Lego Brawls pushes the boundaries of what a Smash Bros. clone can be

digitaltrends.com:

Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. series single-handedly created the platform fighter subgenre of fighting games. As such, a lot of games try to replicate its formula almost completely, especially mechanics like the wavedash from Super Smash Bros. Melee. While the makers of many Smash clones seem to feel like they need to be exactly like Nintendo’s classic series in order to entice players, Lego Brawls showed me that doesn’t have to be the case at Summer Game Fest Play Days.

Just as MultiVersus did last month, Lego Brawls demonstrates that games inspired by Super Smash Bros. can still have a unique gameplay identity. From being able to customize your characters and attacks to having unique modes not found in any other game in the genre, Lego Brawls looks like it’s a fun Smash-like time for the whole family, even if it probably won’t be the top game at EVO anytime soon.

One way that Lego Brawls is very much like Smash Bros. is that it’s a crossover fighting game where players can duke it out with characters they create using classic Lego sets. Castle, Pirate, Western, and Space, as well as more modern ones like Monkie Kid, Vidiyo, Ninjago, and Jurassic World, are all represented in character customization. The developers claim that every character and weapon piece in Lego Brawls is based on a real Lego, even if some of them aren’t available to purchase anymore.

Any kid who likes Legos will probably enjoy spending hours unlocking and customizing the pieces of their Lego character. Some of these changes have gameplay implications too, as players can customize their weapons. In addition to choosing a basic weapon, players can go into battle with a jetpack that lets them fly or a saxophone that can calm other players. Those