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SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom
Score: 90%
ESRB: Everyone
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Heavy Iron Studios
Media: DVD/1
Players: 1
Genre: Platformer

Graphics & Sound:
Once again the Nickelodeon sensation, Spongebob Squarepants, is starring in another game, Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom, and this one takes the Spongebob title to a whole new level.

The graphics of Battle for Bikini Bottom are average - nothing that really tries to push the system or break new ground, but it fits the style of the cartoon. The character models are smooth and don't have too many edges (unless they are supposed to, that is). You will visit many locations in this game with fairly large and complex levels that have been well planned and well laid out.

The happy-go-lucky music contributes to the cartoony feel of the entire game and fits the settings and characters perfectly. The voice work comes straight from the cartoon and gives you the feeling of watching the show. In fact, the only real problem I have with the sounds of Spongebob is that after a while, the sound effects start to get a little repetitive - but it does take a while for this problem to come about - thankfully.


Gameplay:
Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom takes place across 13 locations and lets you play as three of the main characters from the show, Spongebob, Patrick or Sandy Cheeks. Each character has his or her strengths - and you will need to know when to use each one.

For instance, if you need to get across large gaps (like any true platformer), then you use the deep-sea diving squirrel, that would be Sandy, to swing or hover (both with the use of her trusty lasso) across the troublesome trenches. Patrick can pick up items and throw them at various objects and people (not just baddies), while Spongebob can do the Underwater Bungee ('The ultimate wedgie experience'), and various other skills gained through progress in the game (like Bubble Bowling, and the Spongeball).

You will also meet various other characters from the series like Squidward and Mr. Krabs who will help you on your journey - mostly by allowing you to collect more Golden Spatulas - but more on those later.

Battle for Bikini Bottom starts off with the evil Plankton accidentally releasing his robots upon Bikini Bottom - oh and taking over his lab - The Chum Bucket - as well. So now, it is our yellow hero's duty to take out the bots and return sanity to Bikini Bottom - okay just destroy the robots. And why is it Spongebob's duty, you may ask? Because for some reason he believes he set them loose.

There are many different types of levels in these worlds. You will have to do everything from Tongue Boarding to hopping the rooftops of Downtown Bikini Bottom to taking on a giant robot Sandy at the Poseidome.

Along the way you must collect Golden Spatulas in order to move into new areas - you obtain these by finishing missions that people give you or sometimes just finding them around the levels. It's a pretty simple reward based system, to keep you from going into areas where you aren't ready to enter (either story or skillwise). You have to have a certain number of spatulas to open a gate into a new area. These areas include the Jelly Fish Fields, Rock Bottom, the Goo Lagoon, the Kelp Forests and several more.


Difficulty:
The difficulty in Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom seems to be set just right for the kiddie audiences, but still have some challenging (as in typical platformer challenges) aspects to them. For the most part, you should be able to run through the game at a steady pace and make a lot of headway each time you sit down, but you will also find some snags - mostly when facing a boss.

Game Mechanics:
The controls in Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom take a little getting used to, but not a lot. After the obligatory training level, you should have a good grasp of the characters' basic controls, and any new moves (or characters) that you need to learn on the way are easy to pick up and take no time at all to use.

Spongebob is a TV series that has taken the world by storm, and this game is just one of the many titles that have come out to support this phenomenon. Battle for Bikini Bottom is a good solid platformer with enough interesting features to stand away from its title - not that there is anything wrong with that title.


-J.R. Nip, GameVortex Communications
AKA Chris Meyer

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