Spongebob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake | PS4 Review

“Are you ready, kids?” 

“Aye, Captain!”

If you grew up or have kids that grew up in the 2000s, you have probably seen at least an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants. If you have not, you probably lived under a rock like Patrick. For me, SpongeBob was a character I grew up with and loved as a kid. Even though I am almost 30, you can catch me quoting the show at least once a week. So when SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake was announced, I had to take a trip down memory lane and dive back into my childhood with this game.

“I’m Ready! I’m Ready!”

SpongeBob and Patrick have a big day ahead: they are going to Glove World! At Glove World, SpongeBob and Patrick discover some magic bubble solution being sold by the ominous Madame Kassandra. These magical bubbles grant wishes and after three hours of granting wishes, Patrick finally decides to read the label, but it is too late. They create a rift in the world of Bikini Bottom and start creating portals to different lands. Patrick becomes a balloon, SpongeBob’s pineapple home and The Krusty Krab are gone, and there are now jelly creatures invading the world. The only way to reverse this is for SpongeBob and Patrick to travel through these portals and collect as much jelly as possible for Madame Kassandra to put the timeline back together.

It is a silly concept, but one that is consistent with the style of SpongeBob SquarePants. And if you grew up with SpongeBob, this really pulls all the nostalgic punches. Although sometimes forced, very recognizable quotes are said throughout, from “My LEG!” to “CHOCOLATE!!!” and many more. The portals take you through worlds that seem so familiar and have iconic costumes that pair well with these worlds. You dress as Caveman SpongeBob as you travel in prehistoric Bikini Bottom, or you dress as a jester helping Princess Pearl throw the most coral slumber party. The story is not going to win any awards, but it does not overstay its welcome and captures the nostalgia of why I love SpongeBob SquarePants.

“Ka-Rah-Tay!”

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake plays very similarly to SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated, the remake of the 2003 game. It is a linear-based platformer with a gear-gated system. Different skills discovered throughout can unlock sections in previous levels to collect items. An aspect that differs from these games is The Cosmic Shake does not require a certain amount of items to move on to the next level. For me, this is a welcomed change, as the game is not about collecting to advance, but just completing levels in order to continue the story.

Combat also shares a resemblance. You have to swing your jellyfish net to attack, bubbles have a role in combat, and it is not generally difficult. To be fair, it is a game that is intended for a younger audience. There are some differences, like you can only play as SpongeBob in this game, whereas in Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated you play as multiple different characters. Instead of utilizing different characters to use new abilities to progress in The Cosmic Shake, SpongeBob adds different movesets during different levels to continue, as well as new combat moves. After learning the karate kick, it became a favorite of mine, even if it did not work all the time.

Unfortunately, another similarity The Cosmic Shake has with Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated is it plays relatively slow compared to modern video games. SpongeBob moves very slowly and while a sprint button is not required, it would have helped to compensate for the slow movement. Maybe it is by design, but the game seems to be stuck in the video game past.

“I’m Ugly and I’m Proud!”

Another notable quote from the show, this title seems a little misleading for this section. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is by no means an ugly game. The graphics capture the SpongeBob SquarePants aesthetic perfectly. The character animations are great as they walk and talk like the characters in the show. It even has the sound of SpongeBob’s feet squeaking as he takes every step.

Where this game deserves the title of “ugly” is in its performance. For the most part, the game runs smoothly when you are traveling around the levels and attacking enemies. However, when traveling down slides, or going at any higher speed, the game starts to stutter and drop framerates. While it does not happen very often during playing, stuttering happens a lot with cutscene transitions. Especially towards the end of the game, characters in cutscenes stopped talking and all you can hear is the background music. And traveling through a portal seems abrupt, as there was something missing from exiting the portal to the next cutscene. This might have needed a little bit more time to fix these issues, and can be easily fixed with patches.

The Final Verdict

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake feels very familiar for a fan of the television show and one of its most popular games. From the goofy story to the character dialogue, it felt as if I was back in my parents’ house watching a new episode. The gameplay feels similar to SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated, which feels slow, but at least improves upon the story progression. And while the graphics are great, the game has issues with cutscenes and some framerate drops when SpongeBob travels quickly. Older SpongeBob SquarePants fans might enjoy this game purely for nostalgia, but this game is meant for younger fans of our beloved sponge.

To hear me talk more about SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake, be sure to listen to our February 2nd episode of The Gaming Outsider Podcast.

This review is based on a PlayStation 4 copy of SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake provided by Evolve PR for coverage purposes. It is also available on Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam, GOG. and Epic Games Store.