Check out our review of Spongebob Squarepants Battle For Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated.
We’ll tell you everything you need to know before you play, and reveal whether this remaster of a beloved platformer classic is worth playing.
Transcript
Hey how’s it going guys! Welcome to our review of SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated, available for PC, PS4, Xbox One & Nintendo Switch. We’ll tell you everything you need to know before you play, but before I do, make sure to hit subscribe and the notification bell for reviews, interviews, features and more. You’re not going to want to miss it!
2003’s SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom was one of the most underrated platformers of the decade, garnering a cult following and in more recent times, becoming a staple of the speedrunning community.
In classic Spongebob fashion, you have to thwart the schemes of the devious Plankton, who’s created his own robot army using a device called the Duplicatotron 3000. I can remember spending many an evening in front of my crappy second hand CRT TV catching jellyfish and trying to boundary break before being dragged back to the playing area.
That’s why I was so excited to pick up Rehydrated and get reacquainted with the residents of Bikini Bottom. But after 17 years, is nautical nonsense still something you wish, and is SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated any good? Watch on to find out…
Firstly, it’s great to see that THQ Nordic have translated the style of the game really well. Each stage pops with saturated colour similar to the iconic levels of Spyro. Couple this with the nostalgic slide guitar soundtrack and little details like Spongebob’s shoes squeaking as he walks, and it really feels like you’re playing through an episode of the show.
Even your health is measured by how many pairs of underpants Spongebob has, leading to many hilarious quips, especially if you’re playing with a different character.
The gameplay is largely unchanged, which is both a positive and a negative. At first glance, it’s your typical platforming affair, where you have enemies to swipe, lots of doohickies to collect and new areas to unlock. Mind you, there’s plenty of variety when it comes to mission objectives and the different maps. The areas of Bikini Bottom, Goo Lagoon, Chum Bucket, Rock Bottom, Tree Dome, and the Jelly Fish Fields all look incredible, but I’m not 100% sure I’m emotionally ready to work my way through Jelly Fish Fields again. Boy that level is hard.
Now this is all really cool, but it’s worth remembering that it’s still technically a kid’s game, so aside from a few Jelly Fish Fields shaped difficulty spikes, don’t expect much of a challenge. I don’t really know what I was expecting, given that most of the people who played it the first time around are adults now, but it’s definitely a great title to break out if you’re looking to introduce the next generation of players to the world of video games.
However, the real appeal of this game is the Spongebob IP, specifically the world and the beloved cast of characters who inhabit it. You’ll spend most of the game playing as everyone’s favourite porous fry cook, but you’ll occasionally take the reigns of Patrick and Sandy too, each having their own unique abilities that are necessary for completing certain puzzles. As I said before, each world is still stunningly beautiful, and the little Easter eggs that litter each stage reminded me of jokes from episodes of the show I haven’t watched in a decade, if not more.
But for those who 100%-ed the original game, there’s still new things for you to discover. The remaster includes cut content that didn’t make the 2003 release, including a boss battle with Robo-Squidward. But my favourite revived segment is Patrick’s delicious looking dream sequence. Man they make that food look good!
But arguably more exciting is the brand new multiplayer horde mode. Here you’ll attempt to fight against the aforementioned Robo-Squidward in pairs, playing as one of seven iconic characters, each with their own abilities. The fact you can play locally as well as online makes it a great party game, and I can see this being the best way of enjoying it. I have to admit I haven’t had too much of a chance to play multiplayer yet, so please let me know what you think of it in the comments below.
To wrap up, SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated is a welcome return of a beloved franchise, and a worthy remake of the best Spongebob game ever made. THQ Nordic have done a great job in making some of the most vibrant, beautiful levels ever found in a platformer, and there’s enough variety to keep you from ever getting bored.
Sure it might not be that challenging, but that doesn’t mean it’s not entertaining. t’s dripping with all the charm that made the show iconic, and that alone makes it worth playing for gamers of any age.
But what did you think of SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated? Let us know in the comments below and don’t forget to like, share and subscribe for more videos every single week. See you next time!
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