ARE YOU READY KIDS?!
And by “kids”, I mean anyone. You could be 90 years old and still enjoy SpongeBob SquarePants. It’s a show about an overly enthusiastic sponge and his simple-minded friend getting into mischief and misunderstandings. SpongeBob works at the world-famous Krusty Krab with his long-suffering neighbor Squidward, who tolerates a lot of nonsense and foolishness from SpongeBob. Many games have been created based on the show, some considered absolute classics and others merely average. However, I believe the “Cosmic Shake” game is a classic.
The game starts as it means to go on, with SpongeBob waking up and irritating Squidward, then waking Patrick to do something foolish, like attend a glove convention. They head to Glove World, where they encounter cool kids who laugh at them. A mermaid then sells them King Neptune’s magic bubbles, which grant any wish but with dire consequences. For example, Patrick’s wish for a balloon adventure turns him into a balloon. This causes chaos in Bikini Bottom, as SpongeBob’s pineapple becomes a tin of spiky fruit, Patrick’s rock is missing, the Krusty Krab is transported to another world, and the only restaurant left is the Chum Bucket. SpongeBob and Patrick must travel to various strange new worlds, including Western, Halloween, and caveman worlds, to recover everything missing from their town and save their friends from their new personas.
The first thing you’ll notice about this game is its stunning beauty. The graphics are bright and colorful, bringing Bikini Bottom to life in 3D better than ever before. It even surpasses the recent remaster of “Battle for Bikini Bottom.” This game engine is so good that a full 3D film could be made in it and look great (I played the PS4 version). The sound design is whimsical, with the exception of repeated lines from SpongeBob, which did become annoying towards the end. However, I found myself talking to the screen and responding to SpongeBob to prevent boredom. The music captures the atmosphere perfectly and is true to the show. The small sounds, such as hops, splashes, and bubble pops, make the world feel alive and enhance the visual beauty of the game.
The game play itself is basic but exactly what it need to be…if you go into a SpongeBob game wanting Dark Souls you will straight up be disappointed. The cosmic Shake isn’t trying to break the mould like Mario odyssey did its unapologetically simple and charming too…you have a double jump a pizza box glider (which is The gameplay is basic but it’s exactly what it needs to be. If you’re looking for a game like Dark Souls, this SpongeBob game won’t satisfy you. The Cosmic Shake is unapologetically simple and charming. It features a double jump, a pizza box glider (which is where most of the repeated sound bites come from), a jellyfish net for combat, and special moves like a body slam and a hook shot. The hook shot swings SpongeBob so violently that I crack up laughing every time. I don’t know if this was deliberate, but I hope THQ keeps it in as it’s my favourite part of the game.
AAs SpongeBob, you traverse through the hub world of Bikini Bottom and travel to strange new dimensions accessible only with cosmic costumes. Each world is large, free-roam in parts, but generally linear. After having a million open-world games, this is a breath of fresh air. Each world is stunning and fully realized with its theme. Without spoilers, the first world you wear a cowboy outfit and chase a moustached villain, riding seahorses, chasing trains, and kicking in saloon doors, all with a patented SpongeBob twist.
Overall, I would recommend this game highly. It’s a great challenge for younger kids and a fun, dopey game for older kids. It has naughty jokes that go over kids’ heads and silly jokes that they will love. The game is gorgeous, plays smoothly, and sounds perfect.. PLAY THIS GAME.
Have a great day, be nice to each other.
Stuart