| SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom |
North American Xbox version box art |
| Developer(s) |
AWE Games, Heavy Iron Studios, Vicarious Visions |
| Publisher(s) |
THQ |
| Designer(s) |
Mare Chaffe, Jill Bux, Herman Shart |
| Engine |
RenderWare |
| Aspect ratio |
4:3 |
| Native resolution |
720p, 1080i (HDTV)
480i, 480p (SDTV) |
| Platform(s) |
PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox, Game Boy Advance, PC |
| Release date(s) |
Windows
NA October 30, 2003
PAL October 30, 2003
GBA, GC, PS2, & Xbox
NA October 30, 2003
PAL November 27, 2003
|
| Genre(s) |
Platform |
| Mode(s) |
Single-player |
| Rating(s) |
ELSPA: 3+
ESRB: E
OFLC: G
PEGI: 3+
|
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom is a video game based on the animated comedy series SpongeBob SquarePants. The game has been released for the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo GameCube, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, and Xbox consoles. The player attempts to defend Bikini Bottom from an invasion of robots created by Plankton with a machine called the Duplicatotron 3000. The playable characters are SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy. The Windows version features a series of mini-games and greatly differs from the console versions.
Gameplay
Patrick stands at the edge of a pier in the Goo Lagoon level. A Glove Bot, one of the many kinds of robots in the game, is hovering behind him.
Players control SpongeBob, Sandy, and Patrick (except in the GBA version, where you only control Spongebob) through a number of locations such as Jellyfish Fields, and can switch between characters at bus stops throughout the game. Core gameplay involves collecting items and defeating the robots which have attacked Bikini Bottom, whilst crossing platforms and avoiding environmental hazards like spikes and flames. A number of mini-games are also accessible throughout the game.[1]
Three types of items can be collected. Shiny objects are the game's currency, and can be used to pay tolls within game areas or to buy golden spatulas from Mr. Krabs.[2] Golden spatulas are used to grant access to new areas, they are hidden throughout the game and can also be earned by completing tasks set by Squidward and several other characters from the cartoon. These tasks can involve defeating particular robots or searching for items. The other collectible item type, Patrick's socks, can be traded for golden spatulas.[1]
Though some areas can be navigated by any character, several sections can only be completed with a specific character, due to each one having unique abilities. SpongeBob can create a bubble helmet for head-butting enemies, launch a bubble-blowing spin attack and double jump to reach higher platforms.[2] Patrick can throw objects at switches, freeze goo rivers and attack enemies with a belly flop. Sandy can glide over large gaps and wields a lasso, with which she can tie up enemies or swing on hooks to reach distant areas.[1][2]
Plot
At the beginning of the video game, Plankton is seen building an army of robots he means to take over the world. He uses a machine called the Duplicatotron 3000 to create a robot army, but when he starts, he realizes he forgot to set the Duplicatotron's switch to "Obey". He is attacked by the robots and is forced out of the Chum Bucket.
Meanwhile, Spongebob is playing with his best friend, Patrick Star in his house. Patrick says that he has a shell that can recreate an item into many items. They were playing with toy robots at the time, and Patrick puts one toy robot in the shell and says the magic words he believes will make the robot duplicate itself. He says a long line of confusing and long, unknown words and shakes the shell. Then, they both head home.
The next day, Spongebob finds that robots have ransacked his house and invaded Bikini Bottom, his hometown. He believes it was Patrick's magic shell that made the robots real. Plankton is outside his house, and Spongebob questions why he's not at his house (also the Chum Bucket). Plankton says that robots invaded his house, forced him out, and started bending back his spoons. He tells Spongebob to force them out of the area before the robots bend back all his forks too. Spongebob accepts and the game begins.
Patrick states that the robots have stolen his socks, and if Spongebob finds ten of them, he'd give him a Golden Spatula. Mr. Krabs states in a telegram that if Spongebob were to find enough Shiny Objects (currency in the game), he'd also give Spongebob a Golden Spatula. The number of Shiny Objects increases each time he sells them to Mr. Krabs, the first Golden Spatula for 3,000 Shiny Objects, and increasing by 500 each Spatula.
Spongebob must find Golden Spatulas to enter different areas. The first available being Spongebob's House, then Bikini Bottom, Jellyfish Fields, Downtown Bikini Bottom, Goo Lagoon, central Bikini Bottom, Rock Bottom, Sand Mountain, the Mermalair, south Bikini Bottom, the Kelp Forest, the Flying Dutchman's Graveyard, Spongebob's Dream, and finally the Chum Bucket. A new boss is faced every time entering a brand-new part of Bikini Bottom.
After beating Robo-Sandy and Robo-Patrick, SpongeBob discovers that Plankton was responsible for the robots. To clear the Krusty Krab's name, the player must solve all the problems in each dream bubble in SpongeBob's dream, save campers/students in the Kelp Forest, and convince the Flying Dutchman to give up his Golden Spatula. After gaining 75 spatulas, the player is able to enter Plankton's lab and discover and defeat a Robo-Plankton and Robo-SpongeBob.
Cast
List of characters
Playable
Levels
- Bikini Botton
- Jellyfish Fields - Background music for Arf
- Downtown Bikini Bottom
- Goo Lagoon
- The Poseidome
- Rock Bottom
- Mermalair
- Sand Mountain
- The Industrial Park
- Kelp Forest - Background music for SleepyTime Robot
- Flying Dutchmans Graveyard
- Spongebob's Dream - Background music for most Robot herd battles and some cut for Patbot
- The Chum Bucket - Fight Spongebot SteelPants & Robo Plankton
There is also a movie theater that can be accessed by paying a fee of 40,000 shiny objects. Once inside, the player is able to view some of the game's concept art.And also some robot intro music can be heard in two levels.
Bosses
- King Jellyfish- Is the first mini-boss of the game. He has the ability to go onto the ground and release a cosmic energy field and can also release smaller jellyfish to attack after getting hit. And has a force field.
- Robo-Sandy- Is the first robot boss of the game. It can do a karate chop, "the old clothesline move" and can perform a jump attack, which stuns itself. You play as SpongeBob first, who does bubble slams to knock Sandy's head off into the headlights. You do the same with Patrick, only pick the head up and toss it into the electric score board. You play as SpongeBob again, only to bubble launch into the self destruct button under the head.
- Prawn- Is the second mini-boss of the game. He is a rival of Mermaid Man because he turned his white clothes pink. He can attack with a matterhorn that shoots sonic blasts and can release Ham-mer robots after the first hit. When the lights on the floor stop moving there will be a straight path to Prawn. You need to Bubble Bowl down that path in order to defeat him.
- Robo-Patrick- Is the second robot boss of the game. It can perform slams, vomit industrial waste, and can spin industrial waste everywhere, which makes itself dizzy for a short amount of time. You play as SpongeBob to dodge Patrick's attacks until he stops spinning and get stunned. You go behind him and hit him with Bubble Bowl in the kick me area of his back, you must repeat this three times until you play as Sandy. SpongeBob is frozen, and it's up to Sandy to unfreeze him and Squidward, this time, he pulls a lever releasing more industrial waste (making the water level higher and higher). You need to swing on Texas swing hooks to drop platforms onto the waste to reach Patrick's back (also repeat). After the water level rose up to SpongeBob and Squidward's ice blocks, they unfroze and SpongeBob wants revenge. You now bubble bowl into Patrick's back.
- The Flying Dutchman- Is the third mini-boss of the game. He can shoot laser eye beams in a DNA pattern and shoot fiery snot from his nose. You must dodge the laser beans and jump over the snot. When he is still turned around grab the tail part of him. You must defeat him in order to gain his Golden Spatula.
- SpongeBot SteelPants- Is the third robot boss of the game, and Robo-Plankton's bride-to-be. It can throw a punching karate chop, spin platforms with its karate chops, and can say KAH-RAH-TAE! so loud that the words will go flying and spin the platforms. You need to missile into the weaknesses on its sides and nose and karate gloves. If you did not notice, there is a goof. When you defeat the robot, There are 4 platforms behind it but when the camera goes to Robot Plankton and back, the 4 platforms are gone.
- Robo-Plankton- Is the fourth and final robot boss of the game. He can shoot lasers from his bucket rocket. You need to Cruise Bubble him when he is not shooting lasers at you. You fight him at the same time as SpongeBot.
- Robo-Squidward- Only appears in the GBA version of the game. It can also be seen in a sketch part of the concept art in the console versions. You must use Mystery (SpongeBob's seahorse from My Pretty Seahorse) to eat the bomb-bots, ride the robot's tentecales, and spit out the robots Mystery ate at his head.
Reception
Battle for Bikini Bottom is currently the most successful SpongeBob game produced. It has won numerous awards, including the Kid's Choice Award for Best Video Game of the Year, Platinum Hits, and Greatest Hits for PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox.
References
External links
