At the beginning of PAX, I got to check out an early build for Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated. Though I never played the original Battle for Bikini Bottom, I know that the game is still held in fairly high regard as a fun 3D collect-a-thon platformer. After playing the demo for Rehydrated, I can see why the game is held in such esteem, though there are definitely some unfinished areas that will need touching-up before release– primarily, the cutscenes.
As I talk about the visuals in the cutscenes I saw, keep in mind that unfinished builds of games will have errors here and there, which is completely normal (see: “unfinished”) Pop-in textures and unfinished animations aren’t necessarily bad unless they make it into the full game. That said, there were still some visual problems that felt a bit worrisome. In one scene, Patrick is supposed to put an item into a “magic” shell. Supposedly, Patrick had been holding the shell for the entire cutscene, but it was entirely invisible. I thought he was pantomiming for a visual gag, so I was surprised when it was revealed that he was supposed to be holding an object. Things like this occurred more than a few times, with invisible objects or environments popping up in cutscenes here and there. I imagine these will be fixed by the time Rehydrated releases, but it felt a bit more unfinished than most press-invited, early builds.
These issues were only really in the cutscenes though, as the gameplay itself looked great. One thing I really noticed was how colorful Rehydrated is, much like the show it’s based on. It’s often difficult to transition a 2D cartoon into 3D, but Battle for Bikini Bottom: Rehydrated seems to be doing a good job at doing this without losing the charm of the original show. This is also shown through the many easter eggs and references in Rehydrated’s gameplay. When you fall off a cliff, the live-action Captain hand from the show grabs you and places you back on the stage. A simple cardboard box is used for fast-travel, like in the classic Imagination episode. These little references were scattered throughout the demo, which I appreciated as someone who grew up watching Spongebob.
“It felt as though every corner of the demo area had an item or collectible that caught my attention and drew me towards it, even with the knowledge that none of the things I collected in this PAX demo would transfer over to my own copy of the game upon release.“
Gameplay-wise, Rehydrated is much like other collect-a-thons you may have played, like Banjo-Kazooie or Donkey Kong 64. You play as various characters who all have their own abilities that are required to find collectibles and progress through large areas. Spongebob can make bubbles to fight with or jump higher, while Patrick can lift heavy objects or smack enemies with his gut. It’s fun and silly, as a Spongebob game and collect-a-thon should be, but it’s also good at piquing your interest. It felt as though every corner of the demo area had an item or collectible that caught my attention and drew me towards it, even with the knowledge that none of the things I collected in this PAX demo would transfer over to my own copy of the game upon release. It was the satisfied feeling of collecting that Rehydrated grabbed my attention with.
Battle for Bikini Bottom: Rehydrated currently doesn’t have a release date, meaning it has ample time to finish up and fix any of its visual issues. Otherwise, Rehydrated looks to be quite fun and relaxing, particularly for anyone nostalgic for Battle for Bikini Bottom or Spongebob Squarepants in general.
