SpongeBob's Atlantis Squarepantis - PS2
Ages: Everyone

If you would rather spend your time with SpongeBob and the denizens of the deep, Patrick, Sandy and Mr. Krabs this is the game for you. There is not much story here. The four different environments play more as separate large minigames. Fortunately the developers relied less on the standard jump and double jumping over bottomless pits, and gives us some adventure, different places to explore, new goals and new things to push and use. The music is a surprise, moving from up tempo drum beats to new-age lyrical.

There is a FPS level – Patrick, in a tank, takes down everything in the Atlantian armory with strawberry ice-cream projectiles. Later shooters use ping-pong balls on museum security guards. There is a platform/maze level in isometric view that requires two characters to trade places to use their skills to navigate. SpongeBob, with his spatula can lift and move things, Patrick can throw Sponge Bob over chasms that are too wide to cross. It takes a surprising amount of strategy to keep the pair together to the finish. There is a un-imaginative level requiring pressing combo buttons to perform music. Much like the old Papa-rappa. To keep players further engrossed, there are many mini-games that come between levels. The levels are too long and without enough saves until the level is completed. But in spite of this level of frustration, he game has a nice balance of different action.

Fun Factor: Easy shooter levels and engaging maze level.
Player Friendly: Going back to redo lengthens the game but decreases player satisfaction.

Reviewed by: Editor - 11/07