SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake provides players with the feeling of a classic 3D-platformer, using enjoyable game mechanics and gradually increasing difficulty that then throws the popular Nickelodeon characters right in the center of it all. Developer Purple Lamp Studios and publisher THQ Nordic team up to present this humor-filled adventure that will appeal to all ages. While players don't have to be familiar with the cartoon series, the general focus and references throughout the game will be better appreciated by fans of the show.
The premise behind SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is that after SpongeBob and Patrick get hold of the magical wish-granting Mermaid's Tears Bubbles, they generously gave out so many wishes that they tore the very fabric of the universe apart. The only way to repair Bikini Bottom and save their friends is by following the instructions of a mermaid in this platformer adventure, jumping into interdimensional portals to fantastical Wishworlds of pirate ships, the wild west, and more. Once in these worlds they can fight their way past monsters to collect as much of the magical jelly that connects the galaxy as they can, while finding their friends to return them safely home in the process.
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake has a similar feel to other 3D platformers such as Mario Galaxy, with each level having a different theme from the last. Each time SpongeBob and Patrick enter a portal, it takes them to a new Wishworld, where SpongeBob can learn a unique ability that fits with that zone. For example, in the Karate zone, SpongeBob learns a special kick move which can send him flying long distances toward an enemy, while gameplay in the Prehistoric platforming zone teaches him how to balance on a rolling rock. These abilities can then be applied to other worlds, and each area offers hidden bonuses which may require a player to return to the area later in the game after they have unlocked a required skill.
Within each Wishworld, and sometimes back in Bikini Bottom between levels, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake allows players to find clever minigames to play. These minigames can vary from racing seahorses to flipping burgers, and are spaced out just enough that players generally won't feel that they are too much of an interruption from the overall game. Each minigame is relatively easy, but provides new styles of play for a moment and generally features a lot of comedic relief as well.
The variety of game mechanics offers something special and unique within each level. Magically transformed SpongeBob becomes a snail for a racing theme portion of one Wishworld, while in another zone the entire game switches temporarily to a 2D side-scroller while SpongeBob films a movie scene where he can't let himself get off camera. These features give a fresh feeling to the levels and break up what could otherwise become a monotonous routine of fighting the same basic styles of enemy repeatedly.
Fans of 3D platformer adventures, especially those who also are fans of SpongeBob's television series, will find a lot of value in the game SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake. The friendly banter between SpongeBob and Patrick throughout the game offers a lot of jokes - and even some unexpected laugh-out-loud moments - that makes it difficult not to smile while playing. The art style, music, and voice acting all provides a high-quality feel, almost like being inside an episode of the cartoon series. Meanwhile, the gameplay itself is well-crafted and offers a lot of variety for players. All these things combined make the game an overall enjoyable, if not immediately forgettable, experience for players of all ages.
SpongeBob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake releases January 31 for Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Screen Rant was provided with a Nintendo Switch digital download for the purpose of this review.
Source: Nintendo of America/YouTube