When I asked the Magic Conch what I should expect from Spongebob Squarepants: Titans of the Tides, it simply replied, ‘Nothing.’ Fortunately, the game exceeded my expectations, both as a 3D platformer and as part of the SpongeBob SquarePants franchise.
Gods and Ghosts
He lives in a pineapple under the sea. And if you don’t know the next line, then you must have been living under a rock! SpongeBob SquarePants is one of Nickelodeon’s most popular series and, for this reason, has spawned lots of merchandise. Including video games. Purple Lamp Studios and THQ bring us the newest instalment in this long line of games: SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide. Purple Lamp is no stranger to the yellow sponge — they previously remastered Battle for Bikini Bottom to great acclaim. To give you an insight, they haven’t lowered their quality standards for this instalment either.
This 3D platformer begins with a huge sale at the Krusty Krab, which also attracts some high-profile guests, including the Flying Dutchman. However, after waiting in line for a long time, when he finally gets to order, King Neptune arrives and cuts the queue. A fight breaks out after an argument, turning some of the bystanders, including Spongebob, into ghosts. Their battle destroys Bikini Bottom, but the Crusty Crab crew manage to escape in a hot air balloon, which becomes their base of operations. Once Patrick Star joins them, the story focuses on both best friends, as they discover that their friendship enables them to switch between ghost and physical forms.
The Power of Friendship
In Titans of the Tide, the key mechanic is swapping between Spongebob and Patrick to get through increasingly difficult platforming levels. Spongebob has a signature karate kick and later gains the ability to blow bubbles. Meanwhile, Patrick Star can pick things up to throw, including both enemies and items, and he can also burrow underground. Switching between characters is done with the press of a button and feels incredibly smooth. This is necessary because, in the late game, this mechanic is taken to the limit. You have to swap between characters multiple times mid-jump to make full use of their powers. Unlike in Mario, where you are given a mechanic for a couple of levels and then never see it again, here it is always used throughout the game. The powers are layered on top of each other, culminating in a final level that makes use of all the power-ups you have acquired.
The game is split into five larger levels. These range from a lush jungle with a pirate cave to the palace of King Neptune himself. They are incredibly varied, with a plethora of side challenges and score chases. It took me about an hour to an hour and a half to complete each of the zones. However, I didn’t go straight for the goal; I went off the beaten path multiple times to explore. The game can therefore be beaten faster if you are in a rush. Overall, I played for six and a half hours before the credits rolled the first time.
But there is a lot to do in this game, so I expect it will take at least another three to four hours to 100% a save file.
Titans of the Tides is a platformer, but it’s also a collectathon trough and trough. There are numerous sidequests, ranging from time attacks, where you have to complete a part of the level within a certain time, to search quests, where you have to track down an item. There is something for everyone. You might read this and think it’s a simple kids’ game based on a cartoon, but be warned: some of the later time trials are truly difficult. Even seasoned gamers will find them challenging. When platforming, keep an eye out for treasures. There is lots of gold hidden in the levels that you can use to buy alternate outfits for Spongebob and Patrick, or to decorate their room aboard the Krusty Airship. You may even discover some ghostly secrets hiding in plain sight. And I haven’t even talked about the jellyfish yet!
Memes and References
When I was young, I watched Spongebob Squarepants countless times. It is so ingrained in my mind that I still know some scenes by heart. The Magic Conch episode and some other moments from the show are even running jokes in a Dungeons & Dragons campaign that I play with my friends. You could say that the yellow sponge has always been part of my life, but I haven’t kept up with the later seasons.
To my surprise, Purple Lamp included a lot of references. Old episodes, memes, and newer moments are all fair subjects for inclusion in this game. Patrick strikes his open-mouth pose while sliding, and an obscure side quest even brings back the chocolate-crazed fish from the episode where Spongebob goes out as a door-to-door salesman.
The great use of references continues in the costumes and collectibles that the game has to offer. Each one is accompanied by a witty line of text referencing the corresponding episode. It’s great to see a studio with such love for an iconic series like SpongeBob SquarePants. But can somebody who is deep into Bikini Bottom lore please tell me why there are so many David Hasselhof portraits in Neptunes castle?! I know he has a song on the soundtrack, but is that all there is to it?
Conclusion
I’ve had a lot of fun playing SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide. It captures the essence of the show perfectly, and Purple Lamp once again demonstrates their in-depth knowledge of the series with an abundance of references to it in both collectibles and story moments. But it’s also a well-crafted 3D platformer. Swapping between characters feels great, and every ability is well thought out and well utilised in the five giant, beautifully crafted levels. This franchise game is a great example of how a game based on a cartoon doesn’t have to be a quick cash grab. They can also be a love letter to the IP in terms of both feeling and gameplay.
