SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake
Developer(s)Purple Lamp
Publisher(s)THQ Nordic[lower-alpha 1]
Director(s)
  • Daniel Bernard
  • Adam Khoury
Producer(s)Martin Kreuch
Designer(s)
  • Julian Breddy
  • Adam Khoury
  • Daniela Etzinger
  • Andreas Lenz
  • Armin Hotter
Programmer(s)
  • Philipp Kogelnig
  • Marcus Waldhütter
  • Federico Nisoli
Artist(s)
  • Stefan Krastev
  • Targo Sirol
  • Julian Berger
Writer(s)
  • Sebastian Klemm-Lorenz
  • Tina Hörgl
Composer(s)
  • Anderson Alden
  • Jake Boring
  • Aaron Kaplan
SeriesSpongeBob SquarePants
EngineUnreal Engine 4
Platform(s)
Release
  • Windows, Switch, PS4, Xbox One
  • January 31, 2023
  • PS5, Xbox Series X/S
  • October 23, 2023
  • iOS
  • December 12, 2023
  • Android
  • December 21, 2023
Genre(s)Platform, action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is a 2023 platform game developed by Purple Lamp and published by THQ Nordic. The game is based on the Nickelodeon animated series SpongeBob SquarePants. The player controls SpongeBob, who, along with Patrick, journeys across several alternate realities called "Wish Worlds" to save their friends and the town of Bikini Bottom while collecting Cosmic Jelly for the mermaid fortune teller Madame Kassandra. It was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on January 31, 2023. It was also released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on October 23, 2023, iOS on December 12, 2023 and Android on December 21, 2023.

The Cosmic Shake was green-lit by Nickelodeon and THQ Nordic following the success of Purple Lamp's previous title, SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated (2020), and was conceived as a spiritual successor to the 2003 original game. The game received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the faithfulness to the source material, but criticized its lack of innovation.

Gameplay

Screenshot showing SpongeBob in Wild West Jellyfish Fields

The Cosmic Shake is a 3D platformer.[1] As SpongeBob, the player navigates through several distinctly themed worlds, known as "Wish Worlds" within the game, with the aid of Patrick, who has been transformed into a balloon.[2][3] Throughout the game, SpongeBob learns a variety of combat and traversal abilities, including: Spin Attack, Glide, Karate Kick, and Fishhook Swing. Players obtain a variety of collectables throughout the game, such as: cosmic jelly, gold doubloons, golden underwear, golden spatulas, Plankton's pet Spot, and level-specific collectables for side-missions. None of the collectables are required to progress through the game's linear story, as the cosmic jelly and gold doubloons are only used to unlock costumes.[4][5]

Plot

During a visit to the Glove World theme park, SpongeBob and Patrick encounter Madame Kassandra, a mermaid fortune teller who sells them a bottle of "magic bubble soap" that can make their dreams come true. After purchasing the soap and returning home, SpongeBob blows bubbles to make his friends' dreams come true. Patrick then reads the bottle's label to find that it is actually a bottle of Mermaid Tears and is the property of King Neptune, not to be used by mortals. SpongeBob's bubbles then cause mayhem as it opens a portal and sucks up buildings and his friends into several "Wish Worlds" while covering Bikini Bottom in a substance called Cosmic Jelly, the building blocks of reality.

SpongeBob and Patrick, who has been transformed into a balloon, traverse through the seven Wish Worlds to save their friends and Bikini Bottom with the help of Madame Kassandra, who gives SpongeBob a cosmic costume for each respective world he visits in exchange for Cosmic Jelly. Unbeknownst to SpongeBob and Patrick, Madame Kassandra has her own villainous intentions. Locations within the game include: Bikini Bottom, Wild West Jellyfish Fields, Karate Downtown Bikini Bottom, Pirate Goo Lagoon, Halloween Rock Bottom, Prehistoric Kelp Forest, Medieval Sulfur Fields, and Jelly Glove World.[6]

After rescuing his friends and giving Kassandra jelly from all of the Wish Worlds, King Neptune intervenes and berates SpongeBob for unknowingly helping Kassandra in her plans, explaining that she stole the Bubble Soap from him, and that she never posed any real danger until SpongeBob helped her. Kassandra then traps Neptune and proclaims her plot to take over the ocean. Squidward interrupts and yells at SpongeBob for everything that has happened to him. Kassandra uses the Cosmic Jelly to turn Squidward into a jelly monster called Jelly Squidward and uses him to try to destroy SpongeBob and Patrick. After defeating Kassandra and Jelly Squidward, Kassandra is banished through a portal, Squidward and Patrick are turned back to normal, and King Neptune is freed. In gratitude for saving everyone, King Neptune gives SpongeBob one wish, but Patrick wishes to "do everything all over again" despite the others' protests, bringing Bikini Bottom back to its chaotic state.

Development

The Cosmic Shake was developed by Purple Lamp Studios, who had previously developed SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated (2020). The game was conceived as a spiritual sequel to the original Battle for Bikini Bottom (2003), and was green-lit by Nickelodeon and THQ Nordic following the commercial success of Rehydrated. While Battle for Bikini Bottom has three playable characters, SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy, each with one or more special abilities, Purple Lamp decided to have SpongeBob be the only playable character in The Cosmic Shake and give him a lot of new abilities.[7] The developers focused on making the game more story-driven and fast-paced than its predecessor, as well as making players revisit challenges and missions more frequently.[8] Unlockable costumes were made a core focus of game.[7] The game features voice-acting from the show's original cast, with Purple Lamp also working closely with writers from the series.[8]

Release

THQ Nordic first announced the game in September 2021, as a part of its tenth-anniversary showcase.[9][10] A new trailer featuring gameplay was unveiled at the end of THQ Nordic's game showcase in August 2022.[11] A playable demo of the game was presented at Gamescom 2022.[12] Later in September, during a Nintendo Direct presentation, it was revealed that the game would release in 2023.[13][14]

The Cosmic Shake was released for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on January 31, 2023. A limited physical edition, the "BFF Edition", was released on all platforms, and includes a SpongeBob statue, an inflatable Patrick, an amulet with necklace, miniature bouncing balls, placemats, "Costume Pack" DLC, and a special box.[15]

In September 2023, THQ Nordic announced that the game would release for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on October 16, 2023, before being delayed to October 23.[16] Mobile versions for iOS and Android were announced in November and set to be released on December 12, 2023,[17] though the Android version was released later on December 21, 2023 due to "an unforeseen issue".

Reception

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake received "mixed or average" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[31]

Destructoid praised the variety of the game, writing "Each world brings with it a unique feel and presentation, from chasing down some cosmetics in Medieval Sulfur Fields to setting up a light show in Halloween Rock Bottom".[22]

Sales

According to GameSensor, over 60,000 players added The Cosmic Shake to their Steam accounts' wishlist even a month before its release. It sold almost 50,000 units during the first month of release on Steam.[32] The game reached tenth place on the sales chart in the United Kingdom.[33]

In May 2023, Embracer Group (owner of THQ Nordic) stated that initial sales of the game were below expectations, but they expected it to "have a long tail of revenue".[34]

Notes

  1. ↑ Android and iOS versions published by HandyGames.

References

  1. ↑ Minotti, Mike (September 17, 2021). "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is a new 3D platformer". VentureBeat. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  2. ↑ Seedhouse, Alex (November 1, 2021). "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake Coming To Nintendo Switch". Nintendo Insider. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  3. ↑ Cocomello, Marco (September 20, 2021). "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is a New Original Adventure". www.glitched.online. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  4. ↑ "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake Trophies". PSNProfiles. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  5. ↑ "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake Collectibles Guide". PowerPyx. January 30, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  6. ↑ "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake - Official Game Site". cosmicshake.thqnordic.com. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
  7. 1 2 Kreuch, Martin (August 12, 2022). "SpongeBob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake announced". PlayStation.Blog. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  8. 1 2 Brian (January 29, 2023). "[Interview] SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake dev on origins, gameplay, Switch version, more". Nintendo Everything. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  9. ↑ Borthwick, Ben (September 20, 2021). "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is an all new 3D platformer coming to consoles and PC". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  10. ↑ Diaz, Ana (September 17, 2021). "SpongeBob bumbles through the multiverse in new adventure game". Polygon. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  11. ↑ Borthwick, Ben. "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake - predicted release date, news and more". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  12. ↑ Brian (August 24, 2022). "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake first gameplay". Nintendo Everything. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  13. ↑ Bankhurst, Adam (September 13, 2022). "Nintendo Direct September 2022: Everything Announced". IGN Southeast Asia. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  14. ↑ Brian (September 13, 2022). "September 2022 Nintendo Direct recap announcement". Nintendo Everything. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  15. ↑ "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake launches in 2023, 'BFF Edition' announced". Gematsu. October 4, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  16. ↑ "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is getting a next gen consoles version! | THQ Nordic GmbH". thqnordic.com. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  17. ↑ "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake Is Coming to Mobile Through HandyGames as a Premium Release With Pre-Orders Now Live". TouchArcade. November 21, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  18. ↑ "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  19. ↑ "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  20. ↑ "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  21. ↑ "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  22. 1 2 Andriessen, CJ (January 30, 2023). "Review: SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake". Destructoid. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  23. ↑ Franzese, Tomas (January 30, 2023). "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake review: a platformer for all ages". Digital Trends. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  24. ↑ LeBlanc, Wesley (January 30, 2023). "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake Review - Not Quite A Sweet Victory". Game Informer. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  25. ↑ Carr, James (January 30, 2023). "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake Review - F.U.N." GameSpot. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  26. ↑ Northup, Travis (January 30, 2023). "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake Review". IGN. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  27. ↑ Vogel, Mitch (January 30, 2023). "Review: SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake - The Best SpongeBob Platformer Yet". Nintendo Life. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  28. ↑ Rairdin, John (January 30, 2023). "Spongebob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake Review - Review". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  29. ↑ Tailby, Stephen (January 30, 2023). "Review: SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake (PS4) - Old School Platformer Is One for the Fans". Push Square. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  30. ↑ Shaver, Morgan (January 30, 2023). "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake review: A splish-splash n' blast". Shacknews. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  31. ↑ "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  32. ↑ "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake Copies Sold Reach Nearly 50,000 in First Month on Steam". GameSensor. March 14, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  33. ↑ Haghes, Alana (February 6, 2023). "UK Charts: Fire Emblem Out Of Top Ten While SpongeBob Sells Well On Switch". Nintendo Life. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  34. ↑ Batchelor, James (May 24, 2023). "Embracer Group net sales rise to $3.5bn in "challenging year"". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
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