Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated Xbox One X Review

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom was a rare gem of a game when it released back in 2003. Most of the time games based on television shows or movies are overlooked and instantly labeled quick cash grab opportunities to capitalize on popular franchises. That's not the case with SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom. The care put into this game not only honors the famous children's television show but provides a good platforming adventure full of funny jokes. The modern update provides a much-needed update that is shocking when compared to the original. SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated gives this cult classic a second chance at fame and you don't want to miss out this time.
 

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated story plays out like an episode of the show. Plankton has created an army of robots but forgot to switch on the "Obey" so they all went rogue. SpongeBob and Patrick assume the robots causing havoc are their fault since they wished for robots. Now confused and tricked by Plankton, SpongeBob must save Bikini Bottom from Plankton's evil robots with the help of his friends Sandy and Patrick.

This game was made for SpongeBob fans and the game doesn't attempt to be more than that, which is great. Plankton is seen threatening people, Sandy speaks Texas metaphors, Squidward's distaste for everything and more iconic characters are all here. Best of all players can explore the various popular locations from SpongeBob SquarePants like the Krusty Krab, Patrick's home, and even Rock Bottom.
 

Those who played the original will instantly notice the massive update to the visuals and animations. Everything has been given a polished look with the camera further back and a better view of the area. The playable roster of Sandy, Patrick, and SpongeBob all look amazing with SpongeBob having new animations. Most will recognize these as they've been used in popular memes. The voice actors are not all directly lifted from the show but this is a minor complaint.

The game plays a lot like a modern Mario game. SpongeBob must collect Golden Spatula's to unlock each new level that has a specific number of Spatulas to open. Each area is a semi-open world often with various locations within. Each Golden Spatula has a particular condition that is often provided by a character from SpongeBob's world such as Ms. Puff, Mr. Krabs, and so on. Each of the 15 worlds also contains plenty of other items the amplest being coral and Socks that can be traded in for a Golden Spatula to Mr. Krabs or Patrick. If you want to come back to a specific mission you can fast travel at any time to any location provided you have it unlocked, which is incredible for completionists.

That being said the biggest issue in SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated is locating the sub-objectives and items. Most of the time you're given objectives like find this person or destroy this target a set amount of times. Locating these things can be annoying since you're not given a general location. So if you miss one you'll have to search each section of the map to locate it. This also goes for Patrick's Socks which are required to 100% the game.

Another problem is that some objectives will reset after death. For example, when sliding down Sand Mountain you're required to smash all the sandmen. You can go down the mountain as many times as you need but if you die everything resets. This also goes for some main objectives, forcing the player to redo the entire section.
 

The updated visuals in this remaster are outstanding. Compared to the 2003 version it looks like an entirely new game. I haven't seen an update this well-done since Vicarious Visions' remastered Crash Bandicoot. The lush color palette reflects the show's Hawaiian atmosphere and best of all there are plenty of SpongeBob pictures from popular episodes everywhere.

Each of the three playable protagonists has different abilities. SpongeBob can sneak, Sandy can hover and grapple, and Patrick can lift heavy objects that are often used for attacking, freezing water, and catapulting himself. You switch between the characters at bus stops and its not until the final set of levels that you'll need to actively switch between the friends. More often you'll be required to play as 1 character for a significant part before needing to switch. SpongeBob is the only character that gains new upgrades as the game continues, all based on his love for bubbles. The game fully takes advantage of the character's unique abilities for some regular puzzles.

Platforming is conventional, with the player jumping from location to location while collecting items. Controls are tight and responsible and combat is okay. You'll fight an array of robots with unique attack patterns and some with added shields. Most of the time you're required to destroy a Robot Generator to prevent them from respawning. An occasional boss fight is provided that breaks up the action. It's nothing too challenging.
 

The boss encounters are few but break up each chapter of this adventure. With each section of the exploring HUB ending with a boss fight against one of Plankton's giant rogue robots. They aren't challenging but they're entertaining to fight. Each one fashioned after 1 of SpongeBob's friends and uses attacks based on that person's personality.

Once you complete the 8-10 hour campaign you can try multiplayer, both online or local. Here players can choose from 7 playable characters from the game, including the villain. 2 players enter one of the 26 islands and take on a horde of robots. Ending with a unique boss fight, not in the original game. It's fun and adding new content to a remastered game like this is always a nice touch.
 

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated is a game for fans of the show. The game doesn't do anything groundbreaking but it still holds up today. With the presentation overshadowing many of the mediocre elements. The updated visuals and animations are truly amazing, showing how far games have come since 2003. SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated isn't a ground-break or distinguished title. It is a fun and funny adventure that will leave you smiling.
 

Adam Siddiqui,
Managing Editor, NoobFeed
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