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SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated

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SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated
Developer(s)Purple Lamp Studios[a]
Publisher(s)THQ Nordic[b]
Director(s)Daniel Bernard
Producer(s)Martin Kreuch
Designer(s)
  • Julian Breddy
  • Andrea Villa
  • Daniela Etzinger
  • Aled Gwyn Davies
  • Roberto Padron
Programmer(s)
  • Philipp Kogelnig
  • Simon Dobersberger
Artist(s)
  • Stefan Krastev
  • Juan Olea
  • Targo Sirol
Composer(s)Gabriel Schönangerer[c]
SeriesSpongeBob SquarePants
EngineUnreal Engine 4
Platform(s)
Release
  • Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One
    • WW: June 23, 2020
  • Stadia
    • WW: December 8, 2020
  • Android, iOS
    • WW: January 21, 2021
  • Luna
    • US: September 9, 2021
Genre(s)Platform, action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated (German: Spongebob Schwammkopf: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated) is a 2020 platform game developed by Purple Lamp Studios and published by THQ Nordic. Based on the Nickelodeon animated series SpongeBob SquarePants, it is a remake of the console versions of Heavy Iron Studios' SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom (2003). It is the first major game in the series since SpongeBob HeroPants (2015) and the first since the death of the show's creator Stephen Hillenburg in 2018. The game was released on June 23, 2020, for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, and Stadia. A version for mobile devices was released on January 21, 2021.

Despite receiving mixed reviews, the game was a commercial success, selling over 2 million copies. A spiritual sequel, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake, was released in 2023.

Gameplay

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Main article: SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom § Gameplay

The core gameplay involves collecting items and defeating the robots which have attacked various areas in Bikini Bottom while crossing platforms and avoiding environmental hazards like spikes and flames. Some areas require different characters to beat, as each character has its unique abilities. The player can control SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy. Switching characters requires the player to find a Bus Stop, upon using which the current character will switch to another, and using it again will switch back to the previous character, giving the player an option of two characters in each level. The default character throughout the game is SpongeBob; Sandy and Patrick do not share any levels as playable characters.

Throughout the game, the player will collect Shiny Objects, Socks, and Golden Spatulas. Shiny Objects are dropped by enemies and scattered throughout levels and can be used to pay clams to progress through levels and unlock extra challenges. They can also be traded with Mr. Krabs for Golden Spatulas. Socks are placed in levels in harder-to-reach locations, and 10 of them can be traded to Patrick for a Golden Spatula. Golden Spatulas are used to unlock new areas in the game, and 75 of them are required to fight the final boss.

A new addition to the remake is a multiplayer horde mode in which two players face waves of robotic enemies.[1][2] The mode includes cut content from the original game, including a fight against a robotic Squidward, a scrapped version of Patrick's dream, and a cut phase of the Robo-SpongeBob fight.

Development and release

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Development for Rehydrated began as early as January 2018, when THQ Nordic enlisted Purple Lamp Games as one of their developers.[3] In March 2018, THQ Nordic announced plans for "the global revival of several game titles" for many older Nickelodeon properties.[4] This led to speculation that they were planning to remake or re-release several Nickelodeon games, including Battle for Bikini Bottom.[5] Purple Lamp used "Industrial Park"–a third-party tool by Brazilian modder Igorseabra used for viewing and editing levels from Heavy Iron's back catalogue–to aid in extracting levels as reference material. Igorseabra contacted Purple Lamp upon noticing their tool being used without their knowledge and was added to the game's credits in an update.[6]

Rehydrated was first officially announced on June 5, 2019, in the days leading up to E3 2019.[7][8][9] The game was not playable until Gamescom, which started August 20 that year, where visitors could get their hands on it at THQ Nordic's booth.[10][11] On April 16, 2020, it was announced that the game will be released on June 23, 2020.[12] iOS and Android versions of the game were released on January 21, 2021.[13]

The game is available in two limited editions on all platforms. The Shiny Edition includes wall stickers, six lithographs, special SpongeBob SquarePants tennis socks, and a figurine of SpongeBob with a flexible tongue and a golden spatula in his hand. In addition to that, the F.U.N. Edition also comes with two similarly sized figurines of Sandy Cheeks and Patrick Star, as well as a set of five tiki keyrings.[14]

The game features both the original archival recordings from the main campaign, as well as new recordings, from the English voice cast, as well as new recordings from the French, German, Italian, Spanish, Latin American Spanish (added on December 19, 2020), Polish and Japanese voice casts. It also supports text and subtitles in Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Malay, Thai, Korean, and Simplified Chinese, alongside the mentioned voiceover languages.[15][16]

The game is powered by Unreal Engine 4 and supports 4K resolution on the enhanced PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X models.[17][18]

Reception

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SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated received "mixed or average" reviews according to Metacritic.[19][20][21][22]

IGN gave the game 5/10, saying that it "sinks under its reverence to nostalgia" and wrote, "[T]here are bright spots that remain fun almost two decades later, and there are pops of ingenuity in its reworking, but it does little to stand alongside the best, or even the pretty good, platformer remakes and remasters we've seen this generation."[27] In its 2/10 review, GameSpot wrote that "remasters, ports, and remakes are nice because they make games more accessible to new audiences, and the ones that excel understand that some features from the game's era are antiquated and should be updated or removed. SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated flops like a fish out of water when it comes to this." They concluded that the game "winds up being an unpleasant nostalgia trip that nobody should pack their bags for."[26]

Sales

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SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated placed at 19 on NPD's list of top 20 sales in the month of June.[33] In the UK, Rehydrated was the 3rd bestselling video game software in the week of June 27, 2020.[34]

On August 13, 2020, Rehydrated was announced to have sold over 1 million copies.[35] As of May 19, 2021, it reached more than 2 million copies.[36]

In January 2021, THQ Nordic CEO Klemens Kreuzer called Rehydrated a "fantastic success" due to its sales and hinted at the potential for similar games to be developed by the studio in the future.[37] A spiritual sequel,[38] SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake, was announced on September 17, 2021.[39] The game released for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on January 31, 2023.[40]

Notes

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  1. ^ Original game developed by Heavy Iron Studios.
  2. ^ Android and iOS versions published by HandyGames.
  3. ^ Audio design for the remastered soundtrack. Original game composed by Jimmy Levine, Robert Crew and Alex Wilkinson.

References

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  1. ^ Dornbush, Jonathon (June 22, 2020). "SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated Review". IGN. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  2. ^ King, Jade (June 22, 2020). "SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated Review". Trusted Reviews. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  3. ^ Batchelor, James (January 6, 2021). "The SpongeBob SquarePants effect: Why THQ Nordic is doubling down on licenses". gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  4. ^ "THQ Nordic and Nickelodeon Bring Back Selected Game Titles from the Past" (Press release). THQ Nordic. March 21, 2018. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  5. ^ Frank, Allegra (March 21, 2018). "Classic Nickelodeon games are returning, thanks to THQ Nordic". Polygon. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  6. ^ Purple Lamp Games. SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated (Credits screen).
  7. ^ Lanier, Liz (June 5, 2019). "Classic Spongebob Squarepants Game Getting Remake, Multiplayer Mode". Variety. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  8. ^ Moyce, Chris (June 5, 2019). "SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom getting remastered for PC and consoles". Destructoid. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
  9. ^ Tailby, Stephen (June 5, 2019). "Are You Ready, Kids? SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated Announced". Push Square. Archived from the original on June 5, 2019. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
  10. ^ Garst, Aron (July 25, 2019). "SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated will be playable for the first time at Gamescom". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on July 26, 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  11. ^ Stevens, Colin (June 6, 2019). "SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated Announced". IGN. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  12. ^ Romano, Sal (April 16, 2020). "SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated launches June 23". Gematsu. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  13. ^ Team, M. G. H. (January 2, 2021). "SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom To Release On Mobile This January 2021". Mobile Gaming Hub. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  14. ^ Romano, Sal (October 24, 2019). "SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated special editions announced". Gematsu. Archived from the original on October 25, 2019. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  15. ^ Romano, Sal (May 27, 2020). "SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated 'Languages are F.U.N.' Trailers". Gematsu.com. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  16. ^ @Beta64Official (February 29, 2020). "According to the THQ guy I had show me the demo, there will be NO new voice overs in SpongeBob Battle For Bikini Bottom Rehydrated. Only thing that will be recorded is for the scrapped levels they're adding in. Mr. Krabs voice will not be changed" (Tweet). Retrieved July 26, 2022 – via Twitter.
  17. ^ Van Allen, Eric (June 5, 2019). "THQ Nordic Announced a Remake of Cult Classic SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle For Bikini Bottom, and the Internet is Freaking Out". USgamer. Archived from the original on June 18, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  18. ^ Baez, Ryan (February 18, 2020). "Interview: THQ Nordic talks Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated". Jack of All Controllers. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  19. ^ a b "SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  20. ^ a b "SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  21. ^ a b "SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  22. ^ a b "SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  23. ^ Andriessen, CJ (June 27, 2020). "Review: SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated". Destructoid. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  24. ^ Ellis, Bradley. "Review: SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated". easyallies.com. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  25. ^ Tamburro, Paul (June 22, 2020). "SpongeBob: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated Review for Switch, PS4, PC, Xbox". GameRevolution. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  26. ^ a b Joseph, Funké (June 22, 2020). "SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated Review - Expired Nostalgia". GameSpot. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  27. ^ a b Dornbush, Jonathan (June 22, 2020). "SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated Review". IGN. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  28. ^ Vogel, Mitch (June 22, 2020). "Review: SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated - A Fun 3D Platformer, Despite Some Technical Hitches". NintendoLife.com.
  29. ^ Hilhorst, Willem (June 22, 2020). "Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated Review - Review". NintendoWorldReport.com. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  30. ^ Benke, David (June 22, 2020). "SpongeBob SquarePants: Wie viel F.U.N. steckt in der Neuauflage?". PC Games (in German). Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  31. ^ Chandler, Sam (June 22, 2020). "SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated review: I NEED IT". Shacknews. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  32. ^ Rampazzi, Simone (October 30, 2019). "SpongeBob SquarePants Battle for Bikini Bottom Recensione | TGM". TheGamesMachine.it. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  33. ^ "Matt Piscatella on Twitter". Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  34. ^ "UK Sales Charts: The Last of Us Remastered Returns Amid Sequel's Success". June 28, 2020. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  35. ^ "Q1 REPORT WEBCAST PRESENTATION". Archived from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  36. ^ "FULL YEAR REPORT 2020/2021 AND Q4 WEBCAST PRESENTATION". Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  37. ^ Blaise Deveney (January 7, 2021). "SpongeBob Remake's Million Sales Means More Games Like It To Come". Screen Rant. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  38. ^ "SpongeBob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake announced". PlayStation.Blog. August 12, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  39. ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is an all new 3D platformer coming to consoles and PC". VideoGamer.com. September 20, 2021. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  40. ^ Brian (September 13, 2022). "September 2022 Nintendo Direct recap announcement". Nintendo Everything. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
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