SpongeBob SquigglePants
Encyclopedia
SpongeBob SquigglePants is an action video game based on the SpongeBob SquarePants
television series, developed by WayForward Technologies
and published by THQ
. The game was first announced on March 23, 2011 and was released for Wii
in North America on April 12, 2011, April 14, 2011 in Australia, and in Europe on April 15, 2011. The Nintendo 3DS
version was released on May 17, 2011 in North America and in Europe on May 27, 2011.
It is the fourth game to use the uDraw GameTablet
accessory and borrows its concept from the WarioWare series, consisting of a series of minigames. SpongeBob SquigglePants also features appearances from Patchy the Pirate, the president of the SpongeBob fan club, as its live-action host. The Wii version received mixed reviews, receiving an 57/100 on Metacritic
, as well as the 3DS version, and sold 26,636 copies 10 weeks after its release. It has been announced that the game, along with other uDraw Games, will be coming to Xbox 360
and PlayStation 3
consoles this fall.
. Each game has a time limit of a few seconds and can only be tried five times before failing. Examples include "Flying Disc of the Deep", where the player flicks the stylus to toss a flying disc to Larry the Lobster; "That Takes the Spongecake", where the player tilts the tablet to help SpongeBob blow out all the birthday cake candles; and "A Bridge Abridged", where the player draws a quick line between two cliffs to create a bridge for Plankton to cross and grab his coveted Krabby Patty, which it's mini-games borrows its concept from the WarioWare series.
SpongeBob SquigglePants also features appearances from Patchy the Pirate, the president of the SpongeBob fan club, as its live-action host. Patchy guides players through the game and makes surprise appearances and interacts with players as they play the Nanogames. SpongeBob SquigglePants also lets players digitally draw, paint and color with a free-form drawing function, or choose from several SpongeBob-themed stamps. With the uDraw's exclusive ability to export art to the Wii system's SD card slot, players can also put their drawings aworthy of a place in Patchy's own collection of SpongeBob art – or their own refrigerator. The SD card capability also makes it possible to share artwork with friends via e-mail or save it to computer desktops.
's official press release on April 12, 2011. Manuel wanted players to capture "the fun and excitement of SpongeBob and his friends and gives fans a new way to experience the world of Bikini Bottom.".
The game was also designed to treat fans to styles from the Nickelodeon vault, including "B-Movie," inspired by the days of drive-in movies and stylish horror films; "Sketch Bob," which gives the inhabitants of Bikini Bottom a freehand style look; "Simply Bob," a stylized and abstract interpretation of life under the sea; and many others. The 3DS version was originally announced in Late March 2011.
In June 2011, THQ announced at E3 2011 that they will release the game, along with other uDraw Games, for Xbox 360
and PlayStation 3
consoles. THQ is also in production on a number of new uDraw titles planned for the next six months, both for the new HD-capable uDraw as well as the uDraw GameTablet for Wii.
Christopher Healy reviewed it for Common Sense Media
, giving the game four out of five stars. Healy warned parents about the cartoon violence in few of the Mini-games but praised the game for its ease of play and messages about art. In a review for USA Today
on April 25, 2011, Jinny Gudmundsen awarded the game three out of four stars and said that the game was worthwhile because of its novel gameplay. In Atomic Gamer's review on May 10, 2011, it was awarded an overall score of six out of ten and said "Spongebob Squigglepants is a great game to showcase this device, especially with the huge number of ways it uses the tablet and even pokes fun at other, more "mature" video games now and then. It won't be terribly engaging for an adult, but this is a fantastic gift for a little Spongebob fan". In the game's review on Game Boyz, Trevor awarded the game a six out of ten and said in conclusion "[o]n the surface SpongeBob Squigglepants is a decent looking game, as it features SpongeBob at his finest and manages to maximize all of the uDraw’s features to its fullest. Unfortunately, the quick pace of the nanogames, Patchy’s grating voice, and the fact you can complete the game before lunch is served, make this a title that is hard for me to recommend everyone buy".
More negative reviews include Amanda L. Kondolojy's for Cheat Code Central, giving a score of 2.9 out of five and criticizing the game's repetitive music and average play value. She stated "[t]hough this mini-game doesn't work at all, most of the games in SpongeBob Squigglepants at least work, but the trouble is that the controls just aren't that intuitive. One game that was lifted direct from Wario Ware Smooth Moves involves answering the telephone (no really, it is EXACTLY the same) but instead of picking up a Wii-mote you have to draw a diagonal line on the uDraw tablet. It doesn't make much sense and feels awkward. The game ends up feeling like a DS port of a Wii game, which is a bit backwards".
The 3DS version also received mixed reviews as well, receiving a score of 69.83% as of June 22, 2011. Dave Rudden of GamePro
gave the game 3 stars, stating "THQ and Wayforward Technologies both deserve some credit for making a game that feels as close to a first-party effort as anything seen on the 3DS yet, as SpongeBob SquigglePants is the closest any game has ever come to matching the WarioWare formula. Unfortunately, the game's lack of new ideas, content, and worthwhile 3D effects sap any value out of this sponge.".
SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom"...
television series, developed by WayForward Technologies
WayForward Technologies
WayForward Technologies is a game development company based in Valencia, California. Founded in 1990 by technology entrepreneur Voldi Way, WayForward started by developing games for consoles such as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis, as well as TV games and PC educational...
and published by THQ
THQ
THQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
. The game was first announced on March 23, 2011 and was released for Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
in North America on April 12, 2011, April 14, 2011 in Australia, and in Europe on April 15, 2011. The Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
version was released on May 17, 2011 in North America and in Europe on May 27, 2011.
It is the fourth game to use the uDraw GameTablet
UDraw GameTablet
The uDraw GameTablet is a gaming graphics tablet released in 2010 for the Wii and 2011 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, developed by video game publisher THQ. The uDraw GameTablet uses a pressure-sensitive stylus which allows users to draw and view their creations on screen...
accessory and borrows its concept from the WarioWare series, consisting of a series of minigames. SpongeBob SquigglePants also features appearances from Patchy the Pirate, the president of the SpongeBob fan club, as its live-action host. The Wii version received mixed reviews, receiving an 57/100 on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, as well as the 3DS version, and sold 26,636 copies 10 weeks after its release. It has been announced that the game, along with other uDraw Games, will be coming to Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
consoles this fall.
Overview
SpongeBob SquigglePants consists over 100 mini-games (or Nanogames) which require using the uDraw GameTabletUDraw GameTablet
The uDraw GameTablet is a gaming graphics tablet released in 2010 for the Wii and 2011 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, developed by video game publisher THQ. The uDraw GameTablet uses a pressure-sensitive stylus which allows users to draw and view their creations on screen...
. Each game has a time limit of a few seconds and can only be tried five times before failing. Examples include "Flying Disc of the Deep", where the player flicks the stylus to toss a flying disc to Larry the Lobster; "That Takes the Spongecake", where the player tilts the tablet to help SpongeBob blow out all the birthday cake candles; and "A Bridge Abridged", where the player draws a quick line between two cliffs to create a bridge for Plankton to cross and grab his coveted Krabby Patty, which it's mini-games borrows its concept from the WarioWare series.
SpongeBob SquigglePants also features appearances from Patchy the Pirate, the president of the SpongeBob fan club, as its live-action host. Patchy guides players through the game and makes surprise appearances and interacts with players as they play the Nanogames. SpongeBob SquigglePants also lets players digitally draw, paint and color with a free-form drawing function, or choose from several SpongeBob-themed stamps. With the uDraw's exclusive ability to export art to the Wii system's SD card slot, players can also put their drawings aworthy of a place in Patchy's own collection of SpongeBob art – or their own refrigerator. The SD card capability also makes it possible to share artwork with friends via e-mail or save it to computer desktops.
Development
The Wii version was first announced on THQTHQ
THQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
's official press release on April 12, 2011. Manuel wanted players to capture "the fun and excitement of SpongeBob and his friends and gives fans a new way to experience the world of Bikini Bottom.".
The game was also designed to treat fans to styles from the Nickelodeon vault, including "B-Movie," inspired by the days of drive-in movies and stylish horror films; "Sketch Bob," which gives the inhabitants of Bikini Bottom a freehand style look; "Simply Bob," a stylized and abstract interpretation of life under the sea; and many others. The 3DS version was originally announced in Late March 2011.
In June 2011, THQ announced at E3 2011 that they will release the game, along with other uDraw Games, for Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
consoles. THQ is also in production on a number of new uDraw titles planned for the next six months, both for the new HD-capable uDraw as well as the uDraw GameTablet for Wii.
Critical Response
The Wii version of the game received mixed to average reviews. Since May 17, 2011, It received a score of 62.57% from Gamerankings. based on 7 reviews. On Meta Critic, it received a score of 57/100 based on 9 reviews.Christopher Healy reviewed it for Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media , commonly known as CSM, is a San Francisco-based non-profit organization which serves as a guide for parents that has reviews for most media types, including books, movies, video games, music, and websites, and rates them in terms of violence, sex, and profanity. The website...
, giving the game four out of five stars. Healy warned parents about the cartoon violence in few of the Mini-games but praised the game for its ease of play and messages about art. In a review for USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
on April 25, 2011, Jinny Gudmundsen awarded the game three out of four stars and said that the game was worthwhile because of its novel gameplay. In Atomic Gamer's review on May 10, 2011, it was awarded an overall score of six out of ten and said "Spongebob Squigglepants is a great game to showcase this device, especially with the huge number of ways it uses the tablet and even pokes fun at other, more "mature" video games now and then. It won't be terribly engaging for an adult, but this is a fantastic gift for a little Spongebob fan". In the game's review on Game Boyz, Trevor awarded the game a six out of ten and said in conclusion "[o]n the surface SpongeBob Squigglepants is a decent looking game, as it features SpongeBob at his finest and manages to maximize all of the uDraw’s features to its fullest. Unfortunately, the quick pace of the nanogames, Patchy’s grating voice, and the fact you can complete the game before lunch is served, make this a title that is hard for me to recommend everyone buy".
More negative reviews include Amanda L. Kondolojy's for Cheat Code Central, giving a score of 2.9 out of five and criticizing the game's repetitive music and average play value. She stated "[t]hough this mini-game doesn't work at all, most of the games in SpongeBob Squigglepants at least work, but the trouble is that the controls just aren't that intuitive. One game that was lifted direct from Wario Ware Smooth Moves involves answering the telephone (no really, it is EXACTLY the same) but instead of picking up a Wii-mote you have to draw a diagonal line on the uDraw tablet. It doesn't make much sense and feels awkward. The game ends up feeling like a DS port of a Wii game, which is a bit backwards".
The 3DS version also received mixed reviews as well, receiving a score of 69.83% as of June 22, 2011. Dave Rudden of GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
gave the game 3 stars, stating "THQ and Wayforward Technologies both deserve some credit for making a game that feels as close to a first-party effort as anything seen on the 3DS yet, as SpongeBob SquigglePants is the closest any game has ever come to matching the WarioWare formula. Unfortunately, the game's lack of new ideas, content, and worthwhile 3D effects sap any value out of this sponge.".