SpongeBob fans have a lot to celebrate this fall. Along with the big-screen adventure featuring their squishy yellow hero, they also get an Xbox® game based on the film!
The SpongeBob SquarePants™ Movie features all the colorful fun of the film … and then some. This platform adventure uses all the voice actors from the movie, as it follows SpongeBob and Patrick's attempt to stop the evil Plankton from taking over the world with his dreaded Plan Z.
SpongeBob is cool under pressure.
After being passed over for an important managerial position at work, SpongeBob goes on an ice-cream-eating spree to drown his sorrows. When he wakes up, someone has stolen King Neptune's crown, sent it to Shell City, and framed SpongeBob's boss for the deed!
Now, it's up to SpongeBob and Patrick to recover the crown, liberate Bikini Bottom from Plankton's mind control, and save the world. With a little help from Neptune's daughter Mindy and a vehicle made out of a sandwich, these unusual heroes are ready for action.
At the beginning of each level, you play either SpongeBob or Patrick, and at certain locations, you can switch characters mid-level. The controls are similar for each character, with basic jumps and attacks mapped to the face buttons, but there are certain times when you want the sponge and others when you want the starfish.
SpongeBob's bash attack, for example, is the only way to reach triggers or enemies that float overhead, but Patrick's indescribable tongue swing lets him Tarzan his way to platforms that SpongeBob simply cannot reach. (For the record, SpongeBob also has a tongue maneuver that lets him slide along on his tongue like it was a big pink surfboard, but he can only use it on sandy slopes or other context-sensitive areas.) These subtle differences—along with SpongeBob's and Patrick's long list of one-liners—make each character distinct and encourage players to experiment with each character.
The world is his oyster.
Each level is a whacky, cartoon-style environment with plenty of enemies to fight, areas to explore, and barbells to collect. That's right, to prove he has the right stuff for management, SpongeBob needs to grab as many manliness points as possible by collecting barbells. As he collects enough to meet each new point goal, he earns skill points that he can apply to his basic abilities.
Adding skill points to health means SpongeBob can take more damage from the dangerous undersea oddballs he encounters. Improving his attacks means he dishes out more damage per hit and can do more impressive things. For instance, upgrading his basic Karate Spin changes his foam hands into spiked metal ones that hit harder and can smack back enemy projectiles.
Along with exploring, collecting, and fighting, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie mixes things up with vehicular levels and special arena-style challenges. Once behind the wheel of the Patty Wagon (a motorized car-boat that appears to be made out of a giant krabby patty with cheese), SpongeBob and Patrick can drive around the streets of Bikini Bottom and see the sights, collecting more barbells along the way.
Watch out, though. Between the other drivers, the construction projects, and the steam vents, you can't go more than a few blocks before something hazardous pops up in front of you. Fortunately, you can use a nitro burst of turbo speed and ramps that send you extra high into the air to help you get away from serious trouble.
Our heroes: ready for action?
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie is a solid platformer with all of the fun and flavor of the popular cartoon. Rated E for Everyone, it features the kind of goofy humor, clever level design, and solid gameplay that will delight gamers of all ages.
