SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated Reviews

Republished on Wednesday 30th March 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of April 2022's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows.

Are ya ready, kids? SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated from THQ Nordic is a remake of the greatest SpongeBob game ever made. SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom was originally released in 2003, and despite its performance issues, it was met with acclaim from fans and critics alike. Now almost two decades later, it has received a full graphical facelift and includes new content that was cut from the original game. It seems like every Goofy Goober’s dream!

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Originally released 17 years ago, SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated is a remaster of the classic 2003 licensed platformer, accurate to a fault. Perhaps “remaster” is an unfair term. Watching comparison videos, it’s clear that Rehydrated is a remake, with new character models, animations, and environments that better capture the spirit of the beloved TV show—but while many things were remade and improved, still more elements on the gameplay side were left the same, creating a pretty looking, yet dated adventure into a nostalgia-inducing cartoon franchise.

A game that does not play on nostalgia, but on tight gameplay and atmosphere that is so well delivered.

Video games based on licensed properties are not usually given much credit, and understandably so. Spongebob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom was a 3D collectathon platformer starring everyone’s favourite sea sponge. The original title became a cult classic back in 2003 for actually being quite well-made, and capturing the charm of the animated show. Remastered in 2020 under the title Spongebob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated, it remained to be seen how well this old p...

Visually, Rehydrated is a bit mixed. The models are pretty inconsistent, with Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy looking like they’re unfiltered Unity assets when compared to the expressive and colorful models for Spongebob and Squidward. Environments look great though, as each stage has its own tone and style that sets them apart from all the others. The music helps with this as well, thanks to the ukelele-laden tracks and uppity tunes that just ooze that Spongebob charm. The voice-acting is a bit more inconsistent, as the new voice for Mermaid Man and the odd replacement voice for Mr. Krabs sound nothing like their original counterparts, while all the returning voice actors sound excellent.

SpongeBob SquarePants Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated is available today, a remake of the 2003 Xbox and PS2 classic. I never played the original back in the day, deciding I was too old for the franchise at the time. After catching a couple episodes in self-isolation with my (admittedly younger) husband (and I point this out merely as a flex), I giggled enough to go back on that decision for 2020’s remake. I’m very glad I did.

In short, SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated is anything but "Rehydrated." Nostalgic fans may want to check it out and may have a moment or two, but otherwise, most will find that it falls short compared to the giant that is the 2003 version. Fans who want to re-experience the game and can deal with the lackluster graphics may instead want to play the 2003 version. As wild as it sounds, 2003's SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom may just be the superior version.

Despite a lacklustre audio treatment and throwaway new content, this underrated 3D platformer makes a surprising return that looks fantastic and plays better than ever

Whether you have nostalgia for the original or not, SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated is a genuinely worthwhile game to pick up in 2020 and enjoy. It offers enough to do to warrant the price tag and is certainly a step-up in terms of presentation compared to the original. While it doesn’t offer much new, what it does offer is a great looking, smooth playing action-platformer from the tail-end of the Golden Age of Collectathons.

“Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?” Honestly, up until reviewing the unfortunately titled SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated, I didn’t really know. Sure, I knew of the trouser-wearing sponge, but after never watching a full episode of the show, I didn’t know much about him. Thankfully, knowledge of SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, et al isn’t necessary to enjoy this top-notch remake.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated still feels like the classic version – for better and for worse. The voice actors for SpongeBob, Patrick, Sandy, Mrs. Puff and more help to bring the game to life and, with its wonderful new graphics, Bikini Bottom has never looked better. Due to its issues, though, it isn’t likely to pull in a new wave of players. It barely managed to keep me invested – and I’ve been incredibly excited to get my hands on it. For those who played it as kids, it’s a joy to see it looking so shiny and new, but don’t go in expecting to get too much fun out of it.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated is a game for fans of the show. The game doesn't do anything groundbreaking but it still holds up today. With the presentation overshadowing many of the mediocre elements. The updated visuals and animations are truly amazing, showing how far games have come since 2003. SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated isn't a ground-break or distinguished title. It is a fun and funny adventure that will leave you smiling.

A nostalgia trip that nobody should pack their bags for.

Even with its many imperfections, SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated ultimately succeeds as an attempt to spruce up a 17-year old game. It doesn’t stand alongside the 3D platforming greats, but it’s a fantastic, humour-filled tribute to a beloved show. People less familiar with the yellow sea sponge’s exploits will find it harder to overlook the creaky, PlayStation 2-era quirks. It looks better, but that doesn’t mean it plays better than it did 17 years ago.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated may be the same game from 2003, albeit wrapped up in a pretty package with some extra, slightly frivolous bells, but it’s delightfully nostalgic. It’s a solid execution on a game that has only grown with popularity since its release. For those ‘90s kids out there, it offers a moment of relaxation, a short break to slip back to a time that was a bit easier than now. Much like SpongeBob, I need it.

A clunky adventure that will only appeal to hardcore fans thanks to its antiquated gameplay and ho-hum additions.

Rehydrated is a wonderful remake of an incredibly fun game. The humor and joyful platforming will have you smiling ear to ear, even if the game has more than a few technical problems.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated adds lovely visuals to a classic 3D platformer that has aged better than I thought it would. Excellent controls, imaginative and compelling level design, and plenty of belly laughs make this game worth going back to nearly 20 years later.

This couples with the writing that, while good, doesn’t hit the mark consistently enough to be a knock-out. It’s a pretty great parallel for the entire experience of Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated. Chances are, you already know if you’re the audience for this game. It’s not the 3D platformer to convert your realistic, RPG-fan friends by any means, but it’s exactly what it promises it is: a remake on the original game with updated controls, graphics, a...

We tell you, it’s a good game! It’s not average! It might have some problems here and there, but you have to admit it is a “Good” game.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated hits you with nostalgia, but that's not enough to carry it forward in 2020.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated makes an argument that, if you’re going to remake something beloved, it’s not worth taking any half-measures. Rehydrated’s revisit of the iconic SpongeBob platformer often does just that. Rather than addressing any of the real issues with Battle for Bikini Bottom that could have been tweaked without ruining the spirit of the original, it leaves history intact at the cost of making this a better game – and its problems have only become more noticeable with age and increased competition. There are bright spots that remain fun almost two decades later, and there are pops of ingenuity in its reworking, but it does little to stand alongside the best, or even the pretty good, platformer remakes and remasters we’ve seen this generation.