corners of the screen so that more distance is required to reach the blast lines, effectively preventing a KO if the knockback was high enough to push the character into them with the original trajectory, but not enough to do so with the new trajectory created by the DI. Usually, if the attack's trajectory is almost entirely vertical, merely holding the control stick horizontally is needed, while if it is more horizontal, it must be held in a diagonally upward angle.
General DI to escape combos is similar. Hold up down left right to alter your launch angles. Holding out is generally a common option to make it harder to be combo’ed
SDI not to be confused with survival di, SDi or known as Smash Directional Influence is a mechanic that can help by allowing you to slightly alter your position while in hitlag.This can be used to escape from combos among other options.
To sdi in nasb2, it is slightly different than other games. You’ll tap the stick in 1 of the four cardinal directions, (UP, Down, Left, right) then you can wiggle or tap the stick in any direction to begin sdi’ing to escape combos.
https://youtu.be/eDojtJzliCs
Grabs can be done by pressing the grab button or by pressing shield plus attack.
Grabs can be escaped via mashing buttons or spinning your stick
Mashing does not work if you mash jump
This game has jump cancel grabs, this lets you do a standing grabs out of dash. To do a JC grab out of dash simply press grab and jump at the same time or briefly after you press grab press jump.
They cause a grab clank similar to smash bros both players are pushed back equally.
Pummel pummel will look familiar. Grab an opponent then mash the grab or attack button to continue to add more damage on to your opponent before throwing them.
Opponents can mash to escape grab, however one difference is mashing jump does not work for escaping a grab.
*Chain Grabs there is nothing stopping you from being chain grabbed by a particular throw besides your di smarts and stage choice. Not all characters can do chain grabs.
Mash out of grab is a tried and tested defensive mechanic from smash bros. It was brought on for both nasb games but functions differently in nasb2 slightly. To perfom a mash, press any button or use direction inputs on your stick. Any option works out of grab except jump so keep this in mind as its a key difference from how smash mashing works. (Attack button Mashing any button except jump)
Part 4: Air Movement and Other Techs
in nasb2 gives you iframes briefly and you are actionable after each air dodge finishes. You have the ability to do Neutral air dodge, diagonal air dodges, and up down left and right. : 9:59-11:21
If you can air dodge in any direction you can wave dash. NASB2 like other games has what's called a wave dash macro. Pushing dodge and jump at the same time + a direction will always give you a wave dash. This makes movement via wave dash incredibly easy and accessible for those who want to do it.
Shield Dropping is a mechanic that allows you to shield and drop through a platform while still shielding. You never need to drop your shield. Do do this, it's quite a bit simpler than in other games with the feature. All you need to do is press shield and special at the same time. No input direction wise required.
Drop Cancel: you become airborne a frame after pressing B, so you can use an aerial the frame after (if timed correctly)
it's actually faster to plat drop with B, rather than holding down on the control stick. holding down requires you to hold the input for 3 frames before you start falling, compared to shield dropping which is just 1 frame
Crouch cancel (debating on even including this)
like 4th-hand information here, i haven't seen any direct testing of it myself
but I've heard its ECB shenanigans where the transition from their crouching ECB > taking damage ECB re-grounds them faster than usual
Part 5: Ledges and Wall Jumps
Ledge Dashing is performed via the old fashioned way by manually holding down
Lab what Nasb2's ledge regrab invulnerability is
NASB2 Only grants you ledge invuln once per ledge grab. You can however regain ledge invuln off stage after already having it if you are hit by an opponent OR hit an opponent off stage even after you already used your 1 extra invuln.
(Rivals invuln on regrab: Invincibility for the first two ledge grabs without landing)
Mention invuln from dropping off ledge
All characters to varying degrees have unlimited walljumps
How to perform a wall jump
Wall jumping in nasb2 is fairly unique. You are granted essentially unlimited wall jumps as long as you can retouch the wall with your character. To wall jump hold away from the wall as you graze it with your character, then press jump. Drift back towards the wall and repeat the process to wall jump again.
Part 6: Grounded Movement
That consists of moving along the ground by repeatedly executing characters' initial dash animation, as opposed to using their full dash. To fox trot simply tap the stick forward and then let go and let it return to neutral.
If you can air dodge in any direction you can wave dash. NASB2 like other games has what's called a wave dash macro. Pushing dodge and jump at the same time + a direction will always give you a wave dash. This makes movement via wave dash incredibly easy and accessible for those who want to do it.
Simply move the stick left and right quickly and you’ll start dash dancing.
Part 7: Conclusion and Recommendations
I’d reccomend getting this game on a modern console or pc if you have the option. If you’re looking for guides, coaching, practice, and a bunch of resources, I’d reccomend checking out the Nick Brawl Grind server. It has a ton of resources to help you imrpove including top players willing to give advice, coaching, or just play matches. Theres plenty of casual players and general 1-2/2-2 level players looking to find matches as well and its generally better to use this server to practice and improve over ranked.
Most tournament vods are posted on the YouTube Channel CherryNASBTournaments or simply called, CNT. This tournament channel has both archived vods and cut up individual matches from weeklies, majors, and regional events. If a tournament series isn’t posted here CNT also has a couple playlists of tournament matches posted from other channels on their youtube channels.
If you’re on Start.gg here is the NASB2 Tournament Hub. Not all events are on this page but most weeklies are shown so its an easy way to locate what nasb events are happening.
Want content creators for nasb or nasb2? Well uh, hi! Subscribe to me!!! But seriously there are plenty of creators to choose from.
Channel Memberships: 19:14-19:30
Most notably, Tafaar, Dille, Nick Brawl Guy, & Kwout for story driven videos about things that have happened within the scene & community, Sonsakay, Scooter doops, Pokepen, Muskyexe, (insert others) for fun montages, live streams featuring high level gameplay and plenty of goofy nonsense.
Add as many people as possible, TO channels, Obsure ones like 8bitbritt, Hyper Crasher High Level Nick Brawl, Nick Brawl CE, but think on this one later on but good shit you finally finished this script.
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