SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game Deserves to Ditch a Series Formula

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game is the latest of many games based on the popular Nickelodeon show, but it presents many firsts for the series. In a franchise that has ranged in quality over the years, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game has an advantage by changing the formula in an unexpected way.

Fans were surprised by the announcement of SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game, which will, fittingly, see players taking control of Patrick Star. Over the years, SpongeBob games have grown to share many elements, with the most popular ones taking the form of platformers and allowing players to take control of multiple members of the cast. However, The Patrick Star Game throws those ideas out the window to deliver a game sure to be vastly different from other SpongeBob outings. Developer PHL Collective has taken a new route, allowing fans to explore Bikini Bottom in an open-world sandbox game, with Patrick being the only playable character, leaving SpongeBob on the sidelines for the first time.

The Turbulent Past of SpongeBob Video Games

Since the show’s debut, SpongeBob has received dozens of video game adaptations, but as years have passed, their quality hasn’t always been top level. Early games, like Legend of the Lost Spatula and SuperSponge, received mixed reviews, but were generally considered good for younger audiences. As the show and its viewers grew, however, the effort and detail that went into the games became more sophisticated. Many fans have fond memories of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie Game and Battle for Bikini Bottom, as these games hit the right mix of challenge and whimsy, offering the type of experience that fans of the show were looking for. This high quality would continue through several more iterations, but sadly it wouldn’t last. Eventually, SpongeBob titles became an easy cash grab, with games like SpongeBob SquarePants Typing and Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition driving fans away until recent years.

Cosmic Shake Walked so The Patrick Star Game Could Run

After the series had gone dormant for several years, fans were treated to a remaster of Battle for Bikini Bottom, often considered the best game of the franchise, in 2020. Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated breathed new life into the series, reminding audiences and developers what a SpongeBob game should be. With the spark reignited, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake released in 2023 as the first new title in over 5 years. The Cosmic Shake hit just the right note with fans, offering well-crafted gameplay, references from the show’s now decades-long run, and the type of humor that the audience was looking for.

The Patrick Star Game Takes a Worthwhile Risk

With The Cosmic Shake seen as a commercial success, it opened the door for more diverse and experimental SpongeBob games, like The Patrick Star Game, that branch out in a new direction for the franchise. In recent years, Nickelodeon has been trying new ideas with the SpongeBob IP, such as spin-off movies and TV shows. One of these shows, The Patrick Star Show, likely influenced the decision to give the character his own game, although the two don’t seem related beyond the starring character. So, with a successful revival, The Cosmic Shake paved the way for new SpongeBob games that break the mold.

Seeing such a popular franchise gain new life restores hope in an industry that some would say is afraid to take risks. Stepping in a new direction might not be the safest choice, but The Patrick Star Game proves that it can lead to new innovations. Open-world sandbox games are a genre that deserves more love, and this popular IP might open the door for more fans to recognize that. The choice to push SpongeBob out of the spotlight may seem strange, but in this type of game, Patrick is the best choice for the protagonist. His erratic, often destructive, energy would feel right at home in games like Goat Simulator, which propelled the open world sandbox formula into the spotlight. So, while SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game might cause some fans to feel a tonal whiplash, they are in good hands to ease the transition.