After 2015’sSpongeBob HeroPants, it seemed like the glory days ofSpongeBob SquarePantsplatformers had long since passed. The newer games lacked the charm of their predecessors, and most felt like perfect bargain bin titles. It felt like studios did not really know what to do with Bikini Bottom and its cast of characters. However, that all seems to be changing thanks toTHQ Nordicand Purple Lamp Studios afterSpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake.
In 2020, Purple Lamp Studios released its remaster of a classicSpongeBobplatformer,SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated. It was great to experience one of the bestSpongeBobplatformers again with modern graphics, but Purple Lamp does not seem to have stopped there. Earlier this year, the studio released the first originalSpongeBobplatformer since 2013 withSpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake. It feels like a blast from the past while also being something brand-new, and it is hopefully a sign of things to come. If THQ Nordic and Purple Lamp Studios continue down this path, then the glory days ofSpongeBobplatformers could return once more.
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Purple Lamp Should Kickstart a New Era of SpongeBob Platformers
The last originalSpongeBobplatformerto hit store shelves before Purple Lamp explored the IP was the critically pannedSpongeBob SquarePants: Plankton’s Robotic Revengefrom 2013. The game was lambasted by players for its boring and repetitive gameplay, and its lackluster story did not help the experience at all. It felt like a disservice to theSpongeBobbrand, and even die-hardSpongeBobfans opted to skip out on it. Its release seemingly killed theSpongeBobplatformers, and various mobile titles rose to fill the void.
The only otherSpongeBobplatformer that released post-2013 wasSpongeBob HeroPantsin 2015. The game was based onThe SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, and it continued to show thatthe glory days ofSpongeBobgameswere long gone. The game was also critically panned. Gone were the days of games likeSpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini BottomandThe SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, and it was replaced with pretty lackluster Bikini Bottom adventures.
It seems like THQ Nordic and Purple Lamp Studios are here to save the day, and hopefully these studios never leave Bikini Bottom. TheSpongeBobplatformer exploded back onto the scene with the impressiveSpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated, and the studio has not looked back. It felt like a great blast from the past, and made manySpongeBobfans long for the days whenSpongeBobplatformers were everywhere. It seems like Purple Lamp Studios also wants more platformers as it recently released the first originalSpongeBobadventure in 10 years, andSpongeBobfans seem to be loving it.
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shakeput a multiverse spinon the IP, and although it is not perfect, there’s a lot of fun to be had here. Its release hopefully means that Purple Lamp Studios wants to continue making newSpongeBobadventures. The cast of characters lends itself very well to wild platforming video games, and the colorful locales make perfect backdrops. There are so many new adventures that Bikini Bottom could go on, and there are also loads of classic adventures that deserve HD facelifts. There has never been a better time for a resurgence of 3D platformers starring the yellow sponge, and Purple Lamp should lead the charge.
It is pretty impressive thatSpongeBob SquarePantsis still a cultural icon today, and he seems to not be going anywhere anytime soon. The main show has been going strong since 1999, but recent years have seen the IP struggle a bit in the gaming industry,Purple Lamp Studios' recent endeavorsseem to be righting the ship, and hopefully it is a sign of things to come. Only time will tell, but for now it seems likeSpongeBobfans have a bright future on their hands thanks toThe Cosmic Shake.
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shakeis available on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
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