SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated

Rather pretty, very accessible, funny and with an effective and varied gameplay, it is difficult to really blame it for anything.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated adds lovely visuals to a classic 3D platformer that has aged better than I thought it would. Excellent controls, imaginative and compelling level design, and plenty of belly laughs make this game worth going back to nearly 20 years later.

A gorgeous remake of a cherished game adaptation. With tons of unlockables spread across levels with tons of variety, it doesn’t rely on its namesake alone to carry it. While SpongeBob fans will undoubtedly be happy to play through a game that retains the show’s sense of humor and colorful animation, its solid platforming and the freedom it provides players with to explore its diverse levels make it one of the better remakes we’ve seen.

It’s not reinventing the wheel, it’s not pushing anything forwards, it’s just good fun. It’s definitely a game aimed for the younger gamers out there, but I think, thanks to nostalgia and the horrific state of the world, that it should appeal to nearly everyone. The sheer undiluted joy that it delivers straight into your soul is exactly what we all need right now. So, are you ready kids?

The "rehydrated" version of Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom is an all-round entertainment product for a younger audience, who can take the opportunity to learn about the franchise, or on the other hand consolidate it with an original and fun adventure to play. Also confirmed by my teenage double, who enjoyed playing it from start to finish.

Only slightly improved, but pleasantly relaxed old-school jump-and-run in 3D, that convincingly captures the essence and the humour of the cartoon show.

Jumping lacks a little bit of precision, but if you can ignore this, you’ll get a engaging, albeit short package of fun.

Spongebob Squarepants Rehydrated is a rock-solid 3D platformer for fans of the popular TV series, who will love to explore Bikini Bottom by themselves. If you do not like the source material and prefer your Jump'n'Runs to be a bit more challenging, you are better off passing on this one.

Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom was never an exceptional platformer - we can even accuse it of being generic - and that remains in its Rehydrated version. What also does not change in this remake is that it is a project that makes good use of its source material. It also looks better with much needed graphical upgrades. A good remake for a decent game.

A faithful remake that takes an average collect-a-thon of a bygone era and never really does much to improve it aside from some added content and spruced up visuals, Battle for Bikini Bottom is let down by its monotonous gameplay and loose controls.

Rehydrated makes an argument that, if you’re going to remake something beloved, it’s not worth taking any half-measures. Rehydrated’s revisit of the iconic SpongeBob platformer often does just that. Rather than addressing any of the real issues with Battle for Bikini Bottom that could have been tweaked without ruining the spirit of the original, it leaves history intact at the cost of making this a better game – and its problems have only become more noticeable with age and increased competition. There are bright spots that remain fun almost two decades later, and there are pops of ingenuity in its reworking, but it does little to stand alongside the best, or even the pretty good, platformer remakes and remasters we’ve seen this generation.