For those who are not familiar with this little guy, SpongeBob might not look like a true superhero or even a normal cartoon character, but he is most certainly one of the funniest.
A weird-looking yellow bath sponge, wearing a semi social suit - something along the lines of an everyday office clerk - SpongeBob manages to capture a powerful image of everyday life.... Only underwater.
He lives in a pineapple, somewhere deep in the heart of the ocean in the small underwater town of Bikini Bottom. You are probably thinking that this whole thing sounds a bit dodgy, but then again, other MTV shows like Beavis and Butthead also didn`t make any sense, as far as the intelligence of the content goes.
Similar to most movie-based games that have recently been released, this one has also taken the Playstation route. Just like the movie, the story begins when Krusty Krab, the owner of a place called Mr Krabs, is framed by the evil Plankton for the theft of King Neptune`s crown.
The punishment for this is none other than death. SpongeBob manages to make a deal with King Neptune and sets off on a journey to the evil Shell City where he will retrieve the crown and bring it back in return for mercy on Mr Krab.
Not thinking twice about the fact that nobody has ever returned from Shell City, SpongeBob and his loony friend, Patrick the starfish, hit the road in search of King Neptune`s crown.
Gameplay
Gamers can play as either SpongeBob and Patrick, depending on one`s preference, but there is not much difference in their fighting, jumping or action moves. While SpongeBob uses the ancient art of Karate as his fighting style, Patrick attacks the opponents, "cartwheel" style. This aside, they are very similar.
Some of the missions in the game are simply child`s play, while others do get quite interesting. All in all, if played for a longer period of time, I can see how one could reach the point of irritation.
Like Nintendo`s famous Super Mario Bros, a successful arcade-style game includes three elements.
You must have plenty of colourful and interesting items to pick up, extremely weird scenery and last but not least, some brains behind the actual storyline. If all three are combined you end up with a powerful formula that amounts to addiction.
This game includes similar features. By picking up "Goofy Goober" tokens, your chosen character gains health and new cool skills, making him more efficient in puzzle solving.
The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie game is enjoyable and funny, like the movie is. Although its nature is that of a kiddies` game, it certainly expresses some adult humour through its colourful interface.
If you have time on your hands, there are worse ways to spend it.
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