Wednesday, September 04, 2019

THQ Nordic Unveils First 'SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated' Footage at Gamescom 2019

Are ya ready, kids?


During yesterday's Gamescom Together Gamescom 2019 live stream, publisher THQ Nordic showed off five minutes of gameplay footage from their upcoming remake SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated, which is headed to PC and consoles at some point in the future!

Update (8/22) - Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk are currently taking pre-orders for the game. The Amazon listings also listing two release dates for the game: Tuesday 31st December 2019 in the UK and Thursday, December 31, 2020 for the U.S. Hopefully it's the former rather than the latter!

An updated edition of the much-loved 2003 platform adventure, Battle for Bikini Bottom has been remade from scratch by Austrian developer Purple Lamp Studios, rebuilding the original's colorful world and characters for a whole new generation of video game and SpongeBob fans. Players take control of Patrick, Sandy and, of course, SpongeBob himself, in a quest to thwart the evil Plankton and his nefarious schemes. You can check out the video below, courtesy of Gematsu and Nintendo Everything.

The 2003 classic is considered by many to be one of the truly great licensed games ever made which makes its return here all the more exciting.

Aside from the visual/audio upgrade Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated will also feature reinstated content that was cut from the original release, as well as an all-new multiplayer horde mode, in efforts to make this the definitive edition of this childhood favourite.

As a coincidental aside, today is the the birthday of SpongeBob SquarePants creator Stephen Hillenberg, who sadly passed away last November. It's nice to see his legacy - in a character who has brought joy to so many fans - continue in labour of love projects such as this.








Here is a brief overview of the game, via its Steam page:

About

Are you ready, kids? The cult classic is back, faithfully remade in spongetastic splendor! Play as SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy and show the evil Plankton that crime pays even less than Mr. Krabs. Want to save Bikini Bottom from lots of rampant robots with your mighty bubbles? Of course you do! Want to underpants bungee jump? Why wouldn’t you! Want to join forces in a brand new multiplayer mode? The battle is on!

Key Features

- Play as SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy, and use their unique sets of skills.
- Thwart Plankton’s evil plan to rule Bikini Bottom with his army of wacky robots.
- Meet countless characters from the beloved series.

Remake Features

- Faithful remake of one of the best SpongeBob games ever created.
- High-end visuals, modern resolutions, and carefully polished gameplay.
- Brand new horde mode multiplayer for up to two players, online and splitscreen.
- Restored content that was cut from the original game like the Robo Squidward boss fight and more.

The remastered version of SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom is the first game from THQ Nordic's partnership with Nickelodeon, which will see the video game publisher re-release fan-favorite video games inspired by beloved Nickelodeon properties such as Avatar: The Last Airbender, Back at the Barnyard, Catscratch, Danny Phantom, El Tigre, Invader Zim, Jimmy Neutron, My Life as a Teenage Robot, Rocket Power, Rocko’s Modern Life, Rugrats, SpongeBob SquarePants, Tak and the Power of JuJu, The Fairly OddParents (US only), The Ren & Stimpy Show, and The Wild Thornberrys.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated is in development for PS4, PC, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

From Shacknews:

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated gameplay

Have some fun down here in the deep blue sea with this exclusive gameplay and interview from SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom holds a special corner of nostalgia in the hearts of countless kids who grew up in the early 2000’s. Originally released for the PS2, Xbox, and GameCube, this 3D platformer puts players in the shoes of some of the shows most iconic characters as they embark on a mission to save Bikini Bottom from Plankton’s evil plan. 17 years after its initial launch, the cult classic is getting a full-on remake for the current generation of consoles.

Note that Battle for Bikini Bottom is a complete remake, not a remaster. In the interview below, Purple Lamp studios talked to us about having to design the new game from the ground up. “Engines have changed… so we’re building everything from scratch on Unreal Engine 4.” Programmers at Purple Lamp weren't able to use any of the code from the original game because it’s simply too old to rework.



When remaking a game with such a dedicated fanbase, developers can feel like they’re walking on thin ice trying to appease said fans. Purple Lamp studios took much care into making sure that Rehydrated felt as close to the original game as possible. The devs played Battle for Bikini Bottom over and over when working on Rehydrated, and this attention to detail should be apparent when fans get their hands on the game. While they stayed true to the game’s core, there were some key quality of life improvements made. Better movement and camera controls will help to keep Battle for Bikini Bottom feel and play like a modern game.

If you’re ready to dive back into the world of Nickelodeon’s most recognizable character, SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated is set to release on PC, XB1. and PS4 in 2020.

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More Nick: Nickelodeon Marks 20 Years of "SpongeBob SquarePants" with the "Best Year Ever"!

Originally published: Wednesday, August 21, 2019.

Original source: Destructoid; Additional sources: HITC, Nintendo Wire, IGN SEA.
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