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SpongeBob SquarePants: Supersponge
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Graphics & Sound:
I enjoyed playing the SpongeBob Squarepants game released recently for Game Boy Color, and was certainly looking forward to seeing a version for something less portable. Turns out that PlayStation is now graced with the latest chapter in the adventures of SpongeBob. What may surprise you is that the graphics didn't actually end up being too far away from what we last saw on GBC. 2D, side-scroller front and center. And, I had to go back to my GBC to confirm this, but Supersponge (the subtitle of this version) doesn't actually manage to do much more with the PS in terms of design, animation...anything. In fact, some of the workaround effects used for GBC that added depth on the small screen didn't make it over, but would have added a lot here also. Funny, that! Definitely more animation and action on-screen here, but still a very simple overall presentation. Broken up into 5 chapters, Supersponge introduces a new theme just when you're getting bored with the current chapter, but things especially tend toward boredom when you realize that even though the rocks and logs are now bubbles and coral, you're still doing all the same stuff. This is a case where fun, creative graphics can't overcome some repetitive gameplay. The music is awesome, with a distinctively Lounge feel about it. Tiki Lounge, that is. Some sound effects get a little repetitive, so you may choose to exercise your right to notch down EFX a little in favor of the much more enjoyable BG Muzak.
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Gameplay:
Supersponge could be seen as either a boring, repetitive Platformer or a good 2D Arcade-style game. Since I like saying nice things about games (and also since it's not exclusively billed as a Platformer) I choose to see it in a fun light. Those of you who watch the SpongeBob show will definitely want to invest the money in this one, since you're no doubt fond of the little sea sponge and his band of merry...things? The action Supersponge begins with 'Bob on a mission to pick the perfect birthday present for his friend Patrick. He decides nothing could be better than an autograph from their favorite superhero duo, Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. The less-than-dynamic duo, voiced delightfully by Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway, will try anything to keep 'Bob at bay, turning the game into something resembling the tasks of Hercules. Each time they're pressed, MM and Barnacle Boy (Barnacle Boy does most of the talking) send SpongeBob on a random mission. Complete all their tasks, collect that autograph, and victory is yours. Easier said than done. Each mission is completed by earning items, each scattered through multiple levels in a chapter. Usually three levels plus a boss fight give you enough to return to Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. There really isn't any puzzle-solving or deep exploration required to retrieve items, just get to the end of the level alive. Again, this is way more classic 2D shoot-'em-up, butt-bounce-'em than any new or inventive gameplay. But, that's okay in most respects. Natural obstacles and roaming enemies will try to keep you from your goal, but lots of nifty tricks and items help you along the way. 'Bob has a tool belt that would make Batman envious, but I didn't like the change made for the PS version that only lets 'Bob carry one item at a time. Sure, the method for switching between inventory items on GBC was awkward, but it gave the game more depth to have any kind of inventory for weapons and special power-ups. So, this time we're reduced to 'pick your poison,' which makes for a more one-dimensional style of gameplay. It's faster to not worry about switching items, and more intuitive that when you see a rock wall, you'll find something to blast it down. Or, when a pit is too wide, you know you'll be able to find something to help you across. The down side to this change is that you can't really find an item you like and hang onto it. Most things time out or run out of ammo after a while, so you'll eventually fall back to simple jumping and butt-bouncing. Again, this is all about the action. SpongeBob's health is determined by the number of Golden Spatulas he has picked up. Keeping a spatula on hand will keep you alive, and losing them all means one more hit will send you back to a checkpoint. Lose all your lives and you'll still have 3 continues to play with. Each level has 100 Golden Spatulas, and if you collect enough during the entire chapter you'll get to play a bonus level, but later chapters demand that you collect a greater total percentage of spatulas. Bonus levels are about collecting tokens to buy Patrick party favors...like getting the autographs isn't enough!?
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Difficulty:
SpongeBob has no adjustable difficulty setting, which is a little risky, IMHO. This is a game that suffers from a few quirks, primarily dealing with item collection. It's possible for the less discerning gamer to run straight through levels without collecting more than 1 or 2 out of a possible 100 Golden Spatulas and be done with Supersponge in no time at all. But, where's the fun in that? Well, the catch comes when you find that collecting even half the spatulas, much less the perfect 100 percent you'll need to see a bonus level in the fifth chapter, is incredibly hard. And, I'm not opposed to 'hard because we designed it that way' but I object to the game being more difficult because of design problems or bugs. Supersponge has its share of both. To play through casually, Supersponge is fun with only minor annoyances. Perfectionists will be grinding their teeth and breaking controllers left and right. So, know the limitations of this game, and just enjoy it for the light entertainment it is.
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Game Mechanics:
The PlayStation fruit did not fall far from the Game Boy tree on this one, kids. The gameplay is different, the story is different, but the technical problems are almost identical. Edges in this game are like MSG in Chinese food. You think it's there, but you don't know until it's too late... Stemming from the same glitch, we find that butt bouncing an enemy doesn't work unless they're in just the right place. You might guess that under your butt would be a fine place, but sometimes it works and sometimes not. Especially when you're trying for a perfect collection of spatulas, watching them spill out everywhere after you get nailed by some enemy that you clearly butt-bounced is exasperating. The upside of the health = spatulas system is that when you do get felled by a cheap, buggy shot below the belt, you simply grab 1 spatula and you're back on track. With 100 Golden Spatulas in each level, I guess THQ figured you'd always prevail. And you do, but not without frustration. The other buggy area is jumping and moving through tight spots. Plenty of later chapters feature bottomless pits or pools of goo that spell instant death for SpongeBob. These obstacles can't be escaped by grabbing a spatula, and they come up more and more the further you get in the game. Falling and slipping when you don't expect to can be the result of player error, but I'm not suffering from twitchy finger problems, and I've played enough Platformers to know bad control when I see it. And it's more than a little coincidental that the SpongeBob game for GBC had exactly the same slippery control. Imagine those levels (if you can) in Croc or Spyro where you had to navigate icy ledges. That's what every ledge feels like in SpongeBob. With that rant behind us, I can say on the positive side that the controls couldn't be more simple or easy to work with. The only buttons you'll need to use are for jumping, dropping items and using them. Each time you pick up an item, a little dialog shows you how to control it, so even though there are many items, you won't need to memorize the button combos for each one. I like this feature a lot, since I'm always the deadhead checking the manual on these games to find out how to activate the turbo boost on the mine-cart midway through the game. Another similar feature is the way different characters introduce 'Bob to items and explain what to do with them. Everything is peachy. Bosses usually can be dispatched quickly thanks to hints from Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy, but it might have been better to only give a hint after you get beaten by the boss, instead of having to see the hint before you begin the fight. PS2: There's not much change for graphics on this one, but load times are shorter, which is always nice. There's really nothing in the graphics department to smooth, so no fault no foul, eh? If this felt like a mixed review, it's because I found fun stuff in almost equal proportion to the minor annoyances that make us all groan, which makes for a tough decision. I have to admit, I'm disappointed as someone who looks for solid gaming over a license or franchise, but the young kids that watch SpongeBob Squarepants faithfully may be more than willing to overlook minor glitches to control their animated friends on PSone or PS2. As a vehicle for nothing more than the license, Supersponge succeeds. Take away the license, and you've got a game that some people might try, most people might enjoy and almost nobody would recommend. There's nothing special here, but for ordinary fun with a rather extraordinary character in a silly, fun setting, Supersponge delivers just about what we've come to expect. I can almost hear the Karts warming up now... ;) |
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-Fridtjof, GameVortex Communications AKA Matt Paddock |
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