Spongebob has become one of the most popular shows ever, even though it's pretty much going down the drain (ever since the start of season 4). Yeah, I know you think I'm a "no ifs, ands, or buts" spongebob fan, but trust me, I only watch older episodes, and the new ones SUCK.
This game was released during season 2, back when it was still good. I got the game as a birthday present a while back, and played it for a while. Because of my lack of common since, I never beat any of the bosses or levels, or beat the game.
You know how I talked about difficulty problems (i.e.: Battletoads, Mega Man...) in earlier reviews. Well, this game suffers from difficulty issues as well, but not in the same way those other games do...
You see, LOTLS is too easy. Once you know how to play, AND have common since, it's finished in 10-15 minutes. Yeah, this is probably not worth the 25 bucks you would spend on such a GBC game, but for me at the time I got it, I COULD NOT BEAT IT!!!
Anyway, enough of my ramblings, time for categorization:Graphics: Wow. It's hard to believe how they designed the graphics here. It's like a bunch of 10-year-olds did it or something! Some characters, like Patrick and Squidward, are pretty well done, but others like Spongebob (the MAIN character you're controlling) and Sandy are pretty badly drawn. Okay, well the character design isn't that good, but the background and foreground graphics are okay. Not very detailed, but okay. Graphics get: 6/10.
Sound: Hmm, the music is pretty good, if not a bit simple. Some of the songs can get stuck in my head. The biggest problem is the GBC's sound quality. Sound gets: 7/10.
Story: This is pretty good for a cartoon-based game. Spongebob's riding his bike, when he comes across this odd-looking statue that resembles a sponge fry cook holding a spatula, standing on a stove. The four knobs in the stove are missing, too. He goes and tells Mr. Krabs, who tells him that it's the entrance to the Dutchman's Underworld (duh-duh-duhhhhh)! He says that a golden spatula is down there, and it's being guarded by the Flying Dutchman himself. Spongebob then proceeds to go find a map, giving him the ability to look throughout various stages to find the oven knobs needed to open the gateway. When he does, well...
Story gets: 9/10
Gameplay: WARNING: WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS.
Well, it's pretty much a platformer. You start at Sponge's house and walk towards Goo Lagoon, where you go up, up, up, and take an anchor down to a big chest where you'll get a map, letting you go off to now-open stages and find oven knobs. Of course, not without taking down a boss. 3 of the four knobs are guarded, and the boss is defeated to get the knob. There are a few "weapons" you can use: a bubble wand (the primary weapon), a jellyfishing net, and a net launcher, all of which have a purpose at some point. The characters will often ask you to find something in a level (Patrick wants his shorts back from the Carnival, Squidward wants some Jellyfish Jelly from Jellyfish Fields, etc.), but the missions are pointless. Finally, after getting all four knobs, you go down to the final two stages: Rock Bottom (what's THIS doing here?) and the Dutchman's Underworld. I won't give away the ending, although it's obvious enough already, right? Oh, and Spongebob has a lousy jumping ability, only able to make a huge leap in the air.
Like I said before, too, the game is very easy, and can be beaten quickly. But if you happen to lose along the way, here's how it happens: you start with a regular pair of pants. Get hit, you just have underwear. Get hit again, you're nude, and you have to start from the checkpoint. Nice, huh? Overall, gameplay gets: 6/10.
Control: I explained earlier how bad Sponge's jumping is. That's all I can say about controls. They get: 5/10.
FINAL SCORE:
6+7+9+6+5= 6.6/10.
Verdict: Rent it, unless you can buy it for less than $5.
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