The recent SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated has exceeded expectations by selling over one million copies to date. With this success, developer THQ Nordic seems inclined to make more games that are similar to Battle for Bikini Bottom going forward. The remaster of the 2003 classic was released just six months ago to near-universal praise.
Battle for Bikini Bottom was a 3D platform game that came out 17 years ago and was based around the beloved Nickelodeon show, though it contained its own unique story. The game was well received at the time and was even considered one of the best for the GameCube, Xbox, and PlayStation 2 era. Despite this success, Battle for Bikini Bottom was not as fondly remembered as some other games from that period and seemingly passed into obscurity. Nearly two decades later, however, the game was resurrected in the form of a remaster and the combination of sales figures and critical reception has made it clear that Battle for Bikini Bottom was not as forgotten as one might have guessed.
GamesIndustry.Biz recently interviewed THQ Nordic CEO Klemens Kreuzer where it was revealed that Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated has sold over one million copies across all platforms the game is available on. Not only that, but there is also a well-founded hope that the remaster will double that number and eventually reach two million copies sold. Kreuzer called Rehydrated a "fantastic success" and even hinted at the potential for similar games being developed by the studio down the line.
“It was a fantastic success for us, with sales of more than one million units — and I wouldn’t be surprised if it reached two million one day. I think there’s a market for those kind of games. The community was so full of joy."
It is unclear what Kreuzer means by his tease of "those kind of games." While it could simply mean more SpongeBob-themed 3D platform games, there is an equal possibility it could be referring to only one of those two aspects. THQ Nordic's resume does not have much in the way of 3D platform games in recent years. This could be an avenue the developer would like to pursue even if it does not make any more games with the SpongeBob intellectual property.
It says a lot about a game when after 17 years it receives a mostly graphical update with minimal changes to gameplay and content and still sells over a million copies. THQ Nordic should be praised for how it took something that was already good, though not necessarily widely popular in modern culture, and updated it just enough without betraying the original source. SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated has achieved what many remasters strive for and few manage to do.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated is currently available for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Source: GamesIndustry.Biz