I am legit shocked at the reviews SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated is getting from some of the “big” game review sights. I freaking loved this game back in 2003 and played the heck out of the GameCube version of it. It was a fantastic 3D platformer for its time and this remake manages to recapture what made it such a special game.
How to Download SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated
To download the game for your Windows machine, you can get it from Steam (and download the official soundtrack separately). The console versions (Switch, PS4, Xbox One) are also available. Click on the Download button at the end of the review. And if you like SpongeBob, check out our review of The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water
The Game Review
The first thing that grabs you about this game is the presentation. The original at the time captured the show perfectly, but this game takes things to a whole new level. For what is being sold as a “budget” game, we have some amazing graphics here that bring SpongeBob, Sandy, Patrick, and the rest of Bikini Bottom to life like no other game has done before.
While the game looks great, the same cannot be said for the sound. The music is fine, it perfectly fits the SpongeBob world. The voice acting however can be bad, not so much the quality, but the fact they could not get the whole cast on board. Mr. Krabs in particular goes right through me with how unlike him he sounds!
The gameplay is what really makes SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated a joy to play. This is a 3D platformer and one of the better ones to be released in the last few years if you ask me. You have three playable characters in SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy and each one has their own abilities that make them unique and suitable for certain sections of a level. I just wish we could change characters on the fly.
There are many levels in the game that take you to all different parts of Bikini Bottom. The platforming feels great thanks to very solid controls. The combat is simple, but it feels right at home in this game and each character is fun to play as. Sandy is my favorite as I liked using her lasso to grab enemies and swing around.
You do not just have to get from point a to point b. This is also a bit of a collectathon, but I mean that in a positive way. Spatulas are what you are collecting and you usually need to get a certain amount to open the next area. There are also side missions where you can collect certain items for other residents of Bikini Bottom such as Larry the Lobster and Mrs. Puff.
You do have to keep in mind that at the end of the day, SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated is a game made primarily for kids. This is most evident in the difficulty as the game is very generous with extra lives and even the “puzzles” are not going to cause you too much trouble. The good thing is the game is so much fun, you will not care.
They have put in some extra content here over the original game. There is even content that was cut from the original game so that is pretty cool. There is also a multiplayer horde mode which is a fun addition, but I do feel they could have done a tad more with it as it is rather basic.
If you liked the original game you will like this. If you enjoy a fun 3D platformer you are going to have a great time with this. For around 20 bucks or so, SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated is a game that no matter what you game on is worth picking up. It is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
