SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated
PlayStation 4
Before Playing:
SpongeBob is something that has always evaded me. I'm aware of its existence. I know people love it. My kid likes the show. Despite being surrounded by SpongeBob, I've somehow never watched an episode of it before. And I'm not even saying that to be "elitist" or snobby. I've seen clips of the show before. It always seems very hectic and... scatterbrained? I don't know how to describe it. But it's never appealed to me. I was the same way growing up with Ren and Stimpy, if that gives you any insight into how my brain works.
Then why am I playing this game, you may ask? I got it earlier in the year for my son for his birthday. He didn't seem to like it that much, and focused on the other games I got him: Ratchet & Clank and Sackboy. When he finally got tired of those games several months later, he came back to SpongeBob. I ended up playing through the game with him, and having a good time with it. It feels like a throwback to other classic 3D platformers like Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie. Okay, maybe not as good as those games, but in the same vein. And yes I know this is a remastered PS2 game, so that is probably why it has that classic feel.
I liked the game so much that I ended up playing through the game and getting the platinum trophy on my own separate save file. I think I ended up liking the game more than my kid, and I've managed to do it without seeing an actual episode of the source material. And that's where we kick off this review. I suppose I've already spoiled that I like the game, so let's jump into why that is, shall we?
Story:
My limited knowledge of SpongeBob was enough to get me through the game. Squidward has created these evil robots to take over Bikini Bottom, but they've become too powerful and have begun independently causing chaos without him. He has completely lost control of them.
And that's where you come in. Playing as SpongeBob, you have to make it through the stages, clearing out the boss robots. At the end, you win, and free Bikini Bottom from the tyranny of these evil robots. This is an extremely vague retelling of the game's storyline. If you've watched SpongeBob before, you will probably notice that the game is jam packed full of Easter eggs and side plots from the show. What those Easter eggs are, I can't tell you. But with the level of detail that seemingly went into making this game an authentic SpongeBob experience, I am sure they are plentiful.
Both my wife and son made sure to tell me that this was just like playing through the show. I suppose that should be high honors for the people that made this game.
Gameplay:
This is a pretty fun 3D platformer, akin to something I used to play a lot in the olden days of gaming. Let's compare it to Mario 64 as a point of reference. You have a hub world. The stages are opened up by collecting spatulas, which are the equivalent of gold stars in Mario. Each stage has about 6 or 7 spatulas within it. Each spatula comes with a generic description that kinda/sorta points you in the right direction. You don't have to collect every spatula in every level. You just have to collect enough to keep unlocking more levels until you get to the end of the game.
As you progress, you quickly learn that you can switch off between characters. You start as SpongeBob, who is the most well-rounded character. Patrick is strong and better at fighting. He can solve puzzles that SpongeBob can't, and vice versa. But there is also a third character: Sandy. Sandy was my favorite character to play as. Sandy can use her lasso to swing to locations other characters can't reach. She's good in combat. She has a useful glide maneuver, too. I like Sandy.
If you want to collect as many spatulas as you can, you'll need to learn when to switch between the three characters. Many spatulas that are unattainable to SpongeBob can be unlocked by other characters, and vice versa. It's all about recognizing which character you need to use, and in which situation.
If you've played 3D platformers like this before (Mario, Banjo-Kazooie, etc), nothing this game throws at you should surprise you. You fight enemies, you collect spatulas, you pick up power-ups, etc. Every once in a while you fight a boss character. The bosses were a highlight of the game to me. I always had fun squaring off against them.
To break up the monotony of the 3D platforming, there are other activities in the game, like racing or sliding down hills that have multiple branching paths. Nothing too crazy, though.
I found this game to be quite enjoyable to play, even as someone who doesn't really know anything about SpongeBob. It is easy to pick up and play, the levels are fun to explore, and everything moves along at a nice, brisk pace. It is a very old school feeling game, which makes sense as this is a remaster of a PS2 game. If I liked it as much as I did knowing nothing about SpongeBob, I can only imagine that this must be a real treat for fans of the franchise.
Graphics/Sound:
No complaints here. I think the game looks great. It is bright, colorful, and, from what I can see, very faithful to the source material. I think any fan of SpongeBob should be extremely pleased by the look and feel of this game.
Not only does the game look good, it sounds good, too. The voice acting is top-notch. I really enjoy the chill music, too. My wife would often say that it sounded like I was watching an episode of the show as I was playing it - which is the highest compliment you can give to a game like this. You can really tell a lot of love and care was put into making this an authentic SpongeBob experience. And it worked, big time.
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Overall:
I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. It fits right in with all those classic 3D platformers I played as a teenager growing up. No doubt, I would have LOVED this if I'd played it back on the PS2. Heck, I love it now, and the original game is what, 23 years old now? It's really held up quite well. Sure, this is a remaster. No doubt it looks and plays better than the original. But I'm certain that it's close enough to the original, that I would have loved the original just as much if I had played it growing up.
I consider this a must-play title, especially for fans of 3D platformers. It's challenging but without being frustrating. It's quick and easy to play through without being too short of an experience. Everything about it is just right, especially if you are going for a platinum trophy (which I was. Score!). I'm not going to say this game breaks the mold or does anything too original, because it doesn't. But it does what it does very well. Again, this was a pleasant surprise, and I'm not even a SpongeBob guy. If you like 3D platformers and you are a fan of the franchise, you need to play this yesterday.
THE GRADE:
B+
If I liked it so much, why "only" a B+? As fun as it was, it didn't do anything too horribly original. Plus, I can't ever see myself coming back and playing this again someday, especially in a world where games like Banjo-Kazooie or Mario 64 exist. It's a fun game, but it's not a needle mover for me.
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