SpongeBob's Boating Bash

- Reviewed on Wii -

SpongeBob's Boating Bash released on March 2nd, 2010. 

With two different versions of SpongeBob's Boating Bash being released, one on Wii and the other on Nintendo DS, I will be talking about the superior (in my opinion) release, on the Wii console. 

Developed by ImPulse Games, SpongeBob's Boating Bash is a Racing game filled with action packed Derby modes, and of course, Racing. All of which featuring SpongeBob characters too!

This review WILL have Major Spoilers so keep that in mind before continuing...

The story for SpongeBob's Boating Bash revolves around the typical SpongeBob Driver's License trope. 

SpongeBob fails his driver's test, which happens to be the game's tutorial mode, and then the sour Sponge is then approached by newcomer to the SpongeBob universe, his new driving teacher (and future antagonist), Seymour.

The cutscenes aren't the best, visually, and that is disappointing considering older SpongeBob games from the gaming era beforehand, had much better looking, rendered cutscenes.

The cutscenes (and gameplay) does include the voice cast from the show, which is a plus. 

You can also rewatch the cutscenes later in the side features of the menu.

After the charismatic fish, Seymour, gets SpongeBob to agree to his new D.R.I.V.E program, the main gameplay / campaign mode begins for the player(s).

In the campaign mode, which is titled, Learn to D.R.I.V.E, you (as SpongeBob) have to go through each of the categories provided in Seymour's program. 

These categories include...

    - Destruction

    - Recklessness

    - Impairment

    - Velocity

    - Escape

Sounds suspicious, doesn't it? That's because Seymour (as stated earlier) is actually SpongeBob's Boating Bash's main antagonist.

In the Destruction category, and all categories afterwards, you have to play multiple missions and get a passing letter grade to meet the next categories' requirements. 

One category might need the player to get three As and at least two Bs for example, and so on, and so on. 

As you progress through D.R.I.V.E, the actual missions get harder and harder. 

I personally struggled with Escape, as the mediocre motion controls in this game, made it harder to finish races and derbies with a passing grade. 

I understand that's the point with the difficulty, but the controls are nowhere near perfect. Especially since other motion control games for the Wii, such as Mario Kart Wii, had great controls!

The actual missions within the D.R.I.V.E categories range from multiple different game modes.

Destruction has missions that include bashing into other boats and collecting their parts for points.

Other modes include simply hitting them for points. This is apparent in the Recklessness category.

Impairment has missions relating to pushing other boats into pits to earn points and pass.

Velocity is the typical racing missions, and is nothing special really, as the main focal point in this Wii game is the other Derby modes. 

Finally, the Escape category includes my least favorite mode, and that is surviving waves of opponents and also destroying opponents in certain time limits. 

As you play the campaign, you'll unlock that mission's location (map), and you can play it in Freeplay mode, with bots or human opponents.

You can / will also unlock characters, boats, colors, etc.

If you keep failing missions, Seymour will offer you help with either more time or even respawning you if you fall into pits. 

The list of playable characters include...

    - SpongeBob

    - Patrick

    - Sandy

    - Squidward

    - Mr. Krabs

    - Plankton

    - Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy

    - Mrs. Puff

    - Seymour

The locations (maps) you can play in, are very fun and interesting, despite the small amount. These include...

    - Bikini Bottom

    - Glove World

    - Goo Lagoon

    - Rock Bottom

    - Jellyfish Fields

Growing up with this game, I was very fond of the gameplay, characters, music, and pretty much everything about it. 

As I replayed this nostalgic game, I remembered how much I really, only played one game mode. 

I always liked the Recklessness's game modes, and that was about it (both back then and today). 

I never really played the other modes in Freeplay after beating the campaign. 

The controls aren't good, the cutscenes are very dated, and though the longevity is great, the substance within this title isn't very appealing after a few plays. 

Pros: 

    - Good Longevity

    - Voice Acted by Original Cast

    - Simple and Fun Story

    - Plenty to Unlock

    - Fun Soundtrack

    - Multiplayer 

Cons:

    - Dated Cutscenes (Visually)

    - Imperfect Motion Controls

    - Few Number of Location (Map) Themes

My Rating for SpongeBob's Boating Bash (on Wii):

3 / 5

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Disclaimer

All Reviews, Ratings, Pros, Cons, and Opinions Shared on this Blog (Press A Reviews) are my (Connor Butler) own Thoughts and Feelings.