Much like many others in my age range, SpongeBob SquarePants played a pivotal role in shaping my sense of humor. As a kid I enjoyed the show for the wild and goofy antics of its main characters and as an adult I have found it impressive just how many jokes per minute are packed into each episode. Some of which are surprisingly complex for a children’s show. If you feel the same way about the sponge that lives in a pineapple under the sea, then SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake from developer Purple Lamp, the spiritual successor to 2002’s Battle for Bikini Bottom, will surely keep you entertained. But the big question here is whether the game is fun for all ages or just for those who grew up on the show.
The Cosmic Shake starts much like the plot of a regular Spongebob Squarepants episode: SpongeBob and Patrick do something harmless that throws Bikini Bottom into chaos. While attempting to blow bubbles using mermaid tears, they accidentally open swirly pink portals that warp SpongeBob’s friends and select Bikini Bottom landmarks into different realities. It’s then up to the square sponge and his balloon starfish sidekick to work with the mysterious (and definitely not evil) Madame Kassandra and make things right. Doing so involves world-hopping across dimensions from the Wild West to totally accurate movie sets. One thing that’s clear through it all though is that The Cosmic Shake is made with love for the source material.
Fans of the show will be able to pick up on references at every corner and the writing should make you feel right at home. On top of that, most of the voice cast from the show are back to reprise their roles. Although time may have changed a bit of how the characters sound, it’s still nice to hear them say silly things for our amusement. There were several times during my playthrough when I found myself chuckling along to the game’s left-field jokes that felt ripped right out of the show. And, much like the show is often self-aware about being a show, the game is the same way about knowing it is a game. Which leads to funny moments in its own way.
Despite what my Platinum trophy in Ice Age: Scrat’s Nutty Adventure might suggest, I don’t have much of a history in 3D platformers. I’ve played a fair share of them over the years but rarely rolled credits on them. That being said, I not only finished The Cosmic Shake but I even went back to pick up some spare trophies. There are multiple factors that play into this. Firstly, the game has the perfect setup for having you play through varied backdrops. As I said earlier, SpongeBob and company travel through dimensions from the Wild West to movie sets (I am referring to only those two for now so as to not spoil some of the late-game areas). This ensures that you aren’t staring at the same thing for too long.
Then there’s the game length, which doesn’t overstay its welcome. For me, as someone who felt that platformers I played in the past carried on for an hour or two longer than they should have, The Cosmic Shake ends when it should. There are a total of seven mostly linear levels and they introduce a steady flow of new abilities and enemies as you progress. The gameplay is fun, designed to make you chain moves together with little effort, but there’s not much challenge or precision required for it. The game took me about eight hours to reach sweet, sweet, sweet victory and, while some sections were more engaging than others, the game never felt stale or unfair.
Of course, a big part of platformers (or so Austin tells me) is the post-game hunt for collectibles. There are a lot of collectibles in the game, from Plankton’s pet, Spot, to Patrick’s sticky notes, but the only two that really need your attention are the Jellies and Dabloons. You use the Jellies to purchase costumes for SpongeBob and the Dabloons unlock different costume tiers (which are, of course, full of some deep cuts). There are other collectibles but there is little incentive to pursue them with only subpar rewards if you do. For me, the biggest reasons to return to the game are to find the previously inaccessible secrets hidden in each level and for reattempting some of the bosses to pop trophies.
I want to take a quick detour here to talk to the non-fans. Yes, you can probably gather that The Cosmic Shake is an easy recommendation for people who like the show, but what if you have never seen an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants? Well, your enjoyment of the game will depend heavily on your taste and tolerance for stupid jokes. Yes, the show had jokes that provide interesting commentary but the game has no such proclivities. And if you’re not a fan of SpongeBob, then just do yourself a favor and skip this for all the same reasons I listed above.
When it comes to looks, The Cosmic Shake may have the bright color palette of the show, but it lacks the clean execution. Textures often take a second to load in with full resolution at the start of new levels and there’s also little to no accurate lip sync outside of cutscenes. The music is fitting for each of the game worlds, but the sound design suffers from similar pitfalls as the visuals. Certain actions and scenarios don’t have all the required sounds mixed into the track, meaning there can sometimes be awkward silences. Both of these shortcomings are unfortunate, but neither prevented me from enjoying the game.
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Comic Shake is not the toughest platformer you’ll ever play, so if you’re looking for a challenge, there isn’t much to satisfy you here. However, if you want a fun platformer that asks you to jump, glide, and kah-rah-tay chop through a variety of different locations then look no further than Purple Lamp’s latest. And if you’re a fan of SpongeBob SquarePants and his acquaintances, then the familiar humor and voices will have you feeling like you’re playing through lost episodes of the show. Whether you’re a fan of the show or not, be warned that it has plenty of hiccups that may affect your enjoyment. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Comic Shake is out today on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. A code was provided by the publisher for review.
