SpongeBob SquarePants has created a massive following across almost every form of media for 21 years, starting the build in 1999. Not the least of those outlets were the numerous video games, the highest rated of these being Battle For Bikini Bottom. This is the reason it’s the first of the games to get its very own remake, a taste of nostalgia for those that played the original.
While fans of the original may think every secret has already been revealed, there’s quite a lot of new content thrown in. Giving fans more than just a pretty facelift, Rehydrated has a lot more gameplay, especially for those that like the multiplayer aspect. Some things can’t be discovered in just one playthrough, though, leaving some facts left in the dark that fans might be interested in.
10 Seasonal Upgrade
The whole goal of a remake is to give the game a little bit of a facelift, modernizing certain components and improving graphics to fit the current times. After all, nobody wants to look at 2003 graphics for long when 4k is now a thing. The eyes naturally avert anything less than 480p.
Rehydrated not only ups the resolution but redesigns much of the setting, giving fans of the original some new structures to explore. This includes SpongeBob himself being converted from his season 2 design to season 12.
9 Secret Ending
More of a completionist ending than a secret one, players must 100% the previous tasks before facing the final boss to get this finale. This means collecting all 99 of the golden spatulas and collecting Patrick’s lost socks before jumping into battle.
Though the ending fight is a little easier than the original, those that make it through in one piece with all the goodies get a nice surprise, reigning the experience in with some nostalgia.
8 Art Changes
From the logo all the way to the art, it only makes sense that the new game would adhere to the show’s artistic changes over the years. SpongeBob and much of Bikini Bottom have been redesigned to match their latest in-series designs, but Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated’s concept art also reflects this shift– trading away a fuller & bolder color palette in favor of a brighter, consciously cleaner aesthetic.
7 Show Specifics
SpongeBob’s simple art style is a great example of less is more, taking away all the noise and allowing the expressions to come through. So much so that some of the facial expressions over the years are identifiable down to the episode.
This isn’t limited to expressions, even random sayings can be pinned down. Given the series has one of the most dedicated fan bases around, the updated game has many callbacks for those that are in the know. Referencing very subtle but specific moments from the show so beloved for all these years.
6 Series Inspiration
SpongeBob SquarePants exists in a world all of its own, even something of a trendsetter in the world of animation. When it comes to video games, however, it’s understandable that Battle for Bikini Bottom would need to take inspiration from the medium’s classics. While it’s harder to see since Rehydrated is now decades removed from its original release, Battle for Bikini Bottom mechanically & structurally lifts quite a bit from Super Mario 64. Albeit engine changes do make Rehydrated more distinct.
5 Karen’s Redesign
Karen is the perennial computer system of the Chum Bucket and Plankton’s wife. Her seemingly endless list of abilities and role as villain makes her unforgettable, even considering her relatively small role in the game.
Though Karen appears in multiple distinct form in the series, an entirely new form was designed for Rehydrated– a combination of her wall & mobile designs, with the monitor attached to the roller stand beneath.
4 Engine Improvements
With an upgrade in game engine thanks to Unreal Engine 4, it shouldn’t come as a shock that the core mechanics have become substantially smoother. Attacks are far less choppy, and character animations are telegraphed properly all around– adding a little more visual context to the action. Even the surroundings and secondary objects respond in a cleaner way. From flying attacks to the tiki’s animation, this remake blows its predecessor out of the water as far as gameplay goes.
3 Skyrocketing Prices
We’ve all heard of inflation but this is ridiculous. Who would have thought even Bikini Bottom would be hit? It’s not even as if it’s a slight increase, in-game prices have shot up over 300% since the last game.
Luckily, shiny objects can be farmed from all the low-level enemies, from tikis to robots. Color indicates worth, giving players a currency system to actually learn before rushing into the Krusty Krab. With 100 of these floating around, it’s time to start saving.
2 Breaking Release Date
In a rare but not unheard of move, Walmart made an error that released the game in their stores a week before the release date– giving fans access to the game well before the launch, something that only those that were very proactive would have been able to notice.
Walmart wasn’t the only store as multiple retailers broke the date and jumped the gun. Though it didn’t make as much of a splash as some of the bigger releases out there, it did give the eager fan a nice surprise.
1 Hidden Robo
What fans didn’t know in 2003 was that quite a bit of content was removed from the final game– including a boss fight. Said boss fight doesn’t make it into the main campaign, but Robot Squidward is acknowledged. Though he doesn’t get a direct battle, he is the source of all the robots in the game. When players enter the newly minted multiplayer horde mode, they will be indirectly fighting to take down the many arms of ‘‘Squid Vicious,’’ as they call him in the GBA version.
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