Return to the bottom of the sea in SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated
A classic Bikini Bottom adventure remade
16 years after the original SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom captivated me in my living room as a child, a remade version of the cult classic platformer has been announced. Now a new wave of kids will get to play as SpongeBob and crew as you save the city from evil robots.
THQ Nordic, whose been buying up studios left and right, put out a short animated video teasing the game earlier today.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom originally came to PS2, Xbox, and GameCube in 2003 with different versions coming to PC and Gameboy (a point-and-click and sidescroller, respectively). It let players control SpongeBob, Sandy, and Patrick, each with their own unique abilities, as they collect various items like underwear and golden spatulas. It got a fairly strong response in both sales and critical reception, even getting named one of the 50 best portable games of the century by Edge magazine.
We don't have much info on this new version of the game outside the short teaser, but I'm sure it'll be shown off at E3 or shortly after. The Youtube video description does mention a new multiplayer mode that will be included, although nothing more on what it would look like.
The original game had all the charm of the show when I played it as a kid, here's hoping THQ Nordic can recapture some of that magic.
Looking to revisit some other platformers after hearing about the return of SpongeBob? Check out the best platform games ever (that aren't Mario).
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Aron Garst is a journalist and writer exploring the future of games and interactivity. Follow him on X at @GarstProduction.