#cftkk

I think we can all agree that the GBA version of Creature from the Krusty Krab is absolutely goated and far better than the DS version, right? Anyways... RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!

6th part of the art challenge - Spongebob Squarepants: Creature From The Krusty Krab. I know most people know BFBB but I find this game has a really cool and weird vibe. The loading screen artwork is also really cool

And some Dreaded Patrick cause why not?

idk. I was younger.

SpongeBob SquarePants! You know- "Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?", remember? Of course you do- SpongeBob has been around for over 10 years, and lots of us out there grew up watching that lovable sea sponge! Even though some of the more modern episodes aren't as good as the old ones (I'M LOOKING AT YOU, "A PAL FOR GARY"), there's no denying episodes like "Band Geeks" and "Chocolate With Nuts" hold a special place in the hearts of millions. With something as popular as SpongeBob, it's inevitable companies would want to use its characters in various video games. Also inevitable- there are TONS of them. Like- TONS OF TONS. Some are better than others, clearly, but there's only one that we're going to be talking about- "SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature From the Krusty Krab". Pretty odd title, no? Trust me- it'll make MUCH more sense in a few minutes. Released in 2006 for the PC, Playstation 2, GameCube, GameBoy Advanced, and the Wii, CFTKK was mostly a 3D platformer, but had other levels that involved racing and flying through the air in a plane (again, it'll all be explained in a few minutes...). In this game, you play as SpongeBob, Patrick Star, or PLANKTON, of all fish, in a series of strange and unique levels. We'll be reviewing the PS2 and Nintendo DS versions of this game, so let's begin! ********** First, the PS2 version. Let's get one thing clear- the music is GREAT. I mean, just the title screen music seems to say this won't be your average SpongeBob game. As a matter of fact, the music in each of the levels fits the environment really well. For example, in the level "Starfishman to the Rescue!", the music throughout each level really seems like it was taken right out of a superhero movie, especially during enemy encounters. "Rooftop Rumble" also has music that would fit perfectly in an action movie. My next point- the levels themselves. Each level is very unique, and consist of mostly platforming (with a few exceptions). My favorite levels include "Supersized Patty" and the before-mentioned "Rooftop Rumble". In "Supersized Patty", you play as Plankton who is being chased by a giant angry Krabby Patty all over Bikini Bottom. Armed with only the Dispiculator ("It's just a freeze ray, dear."), you must navigate Plankton through a series of areas while dodging jellyfish, unstable floors, barricades, falling objects... What's interesting about this level is how you can use the Dispiculator to freeze enemies, destroy barriers, and even freeze the giant Patty himself for a little extra distance! Don't think about overusing it, though- if the giant Patty falls too far behind, he'll have a speed boost and get back to a normal distance. And be careful- if you get crushed by the Patty, it's an insta-death. Now, the characters may only have five hearts, and it may not seem like a lot, but it's honestly not that bad. The enemies aren't too hard to defeat and more often than not you'll die falling into a bottomless pit or something like that. That's not to say the levels are easy- they do have some level of challenge to them. For example, there are places where you'll need to time jumps to avoid getting hit by a swinging obstacle. If you have trouble with timing, it might be a problem. Another thing I like about the levels is that, in the final level ("Hypnotic Highway"), you choose to play as either SpongeBob, Patrick, or Plankton...but only SpongeBob is unlocked. To unlock Patrick and Plankton, you must collect all of their "Sleepy Seeds", which are hidden in the other levels. Some of them aren't easy to find, either- they can be pretty well hidden. Which makes it all the more rewarding once you manage to find them all. Now, there are two types of levels- platforming levels and flying levels. Platforming levels are self-explanatory- you explore the level, solve puzzles, and battle enemies. The levels also have some plot to them, so you're going in with a purpose. It all flows pretty well. There are only two flying levels, "Rocket Rodeo" and "It Came from Bikini Bottom". What's interesting about flying levels is, instead of health, you have fuel bars that steadily decrease throughout the level. Taking damage will cause you to lose more fuel. You can regain fuel by collecting fuel rockets/balloons during your flight. It's a really interesting mechanic that I myself haven't really seen other game use. Of course, this game DOES have flaws...for example, some of the levels can become kinda repetitive and boring, especially when in a longer areas. "Alaskan Belly Trouble" is a good example of this, because the different sections of the level get somewhat repetitive over time- it really ruins a good game. Welp, that ends my review of the PS2 version of "Creature From the Krusty Krab". Will the DS version be just as good? Let's see... ********** Well...for starters, the title screen music isn't as unique as the PS2 version. It's basically just a remix of the SpongeBob SquarePants theme. As for the music in other levels...well, I guess it still fits the environments, but it doesn't change anywhere in the levels. No, seriously- it's that one track through the whole level. No change or anything... Most levels work in which you have to go around the levels collecting various objects to aid you on your dreamscaping adventure. Now, this game is a 2-D game, which is weird considering there have been other SpongeBob games on the DS with 3-D graphics. Maybe this game came out earlier...? Okay...how am I supposed to move? The control pad doesn't work...none of the buttons work...you see, what your supposed to do it use the DS stylus to swipe left or right on the touch screen to move the characters in said direction. Swipe up to jump, swipe down to make them stop. Now, in most games like this, they give you the option of being able to control with the regular control pad...BUT NOT HERE, YOU WILL PLAY WITH THE STYLUS AND YOU WILL LIKE IT. Now, that wouldn't be a problem...except the characters move and jump pretty slow, and the only way to get them to speed up is to have them walk down a long slope (YAY PHYSICS!!). Speaking of physics, there are some places where you have to push an object like a safe, locker, or a bus onto buttons and such. It's nice that you can tap enough times to destroy them...but they respawn in the same spot you found them, and if that happens to be ABOVE you, it can fall on you and INSTANTLY KILL YOU. B-B-But WHY though? As you your health, you only have three squares (no really, the health in this game is tan squares), and that's not really a problem...the problem is WHY health isn't a big issue. IT'S BECAUSE THE ENEMIES ARE TOO EASY TO BEAT! Literally, all you have to do is tap them (some enemies more than once), then just walk into them. Walk into them. WALK. INTO. THEM. No- NO. NO, THAT'S NOT HOW ENEMIES WORK. You're supposed to make enemies, not too easy to defeat, but FUN to fight. You CAN make them easy, but THIS ISN'T HOW. You're LITERALLY plowing through the enemies! How is that fun? In fact, lots of the levels revolve around interacting with things like springs and valves to get through the level...but the actual characters DON'T DO CRUD if you really think about it- all they do is walk, jump, and push stuff. No attacking or anything...it's a little underwhelming. Now, in most levels, the areas are split apart by black and white portals, and some can only be opened when you collect the item you need to get in that area. Okay, no big deal, let's just explore the area, have some fun, maybe find some treasure...oh, well, there's just one tiny thing- THE LEVELS ARE TIMED!! Like Super Mario Bros. levels, the levels have timers! What was great about the PS2 version was that you could always go back to other areas if you wanted to, and stay as long as you wanted! Not here- you've got 999 seconds to find all the items you need to get and get to the final portal, otherwise it's game over for you! And it wouldn't even be so bad if you could go back to previous areas- but even if you wanted to, going through portals is the point of no return! And losing all health means you have to go back to the beginning of the area- and you get no time back! Not that there's really anything worth going back to- remember the Sleepy Seeds from the PS2 version, the secret hidden ones that you needed to find to unlock Patrick and Plankton in "Hypnotic Highway"? Well, they're basically the coins of this game. They're everywhere, just like regular items! You still need to collect enough to unlock Patrick and Plankton (1000 for Patrick, 2000 for Plankton), but WHY!? You know the best part? They don't even respawn! Go back into the level, they don't show up again! WHY IS THAT PROGRAMMED!? WHY IS ANYTHING IN THIS GAME PROGRAMMED THE WAY IT IS!? ********** Listen, my childhood just wouldn't have been the same without these two games. It's widely considered the most ambitious SpongeBob game out there, and Creature From the Krusty Krab was one of the first video games I ever played. Though, if you has to pick between these two versions...I'd pick the PS2. Remember, there's also the GBA, GameCube, and Wii versions, so feel free to check those out as well. I hope you enjoyed my very first review! Next time, you get to hear me rant about something I hate I'm video games! What is it? Find out next time! Happy gaming! ~X