In 2020, SpongeBob returned to the world of video games -after many games that did not convince the public- with the title SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated, a reimagining of the game of the same name that was released for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube. Now thanks to the success of the 2020 ‘remake’, Purple Lamp Studios has developed a new adventure for our friend in square pants. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is the name of the new video game starring SpongeBob and Patricio Estrella, which will arrive on January 31 for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC and Xbox One.
Index of the review of SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake
“Are you guys ready? Yes Captain, we’re ready”
The story of SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake it doesn’t try to be complex and feels like something that could easily happen in a movie in the franchise. Since this is an exclusive adventure of SpongeBob and Patricio Estrella, which will help us, in which we will save our friends and not control them as it did in Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated. The story of The Cosmic Shake It starts when SpongeBob (SpongeBob SquarePants) and Patricio Estrella find a magical bubbler capable of fulfilling the crazy wishes of our protagonists.
As expected, SpongeBob and Patrick Star don’t hold back and make all kinds of wishes, which throw Bikini Bottom into complete chaos. For this reason, the most “illustrious” inhabitants and some of the iconic places of Bikini Bottom have disappeared and are scattered throughout different dimensions connected to Bikini Bottom. Our mission is to collect magical jellyfish and for Madame Kassandra to help us return Bikini Bottom to normal. In addition, while we collect what is requested of us, we will recover our friends with the help of the magic bubbler.
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake It is a game to enjoy as a family
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake It is a calm and easy platform game to be enjoyed —especially— by the little ones in the house. So, as we said above, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake It is a game to enjoy with the little ones in the house. Of course, if we are fans of the one created in 1999 by Stephen Hillenburg, we will constantly find nods to episodes, places, and costumes that we have seen throughout the 24-year life of the franchise.
In SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake We will travel through seven worlds, set in settings such as the Wild West, the ‘set’ of a Kung-Fu movie, a world of pirates with the flying Dutchman and even a level set in ‘Halloween’ among other surprises that Purple has. Lamp Studios for fans of our friend in the square pants. Our movements are not as elaborate as in a Nintendo plumber game, but they are adequate for the challenge that the game proposes. At our disposal we will have double jumps, planning —with the help of our pizza box—, a useful Karate kick or a hook to balance ourselves through the different dimensions that we will visit.
Each stage features a unique theme and new abilities.
The story of SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake invites us to have a linear experience, easy to digest for a child. However, each of the skills we learn throughout the seven dimensions – eight if we count Bikini Bottom – will help us find new paths in the previous worlds or even access new places in Bikini Bottom to get doubloons. With these doubloons we will be able to unlock, in the store, the 30 costumes that Purple Lamp Studios has included The Cosmic Shake additional to those that the game gives us when entering each dimension.
The scenarios in SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake They are simple, so we recommend that you not overthink and listen to the inner child of each one —or the one who is accompanying us— to find the best route or the solution to a dead end that we can find. As for the duration, the main story of SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake It can take—if we don’t stop to do secondary missions in Bikini Bottom—about 10 hours. However, completing it does not involve a large investment of time either.
Some of the riddles SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake They will require some of our help to be solved by the newest or youngest players in the house.
localized laughs
At the graphics level, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake It meets a perfect setting for the world of Bob and Patrick. Scenarios full of nods to the series, with a good number of enemies and several ways to explore them. However, in our review of SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake, we had irregular frame rates on several occasions. Especially in moments that involved explosions and multiple enemies.
The sound of the game, with some slight problems that will surely be fixed for its launch, the experience is very satisfactory. Unfortunately, the Latin American Spanish dub was not available during the time we documented SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake for our review. However, THQ Nordic and Purple Lamp Studios have stated that voices from our region will be available for launch. Without a doubt, this is a compelling reason to return to Bikini Bottom.
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake It is not a game that pretends to be enshrined by hard-core video game fans. Since the Purple Lamp Studios title —despite its technical shortcomings and its simple level design— is made for the youngest to have fun with it. This has been precisely our experience. Sitting with our son and watching him evolve through the scenarios while he laughs and enjoys the witticisms of the characters is a price that is certainly worth paying to enjoy “The Best Friend You Could Want” again.
Review made using a digital Xbox One copy of SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake provided by THQ Nordic.
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