Nerds That Geek Game Review – ‘SpongeBob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated’

Written by Zeke Perez Jr.

Are ya ready, kids?! The summer of 2020 took us back to a pineapple under the sea with the release of THQ Nordic’s SpongeBob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated, a remake of the original 2003 game. The cult classic fan favorite is back with polished graphics, a new game mode, and plenty of aquatic hijinx, bringing SpongeBob gaming back for a modern era of consoles and a new generation of fans. We take a look at all of the good, bad, and “F.U.N.” that Rehydrated delivers!
 
F is for Freshening Up the Visuals
First and foremost, the team at THQ Nordic did an outstanding job brightening up and sharpening the look of the original 2003 game. When you think of SpongeBob, you picture the colorful and vivid characters, scenes, and backdrop of the original cartoon. There, the characters are dynamic in their visuals and movements, and the colorful coral and flowery clouds against the light blue sea present a familiar background. 
 
These iconic looks didn’t always translate to the original, as the characters looked stiff and boxy and as the scenery appeared a bit dim, thanks to the technological constraints of the time. All of this is improved upon in Rehydrated, delivering on the game’s promise of “high-end visuals, modern resolutions and carefully polished gameplay.” The upgraded resolutions are especially nice, bringing the old, pixelated 2003 characters to life. From a visual standpoint alone, Rehydrated nails what you look for in a remake of a game. 
 
U is for Ups and Downs
While the enhanced visuals notch an early win for Rehydrated, the game has its ups and downs beyond presentation. Unfortunately, while the game looks better, some levels and specific mechanics of the game play as sloppily as they did in the old version. At its best, it provides challenging and entertaining puzzles to work through in a fun environment, with nostalgia and humor peppered in. At its worst, it’s a tedious slog to maneuver through certain levels or tasks. Here are some of the Krabby Patties (a.k.a. good things) and Chumburgers (a.k.a. bad things) from the game. 

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Krabby Patties

• The boss fights are a blast! They feel like perfect culminations of each level and work in a wide cast of characters. They play like the boss battles from old-school games, where recognizing patterns and weaknesses is key, where you know exactly what you need to do after a few attempts, but where the difficulty comes in execution. They’re just the right amount of challenge and serve as an exciting way to break up the pace of the game. 
• The humor still lands, and it’s enhanced by the appearance and movements of characters in conversations. The characters emote in more natural and humorous ways compared to the 2003 version, thanks to the new animation. 
• The voice acting from (most of) the original cast still sounds great. It’s a touch that makes it feel as if you were playing through a SpongeBob episode or movie. The only downside is that the limited amount of dialogue recorded can get repetitive. If I hear SpongeBob say “Push. Push. Push-push” after pushing a button one more time, I...

Chumburgers

• When I first fired up the game, I had some presentation issues where prompts and texts were being cut off at the bottom of the screen. After looking online, I found I wasn’t alone. Unfortunately, the settings menu doesn’t offer any ability to move or resize the screen, so the only solution is to tweak your TV settings (regardless of whether every other game on your console fits just fine). 
• I had some other glitches throughout where I’d respawn to a part of a level I hadn’t yet accessed and would end up trapped. 
• Various movements and mechanics still feel clunky. Battling a common enemy, bungee jumping, or bubble bowling can all be more difficult than necessary. For instance, bubble bowling still doesn’t seem to be as crisp as it could be, especially when you’re trying to turn paddlewheels or hit buttons. I constantly found that the paddlewheel won’t respond if you hit the paddle dead center (where the bowling logo is…). Instead, you have to hit it on the very edge. Mechanisms like this make navigating levels feel like a chore. 
• Speaking of levels feeling like a chore… The portions of levels that are built vertically (like in Downtown Bikini Bottom) can be a pain, as “side quests” or attacks from enemies can too easily derail your progress on the main objective. Working from the bottom of the level to the Golden Spatula at the top, veering off to get one of Patrick’s lost socks will make you start essentially from scratch, rather than being something you can do along the way.

N is for New and Old Things, Down Here in the Deep Blue Sea
Rehydrated does a solid job of walking the fine line between staying true to the original game and adding new content that remakes have to navigate, but perhaps skews a little more heavily to the former. 
 
Starting with what’s new, Rehydrated adds a multiplayer horde mode where you take on swarms of robots. It allows you to play as Squidward, Mr. Krabs, Gary, or Robo-Plankton for the first time ever (which is very fun) and adds in other content that was cut from the 2003 version, including a robot-Squidward boss and an alternate version of Patrick’s dream. The mode is a nice addition, but isn’t necessarily worth getting the game for. As is the case in the main story, fighting the same crew of robot enemies can grow old and irritating pretty quickly. 
 
The game also does a good job of fan-service with its additions, adding some fun treats in for SpongeBob fans. SpongeBob, Sandy, and Patrick all have new idle animations, including a hilarious “surprised Patrick” animation pulled from the 2004 movie and the ever-popular meme. Other references to newer episodes are scattered throughout the game. 
 
Through these additions and through the improvements to the original game, Rehydrated brings sparks a lot of nostalgic memories. It may not offer too much to someone who didn’t play the original version or who isn’t a massive SpongeBob fan, but it’s a joy to revisit and it should serve as a great introduction for younger fans of the show trying out the game for the first time. Coming back to it nearly 20 years later made me appreciate how well it holds up. It also felt to me like it would be a blast to try and speedrun for a new challenge. 

The game certainly has its ups and downs. The pace can get bogged down in some of the clunky mechanics, as gameplay teeters between being too easy or just plain frustrating. But, with that in mind, it still finds a way to deliver plenty of cartoonish fun. If you’re yearning for a piece of the past or if you’re a SpongeBob fan looking to dive into the underwater world of your favorite characters, the improved graphics and the nostalgia factor may make it worth picking up a copy of Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated.

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