The fight to keep the Nickelodeon All-Stars Brawl scene alive

digitaltrends.com:

The Super Smash Bros.-esque fighting game Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl may not have received critical acclaim at launch, but it quickly gained a small, dedicated competitive player base nonetheless. Fans praised for its fast fighting gameplay that’s clearly inspired by the Smash formula, though it adds some unique spins of its own. Despite this early support, the game’s scene died down due to the pandemic continuing to shutter live events, which limited interest in and opportunities for the game.

When Super Smash Bros. tournament Genesis delayed its planned Nickelodeon All-Stars Brawl tournament, it seemed like there would be no drive to keep the competitive scene interested in the game. Not ready to see the game die so soon, event organizer and Smash community figure Max Ketchum set out on a mission to keep its buzz going. What arose from his efforts was a competitive tournament called The Hidden Temple, where players were voted in by fans. Ketchem raised $20,000 to put the show on, bringing more eyes on Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl than ever.

And it was all done right from his living room.

I spoke with Ketchum about the event, how he put it together, and his thoughts on the whole experience. Ketchum highlights a story as old as time: One in which a community puts its foot forward and shows that its ready to support what they enjoy.

What made you want to host The Hidden Temple?

The origin of the idea came when Genesis got pushed back due to Omicron, and that was supposed to be a big activation for the community. I actually worked with the Genesis staff and GameMill to make that happen. That was a huge chance gone for the community ,and I was hoping it didn’t just die off because there were no offline tournaments.

I was just