GameCube

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom

This game has been a pleasure to review! I can't tell you how exciting it is to see a well-crafted console game for children that is designed to be easy to play, but at the same time offers enough variety, levels and challenges to never be boring. Like the best of the Disney animated movies, this game offers fun for children, but also enough twisted humor to appeal to adults. The gameplay is simple, but still offers older children enough to do that they will also enjoy playing. The development team has done a wonderful job of keeping their focus on the kids. Parents, this is a great choice for your children's console collection, and you may well find yourself playing when the kids have gone to bed.

Anyways, while SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom may not be groundbreaking, its unique style and 'charm' transform what could have been a boring and typical platformer into a very entertaining experience. If you're a fan of the show, or a fan of the platforming genre, you should definitely give this one a try.

So just in case you fell asleep somewhere over the course of the review, let's skip ahead to the summary: SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom is exactly the sort of pleasant surprise I was looking for. Filled to the brim with great level design, solid visual flair, awesome support from the studio and even a lengthy and often difficult quest, this is one of those license-based games that deserved every bit of attention it got... and a great deal more. A lot of 'serious' gamers may skip over this one because of its cartoony veneer, but they really shouldn't. If you like platformers, pick this one up today!

Spongebob Squarepants is such a lucrative name, THQ could have completely skimped on this game and still made millions off all the kids who idolize--and can't get enough of--this show. But Bikini Bottom is a surprisingly good platformer. Yes, it's rather simple and doesn't do much to separate itself from the many other platformers out there, but it also doesn't come with the same problems and frustrations that they do. It's easy to enjoy this game as a mindless diversion, especially for fans of Spongebob Squarepants. If you're in need of a platformer, and you don't care what it is as long as it involves running and jumping and collecting stuff, Battle for Bikini Bottom is not a bad idea.

The love for the SpongeBob franchise really shines through in Battle for Bikini Bottom -- and if it weren't there this would be a very dreary title. I'm constantly amazed by the how much THQ and Heavy Iron got right -- this truly is like playing through an episode. While SpongeBob is a little too easy, it's still a lot of fun to romp through Jelly Fish fields or go clam boarding with Sandy. This game offers a lot of variety and each area feels like a fresh and distinct entity rather than just a palette swap. If you aren't a fan of SpongeBob, you'll probably find this a pretty average experience.

Overall, I am pleased to say that this game was a very entertaining use of the many hours that I put into it during my review period, contrary to what I had anticipated. My opinion is that if you are a fan of either SpongeBob SquarePants or the platformer genre, and especially if both, this game is well worth having in your collection.

Bikini Bottom, its colorful cast of characters, most landmarks, items, etc., have all been translated into full 3D. The effect is… expected. But something is lost in the translation. Part of the problem is a lack of polish and detail. The characters look plastic, rather than truly 3D.