Nexus Heroes

NEXUS HEROES (sometimes just called Nexus, known during development as Project Nexus) is a 2022 Fighting Game developed by AlwaysDREGOL for Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Its gameplay is very close to that of the Nintendo platform fighter series Super Smash Bros., and from that series, Nexus Heroes also borrows the core idea of it being a crossover game where the playable characters hail from various videogame franchises, such as God of War, Halo, Final Fantasy, Street Fighter and many more.
The game was first announced in June of 2019, and a first playable alpha ran from March to December of 2020. The game was set for a full release on November of 2022, but was later delayed to December. 
A sequel, Nexus Heroes 2, was announced on August 2023, and will release in 2024. 
==Gameplay==
 Nexus Heroes is structured like a traditional platform fighter, where up to four players compete in matches in which the objective is to knock the opponents out of the stage to gain points. Each player has a Damage Display Icon (DDI) displayed at the bottom of the screen which shows how much damage that player has taken (in the form of a number percentage, so the higher the number, the higher the damage), with more damage meaning that they'll be easier to launch out of the screen. 
There's mainly two sets of attacks each player has, those being Normal Attacks and Special Attacks, as well as a grab and its associated throws, useful to bypass Shields, which in turn will grant protection against most Normal and Special Attacks. Additionally, players are able to perform Strong Attacks by inputting a direction plus the Normal Attack button at the same time, resulting in a powerful but slower attack which can also be charged for increased power. Once enough damage has been dealt or received, players are also able to unleash a Finisher, an especially powerful move which usually deals a lot of damage and can more than likely result in a KO for the players at the receiving end.
Various Game Modes aside from the classic one are available, including Battle Royale, where a player's respawns after being KOed are limited and Knockout, where the Damage Meter of each player decreases with damage and causes that player to lose once it reaches 0 (similarly to more classic fighting games like Street Fighter).
===Controls===
The controls shown below are the default ones, shown for each platform. However, remapping the buttons to the player's liking is possible in the Settings menu. Players are free to reassign buttons or even un-assign them entirely. If the platform on which the game is being played on supports other controller types, these can be used in the game as well.
Game controls 	Playstation	Xbox	Pc
Move 	 	 	W, A, S, D
Jump 	 	 	Space Bar
Normal Attack, Use Item 	 	 	J
Special Attack 	 	 	K
Grab 	 	 	L
Take Item 	 	 	P
Finisher 	 	 	0
Shield, Parry, Air Dodge	 	 	I
Dodge 	+ 	+ 	I + W / A / S / D
Taunt 	 	 	9
===Glossary===
This glossary pertains to the status effects that certain attacks may inflict on a fighter : 
* ELECTRIC : A status in which the fighter is briefly stunned while surrounded by electricity.
*FIRE : A status in which the fighter is on fire and takes constant damage for a brief moment. Coming in contact with a fighter in this state will result in the character catching the fire as well.
*FREEZE : A status in which the fighter appears frozen in ice, and is unable to move for a brief moment.
*POISON : A status in which the fighter emits a purple smoke, signaling that they've been poisoned, and will take small but constant damage for a few seconds.
*WIND : An effect which pushes a fighter in a certain direction with great strength.
==Game Modes ==
The game is mainly focused around Multiplayer (online or offline), but it also has a good variety of modes for offline and solo play as well.
===Arcade Mode ===
Each character fights through five regular matches and two bonus rounds, then fights a Rival (an opponent who has a particular tie with the selected character, usually a connection of some sort) and finally goes up against Sarah Kerrigan from the StarCraft series, the game's final boss. Arcade Mode can be played in several difficulties, selected before starting : from easiest to hardest, the levels of difficulties are Beginner, Easy, Medium, Advanced, Hard and Insane, which is unlocked after clearing Arcade Mode once on Hard difficulty with any character. Each match awards Gold that can be spent at the Shop, as well as points that allow players to upload their High Score into an online or offline Leaderboard. Points are awarded on many factors, including a series of Bonuses that can be achieved during the matches (like clearing the battle without taking damage, winning in under a minute or even finishing the opponent with a Finisher). 
====Bonus Stages====
Arcade mode features five different types of Bonus Stages, and two of these will be played after two regular matches in each playthrough of Arcade mode. Which Bonus Stages will be played is randomly chosen every time the player starts an Arcade run, so it'll be different every time. Below is a list of all the Bonus Stages that players may face : 
*Slugyard : This Bonus Stage features an SV-001 from Metal Slug. The objective is for the player to attack the Metal Slug until it's destroyed in one minute or less. Regardless of the player being successful or not in destroying the vehicle, all the damage inflicted on it is counted on the total score, with a full destruction awarding bonus points. This mini-game references the popular Car Bonus Stage from the Street Fighter series.
*Rats Assault : This Bonus Stage features the Propeller Rats from Shovel Knight. Here, the player stands on a small platform at the center of the screen, where a large, pink diamond is also located. Propeller Rats will slowly approach in flight from the sides, all aiming for the diamond. The objective here is to defeat the Rats before they get to the diamond, otherwise, the Bonus Game will be failed. The Stage is also failed if the player falls off the platform. The Rats go down in one hit, but the numbers of them and their speed will gradually increase. This round lasts for one minute, after which, if all the Rats are defeated, the Bonus Game will be completed. Even if the Stage is failed, every Rat defeated will count towards the total score.
* Temple Escape : This Bonus Stage is set in the temple of Osiris, seen in Tomb Raider. The player here is tasked with completing an obstacle course through large cliffs, spike traps, fire pillars and all sorts of dangers. Players must complete the course in under two minutes, or the Bonus Stage will be failed. If the player receives too much damage from the obstacles and dies, the Stage is also failed. Even if the course is not completed, how far the player got in the course will be counted towards the score, rewarding them for the distance they managed to go through.
*Zombie Smasher : This Bonus Stage features zombies from Resident Evil. Players will have to fight and defeat a total of 50 zombies, spawning at predetermined rates, in under two minutes and thirty seconds. The zombies are easy to defeat, but a large number of them may spawn at once, swarming the player and making it difficult to control the crowd, and they also deal quite a lot of damage with their basic attack. The challenge is failed if the player cannot defeat every zombie before time runs out or if they are KOed by them. Even if the player fails the Bonus Stage, each zombie defeated will count towards the total score.
*Turret Control Group : This Bonus Stage features Sentry Turrets from Portal. In this particular Stage, the player is tasked with approving functional Turrets and eliminating defective ones. Turrets will fall from above, and the player must quickly knock them on the left side of the stage if they are functional, or on the right side (on a large incinerator) if they are defective. The player must keep doing this for a minute, and is allowed to make only up to three mistakes. If more than three mistakes are made, the Stage is failed. If a Turret lands on the floor and is not knocked on any side for longer than three seconds, it'll disappear and one error will be added to the count. Even if the Stage is failed, every Turret correctly assigned will add points to the total score.
The Bonus Stages may also be turned off from the Options menu. Moreover, specific Bonus Stages can be turned off from the rotation, so that players may only play through stages of their choice.
=== Versus===
The standard mode to fight other players (offline) or CPUs. 
*Free for All : Up to four players can fight under a custom time limit (from 1 to 30 minutes), and victory is awarded to the player who scored the most KOs when the time reaches zero. Alternatively, players can set a Goal of a set number of KOs to reach (from 1 to 99). If the battle ends in a tie between two or more players, a ten second Overtime will start, with each player's damage percent starting at 300%. The first player to score a KO wins the match. Should the Overtime end in a tie as well, victory is automatically awarded to the player who dealt the most damage during the match.
*Battle Royale : Up to four players can fight with a custom and limited number of Lives (from 1 to 99). A Time Limit can also be turned on for this mode. Victory is awarded to the last player remaining. The Overtime applies to this ruleset as well.
*Knockout : Up to four players can fight with a more traditional life system. The Damage Meter turns into a Health Meter (which can start from 1HP to 300HP), and victory is awarded to the last player remaining. Attacks deal a set amount of Knockback in this mode. A Time Limit can also be turned on. The Overtime applies to this ruleset as well, although instead of starting at 300% Damage, each player starts with 1HP.
===Tournament===
The Online Mode of the game. It is split in Casual and Ranked. The game uses Rollback Netcode to try and provide a lagless online experience. 
*Casual : Players can fight people all over the world in Custom Lobbies or via Matchmaking in matches with a ruleset of their choice and up to four players. By default, Stages are set in their Regular form.
*Ranked : A more competitive environment where players can fight matches for a maximum of two players in a ruleset consisting of a Battle Royale with 3 Lives and a Time Limit of 7 minutes, exclusively via Matchmaking. The game tracks a player's wins and losses, and changes their rank accordingly. An higher rank will prioritize matches with players of a similar skill level. The Rank resets with each 'Season', which lasts for about 13 weeks. The Ranks (from lowest to highest) are - Beginner, Intermediate, Seasoned, Expert and Legend.
*Spectator : Players who don't desire to fight online can still participate as Spectators of Casual matches. A bet can be placed on any opponent before the match starts to potentially win in-game currency, but the bet a player placed will only be visible to themselves. 
===Tutorial===
The basics of the game and more advanced tutorials are here, as well as detailed breakdowns of each characters. The Tutorials are offered by Otacon from Metal Gear, who appears in his pixelated version from Metal Gear Solid 2 : Sons of Liberty to guide players, and the tutorial area is based on the VR Missions in the first Metal Gear Solid. The Dummy from Undertale fills its intended purpose as a practice dummy, during tutorials. 
This section also offers Practice, a mode which can be used to test out characters and combos freely. 
*Basic : The absolute basics of the game. This mode introduces Movement, Normal Attacks, Strong Attacks, Special Attacks, Shield, Rolls and Grabs.
*Advanced : Advanced techniques are introduced here, such as Combos, Fast Falling, Techs and Perfect Shields.
*Practice : A free Practice mode with in-depth options to offer a suitable environment to test out combos or just get a better feel of any chosen character at the player's own pace. In this mode, the stage can be chosen from the regularly available stages.
*Character Tutorials : Tutorials made specifically for each character. It will give a full breakdown of their moveset, any special mechanics that they may possess and how to best play with them. It also showcases some combos for each character. 
===Endless ===
Fight an endless amount of opponents and set an high score. "Missions" will sometimes appear throughout every attempt, which will task players with performing specific actions as they fight, within a certain time limit. These are optional, but will reward players with in-game currency if performed correctly.
===Nexus Ball===
In this mode, unlocked by defeating 100 or more foes in Endless mode, two or more players can take part in a game of soccer, where a Ball needs to be sent in the opponent's Goal to score points. Up to two teams consisting of two players each can play, either under a time limit or a set number of goals, and many different skins are available to unlock for the ball, which can be customized via cosmetics acquired at the Shop.
===Shop===
A place where players can spend their in-game currency (earned by just playing in the various game modes) to buy cosmetics items such as Alternate Costumes, Victory Poses, Concept Arts or items of customization for their online profile, such as their Avatar, Banner, Pre-Match Phrases and so on.
== Playable Characters==
The starting lineup of Nexus Heroes counts 40 characters in total.
Each franchise in the base roster has one playable character as a representative of their respective series. Characters owned by many different companies are included, ranging from Sony first parties like Kratos from God of War, to Microsoft first parties like Master Chief from Halo, and a wide variety of third parties like Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy and Chun-Li from Street Fighter. Notably, the game does not feature any character from Nintendo due to licensing issues. The game also features a number of characters who don't originally hail from videogames, such as Wolverine from the X-Men, Vi (which uses her Arcane design rather than her League of Legends one) and Geralt from The Witcher, though he is exclusively based on his appearance in the videogame series The Witcher by CD Projekt Red. On the subject of non-videogame characters, game director AlwaysDREGOL suggested that more could join in the future.
A total of four DLC Characters have since been added, with the batch known as 'Season 1'. A 'Season 2' was also planned and partially revealed, but was later cancelled.
KRATOSGod of War 	CLOUDFinal Fantasy 	MASTER CHIEFHalo 	CHUN-LIStreet Fighter
SNAKEMetal Gear 	LARA CROFTTomb Raider 	RATCHET & CLANKRatchet & Clank	CRASHCrash Bandicoot
RICKSplatterhouse 	CHELLPortal 	RAYMANRayman 	COLEinFAMOUS
JIN KAZAMATekken 	NIGHTMARESoulCalibur 	KITANAMortal Kombat 	PEASHOOTERPlants vs. Zombies
ALOYHorizon 	GUYBRUSHMonkey Island 	MARCOMetal Slug 	GERALTThe Witcher
2BNieR 	GORDONHalf-Life 	JACKETHotline Miami 	BLAZEStreets of Rage
DELTABioshock 	LEONResident Evil 	DANTEDevil May Cry 	ZAGREUSHades
UNDYNEUndertale 	THE PRINCEPrince of Persia	SAKAIGhost of Tsushima 	SPYROSpyro The Dragon
LIFELINEApex Legends	ASHTitanfall 	SLYSly Cooper 	SONICSonic the Hedgehog
VIArcane 	EZIOAssassin's Creed 	SHOVEL KNIGHTShovel Knight 	WOLVERINEX-Men
LADY MARIABloodborne	QUOTECave Story	RAYNEBloodrayne	AKUMAStreet Fighter
==Stages==
The game features 40 Stages in total, one for each character.
Each stage can be played in its Regular form or Tournament form, which will give the stage a standard layout that is free of hazardous features (Regular is the standard in Brawl mode, while Tournament is the standard one in the Tournament mode). For every stage, there is a selection of Music Tracks which can be played on it, deriving from the stage's franchise. The number of tracks for each stage varies, and most of them feature one remixed track, composed specifically for Nexus Heroes. Which tracks plays during the match can be selected beforehand, or it can be made to be random every time.
Every DLC character also adds a stage along with them, and so far four have been released, as part of Season 1.
For a more in-depth look at the stages, visit this page.
====List of Stages====
LAKE OF NINEGod of War 	MAKO REACTORFinal Fantasy 	INSTALLATION 04Halo 	AIR FORCE BASEStreet Fighter
BIG SHELLMetal Gear 	TEMPLE RUINSTomb Raider 	METROPOLISRatchet & Clank 	N. SANITY ISLANDCrash Bandicoot
WEST MANSIONSplatterhouse	APERTURELABORATORIESPortal 	BAND LANDRayman 	EMPIRE CITYinFAMOUS
TIGER DOJOTekken 	ASTRAL CHAOSSoulCalibur 	DEAD POOLMortal Kombat 	TOWN CENTERPlants Vs Zombies
SACRED LANDSHorizon 	MÊLÉE ISLANDMonkey Island 	MISSION 1Metal Slug 	KAER MORHENThe Witcher
AMUSEMENT PARKNieR 	BLACK MESAHalf-Life 	1989Hotline Miami 	SYNDICATESTRONGHOLDStreets of Rage
RAPTUREBioshock 	RACCOON CITYResident Evil 	TEMEN-NI-GRUDevil May Cry 	HYDRA CHAMBERHades
SNOWDINUndertale 	FORTRESS OF TIMEPrince of Persia	OMI LAKEGhost of Tsushima 	MAGIC CRAFTERSSpyro The Dragon
KINGS CANYONApex Legends 	PILOT'S GAUNTLETTitanfall 	BONEYARD CASINOSly Cooper 	GREEN HILL ZONESonic The Hedgehog
PILTOVERArcane 	FLORENCEAssassin's Creed 	PRIDEMOOR KEEPShovel Knight	DANGER ROOMX-Men
ASTRAL CLOCK TOWERBloodborne	OUTER WALLCave Story	CASTLE'S ENTRANCEBloodrayne	TEMPLE OF ASCENSIONStreet Fighter
==Items==
Items are objects that can be made to spawn during most types of matches and that will aid whoever picks them up and uses them. There are a total of 32 Items in Nexus Heroes, each with a unique function. The frequency with which Items spawn and which Items will spawn can be adjusted from the settings of the match. 
===List of Items===
	NEXUS SHARD
Nexus Heroes	Summons a character to aid you in battle.
	NORNIR CHEST
God of War	Contains several items.
	COVENANT CARBINE
Halo	Fires a powerful energy projectile.
	POWER DRAIN
Halo	Generates a Finisher-draining field.
	STUN GRENADE
Metal Gear	Creates an explosion which stuns opponents.
	EXCALIBUR
Tomb Raider	A powerful sword. Use Strong Attacks to fire energy projectiles out of it.
	HAND OF MIDAS
Tomb Raider	Turns you into gold, making you heavier but more resilient
	BOUNCER
Ratchet & Clank	Fires a bomb which splits intomultiple, smaller explosives.
	TAUNTER
Ratchet & Clank	Produces funny noises.
	AKU AKU
Crash Bandicoot	Prevents you from dying once, for a determined amount of time.
	BONUS CRATE
Crash Bandicoot	Contains one item.
	GOLDEN CLEAVER
Splatterhouse	A powerful close range weapon.
	COMPANION CUBE
Portal	A heavy object which can be tossed and alsoshield you from incoming projectiles.
	BLUE PUNCH
Rayman	Fires up to three Boxing Gloves in a straight line.
	BLAST CORE
inFAMOUS	Gives you an instant Finisher.
	HEIHACHI TROPHY
Tekken	Can be tossed at opponents to deal damage.
	BLOVER
Plants Vs Zombies	Produces a strong wind current.
	LASER GUN
Day Of The Tentacle	Fires a laser which shrinks opponents down for a bit, making them weaker and easier to launch.
	THUNDER CLOUD
Metal Slug	Spawns a cloud which rains thunder down on opponents.
	DIMERITIUM BOMB
The Witcher	Generates a smoke which prevents opponents from usingtheir Finisher for a good amount of time.
	CHICKEN
Streets Of Rage	Restores 100% of your health.
	RETURN TO SENDER
Bioshock	Creates a shield around you which protects you from projectiles.
	GREEN HERB
Resident Evil	Restores 20% of your health.
	ARTEMIS
Devil May Cry	Charge it to fire up to five consecutive energy arrows.
	BLOWGUN
Ghost of Tsushima	Fires a poisonous dart at opponents.
	SHIELD BATTERY
Apex Legends	Gives you Super Armor, which breaks after sustaining a certain amount of damage.
	RAGE BOMB
Sly Cooper	Temporarily reverses the controls of whoever it hits.
	JETPACK
Sly Cooper	Replaces your second jump with a hover, allowing you to flyaround the stage until its power runs out.
	POWER SNEAKERS
Sonic The Hedgehog	Boosts your speed for a brief amount of time.
	BUMPER
Sonic The Hedgehog	A bumper which can be placed anywhere on the stage.
	FLAME CHOMPERS
Arcane	A powerful grenade which detonates upon contact with an opponent or a surface.
	FLARE WAND
Shovel Knight	Shoots out a fire projectile in a straight line.
===Nexus Shards===
'Nexus Shards' are a special Item which can spawn like the other ones during the match. They are purple, glowing crystal shards that, once picked up, can be used to summon a character that will aid its summoner in a unique way. The type of assist may go from a simple CPU controlled AI that will attack opponents, or it could offer its summoner a temporary buff, or again just interfere with the battle. In concept, these are very similar to the Assist Trophies from the Super Smash Bros. series.
	ATREUS
God of War	Summons a pack of Runic Wolves which charges forward, damaging opponents.
	AERITH
Final Fantasy	Uses Healing Wind, which heals 40% of the summoner's health.
	ARBITER
Halo	Cloaks, then appears at an opponent's back and strikes them with an Energy Sword.
	BLANKA
Street Fighter	Uses Electric Roll and Electric Thunder, dealing electric-type damage to opponents.
	PSYCHO MANTIS
Metal Gear	Causes a blackout. Also activates the vibration function on controllers that support it.
	T. REX
Tomb Raider	Emits a powerful roar which stuns opponents, and damages them with his tail and bite.
	ZONI
Ratchet & Clank	Creates a bubble on the stage in which time is slowed down for the opponents.
	RIPPER ROO
Crash Bandicoot	Hops around the stage, leaving explosive Nitro crates behind.
	LY
Rayman	Temporarily enhances the summoner's attributes.
	KUO
inFAMOUS	Freezes opponents on the spot, immobilizing them.
	PAUL PHOENIX
Tekken	Uses Burning Fist, which deals 60% of damage and great knockback.
	IVY
SoulCalibur	Attacks opponents from a distance with her Snake Sword. Also pulls them towards her.
	SHANG TSUNG
Mortal Kombat	Uses Soul Steal, transforming into an ally CPU controlled copy of an opponent.
	CRAZY DAVE
Plants Vs Zombies	Gives you an Item. You wanna know why he gives you an item? Because he's CRAAAZY!
	ALLEN O'NEIL
Metal Slug	Fires a barrage of bullets and bombs at the opponents.
	LESHEN
The Witcher	Attacks opponents with overwhelming power.
	SMALL FLYER
NieR	Flies around and fires large, slow moving projectiles which fill the screen.
	GALSIA
Streets Of Rage	Charges into opponents with a Knife.
	CERBERUS
Resident Evil	Latches onto an opponent with its teeth, immobilizing them while dealing damage.
	THANATOS
Hades	Creates an Area of Effect which, after a few seconds, instantly KOs whoever was standing within it.
	SANS
Undertale	Instantly kills whoever scored more than 3 KOs. If nobody did, he'll just shrug and leave.
	BIANCA
Spyro The Dragon	Applies a random, negative effect on an opponent.
	BANGALORE
Apex Legends	Launches a Smoke Bomb onto the stage, obstructing the view.
	SPECTER KNIGHT
Shovel Knight	Performs a Dash Slash through airborne opponents who are close to him.
	KNUCKLES
Sonic The Hedgehog	Aids the summoner with his fists and by Spin Dashing into opponents.
==Post-Launch Content ==
A single batch of characters was released, titled 'Season 1'. A second season was planned and partially revealed, but was later cancelled.
===Season 1===
The first season of DLC characters releases on January 23rd 2023, and includes :
#Lady Maria (Bloodborne)
#Quote (Cave Story)
#Rayne (Bloodrayne)
#Akuma (Street Fighter)
===Season 2===
The second season had been announced in February of 2023, with two out of four characters revealed. However, plans to further develop and release these characters have since been halted in April of 2023.
#Thor (God of War)
#Cerebella (Skullgirls)
# Unknown
#Unknown
==Blog Posts==
A series of Blog Posts are released to share info and updates on the game, each one written by game director AlwaysDREGOL. 
*First Blog Post! New Characters and new Boss!
* The Roster is Complete! Kerrigan Joins as the Final Boss! Plus More Updates!
*Character Changes, Assists and more!
*Project Nexus becomes Nexus Heroes!
*AlwaysDREGOL presents Lady Maria, Quote and a New Character!
*Here Comes A New Challenger!
*New Characters Bring The Thunder!
==Gallery ==
File:NEXUSHEROESBanner.png|Promotional Banner, featuring every character found in the base game.
File:NEXUSHEROESLogoVariants.png|Variants of the Logo.
==Trivia==
===General=== 
*According to game designer AlwaysDREGOL, the first ideas for the game started back in 2013. Actual development, however, wouldn't start until summer of 2019. The first draft for the roster, at the time, included 86 different character, most of which were scrapped or replaced.
*Despite very obviously taking from the formula of the Super Smash Bros. series, AlwaysDREGOL mentioned Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale as the game which directly inspired him to make Nexus Heroes.
*Sarah Kerrigan, the game's Final Boss, is the only character in the game to hail from a series that game designer AlwaysDREGOL did not play before finishing development on the game.
===Cut Content===
* Thor from God of War and Cerebella from Skullgirls were both announced as DLCs for the Season 2 pack, which was eventually cancelled. A Fortnite character was also suggested to also be planned as a DLC character.
* Several characters were cut during development. Most notably, Manny Calavera from Grim Fandango, Bangalore from Apex Legends, The Battletoads from Battletoads and Jill from Resident Evil were all developed but ultimately cut. Manny was replaced with Guybrush, Bangalore was replaced with Lifeline and Jill was replaced with Leon.
* Other characters that were supposed to be in the game but ended up being cut before development were Kat (Gravity Rush), Abe (Oddworld), Sir Daniel Fortesque (MediEvil), Kai Tana (Velocity), Brynn (Brawlhalla) and Gat (Saints Row). Many other characters that were cut were replaced by others, such as Kitana replacing Scorpion and Sub-Zero, Blaze replacing Axel Stone and Cherry Hunter, Jin Kazama replacing Kazuya Mishima,Cloud replacing Tifa and Vi replacing Jinx.
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