There’s very little, in fact, aside from a few SpongeBob meme references here and there, that offer something new for returning players like myself. Its jokes and episode references remain kid-friendly and largely based on the earlier seasons of the show, leaving the majority of the series’ rich comedy deposits untapped.
But in playing with beloved source material that has long outlived the original game’s era, Rehydrated is in a strange place.
Sane Trilogy revamped it, while Spyro’s Reignited Trilogy became the fiery new standard for what I thought these remakes could do. Worse, it now comes with the added context of having been so thoroughly surpassed by almost two decades worth of amazing 3D platformers.į Is for Faded MemoriesPlaying a nostalgic platformer remake is something I’ve done quite a few times at IGN.
SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS EPISODES SPEEDY LICENSE
But it’s largely the adventure around those mechanics which, while admittedly fun and enjoyable for how it took advantage of the SpongeBob license just a few years after its debut, remains as limited in its scope, design, and overall thoughtfulness so many years later as it did back on the original Xbox. To its credit, Rehydrated runs cleanly on PlayStation 4 Pro, its remastered soundtrack’s cheery tunes have earwormed their way into my mind, and the actual feel of running, jumping, and bubble-blowing as SpongeBob is precise and responsive. In our October 2003 review of the original Battle for Bikini Bottom, reviewer Mary Jane Irwin said: “The love for the SpongeBob franchise really shines through in Battle for Bikini Bottom - and if it weren't there this would be a very dreary title.” As I replay it nearly 17 years later, that feels extremely accurate – and what’s dreariest about Rehydrated’s 10-ish hour campaign is all the missed opportunities to truly modernize this adventure for first-timers and those of us who look back on it fondly alike. Sane Trilogy and Spyro Reignited Trilogy showing how a revival like this should be done.
SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS EPISODES SPEEDY UPDATE
Its graphical update is accompanied by some imaginative improvements, but those few bright spots aren’t enough to bring Battle for Bikini Bottom’s passable but simplistic and collectathon-heavy gameplay up to the standard you’d expect from a platformer released in 2020 – especially with remakes like the Crash Bandicoot N. Sadly, this flashy remake feels more like a skin-deep remaster in practice, doing little to fix the issues that plagued the original adventure. SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated marks the return of one of the most iconic licensed characters to enter the 3D platforming fray.
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