SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle For Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated Reviews
SpongeBob Square Pants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated is akin to a time capsule, not just of the golden age of the SpongeBob cartoon but the 3D action genre that was popular two console generations ago. When it works, you can’t help but have a stupid smile on your face. When it gets bogged down, the mechanics can feel dated and the pacing a bit too long. For fans of the original, however, it’s worth a return trip for the nostalgia alone.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated is a fun enough game in its own right, but it's encumbered with the weight of near-ancient game design practices. It's new bright visuals bring Bikini Bottom to life in a whole new way, with character animations now better portraying the classic cartoon than ever before, but its gameplay is still firmly anchored to 2003, some of which has been negatively impacted by its updated visuals. At its core, Rehydrated is a repetitive and cumbersome 2003 platformer. A bit of water in 2020 isn't enough to soak new life into this old dried up sponge.
This really is just a happy game. The music is fun and relaxing and the jokes add a nice level of silly humour to the whole experience. The whole game just feels like those classic platformer games which caused so many people to fall in love with gaming. The team and THQ Nordic have nailed all the joy the original game brought to many and have added enough to also make it feel like a brand new title, not just a remaster. Young and old gamers alike are sure to get a fun kick out of this adventure, and it is one I highly recommend you try.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated breathes new life into one of the best games of 2003. It is a remake that any fan of the yellow sponge or the original game should not miss.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A fresh coat of paint can't disguise the fact that SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated is just a remake of an unremarkable platformer that hasn't exactly aged well.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated is a welcome return for a licensed platforming great. It's wonderfully faithful to the original release while ensuring it has the visual fidelity to stand alongside modern adventures in the genre. While I would have loved an expansion of its levels and a more robust multiplayer offering, this is a remake I believe is essential for platforming fans.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated is a nostalgia-filled time machine that brings back the golden age of the license while adding a fresh coat of paint.
Ultimately, SpongeBob fanatics and hardcore platforming fans won't want to miss this release, but otherwise, you need not rush out to get it.
Considering the long-reaching cultural impact that the SpongeBob cartoon has had on modern pop culture, it’s nice to see that the franchise got at least one solid video game that properly represents the unique draw of SpongeBob and his friends.
A faithful remake that takes an average collect-a-thon of a bygone era and never really does much to improve it aside from some added content and spruced up visuals, Battle for Bikini Bottom is let down by its monotonous gameplay and loose controls.
Spongebob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated isn’t particularly revolutionary, but it is a lot of fun.
Everything feels extremely SpongeBob-like, from colourful, zany environments to character design and especially the game’s soundtrack (which you’ll have stuck inside your head for days after you play, though pleasantly so). As a result, those with ties to the television franchise will absolutely adore proceedings, while those who enjoy a old school collectathon will also feel right at home.
If you're completely, absolutely sure that you'd enjoy Battle for Bikini Bottom as much today as you did as a kid if not for the outdated platform and visuals, Rehydrated serves the same experience in a cleaner package. However, if you, like me, have fond memories of the game as a kid, muddied by the passage of time, be warned that this remaster might take your rose-tinted glasses and break them in two.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle For Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated proves that a great game is a great game regardless of age. The remaster of the campaign is phenomenal, with impressive improvements to the character models, textures, and environments. Some may be turned off by the overly saturated visuals, but it does match with the show's current look. Aside from Mr. Krabs and Mermaid Man, all of the original cast reprised their role in the initial release. The optional multiplayer horde mode disappoints, but it can easily be ignored and left untouched.
Spongebob: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated doesn't reinvent the wheel when it comes to platforming, and much of its gameplay feels every bit as old as its 2003 counterpart. But what Rehydrated gets right is preserving what made the original so special, while also bringing the visuals up to date in dazzling fashion.
Battle for Bikini Bottom, despite offering a fair bit of fun, is a testament of antiquated design and, for better or worse, feels entirely like the game you remember from your childhood. There’s certainly a fun afternoon to be had ruining Plankton’s plot to rule Bikini Bottom while spotting the show’s many references with a keen eye, though ultimately Rehydrated is D.O.A.—dry on arrival.
Perfectly serviceable, yet equally devoid of justification to have been remade, SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated does little to captivate on the amazing opportunity it's been given and evolve with the times.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated is as joyful as its source material. It'll appeal to fans of the cartoon more so than those seeking a challenging 3D platforming adventure, but it's a fun, nostalgic romp either way. Just don't expect much from the new multiplayer component.
I enjoyed this in my more spectator role and I know my son loved the game so I would have to say this is a hearty recommendation, if you yourself are a fan or you have a fan in the family… this ought to put a smile on their dial.