SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge is a 2001 2.5D platform game developed by Climax Development and published by THQ. The game is based on the Nickelodeon cartoon series of the same name. It was released for the PlayStation on September 20, 2001, and for the Game Boy Advance on November 8, 2001.
| SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge | |
|---|---|
 North American PlayStation cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Climax Group |
| Publisher(s) | THQ |
| Producer(s) | Treena Seymour (PS1) Dominic Wood (GBA) |
| Designer(s) | Nick Dry Mark Davies (PS1) Derek Poon (GBA) |
| Programmer(s) | Dave Owens Paul Grenfell Charles Blair (PS1) Rob Brooks Mark Gordon Dan Leslie (GBA) |
| Artist(s) | Kevin Martin Chris Rondell Shaun Pearson Rob Wilmot Wai Hung Wan (PS1) Jon Green Steven Green Phil Williams (GBA) |
| Composer(s) | Matt Simmonds |
| Series | SpongeBob SquarePants |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation, Game Boy Advance |
| Release | PlayStation Game Boy Advance |
| Genre(s) | Platform-adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Fifteen years after its release, the source code and most of the development assets for the PlayStation version were sold on two DVDs, and the contents were released on the Internet Archive in 2016.[3] Early source code for the Game Boy Advance version was later found and released in 2019 as well.[4]
Gameplay
editThe game is divided in five worlds (listed as "chapters"): Bikini Bottom, The Center of the Earth (an underwater volcano), Prehistoric Bikini Bottom, Rock Bottom, and Industrial (the industrial district of Bikini Bottom). Each world is divided into four levels, which are cleared by collecting the object desired by Barnacle Boy. In addition, the fourth level of every chapter has a boss enemy who must be defeated to progress.
Scattered through all the levels there are spatulas. By collecting all 100 in a level, SpongeBob earns an extra life. In the PlayStation version, spatulas serve as Sonic the Hedgehog-style health measures for the player. If SpongeBob is touched by an enemy, he loses all of the collected spatulas, and if he is touched by an enemy without any spatulas, he loses a life. In the PlayStation version, there is a continue feature that features Patrick at SpongeBob's house all alone; he encourages the player to keep going on SpongeBob's quest by saying where are his friends, and thinking they forgot his birthday. In the Game Boy Advance version, a separate health measure is used, which can be replenished by collecting items like Salty Fries, Salty Shakes, and Krabby Patties. Lives also can be obtained by finding underpants.
In the PlayStation version, by collecting a certain number of spatulas in every chapter, a secret level named "Six Clams Adventure Land" (a reference to the Six Flags amusement park) can be unlocked. In those levels, set in an amusement park, SpongeBob must ride through obstacles and collect all 25 flower tokens. These tokens can be used to buy props for Patrick's birthday party at the end of the game.
Plot
editIt is Patrick's birthday, and SpongeBob wants to give him "the best present ever": a photo signed by his favourite superheroes, Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. However, the heroes want nothing more than to get rid of SpongeBob, so they keep sending him to accomplish random tasks around Bikini Bottom. After returning from one such task, SpongeBob discovers that the television in Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy's retirement home is broken, so he searches Bikini Bottom for repair tools. After finding the tools, SpongeBob returns to fix the television. Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy, feeling grateful, finally give SpongeBob the autographs. The game ends with Patrick thanking SpongeBob for the autographs, and everyone wishing him a happy birthday.
Development and re-releases
editSpongeBob Squarepants: SuperSponge is the second SpongeBob game released on PlayStation, after Nicktoons Racing, which features SpongeBob, Patrick, and Plankton as playable characters.
In 2016, source code and much of the game's developmental assets were sold away on two DVDs, with the contents later being uploaded and released on the Internet Archive during November 2016. Notably, the developmental assets contained drawings of SpongeBob characters engaging in explicit behaviour. Similarly, source code for the Game Boy Advance version of the game was also located, and was also uploaded to the Internet Archive in December 2019.
The Game Boy Advance version was later re-released on a Twin Pack cartridge bundled with SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman[5] and a Triple Pack cartridge bundled with Tak and the Power of Juju and Rugrats: I Gotta Go Party in 2005.[6] The PlayStation version of the game later received a Greatest Hits re-release.
Reception and sales
edit| Aggregator | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| GBA | PS | |
| GameRankings | 67.83%[16] | 68%[15] |
| Publication | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| GBA | PS | |
| 4Players | N/A | 43%[7] |
| AllGame |    [8] | [9] |
| Nintendo Power | [10] | N/A |
| Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine | N/A | [11] |
| big.N | 48%[12] | N/A |
| MAN!AC | N/A | 36%[13] |
| Playstation Illustrated | N/A | 79%[14] |
SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge received mixed reviews since its release. The PlayStation's version received a 68% and the Game Boy Advance version a 67.83% on GameRankings.[15][16] The PlayStation version of this game also received the title of "Greatest Hits".[14]
Reviewing the Game Boy Advance version of the game, Nintendo Power's five reviewers gave the game mixed scores, with an average rating of 2.5 stars out of 5, describing the game as 'basic'.
The PlayStation version of SuperSponge sold 1.06 million copies, becoming one of the console's best-selling games.[17] The game was later reissued for the PlayStation as a Greatest Hits title.
References
edit- ^ "Spongebob Squarepants : Supersponge sur Gameboy Advance". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Retrieved 2023-11-28.
- ^ "PR - 09/20/01 - THQ AND NICKELODEON SHIP TWO NEW SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS VIDEOGAMES". 2004-04-16. Archived from the original on 2004-04-16. Retrieved 2023-03-19.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge Development Archives". Internet Archive. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge GBA Roms + Design Backup". Internet Archive. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge / Revenge of the Flying Dutchman (GBA) - GameFAQs". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
- ^ "Tak / SuperSponge / Rugrats: I Gotta Go Party (GBA) - GameFAQs". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
- ^ Bischoff, Jens (December 7, 2001). "SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge - Test, Plattformer, PlayStation". 4Players (in German). Computec. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
- ^ L. House, Michael (2001). "SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge (Game Boy Advance) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 2014-11-15. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
- ^ Beam, Jennifer (2001). "SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge (PlayStation) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 2014-11-15. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
- ^ Alan; Andy; Chris; Jason; Jenny (February 2002). "Now Playing - Power Guide To The Latest Releases (February 2002) -- SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge: Game Boy Advance". Nintendo Power. No. 153. Nintendo of America. p. 155.
- ^ "SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. No. 52. Ziff Davis. January 2002.
- ^ "Test - SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge (GBA)". big.N (in German). No. 40. LiveEmotion Verlag. June 2004.
- ^ Gäbel, Colin (February 2002). "PAL-Test - SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge (PS)". MAN!AC (in German). No. 100. Cybermedia. p. 91.
- ^ a b Paddock, Matt (2001). "SpongeBob SquarePants: Supersponge". Playstation Illustrated. Game Vortex. Archived from the original on 2008-09-29. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
- ^ a b "SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge for PlayStation". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-12-09. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
- ^ a b "SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge for GameBoy Advance". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-12-09. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
- ^ "US Platinum Videogame Chart". The Magic Box. 2007-12-27. Archived from the original on 2007-04-21. Retrieved 2016-08-22.
