SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated Announced!

Return to Bikini Bottom in a full remake of the 2002 classic

Jun 06, 2019

By: Noah Friscopp

Are You Ready?

Game publisher THQ Nordic has announced a full remake of Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom that is due to launch on all modern platforms including PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Rather than just being a simple remaster, the developer behind the game Purple Lamp Studios is promising the game to be “faithfully remade” a lot like the recent Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and Spyro: Reignited Trilogy that pushed those games/ graphics into the modern era with all kinds of new upgrades to the worlds and characters.

Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated - Announcement Teaser

The game's new logo

"Ravioli Ravioli, give me the formuoli."

The original game used the tried and true formula of an action-platformer very similar to many games of the time like Spyro, Jak and Daxter, and Ratchet and Clank. To progress, Spongebob must jump and avoid obstacles, battle enemies, and collect various items. It is by no means a new idea especially for the time, but with fewer games nowadays using this formula (minus notable exceptions like Super Mario Odyssey and the mentioned Spyro remakes) there should be no better time than now to jump into the world of Bikini Bottom for some good old-fashioned platforming fun.

Spongebob and King Jellyfish in the new, beautiful graphics style

“I am the master at Kara-tay.”

The story of the game revolves around Mr. Krabs’ business rival Plankton attacking the city of Bikini Bottom with an army of robots, and it is up to Spongebob and his friends Patrick and Sandy to stop him. Each character has their own unique skills, and you meet plenty of familiar faces along the way. A significant difference this time though are a few new features that were originally cut from the first release are being brought back for the remake like a cooperative horde mode and some unused boss battles and areas. In one of these encounters, Spongebob must face off against a robot Squidward. Not many details about the horde mode are known other than that it is for up to two players in both split-screen and online, so bring your friends over for some couch coop fun! It feels like fewer and fewer games nowadays include this feature, so any that do are a welcome addition, especially when it revolves around such a popular series that almost everyone is familiar with.

Sandy Cheeks ready to show the robots her karate skills

A Triumphant Return

The last time we saw Spongebob take center stage in a video game was last year’s Nickelodeon Kart Racers, but before that, there was quite a long wait. 2011’s Nicktoons MLB and 2008’s SpongeBob SquarePants featuring Nicktoons: Globs of Doom were the last two major console games released for Spongebob fans, so there has been quite a long wait for a new major game. It had been rumored for quite some time that the cartoon was to be canceled last year, but it was luckily extended into 2019. Between the announcement of a Spongebob prequel series and the release of this game sometime next year, things aren’t looking so bad for the yellow sea sponge that millions of fans have come to love over the years. Unfortunately, we won’t see anything about the game during E3 2019, but we’ll be sure to update you on all things Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated when new info comes out!