Let me take you back, fellow gamers, to that initial hype train for Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl. When the game dropped last year, the chatter in every online forum and Discord server was the same: "Who's next?" and "Who got left behind?" The roster was solid, a love letter to 90s and 2000s kids, but we all knew there were more legends in the Nickelodeon vault. Now, in 2025, a piece of concept art drawn by the talented Christopher Near has surfaced, and it's like finding a treasure map to what could have been—and maybe what still could be. It shows a lineup that's both incredibly familiar and wonderfully strange, featuring faces we know and love alongside some real deep cuts that never made the final cut. This wasn't just early brainstorming; it looks like it was originally intended to be the game's box art, the definitive poster for the ultimate cartoon showdown. Seeing it now gives me a serious case of the 'what ifs.'

Man, looking at this art is a total trip down memory lane. The characters staring back at me who didn't get their invitation to the final brawl are a who's who of Nicktoons royalty. Let's break down this 'Ghost Roster':

• Jimmy Neutron: The boy genius himself! It's wild to think the smartest kid in Retroville was on the whiteboard but didn't make the final grade. Talk about a blast from the past. His absence is a real head-scratcher.

• Reggie Rocket from Rocket Power: Wooogity woogity woogity! The ultimate extreme sports queen was right there. Having her shredding on a stage would have been an absolute vibe.

• Raphael & Casey Jones from TMNT: This one's a double whammy. The hot-headed turtle and the vigilante sports fan were initially repping the Heroes in a Half-Shell. In the final game, their spots were totally swapped out for Leonardo and Michelangelo. A different turtle power dynamic, for sure.

• Angelica Pickles from Rugrats: The original boss baby! Can you imagine her causing chaos with her doll Cynthia? Instead, we got the dino-star Reptar. A trade from toddler tyranny to prehistoric power.

• Krumm from Aaahh!!! Real Monsters: The guy with the eyes in his hands! His spot was apparently taken by the more streamlined Oblina. A classic monster mash swap.

• Wanda from The Fairly OddParents: Half of the iconic fairy godparent duo! Seeing just Wanda without Cosmo feels... odd (pun intended). It makes you wonder if the full package was ever considered.

Here’s a quick table to visualize some of the biggest swaps from concept to reality:

Concept Art Character	Final Game / DLC Replacement	Series
Raphael	Leonardo	Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Casey Jones	Michelangelo	Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Angelica Pickles	Reptar	Rugrats
Krumm	Oblina	Aaahh!!! Real Monsters
Jimmy Neutron	Hugh Neutron (DLC)	The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron

Now, here's the kicker, and it's super important to keep our hype in check. The source who shared this gem, notjustcart00ns, gave a crucial reality check: "Please keep in mind that this art was created before development had even begun." Let me repeat that: before development began. This was the pure, unfiltered 'wouldn't it be cool if...' phase. Characters being in this concept art doesn't mean they were painfully cut late in development or are forever off the table. It just means the devs had a massive, awesome whiteboard of ideas and had to make some tough calls to shape the final, playable product. It's a peek at the dream, not a list of broken promises.

But oh boy, does it get the speculation machine rolling for the future! 🚀 The most tantalizing thread here is Jimmy Neutron. While the brilliant kid scientist didn't make launch, his goofy, lovable dad, Hugh Neutron, blasted in as DLC. That proves the Jimmy Neutron universe was absolutely on the developers' radar and deemed worthy of inclusion. It opens the door—no, it kicks the door right off its hinges—for the possibility of Jimmy himself joining the fray someday. The fan demand for him is real, and this art is like fuel on that fire.

So, what does this mean for us in 2025? For me, it's a mix of nostalgia and renewed hope. This concept art is more than a curiosity; it's a testament to the rich, chaotic, and incredibly diverse universe Nickelodeon built over decades. It shows that the potential for this platform fighter is nearly limitless. Could a Rocket Power rep still grind their way in? Might we finally get a full fairy pair from Fairly OddParents? The fact that this art exists shows these ideas were in the ether from day one.

In the end, diving into this lost concept art feels like uncovering a secret level. It’s a reminder that game development is a journey of choices, and sometimes the road not taken is just as fascinating as the one we're on. It doesn't diminish the awesome game we have; it just makes the universe feel bigger. It tells me that the world of Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is still alive with possibilities. And as a player who's poured hours into mastering SpongeBob's bubble bowl and Aang's airbending, I'm stoked to see which classic Nick character might be the next to answer the call. The roster may have been finalized once, but in the world of gaming, never say never. Here's hoping the next reveal is another deep-cut legend ready to brawl! 🤞