Licensed games have pretty much been around since the early days of video gaming, with the infamous E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial on the Atari 2600 being just one example. But for many gamers, the golden age for games based on existing intellectual properties didn't come until the original Xbox, GameCube, and PS2 era, and SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom was one of the standouts.
The game finds players controlling SpongeBob, Sandy, and Patrick as they fight to protect Bikini Bottom from Plankton and his army of robots. It was published by THQ and developed by Heavy Iron Studios, with Purple Lamp Studio handling the development of its 2020 remake. And regardless of which version of the game you happen to pick up, here are a few beginner-friendly tips that should help you along on your adventure.
5 Each Character Has Strengths And Weaknesses
In SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom, players get to choose between three playable characters: SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy. Each one controls similar to the other, with a move set that includes the ability to jump and run around. But the key difference between them is their special abilities.
For example, SpongeBob can perform an upward strike and ground stump known as Bubble Bash and Bubble Bounce respectively, while Patrick can use a projectile attack simply known as Throw Fruit. Sandy on the other hand has a lasso, which can be used to either strike enemies from afar or to glide while in midair. And more abilities can be unlocked over the course of the game, so knowing which character excels in what situation helps in overcoming some of the trickier challenges you'll encounter.
4 The Importance Of Collectibles
At its core, Battle for Bikini Bottom is a collectathon. This means you'll come across a variety of collectibles throughout your adventure. These include Golden Spatulas, Patrick's Socks, and Golden Underwear. Each one has a specific function, like unlocking gated off levels or increasing your overall health, so you'll want to keep an eye out for them.
But by far the most plentiful collectible in the game are the Shiny Objects. These flower-like items come in various colors and can be found scattered all around the levels, hidden in hard-to-reach places, or locked inside Tiki crates. They basically function as the main form of currency in the game and can be used at giant clams to unlock new paths within levels or to buy Golden Spatulas from Mr. Krabs. You'll also need 40,000 of them to unlock the in-game gallery, so make sure you collect as many as you can get your hands on.
3 You Can Get Around Faster With The Map
In Battle for Bikini Bottom, chances are you'll be doing a fair amount of backtracking, whether this is to claim hidden collectibles with new-found abilities, or simply to farm for the Shiny Objects you need to buy additional Golden Spatulas.
Thankfully, the game implements a fast travel system wherein you go back to specific locations within a level, providing you've earned or unlocked the Golden Spatula that can be found there. Use this to your advantage by cutting down on travel time by zipping around to wherever you'd like to explore next. The map screen also gives you a clear overview of your progress through individual levels, so use this to help track down any missing collectibles you might have missed in an earlier run.
2 How Level Progression Works
Battle for Bikini Bottom might look like a children's game on the surface but don't let that fool you into thinking it is going to be a cakewalk. Some of its platforming sections can be quite challenging, especially paired with an unwieldy camera and antiquated controls. Because of this, it is not uncommon for players to feel stuck once they hit a particularly tricky section.
The good news though is you don't necessarily have to complete every single level to progress within the game. Progression is determined by the amount of Golden Spatulas you've collected, and once you've collected enough to advance to the next level, you can do so freely without any penalty for not completing the current one. For example, the final level is gated behind a requirement of 75 Golden Spatulas. How you choose to get those is entirely up to you, so don't feel obligated to 100 percent each and every level.
1 Replaying A Difficult Level Is A Good Way To Farm Shiny Objects
Speaking of tough levels and insurmountable challenges, while it is totally okay for you to throw in the towel once you've collected enough Golden Spatulas to progress to the next stage, there are a few reasons why you might want to stick with it.
Not only will you get the practice needed to eventually beat the stage or excel in even tougher stages, but you'll also find that the longer you spend with a level, the more Shiny Objects you can farm out of it. This is because each time you replay the level, all the enemies respawn along with crates. So you can keep getting Shiny Objects off of them for as long as it takes to beat the level, which is a huge plus in our opinion.