One of the most beloved licensed games of all-time, SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom is a wonderful hodgepodge of all things good about 3D platforming. It’s got multiple characters with different abilities, big boss battles, endless collectibles, entertaining mini-games, and all sorts of secrets to uncover. SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated has all of that too, only brighter and prettier. It makes me so happy.
Heavy times call for lighthearted games. While a lot of us appreciate the appeal of games that tackle weighty issues and challenge players’ notions of morality, those aren’t the games most need right now. Most people need a platforming game where they control a shining beacon of blissful ignorance, set in a colourful world that’s about as far removed from real life as possible. SpongeBob and Bikini Bottom are what most need right now. We’ve been counting on Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated, a remake of the 2003 original out tomorrow for the PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, to cheer most of you up since it was announced. It gets the job done.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated is rarely amusing or challenging, and completing it is an entirely dry experience.
Here's our review: https://t.co/GoA2pVdaMx pic.twitter.com/RGI8jt1lZe
— GameSpot (@GameSpot) June 23, 2020
Rehydrated is the original SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom with a gorgeous graphical upgrade and a remastered soundtrack. There’s a new multiplayer horde mode for up to two players. It also features content cut from the original game, like an evil robot Squidward and an extra phase in the giant robot SpongeBob boss battle.
Most areas allow players to swap between one of two characters, depending on the skills needed to overcome the level’s obstacles. SpongeBob can turn into a ball, bowl with bubbles, launch guided bubble missiles, and wall jump. Patrick has the unique ability to pick up and throw objects and stunned enemies. Most favourite character, Sandy the squirrel, can decimate foes with her lasso, as well as use it to hover and jump from special Texas-shaped skyhook devices. They are Bikini Bottom’s dream team, for better or worse.
Everything about this game would make you smile. The cheerful music, the colourful landscapes, the bouncing, the underwear-as-health-indicator mechanic. Even the silly, sometimes repetitive quips, a hallmark of ‘90s era 3D platforming games, warm my heart. Make sure to play the game’s new competitive multiplayer mode, but we suspect it will have a similar effect.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated is an excellent remake of the cult classic. It evokes the same giddy feelings as the original, while looking better than any game based on a Nickelodeon cartoon has any right to.
Norman Pearlstine is the Chief Editor of News Raise and focuses on Business news. His responsibility is to oversee the editorial content including business, commodities, personal investments and the stock market.
