THQ Nordic has been pretty busy ever since it returned to the gaming scene, and one of their bigger remastered titles, has finally released! Yes that title is everyone’s favorite Sponge from under the sea — SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated!
The long-awaited arrival of the remaster port for the game on current generation of consoles is here and both long-time fans of the franchise as well as newcomers to the game, are jumping in joy. And judging from early reviews on the game, developer Purple Lamp did a pretty good job on bringing back such a nostalgic title!
However, its not just complete praise for the game, while some critics love the remaster port, some find it terrible. If you’re on the fence of whether or not you should pick it up, perhaps this review roundup will give you the guidance you’re looking for!
Down below are some of the most respectable gaming sites in the industry, check out the highlights for their reviews on THQ Nordic’s latest title — SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated:
Rehydrated is a welcome return for a licensed platforming great. It’s wonderfully faithful to the original release while ensuring it has the visual fidelity to stand alongside modern adventures in the genre. While I would have loved an expansion of its levels and a more robust multiplayer offering, this is a remake I believe is essential for platforming fans.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated is not only a good platformer its a great example of a game taking full advantage of its license. Fans of platformers will sure enjoy their time in Bikini Bottom, but fans of the franchise will gobble it up. Battle for Bikini Bottom features plenty of action and humor to carry your through the 15-hour campaign and some of its puzzles are definitely headscratchers, which is more then you can ask for in a solid platformer.
Easy Allies 75
Rehydrated is a good remake that wonderfully updates aspects of the original. Even though the horde mode is bad and some aspects of the campaign can feel dated, going through Bikini Bottom as SpongeBob and his crew is still a lot of fun. Most importantly, it captures the charm of the show in a way that fans can appreciate the most. While the majority of licensed games get lost to time, it’s nice to see Battle for Bikini Bottom remembered and brought back.
IGN 50
SpongeBob: SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated sinks under its reverence to nostalgia.
GameSpot 20
Remasters, ports, and remakes are nice because they make games more accessible to new audiences, and the ones that excel understand that some features from the game’s era are antiquated and should be updated or removed. SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated flops like a fish out of water when it comes to this. It’s a game so focused on emulating and embellishing the original that it doesn’t know the parts of itself that are fun and the parts that aren’t. It lost sight of the basic elements that make a collectible platformer enjoyable. This game doesn’t promote curious or keen gameplay, the movement isn’t smooth, and gathering collectibles never feels rewarding. Ultimately, the game winds up being an unpleasant nostalgia trip that nobody should pack their bags for.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated is now available for all platforms. Are you planning on picking up the epic remastered port? Let us know in the comments below!
