Analysis of SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game

The famous yellow sponge returns with a new video game, formerly starring his best friend, Patricio Estrella

If we talk about children’s (and not so children’s) cartoons, one of the most famous characters is SpongeBob. This animated series was born in 1999 and since then it has enjoyed enormous success which continues to this day. And as it could not be otherwise, he received numerous films and video games, of varying quality. Recently, SpongeBob was released. Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated and SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake, two platform video games that turned out to be very good. After that, Outright Games and PHL Collective bring us a new video game, in which we can explore Bikini Bottom at our leisure, doing a thousand and one crazy things with Patricio Estrella. Will it be as good as previous games in the series?

Play the goat

No SpongeBob video game has stood out for its plot or deep story, but they’ve always been fun, feeling like another chapter in the animated series. In this case, the plot of SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game is conspicuous by its absence. We are Patricio Estrella, who wakes up from a dream and has nothing to do, so he sets out to do a multitude of crazy things and pranks in Bikini Bottom. The title does not have a thread to keep us moving forward, it simply releases us into its world so that we can do what we want.

. This isn’t a bad thing in itself, but a series of main missions that tell us some sort of story, no matter how simple, would have been nice. The little ones would have appreciated it.

A goat simulator in bikini bottoms

SpongeBob: The Patrick Star game is very reminiscent of the Goat Simulator saga, in every way. For example, physics is a fundamental part of the title. We can grab any objects we want, throw them or even use their special functions. This is a very important aspect of the title, since most mini-games are resolved this way. Patricio will also be able to jump, reach higher places and even drive, as previously seen in the Mad Goat Saga. It is a very simple gameplay, easy to learn, but very fun, which will undoubtedly delight the little ones in the house..

The world is recreated very faithfully compared to that of the original work. This is divided into zones, with their own missions and mini-games. In each corner we will find a character from the series, like Squidward, Plankton, Sandy… who will give us different missions or immerse us in fun mini-games, with which we can obtain coins to unlock outfits for our protagonist . These mini-games are a lot of fun and range from winning races for Mrs. Puff, destroying floating boxes with a rock thrower, or beating Squidward in painting competitions.

. It is true that some are better resolved than others, but in general, they have a good level. Additionally, many collectibles will be scattered across the world, which will also be used to unlock new costumes for Patricio.

As if a chapter of the series concerned

SpongeBob: The Patrick Star game is superb. The characters are very well recreated and seem taken from the same television series. The environments are also of a high standard, with places like Squidward’s house, the Krusty Krab, being completely recognizable… It is true that the previous games in the saga of the yellow sponge are much better, since this one -this has a bit of flatness and textures. simplistic, but still, the PHL Collective studio did a superb job. In the Series X, the game runs very well, although it has a few bugs here and there. On several occasions Patricio found himself stuck in a corner, but these are fairly anecdotal bugs.

The sound section has a very high level, but with a rather significant drawback. The voices are the originals compared to the original series, but in its English version. The game does not have Spanish dubbing with the original voicesa somewhat questionable decision, since previous games had them. The OST is also very reminiscent of the melodies of the series, being of course very pleasant and friendly.

Conclusions

SpongeBob: The Patrick Star Game is a game aimed at the little ones in the house, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s a title full of possibilities, full of fun mini-games and which can be an excellent introduction to discovering the world of video games. Additionally, if you are a fan of Spongebob Squarepants and his world, the video game will surely keep you glued to the screen for the 6-8 hours that it lasts. As negative aspects, the absence of a Spanish dubbing with the original voices of the series is very noticeable, in addition to a story or a common thread that encourages us to explore Bikini Bottom. Despite all this, the work of Outright Games and PHL Collective can be a sure value as a gift this Christmas.