Parents' Guide to

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Battle for Bikini Bottom

By Kate Pavao, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Benign game misses target audience.

Game PlayStation 2 2003
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Battle for Bikini Bottom Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

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age 7+

Based on 4 parent reviews

bobbyman
bobbyman Parent of 17-year-old
July 19, 2010
age 7+

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much consumerism
CSMContentDefault
CSMContentDefault Adult
May 30, 2010
age 10+

Perfect for kids NOT scared of robots

It's awsome. Some hard parts like beating times on the slides and probley not for younger kids. Some of the robots scare my 7 year old who acts like she's 4 so that's probley why. It's a fun game and it's on for hours in our house.
See all 4 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Evil Plankton has unleashed a mass of malicious robots on Bikini Bottom (though SpongeBob thinks he inadvertently invited this disaster) in SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS: THE BATTLE FOR BIKINI BOTTOM. Now they're wreaking havoc from Goo Lagoon to Jellyfish Fields, and SpongeBob and friends are on a quest to stop them and save the denizens of their underwater home.

Along the way, players collect precious golden spatulas and Patrick's dirty socks, and complete other side missions. Changing among the popular show's three main characters, players swing above the city on Sandy's lasso, use Patrick to toss around a variety of \"throw fruit,\" or turn into SpongeBall to bowl over enemies.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4):
Kids say (26):

Creative stuff, but the anticipated audience here is unclear. The missions are difficult to complete and simultaneous, and younger players may lose track of what they're trying to accomplish, never mind actually finishing a level. Conversely, more experienced players may tire of the repetitive moves required to complete the almost 100 tasks.

If you just want to see SpongeBob and his friends frolic around Bikini Bottom, there's plenty to soak up. But accomplishing missions requires a level of expertise that may outpace the skills of the show's young fans.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about marketing tie-ins and how this game promotes the SpongeBob SquarePants empire.

Game Details

  • Platform: PlayStation 2
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: THQ
  • Release date: November 25, 2003
  • Genre: Action/Adventure
  • ESRB rating: E
  • Last updated: November 4, 2015

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