Let's return to Bikini Bottom
*I completed the game in a single run which took roughly 4 hours using my spare controllers to assess the couch co-op capabilities
After batteries have been accidentally dropped into the ocean, it doesn't take Plankton long to snap them up and use them to power an army of robots with the sole purpose of... yep, you guessed it - obtaining the legendary Krabby Patty formula. It is therefore up to Spongebob and his friends to find the hidden keys to Mr Krabs safe before Planktons robotic minions can
Plankton's Robotic Revenge greets you with a colourful, cheerful menu system which is nice, simple and makes it very obvious how to proceed and what your options are
You can opt to play through the game as one of the five main characters:
Mr Krabs, Spongebob, Sandy, Patrick and Squidward - all voiced by the authentic voice actors, which really does add a little magic to the atmosphere of the game. I was pleasantly surprised that each character has their own feel in-game and I think effort went into making them look good. Perfectly executed four-player offline co-op makes it very easy for people to jump in and out of the game at any point, which is a good feature for younger players
The graphics are semi-stylised, not exactly ground-breaking but look good. The music and sound effects are all comedic and fit in perfectly too, making you feel quite at home in Bikini Bottom
Gameplay is everything you have come to expect from a 3D platformer on the 360, however there is no arguing that it has been done well here. Controls are simple (Jump, attack, shoot) but work well and allow you to play the game without frustration. Battery power ups can be collected and used in order to gain a brief period of invulnerability and super strength but it is not something you will find you need to use, even as the game gets harder
Level design is very linear, of course. Not much room for exploring but at least this means the path is always clear. You are essentially locked into an area while you fight the enemies in order to progress to the next area. This does however lead to what is admittedly a very repetitive level design where you would be forgiven for mistaking one level for another
Freefalling levels between chapters, where you must navigate debris to safely reach the bottom provide a little bit of a change but they are brief
For when a good old slap or 'double jump squash' won't cut it - don't worry! There are several ranged, fast-food themed weapons at your disposal and they are all quite unique which provide some fun options for taking out the different enemies you encounter. These can be upgraded through an in-game terminal or at the end of a level using the sprockets collected by smashing crates and killing enemies. One weapon in particular can be overpowered and renders the others kind of obsolete however, unless you are just having fun with them
The stock enemies are simple robots, which eventually also fall prey to repetition much like the level design does. Variation comes later in the game with the introduction of ranged enemies as it gets mildly more difficult but it remains largely the same
The boss model is identical throughout the game but different minions and attacks keep it relatively fresh, considering. Nothing too adventurous or memorable here but more importantly, nothing too frustrating
Summary:
This game is very faithful to the universe from which it was created and if you are a youngster and/or fan of the cartoon, this game was (Spongebob) squarely aimed at you. Repetition hinders this game in the form of lacklustre level design and little variation in enemy design but there is fun to be had here and I believe it deserves a chance, even if it is a bit too short
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Achievement Hunters, I haven't forgotten you. Here is quick summary:
Pros:
1) Achievements are very easy (ratio of 1.2)
2) Nothing can be missed (level select)
2) Its a short game (4 hours)
Cons:
"Are you ready to grind kids?"
"Hell no, Captain"
"I can't hear you!"
"Hell no captain"
"Urggghhhh"
1) All five characters need their gadgets levelling up (This means that you are going to be spending a couple hours with each of the four remaining characters grinding out the first few levels for sprockets; it's not fun)
2) You will need four controllers (A couch co-op achievement requires you to have four controllers)
3.0
