| Introduction
The first time I watched SpongeBob SquarePants on
Nickelodeon, I had to ask my friend if I was actually
watching a kid's cartoon or having one of my 'less than
normal' daydreams. SpongeBob is one of a growing number
of prime time animated shows that could only be described
as designed while under the influence of... well, something
strange.
This is the second title to make it to the GBA by
the Sponged one, and if you're wondering why you haven't
seen a review of the first one here, it's because it
was absolutely terrible--awful visuals, repetitive gameplay,
and all over in less than an hour. To put it bluntly,
it was one of the worst examples of movie/TV tie-ins
I've ever seen and I've seen some really bad ones through
the years. This new SpongeBob title, however, was created
by the rather wonderful Vicarious Visions, who have
a reasonably good track record of producing quality
GBA titles (though it would have been hard to create
anything worse than the first title).
GamePlay
I won't even begin to explain the game's plot, but
rest assured it's bizarre--very bizarre. Anyone who's
had the dubious pleasure of an encounter with the last
SpongeBob title will be pleasantly surprised by just
how much more moveable SpongeBob is in this title.
For starters, there are more kinds of bubbles (which
I'll explain later); the ability to float down from
a height, giving you greater control of where you land;
and an incredibly inventive trick which allows you to
compact yourself into small areas and avoid jellyfish.
It all takes place in a variety of underwater locations
taken directly from the series, although most are locked
until you complete the initial challenges.
Everything seems to revolve around bubbles and their
various uses, and since you can't store them, you're
stuck with your current selection until you collect
another type. You always know which bubble type you
have since it's shown on the top left hand side of your
screen, and how to use them best is pretty obvious.
Among the different types of bubbles you'll find
include Strong bubbles, which destroy everything they
come into contact with; Float, which allow SpongeBob
to reach greater heights; and Bounce, which let you
jump much higher than normal. Also, some of the more
ingenious puzzle rooms have more than one challenge,
so you must work out a correct order to use the various
bubble types.
Occasionally, you'll be thrown into one of the many
mini-games, which are dotted about the various levels.
These include a dance section where you must replicate
the moves of a pink jellyfish to gain extra lives, and
a fast-paced riding section where you collect bonus
items while avoiding underwater foes.
The password system has been kept reasonably simple,
and a six-digit pass code is visible at the base of
the screen during levels. Developers do seem to be learning
from past mistakes, as you'll see from the clarity of
the font used and the reasonably simple nature of the
codes.
Controls
Moving SpongeBob through the game is simplicity itself,
not just because the control system is so incredibly
responsive, but also because the initial levels are
set up as a kind of tutorial. During this part of the
game, you'll pass various sign posts detailing exactly
how to use your newly equipped bubble or overcome an
obstacle. This very gradual and user-friendly learning
curve makes the game far more enjoyable. As I've mentioned
before in other game reviews, a little bit more effort
by the developers in providing an in-game tutorial is
far more useful than a manual will ever be and helps
make the game a truly portable experience.
Graphics
Visually, this is head and shoulders above the last
SpongeBob title, and the first thing you'll notice is
that the various characters are not only larger and
more detailed, but also far better animated. You'll
also find that the game and undersea environments now
exactly mirror those seen on the TV series, so fans
of the show will recognize many areas. It's also nice
to see that the developers haven't taken themselves
too seriously, so there are a fair few 'Monty Pythonesque'
touches such as the photo of a real human hand that
places SpongeBob in the middle of the scene at the beginning
of each level.
Sound & Music
The sound throughout is wonderful, and as with the
visuals, the developers have remained faithful to the
style of the animated series. It is all a bit strange
when taken out of the context of SpongeBob's world,
but the quality of the music will have even non-fans
tapping their feet. The real bonuses though are the
spot samples scattered throughout the game; these were
taken directly from the show, and when added to the
many other gaming aspects, makes SpongeBob a very humorous
and entertaining title.
Final Comments
As usual with this type of game, there's nothing
original but refreshingly, it's been put together with
a lot more care than we expected, and the good news
is that it's a great improvement from the first effort.
It's always baffled me how some developers learn from
consistent industry mistakes while others seem oblivious
to them. Fortunately for THQ and you, the consumer,
Vicarious Visions have heeded these lessons and what
is delivered here contains the best elements of platform
gaming given the constraints of the TV license. Definitely
one for fans of SpongeBob SquarePants and probably worth
a look from all platformer fans too.
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