The epitome of elegant simplicity
So with Spongebob's popularity came T-shirts, backpacks, pillows, all bearing his face... Well, videogames just had to come next. But is that a good thing? When money hungry executives decide to expand their franchises, they don't always have quality of the product in mind... So personally my expectations were low. Was I right? Read on...
The evil college graduate Plankton has developed yet another scheme to take over the world, and has unleashed a horde of self-replicating robots to cause havoc all over the undersea world of Bikini Bottom. Unfortunately for him, his robots get out of control... And Spongebob, unknowing that Plankton is to blame for this incident, vows to save the town.
The story really takes a sidestage to the gameplay and antics, however, and really doesn't have much to do with the multiple side-quests you are given. The single word "randomness" describes this game in a nutshell. Not that that's a bad thing, considering its target market, of course. After all is said and done, what you end up with is an adventure with Spongebob and his friends going around Bikini Bottom, performing random and mundane tasks and solving puzzles in order to earn Shiny Objects and Golden Spatulas, which open doors that eventually lead to the final boss.
You play the game as Spongebob Squarepants, Patrick Star the starfish, and Sandy Cheeks the squirrel, switching off throughout the game as you see fit, at little checkpoint-like areas called bus stops. Each character plays completely differently, and to 100% the game, you will need to revisit many areas with different characters, or after new techniques have been learned. Unfortunately, this can be a tedious thing, but overall it is a plus for gameplay.
Spongebob's world is very well done, although then again it's not really a taxing thing for the Xbox to render a cartoon setting. Still, characters have much more detail than I expected, and the good yet cartoony graphics create the perfect setup for the game. All dialogue is voiced by the voice actors used in the show, which is of course a good thing, and sounds are... adequate. It's a cartoon. The designers did a good job of keeping the game interesting by putting in random dialogue and all sorts of fun little easter eggs and references to the show. Bikini Bottom is a fairly open ended place, and young kids will happily run around wherever they desire, from the shores of Goo Lagoon to the vastness of the Kelp Forest to the dark hilarity of Rock Bottom.
Gameplay is a bit shaky, however. The game falls victim to the age old camera issue, and at times it's a bit confusing trying to control your character, as you struggle to rotate that camera and see where you are actually going (although there's only two choices as to which way the camera can move when you push the thumbstick left, why does every game seem to do it differently?). Also, the puzzle element seems to have been taken a bit too far. Although I actually like the random style of play, at times it goes a bit overboard. At one time I was stuck at a major area of the game, and the key to passing it was by hitting an obscure button on the other side of the map, revealing a leaf springboard that allows you you carry a stone tiki to a platform... you get the picture.
Still, though, you have to like the variety of gameplay. Some of the puzzles are quite fun, and I spent quite some time in the "Big Rolling Ball Room", where you must run around trying to lead a giant ball down a path that eventually leads to the revealing of a golden spatula. Also of note are the sandboarding levels that happen somewhat frequently throughout the game, where you get to witness the famous Spongebob technique of "tongue boarding".
Yes, it is possible to 100% this game, by collecting all 100 golden spatulas in the game (as well as 100 of Patrick's hidden socks). The game helps you every step of the way with this endeavor, with progress screens for every area of the game, as well as the ability to instantly transport to any area of the game with a golden spatula challenge. Many, many thanks go out to the game designers for implementing this. Unlike other collection games, I actually was able to feel a sense of pride for being able to find all the little hiding places of each sock and spatula, and trying to fully beat it can put a bit of challenge in for an older gamer who somehow finds themself playing this game.
There is one fault in the whole premise of the game, that can be turned into a benefit, depending on how you look at it. Although the vast majority of the puzzles can be completed by the demographic of small kids playing this game, some of the puzzles are just plain too hard for them to complete. Although it is not necessary to beat every puzzle or collect every golden spatula to "beat" the game and defeat the final boss, sometimes the younguns can find themselves overly frustrated at a particular puzzle. On the plus side, asking daddy/big brother to do a certain part of the game for them (which is how I got started on this game) can introduce a family aspect to the game, which I am sure the game designers wished to create.
Finally, I would like to make a minor gripe that has no effect on the score of this review. At one point in the game, you are Spongebob travelling through other game characters' dreams, a reenactment of a scene from one of the episodes. The game version of Patrick's dream is vastly different from the show's version of Patrick's dream, which is quite possibly the greatest scene in cartoon history. Why did they change this? Ugh. But anyway...
So buy or not? It really doesn't make much sense to rent this game, so it really depends on the person. Buy it if you are a moderate Spongebob enthusiast, or if you have a little kid looking to grab his hands on anything Spongebob related. No matter what, though, players of all ages will find something to love in this game.