SpongeBob Squigglepants is THQ’s take on the much-loved Nickelodeon show featuring the porous protagonist and his underwater friends. The game utilizes the uDraw GameTablet and showcases over 100 “nanogames”. It also lets the player create, edit, and print artwork stamps from the Nickelodeon vault.
Pros:
SpongeBob Squigglepants is a fun, family-friendly game geared towards younger audiences. It contains an extremely large collection of short “nanogames” that must be completed in a matter of seconds. These games usually involve performing quick objectives such as rotating a hamster wheel as fast as you can, guiding a falling ball in a vertical maze, or stowing trash bags inside a garbage bin. The player is required to speed through these games by tapping, tilting, or scribbling on the uDraw. After completing a set of twenty nanogames without error, the player unlocks a unique SpongeBob artwork.
All the show’s regulars are present in the various nanogames in one form or another. Additionally, Patchy the Pirate, the president of the SpongeBob fan club and a mainstay on the series, appears in live action and gives feedback on the player’s performance. Patchy also unveils his collection of SpongeBob artworks as the game progresses. The player can then modify the SpongeBob portraits using the uDraw tablet and stylus to create a unique design, which can then be printed and displayed in real life.
The various nanogames are incredibly fun and utilize different visual mediums: one game may involve 2D cartoony graphics, while another contains a dim glassy backdrop. They are best played together with family or younger kids and will surely yield loads of shared excitement.
Cons:
Although SpongeBob Squigglepants is charming and delightful, the nanogames soon wear themselves out with consecutive playthroughs. Some of the games recycle basic premises and do not add anything new. The lack of a main storyline also doesn’t provide a solid framework for the game, making it appear pieced together.
Even though SpongeBob Squigglepants is meant for younger players, the game requires quick reflexes and accuracy which may be difficult for little tykes to perform. A six-year old may have trouble with the game mechanics, and much younger players will find it nearly impossible to complete.
The game also has a short lifespan. The first few hours may be incredibly addicting, but it loses its appeal as the days go by. The art mode is pretty cool though, and this will surely preoccupy many young players who are into coloring and painting.
Wrape Up:
SpongeBob Squigglepants requires the uDraw GameTablet, a Wii peripheral that is purchased separately. The peripheral allows the player to draw and create artworks using a pressure sensitive stylus pen and tablet. The SpongeBob art can later be saved, printed, and shared. The Wii uDraw SpongeBob game is for single-player only.
SpongeBob Squigglepants is an excellent, family-friendly game that will provide some temporary laughs for players of all ages. This Wii Spongebob uDraw game was meant to be a shared experience among family members, but the lack of multiplayer options means only one person gets to play at a time, thus making the cooperative participation feel isolated. The nanogames are also fun at the beginning, but their lifespan is short-lived. As for the modifiable artwork, it’s the meat and potatoes of the game where players will spend most of their time. Ultimately, SpongeBob Squigglepants may be worth buying if you have kids around the house who love the show, but if you don’t have a uDraw peripheral to begin with, the game won’t be enough to justify a purchase.