Many of us of a certain age love to reminisce about Nickelodeon’s glory days and which Nicktoons were our favorites. These intellectual discussions sometimes devolve into fierce debates about whether Hey Arnold! was a better show than The Wild Thornberrys, or if ‘00s-era series like Danny Phantom stack up to the ‘90s classics. I’m in the camp of preaching that The Loud House is one of the best cartoons going today. After competing in kart racing last year, you can now settle those arguments in more literal fashion thanks to Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, a new fighter that pits the network’s most beloved animated stars against each other in a star-studded throwdown. 

IGN shared the exclusive reveal of the upcoming game, which is coming later this year for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch. The game is a multiplayer brawler modeled after Super Smash Bros. Up to four players step into the shoes of their favorite Nicktoon character to duke it out with the goal of knocking opponents off the stage to their demise. Matches can be played locally or online, and the All-Star Brawl boasts 20 stages, such as the Loud’s actual house, The Flying Dutchman’s titular ghost ship, and TMNT’s Technodrome.  

Here are the confirmed characters so far, per the trailer:

• Oblina (Aaahh!!! Real Monsters)
• Danny Phantom (Danny Phantom)
• Helga Pataki (Hey Arnold!)
• Zim (Invader Zim)
• Lincoln Loud (The Loud House)
• Lucy Loud (The Loud House)
• Powdered Toast Man (Ren & Stimpy)
• Reptar (Rugrats)
• SpongeBob Squarepants (SpongeBob Squarepants)
• Patrick Star (SpongeBob Squarepants)
• Sandy Cheeks (SpongeBob Squarepants)
• Leonardo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
• Michelangelo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
• Nigel Thornberry (The Wild Thornberrys)

We can only assume we'll get more roster additions in the coming weeks. After all, we’re missing characters from popular shows such as Rocko’s Modern Life, Rocket Power, The Fairly Oddparents, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and so on. I'm personally holding out for Angry Beavers' Muscular Beaver and/or Baron Bad Beaver. 

[Source: IGN]

What do you think of Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl and what characters do you hope to see make the cut? Let us know in the comments! 

EA Play's Spotlight series revealed its second panel today with a focus on the independent studios underneath the EA Originals banner. This includes A Way Out's studio Hazelight, Silver Rain, and more alongside a panel of members of the EA Originals Label. 

The panel went into the backgrounds of some of the key members of each studio represented during EA Play, including Silver Rain's co-founder Abubakar Salim and co-founder Melissa Phillips, Hazelight's Josef Fares, and Velan Studio's co-founders Karthik and Guha Bala. Each creative mind shared their various backgrounds, including history in working in both film and television. Fares also passionately talked about how different movies and games truly are, more than just comparing linear versus non-linear storytelling. 

The goal of this spotlight is to connect the players of each studio's games with the minds behind them. It acts as a way to dive deep into the minds of these studio leaders and see where the gaming experiences come from in terms of real-life experience and how each developer sees the world around them. Silver Rain's Melissa Phillips also went a little further in the discussion that will interest those looking to get into the industry on the developer side, talking about the difference between having a neat idea and giving that idea the resources and life it needs to thrive. 

To watch the entire showcase, check out the video below: 

As for the EA Play schedule going forward, here's what's ahead: 

• July 19 at 4 p.m. Pacific with Madden NFL 22
• July 20 at 10 a.m. Pacific with a focus on EA Sports 
• July 22 at 10 a.m. Pacific for other "surprises"
  • WWE's Austin Creed will be featured

What are your thoughts on the EA Originals initiative and some of the topics covered in today's EA Spotlight panel? What other studios would you like to see get more support? Sound off in the comment section below!

PC players have often lamented the dwindling options in the once-dominant real-time strategy genre. Well, one of the biggest franchises is coming back next year as the Company of Heroes series gets a third entry. Instead of heading into theatres of war that are often explored when games tackle the WWII era, Company of Heroes 3 is tackling the Mediterrnean as the focus of the conflict. This means players will be swept into entanglements and engagements in African deserts, coastal Italy, and more.

Alongside the competitive multiplayer options that players expect from the franchise, players can participate in a dynamic campaign that’s going to give players numerous options every time, seeking to deliver a single-player experience that’s heavily replayable and full of interesting decisions. You’ll have to manage supply lines across air, land, and sea as the Allied forces during this campaign as you seek to retake Italy.

Have you always been stymied by the micromanagement in the moment aspect of the real time strategy game? In all single-player modes in Company of Heroes 3, Relic is adding a full tactical pause option. What does this mean? It means you can stop the action at any time to queue up commands and actions on all your units, holdings, and more. This takes the pressure off completely, so you won’t have to worry about missing a grenade thrown into your infantry pack while you were off trying to spend resources. Obviously, this option won’t be available in multiplayer experiences, but if you’re trying to sink your teeth into the genre this could be a fantastic onboarding tool. 

Company of Heroes 3 is expected to feature many of the same factions that have been in prior games plus some exciting new additions.

Are you excited to see Company of Heroes return? When was the last time you played? I remember playing a ton of the first two titles … At a LAN center. Those were wild times, let me tell you. Let us know in the comments!

If you’re a devoted Nier fanatic like me, then Nier Reincarnation has been on your radar for quite some time. And, if you’re lucky – unlike me – then you might have even gotten a chance to play the game during its pre-registration period. The rest of us will have to wait for the opportunity to explore the Cage, albeit only for a few weeks more. However, there is a new announcement to be excited about. Nier Reincarnation is launching later this month with a Nier: Automata crossover event. 

With over 500,000 pre-registrations, JRPG players everywhere have voiced their interest in the first mobile title in the Nier franchise. A new promotional video dropped today that revealed the new summons coming alongside the Nier Automata event, as seen in the trailer below. The three leading protagonists from the game will assist you on the frontlines: 2B, 9S, and A2. Additionally, you can enter the sweepstakes to potentially secure an original poster signed by the mastermind Yoko Taro himself (you already know I retweeted for those sweet, sweet Nier prizes!). 

A synopsis for Nier Reincarnation reads as follows: “A girl awakens on a cold stone floor. She finds herself in an infinitely vast place filled with buildings that touch the very sky. Guided by a mysterious creature who calls herself Mama, she begins to explore her new surroundings. To reclaim what she has lost—and atone for her sins—she sets off on a journey through this place of unknown creation.” Throw in the beloved heroes from Automata, and you’ve practically got a Nier family reunion...minus Yonah, Kaine, and Emil. Hopefully, this means that a Nier Replicant/Gestalt crossover will be coming next!

Nier Reincarnation launches for iOS and Android devices on July 28.

 Which summon(s) are you most looking forward to? Sound off in the comment section below!