Following the success of the Battle for Bikini Backside – Rehydrated, Purple Lamp, was subsequently tasked with making one other SpongeBob recreation whereas sticking near what made the remake work. That’s all the time a considerable threat, because the final recreation noticed the studio merely recreating the sport with out designing a lot in the best way of recent stuff. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake, then again, is a model new recreation that makes use of a lot of what was applied beforehand whereas constructing upon it. The result’s an entertaining 3D platformer with colourful various worlds that doesn’t do a lot to wow, however remains to be greater than enjoyable sufficient to justify its existence.
Funnily sufficient, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake has an analogous plot to the not too long ago launched Sonic Prime. SpongeBob buys a container of bubble cleaning soap at Glove World from a mermaid who’s clearly evil. She tells him this cleaning soap can be utilized to grant needs, so he makes use of it to make mentioned needs for the opposite residents of Bikini Backside. However a calamity happens as completely different buildings and residents get pulled into alternate dimensions and SpongeBob and a balloonified Patrick enterprise in to avoid wasting them.
Surprisingly, the writing is sort of good. The characters all really feel how they’re imagined to, and lots of the humor lands. In fact, the present’s forged return to their roles and put simply as a lot effort in as they do when recording episodes. The plot is admittedly extra of an excuse to have SpongeBob go on a collection of fetch quests, nevertheless it will get the job carried out. It’s additionally fairly humorous to listen to SpongeBob and Patrick repeatedly illustrate how apparent it’s they’re getting performed; they’re simply too dumb to understand it.
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Go for the gold
Bikini Backside operates as SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake‘s hub. From there you enterprise into seven themed worlds to assist SpongeBob clear up his mess. These are all carried out so as and require gamers to undergo a collection of linear occasions to make it to the tip and struggle the extent’s boss. These ranges aren’t notably lengthy, typically lasting round 40 minutes to a bit of greater than an hour. Not like lots of comparable platformers, this one isn’t a collect-a-thon recreation, though it does have some elements of them.
Every stage has a sure variety of gold cash to search out, lots of which may’t be collected till you purchase skills later within the recreation and return to hit switches and the like. You’ll additionally obtain aspect quests within the hub that job you with scouring the degrees for gadgets that, when returned, reward you with a gold coin. The one factor gathering cash does is unlock tiers of costumes. SpongeBob normally will get a brand new costume that ties in with a stage’s theme, so it’s not such as you’ll be hurting for the variability even for those who resolve to not trouble with the gold cash.
To finish the sport, you solely must undergo every stage as soon as, however you’ll want to enter all of them a second time if you wish to full all of the aspect quests. In fact, that’s simpler mentioned than carried out. It’s straightforward to overlook one of many 5 or so gadgets you want for these and the sport gained’t offer you any indication as to the place they’re. The trouble doesn’t appear price it for getting a single coin, particularly when there are a number of of them which are simply found out within the open.
The extent design is stands out with its selection. There are ranges themed round pirates, Halloween, medieval instances, and extra, so the sport by no means actually feels repetitive by way of visuals.
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Pizza Gliders
SpongeBob controls simply as he did within the final recreation, albeit with some new strikes. He nonetheless has his double bounce and assaults by spinning and releasing bubbles. However he may also glide utilizing a pizza field, slam into the bottom, dodge, and use a Karate kick to fling himself at enemies. The controls are strong, however not fairly nice. Transitioning into the glide generally is a bit finicky and the double bounce isn’t fairly as tight because it may have been, however the platforming remains to be loads pleasant regardless of this.
Not like the final recreation, SpongeBob is the one playable character. Patrick is ever-present, following behind as a balloon and continually bantering along with his greatest buddy. It’s all the time a pleasure to listen to Tom Kenny and Invoice Fagerbakke shuttle.
Most gamers shouldn’t discover the sport too punishing. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is usually very straightforward, with limitless lives and beneficiant checkpoints. The platforming additionally doesn’t really feel so easy that older gamers can be bored, nevertheless. There’s lots of selection on show, from commonplace platforming, using seahorses, shifting down slides, a couple of minigames, and hooks to swing from. My largest precise criticism is that SpongeBob remains to be too gradual. Nevertheless, his pace is considerably mitigated by spamming the dodge, which sadly has a protracted sufficient cooldown that you could’t dodge once more instantly after utilizing it.
The fight is just so-so, nevertheless. The hit detection is a bit iffy and lacks affect, however there’s a variety of enemy sorts that retains the intermittent bouts attention-grabbing sufficient to not develop utterly stale.
Screenshot by PC Invasion
Shake it ’til you make it
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake succeeds in being one other enjoyable SpongeBob platformer. It will possibly simply be accomplished in seven to eight hours, however that quantity will balloon in order for you all of the gold cash. The sport gained’t wow anybody who wasn’t impressed by the current remake. However followers who need extra time with the characters and the strong mechanics can be pleased with what we’ve right here. Plus, sustaining a excessive framerate is a cinch regardless of how usually ranges are fairly giant with no loading screens. Subsequently, that is nearly as good of a motive as any to go leaping round underneath the ocean.
