Ooooh, more jelly!
Spongebob Squarepants feels eternal. While I was a bit too old to enjoy it in its prime, I have grown to appreciate it in my later years. It also feels like Spongbob is always ripe for a new video game. This brings us to the latest title in the Sponge-a-verse entitled The Cosmic Shake. This latest entry is all-too-familiar to fans of Spongebob. It is a platforming collect-a-thon with plenty of humor derived straight from the show. There isn’t anything here that will blow your mind and the difficulty is non-existent in the critical path, but that didn’t stop me from smiling nearly the entire time I was playing it.
The plot of the game is reminiscent of a plot from the show. Spongebob and Patrick are on their way to Glove World theme park when they run into a mermaid named Madame Kassandra. She gives them a magic bubble blower that apparently grants wishes. Spongebob being the nice sponge he is decides to use it to make all his friends wishes come true. This of course causes chaos and throws Bikini Bottom into disarray. I mean Patrick is turned into a balloon for crying out loud. The rest of the game is the duo moving between themed worlds trying to put everything back to the way it was.
MSRP: $39.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $39.99
The world of Bikini Bottom is broken up into themed worlds that Spongebob will venture into one at a time. Once a world is opened up it can be revisited as well as unlocking a new costume for Spongbob to wear. These costumes are purely cosmetic and quite hilarious. There are even special costumes that can be purchased in the shop and include some pretty deep cuts from the show and even some from the movie. As players progress through each world Spongebob will acquire new abilities that open up new areas to explore. This lends to revisiting levels to clean up any missed collectibles.
Each world is themed and feels ripped right out of an episode. I enjoyed exploring these worlds and all they had to deliver. There are mini-games and boss battles in each one and none of them ever wear out their welcome. The core loop is fairly familiar with a set of attacks and a range of enemies that are all pretty simple to disperse. This is a game about enjoying the content and not necessarily challenging players, although there are a few spots later in the game that can be a bit on the tricky side. This is all about experiencing the world of Spongebob and the writing and characters go a long way to push it forward. I was genuinely smiling and laughing at a lot of it and the platforming and combat are fun enough to keep it moving forward.
As I mentioned there is a ton to collect. There is a golden spatula in every world alongside plenty of jelly pieces that are used as currency to buy new costumes. There are also golden coins and plenty of hidden items that are mostly checklist pieces. The core campaign is only around 5-6 hours, but there is plenty to come back for. Thankfully this is not a full-priced game so I felt like the length was just perfect. The mini-games range from decent to outright annoying, so when a certain one stopped cropping up I was more than happy to see it go. Still nothing here made me want to stop playing and that is a win in my book.
The Cosmic Shake is a last generation title. There are no native XSX or PS5 versions. This means that everything kind of moves at a Gary’s pace. See what I did there? The loading screens are hilarious though as the ‘several hours later’ meme is used to full effect. Still this game looks good. The array of colors are vibrant and it looks good on my TV. The frame rate is pretty solid as well even without the enhancements. This is a slick looking game that captures the look and sound of the TV show.
Spongebob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake is a standard platform collect-a-thon that is held up by its content and humor. I was smiling the entire time I was playing it and it lasts just the right amount of time. I feel like Rehydrated was a touch more interesting on the whole, but this follow-up is more than worth your time if you are a fan of the genre or subject matter. Spongebob is timeless and can be enjoyed by anyone of any age, even if your nostalgia for it is as nonexistent as mine is.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
