SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge

The Good
We all love SpongeBob. There is no questioning the sheer charm, originality and style of Nickelodeon's now classic TV series. So it is no wonder that there are a variety of video-games on a multitude of platforms that capitalized on the TV series' popularity at the time of their release. 'SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge', first released in 2001, is the only SpongeBob game available on the PS1 (excluding 'Nicktoons Racing' in which SpongeBob, Patrick and Plankton appear as playable characters).

The story is no less zany than your typical SpongeBob episode. SpongeBob wants to give Patrick the best birthday present ever - autographs from their favourite superheroes: Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. But when SpongeBob asks them for their autographs,he is sent to complete some 'challenges' for them, in what may be a clever attempt to get some much-needed peace and quiet. In the very first episode of the TV series, 'Help Wanted', Mr Krabs sends SpongeBob to find "a hydro-dynamic spatula with port and starboard attachments and turbo drive" to get rid of him. The game itself incorporates many elements from the first few episodes of Season One.

The levels are a good example of how the game is clearly inspired by the TV show. In the first chapter, which takes place in Bikini Bottom, the player gets to explore such recognizable locations as Sandy's Tree Dome, in which the player constantly needs to refill the water helmet and Fish Hooks Park, in which the player has to watch out for suspicious-looking fish hooks. SpongeBob also faces enemies and bosses from the show, such as clams and The Flying Dutchman himself in the fourth Chapter (that takes place in Rock Bottom), with the aid of his friends and items such as the Jellyfishing Net, Karate Glove, Bubble Wand and Coral Blower. These are all items that were, in one way or another, the focal points of the first episodes.

The game's soundtrack is one of its most redeeming features. As Matt Paddock writing for 'Playstation Illustrated' put it, it has a "distinctively Lounge feel about it. Tiki Lounge, that is." In other words, the music is distinctively SpongeBob.

The Bad
However true-hearted 'SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge' is to the TV series that inspired it, it suffers from an annoying range of almost game-breaking flaws.

Throughout the game, the player is additionally tasked with collecting 100 golden spatulas in every level. Similar to 'Sonic Adventure' (1999), collecting all 100 gives the player an extra life and additional hit points, since if the player is hit by an obstacle without having collected at least one spatula, the player will lose a life. Collecting a certain percentage in at least one level in every chapter unlocks the bonus stages (in which you can also unlock additional items for Patrick's birthday party). What is annoying is how unfair the player loses all the collected spatulas. Certain hits take away all of the player's hard-earned spatulas, and in boss fights certain attacks are unavoidable. This makes the game virtually impossible for a collectionist, as it is not unusual to complete a boss level with only 6/7 spatulas left from a possible 100.

According to Paddock, the PS1 version also made a lot of changes from the GBA version. Why the ability to switch between items was removed from the PS1 version is beyond me, especially since certain levels require you to do exactly that. On a more minor note, some of the voice-acting, like that of Mr Krabs, is abysmal. Sure THQ could have gotten someone better for a licensed SpongeBob game?

The Bottom Line
'SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge' is only a piece of light entertainment for young SpongeBob fans as numerous as a sea of anchovies. To quote Paddock's concluding remarks:

"I have to admit, I'm disappointed as someone who looks for solid gaming over a license or franchise, but the young kids that watch SpongeBob Squarepants faithfully may be more than willing to overlook minor glitches to control their animated friends on PS1... As a vehicle for nothing more than the license, 'Supersponge' succeeds. Take away the license, and you've got a game that some people might try, most people might enjoy and almost nobody would recommend."