Positives:
- Essentially the "Battle for Bikini Bottom" follow-up I've been hoping for.
- The same solid, approachable platforming gameplay of the previous entry.
- Enough solid changes to make this feel like it stands out.
- Even with just one playable character, there's a good amount of variety here.
- Visual design is bright and colorful, befitting the "SpongeBob" lineage.
- Level design is quite creative and pretty memorable.
- Writing is genuinely funny and very faithful to the original series.
- Bursting at the seams with fanservice that will please "SpongeBob" fans of all ages and eras.
Negatives:
- Boss fights feel kind of uninspired, especially toward the back end of the game.
- Repetitious dialogue at some points.
- Occasional technical hitch here and there that thankfully isn't intrusive.
Consensus: I previously reviewed the video game adaptation of "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie" and, while that game has its popularity, I stand by my unpopular opinion that it's just "okay," and a game that VERY MUCH pales in comparison to its wonderful predecessor, "SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom." So while some fans were heavily requesting a remaster of that game (or its content released as a DLC expansion to "SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated"), I personally was holding out hope for a new game. Turns out, I got my wish; "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake" proved to not only be a very fun adventure, but it was pretty much everything I could've asked for in a "successor" to "Battle for Bikini Bottom." Without needing to totally reinvent the wheel, "The Cosmic Shake" offers smart improvements and additions to spruce up the gameplay, while also providing plenty more of that "SpongeBob" fanservice we've all expected. There's something here for all kinds of fans of the series, whether you just started watching last year or have been with the show since the first season. I'm really happy Purple Lamp continues to do justice to the "SpongeBob SquarePants" license with its video games, and I hope they continue to do so. Oh, speaking of Nickelodeon games...hey, THQ Nordic, you think we can get some Nickelodeon games that AREN'T "SpongeBob" sometime soon? You did promise more franchises. Can, say, "The Fairly OddParents" come next? "Jimmy Neutron?" "Rugrats?" Think about it.
Final rating: 8 out of 10 "Great"