SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom is a video game based on the television show SpongeBob SquarePants. The game has been released for the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo GameCube, PC, PlayStation 2, and Xbox consoles (the Xbox version is backwards compatible for the Xbox 360 console). The player attempts to defend Bikini Bottom from an invasion of robots created by Plankton with a machine called the Duplicatotron 3000. The playable characters are SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy. The Windows version features a series of mini-games and differs from the console versions.

Gameplay

Players control SpongeBob, Sandy the squirrel, and Patrick Star through a number of locations such as Jellyfish Fields, and can switch between characters at bus stops throughout the game. Core gameplay involves collecting items and defeating the robots which have attacked Bikini Bottom, whilst crossing platforms and avoiding environmental hazards like spikes and flames. A number of mini-games are also accessible throughout the game.

Three types of items can be collected. Shiny objects are the game's currency, and can be used to pay tolls within game areas or to buy golden spatulas from Mr. Krabs. Golden spatulas are used to grant access to new areas, they are hidden throughout the game and can also be earned by completing tasks set by Squidward and several other characters from the cartoon. These tasks can involve defeating particular robots or searching for items. The other collectible item type, Patrick's socks, can be traded for golden spatulas.

Though some areas can be navigated by any character, several sections can only be completed with a specific character, due to each one having unique abilities. SpongeBob can create a bubble helmet for head-butting enemies, launch a bubble-blowing spin attack and double jump to reach higher platforms. Patrick can throw objects at switches, freeze goo rivers and attack enemies with a belly flop. Sandy can glide over large gaps and wields a lasso, with which she can tie up enemies or swing on hooks to reach distant areas.

Plot

At the beginning of the video game, Plankton is seen building an army of robots he means to take over the world. He uses a machine called the Duplicatotron 3000 to create a robot army, but when he starts, he realises he forgot to set the Duplicatotron's switch to "Obey" (The other option was "Don't Obey"). He is attacked by the robots and is forced out of the Chum Bucket.

Meanwhile, Spongebob is playing with his best friend, Patrick Star in his house. Patrick says that he has a shell that can recreate an item into many items. They were playing with toy robots at the time, and Patrick puts one toy robot in the shell and says the magic words he believes will make the robot duplicate itself. He says a long line of confusing and long, unknown words and shakes the shell. Then, they go to their respective houses and fall asleep.

The next day, Spongebob finds that robots have ransacked his house and invaded Bikini Bottom, his hometown. He believes it was Patrick's magic shell that made the robots real. Plankton is outside his house, and Spongebob questions why he's not at his house (also the Chum Bucket). Plankton says that robots invaded his house, forced him out, and started bending back his spoons. He tells Spongebob to force them out of the area before the robots bend back all his forks too. Spongebob accepts and the game begins.

Patrick states that the robots have stolen his socks, and if Spongebob finds ten of them, he'd give him a Golden Spatula. Mr. Krabs states in a telegram that if Spongebob were to find enough Shiny Objects (currency in the game), he'd also give Spongebob a Golden Spatula. The number of Shiny Objects increases each time he sells them to Mr. Krabs, the first Golden Spatula for 3,000 Shiny Objects, and increasing by 500 each Spatula.

Spongebob must find Golden Spatulas to enter different areas. The first available being Spongebob's House, then Bikini Bottom, Jellyfish Fields, Downtown Bikini Bottom, Goo Lagoon, central Bikini Bottom (still in the level screen called Bikini Bottom but 15 golden spatulas are needed to enter), Rock Bottom, Sand Mountain, the Mermalair, south Bikini Bottom (also in Bikini Bottom but 40 golden spatulas are needed to enter), the Kelp Forest, the Flying Dutchman's Graveyard, Spongebob's Dream, and finally the Chum Bucket. A new boss is faced every time entering a brand-new part of Bikini Bottom.

After beating Robo-Sandy (In Posiedome, before entering central Bikini Bottom) and Robo-Patrick (In the Industrial Park, before entering south Bikini Bottom), SpongeBob discovers that Plankton was responsible for the robots (the proofs are that The Chum Bucket has a neon sign that says Robot Headquarters, a recipt for robot parts signed by Plankton, and a sign on a butt of a robot said Propety Of Plankton). You clear the Krusty Krab, solve all the problems in each dream bubble in SpongeBob's dream, save campers/students in the Kelp Forest, and convince the Flying Dutchman to give up his Golden Spatula. Gaining 75 spatulas, you enter Plankton's lab and discover a Robo-Plankton and Robo-SpongeBob (the player fights Robo-Spongebob and fights Robo-Plankton when you knock Robo-SpongeBob unconscious), who you defeat. After defeating him, SpongeBob follows Robo-Plankton into Robo-SpongeBob's head, where you reach the brain to bubble missile the main brain power generator. You then play as SpongeBall for the entire credit in a stadium for ball tricks

Cast

• Tom Kenny - SpongeBob SquarePants, French Narrator, Gary
• Bill Fagerbakke - Patrick Star
• Carolyn Lawrence - Sandy Cheeks, Mermalair Computer
• Doug Lawrence - Plankton, Larry the Lobster, Prawn, Fish Annnouncer, Robo-Plankton
• Rodger Bumpass - Squidward Tentacles
• Mary Jo Catlett - Mrs. Puff
• Joe Whyte - Mermaidman, Mr. Krabs
• Tim Conway - Barnacleboy
• Brian Doyle-Murray - The Flying Dutchman
• John O'Hurley - King Neptune
• Brad Arbell - Bubble Buddy

List of Characters

Playable

• SpongeBob SquarePants
• Patrick Star
• Sandy Cheeks

Levels

• Jellyfish Fields
• Downtown Bikini Bottom
• Goo Lagoon
• The Posidome
• The Mermalair
• Rock Bottom
• Sand Mountain
• The Industrial Park
• Kelp Forest
• Flying Dutchmans Graveyard
• Spongebob's Dream
• The Chum Bucket

There is also a movie theater that can be accessed by paying a fee of 40,000 shiny objects. Once inside, the player is able to view some of the game's concept art.

Bosses

• King Jellyfish- Is the first mini-boss of the game. He has the ability to go onto the ground and release a cosmic energy field and can also release smaller jellyfish to attack after getting hit.And has a force field.
• Robo-Sandy- Is the first robot boss of the game. It can do a karate chop, "the old clothesline move" and can perform a jump attack, which stuns itself. You play as SpongeBob first, who does bubble slams to knock Sandy's head off into the headlights. You do the same with Patrick, only pick the head up and toss it into the electric score board. You play as SpongeBob again, only to bubble launch into the self destruct button under the head.
• Prawn- Is the second mini-boss of the game. He is a rival of Mermaid Man because he turned his socks pink. He can attack with a matterhorn that shoots sonic blasts and can release Ham-mer robots after the first hit. When the lights on the floor stop moving there will be a straight path to Prawn. You need to Bubble Bowl down that path in order to defeat him.
• Robo-Patrick- Is the second robot boss of the game. It can do perform slams, vomit industrial waste, and can spin industrial waste everywhere, which makes itself dizzy for a short amount of time. You play as SpongeBob to dodge Patrick's attacks until he stops spinning and get stunned. You go behind him and hit him with Bubble Bowl in the kick me area of his back, you must repeat this three times until you play as Sandy. SpongeBob is frozen, and it's up to Sandy to unfreeze him and Squidward, this time, he pulls a lever releasing more industrial waste (making the water level higher and higher). You need to swing on Texas swing hooks to drop platforms onto the waste to reach Patrick's back (also repeat). After the water level rose up to SpongeBob and Squidward's ice blocks, they unfroze and SpongeBob wants revenge. You now bubble bowl into Patrick's back.
• The Flying Dutchman- Is the third mini-boss of the game. He can shoot laser eye beams in a DNA pattern and shoot fiery snot from his nose. You must dodge the laser beans and jump over the snot. When he is still turned around grab the tail part of him. You must defeat him in order to gain his Golden Spatula.
• SpongeBot SteelPants- Is the third robot boss of the game, and Robo-Plankton's bride-to-be. It can throw a punching karate chop, spin platforms with it's karate chops, and can say KAH-RAH-TAE! so loud that the words will go flying and spin the platforms. You need to missile into the weaknesses on it's sides and nose and karate gloves. If you did not notice, there is a goof. When you defeat the robot, There are 4 platforms behind it but when the camrea goes to Robot Plankton and back, the 4 platforms are gone.
• Robo-Plankton- Is the fourth and final robot boss of the game. He can shoot lasers from his bucket rocket. You need to Cruise Bubble him when he is not shooting lasers at you. You fight him at the same time as SpongeBot.
• Robo-Squidward- Only appears in the GBA version of the game. It can be seen in a sketch part of the concept art. You must use Mystery (SpongeBob`s seahorse from My Pretty Seahorse) to eat the bomb-bots, ride the robot`s tentecales, and spit out the robots Mystery ate at his head.

Reception

Battle for Bikini Bottom is currently the most successful SpongeBob game produced. It has won numerous awards, including the Kid's Choice Award for Best Video Game of the Year, Platinum Hits, and Greatest Hits for PS2, GCN, and XBOX.

References

External links

• Official Website