SpongeBob SquarePants: Plankton's Robotic Revenge

SpongeBob SquarePants: Plankton's Robotic Revenge is an action-adventure video game based on the hit television series, SpongeBob SquarePants. It was released in October 2013 for Wii U, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS,^[1] PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. The game was developed by Behaviour Interactive and published by Activision, who took over the license from previous SpongeBob SquarePants video game publisher THQ after the company's bankruptcy and liquidation. This is also the first SpongeBob SquarePants game to be released for the PlayStation 3 and Wii U thus far, as well as the first SpongeBob SquarePants game to be rated E10+ by the ESRB.

Gameplay

Players can purchase and upgrade their weapons of choice. Home console versions of the game feature four-player co-op, whilst the Wii U version will allow for an additional fifth player when using a GamePad with four other controllers. Portable versions are solely single-player games. The confirmed playable characters include SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, Sandy and Mr. Krabs.

Plot

A cargo ship accidentally drops batteries into the ocean. Plankton finds them and uses them to power his giant robot and robot army and takes the safe with the Krabby Patty secret formula. He also takes the map to the key and the two copies of it that opens the safe. SpongeBob and his friends have to stop him, defeat his robot minions and family members, retrieve the batteries, and find the three keys before he does to get the formula back. They fight Plankton in the Dutchman's Triangle, but he retreats. The team then fight two of Plankton's family members, who also have giant robots, in other areas. After getting the first two keys and batteries, they go back to the Krusty Krab and battle Plankton again. After he is defeated, they retrieve the last battery and find the last key under the doormat and use it to open the safe. In the bottle was a note saying the formula is in Mr. Krabs' pocket the whole time. Squidward expresses his shock that they have been through the whole thing for nothing. That night, when SpongeBob and Patrick are watching TV in Patrick's house, SpongeBob wonders where the batteries went and is amazed that Patrick's TV is working so well. It is then revealed that the batteries were powering the TV from the outside.

Development

The game was first announced in March 2013 after THQ shutdown following its file for bankruptcy and liquidation in 2012.^[2] A trailer for the game was released in July 2013.^[3]

Reception

Plankton's Robotic Revenge received mixed to negative reviews from critics. According to aggregating review website GameRankings gave the PlayStation 3 version 35.00%, the Wii U 40.00%, and the 3DS version 60.00%. While the game was panned for its slowly developed gameplay, the return of the original voice actors was praised.

IGN panned the game with a score of 3.5 out of 10. Both PlayStation Official Magazine and Official PlayStation Magazine awarded the game a 5/10. GamingBolt rated the game 7 out of 10.

References