Undersea Adventuring

That square, porous sponge that we call Bob (SpongeBob SquarePants, that is) is at it again in his new game, The SpongeBob SquarePants™ Movie. SpongeBob and his best bud, Patrick, team up to get King Neptune’s crown back from the dangerous and mysterious Shell City—and to prove that they are most certainly not babies.

SpongeBob rocks!

The Plot Thickens
SpongeBob and Patrick's mission turns out to be especially threatening for Neptune, as the crown not only symbolizes Neptune’s authority … but it also covers his bald spot! Without it, his "thinning area" shows. (On no!)

Along the way, our heroes also need to rescue Mr. Crabs, SpongeBob's employer, whose life hangs in the balance. The two underwater friends end up getting help from Neptune’s daughter, Mindy, who guides them through their journey and teaches them new powers along the way.

Nice wheels, Bob.

“Thank you. Drive through."
This game is much more vehicle-oriented than its predecessor,SpongeBob SquarePants™: Battle for Bikini Bottom, and the driving levels are quite amusing. Your tasks range from following a peanut on a unicycle to driving a hamburger through a rough-and-tumble parking lot.

The game also has sliding levels—you slip your way down hill slides with obstacles and enemies galore. That should keep even pro gamers guessing. Your slide rides include a bathtub, clam shell, and Neptune’s crown.

Wee! Sliding levels are fun.

Bubbles and Butts, Power-up!
The characters have pretty much the same powers as before, but there is a lovely little addition. A new upgrade window allows you to (gasp!) upgrade your special powers. SpongeBob’s bubble bowl becomes the bomb bowl, and Patrick’s Butt Bash becomes a stunning face smash.

Tiny Terror
Spongy Swipes and Pink Pounds are no good without enemies to knock into oblivion. Luckily, Plankton (Mr. Crabs’ arch-rival) has put mind-control helmets on Bikini Bottom locals. With better A.I. and cooler enemy styles, the game becomes much more interesting.

Now, SpongeBob and Patrick must defeat hordes of plankton’s helmeted horrors to complete their quest. The various powerful enemies aren't easy obstacles to overcome, though. Foggers leave clouds of stinky burps in your path, while Spinner dogs crash into you with enough force to knock out your heavily armored teeth.

Looks like Patrick is ready for takeoff.

What’s the Difference?
As they say, out with the old and in with the new. But, is numero dos any different from the first SpongeBob game? To find that answer, I asked my obviously fabricated friend Professor Gamestein, president of the also imaginary Organization for Prevention of Cruddy and Ill-Working Games (OPCIG).

Minor Threat: So, is there any real difference between the first and second SpongeBob games?

Gamestein: Yes. After careful study and hours of play, I have found that the combination of better A.I. and more difficult worlds have upgraded the SpongeBob series from an age 7-12 game to an age 9-76 game.

Minor Threat: What do you mean by better A.I.?

Gamestein: As we all know, A.I. stands for Artificial Intelligence, or console-controlled enemies. They are better because they are smarter and can respond to players' actions more readily.

Minor Threat: Will there be another SpongeBob game?

Gamestein: (Chuckles) That’s for me to know and you to find out.