SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake (PS4)

When developer Purple Lamp made SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated in 2020, I became curious about their next SpongeBob endeavor, The Cosmic Shake, since I overall liked how their previous game turned out. However, I didn’t know that the game had come out earlier this year until I saw reviews come out, since I hadn’t been aware of any release date prior. Once I finally got a PS4 copy, which I played through a PS5, I generally enjoyed it, though not quite as much as Rehydrated.

Nicktoons Movin'

Though more EyeToy games were released following EyeToy: Groove, not many of them were released in the US, where instead the third game to be released for the peripheral was Nicktoons Movin’. Based on various Nickelodeon shows, it became the first EyeToy game in the US to not be developed by London Studio as well as the first to be based on a licensed property. In an effort to complete my EyeToy collection, I found this one for cheap at a local game store, not knowing what to expect going in. Once I played it, however, I walked away a bit disappointed for reasons beyond its content.

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run

As a juggernaut of TV animation, SpongeBob SquarePants is no stranger to the silver screen. The first feature, aptly titled The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, released in 2004 around the peak of the show’s popularity, followed eleven years later by a sequel, Sponge Out of Water. The third movie, Sponge on the Run (originally subtitled It’s a Wonderful Sponge), would have a comparatively rocky release, however. Though Paramount originally planned a full theatrical release, the global COVID-19 pandemic forced them to reconsider the distribution, including at least one release date change. Eventually, the film got a domestic theatrical release exclusively in Canada, followed by an international Netflix release a few months later and a US release in March 2021 exclusively through the Paramount+ streaming service (formerly CBS All Access). This is how we viewed the film once we could access the service, though we mostly did so since Paramount hyped it as their main draw. While an admiral attempt at expanding on the series’ lore, Sponge on the Run is ultimately underwhelming, especially for those who grew up with the show’s first three seasons.

2020 – The Highlights (Tetris_King)

Though we have been making these lists for the last 10 years, 2020 is a bit different as the closing of theaters by way of a global pandemic has resulted in us seeing far fewer new movies than in previous years and playing a lot more video games due in part to collective lockdown boredom. Nevertheless, we decided this would not stop us from presenting what we liked and disliked over the course of the year, though keep in mind that circumstances have resulted in something a bit lighter than usual.

Each list is presented in no particular order, with links to reviews where applicable.

Top Movies of 2020

Sonic the Hedgehog

Purely by circumstance, this was the last movie, and the only one from 2020, that I was able to watch in a theater before or since the entire world was devastated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as of this writing. My confidence going into this movie wasn’t high at first due to the infamous original design for Sonic, however this movie is a great example of how something as simple as a character redesign can do wonders for the finished product. While not exactly a masterclass of cinema, Sonic the Hedgehog is a big step in the right direction for video game movies as a whole and is a very enjoyable and funny movie in its own right.

Soul

Of the handful of animated movies I ended up seeing this year, Soul is easily the best. The story it tells is something I think most people can relate to on some level and the animation features some very interesting visual effects that I didn’t think possible in computer animation. Though so far it is only available on Disney+, I would highly recommend watching both it and its accompanying short Burrow if you are able.

Top Video Games of 2020

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated

Whereas the original release of SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom proved to stand the test of time, the Rehydrated remake brings into the modern day with some much-needed quality of life changes. The game also reintroduces some content that was cut from the original release, however said content is relegated to a frankly lackluster multiplayer mode. Some additional shortcomings upon release, such as the inability to replay boss fights, have thankfully been ironed out through patches, making the game much easier to recommend for those who have not played the original version, unless you’re in it for ulterior speedrunning motives.

Ghost of Tsushima

Being familiar with Sucker Punch’s catalog to varying degrees, Ghost of Tsushima’s announcement was enough to catch my attention, as it was based on a major Japanese historical event. Not only does the final game capture ancient Japan beautifully on the visual front, it’s also highly respectful of the country’s history and culture. The gameplay itself is also great, with combat options that tie in well with the themes of the story as well as some relaxing side content that displays how the beauty of nature can be found even on a battlefield (plus you can pet foxes). I’d be curious to see what Sucker Punch does next, though as far as this IP goes, it seems like one that could easily be left alone after one installment.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2

After a five-year gap following the absolute disaster that is Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5, the Pro Skater series makes a huge comeback with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2. This game takes everything that made the first two games good and improves on them across the board (pun not intended), along with an expanded track list that features all but three tracks from both games as well as some new songs never heard in a Pro Skater game before. The overall quality of the game shows that there was true passion behind these remasters that both old and new fans can appreciate, and I would hope a similar level of effort is put into whatever comes next for the franchise.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time

As someone who got into Crash Bandicoot via the N. Sane Trilogy, I had wondered what the next step for the franchise would be after Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, which turned out to be a brand new game in the series. Crash Bandicoot 4 lives up to the gameplay style of the original trilogy while introducing some new twists of its own. Granted, the game does go a bit overboard in terms of its collectibles, however the game is still a must-play for even casual Crash Bandicoot fans.

Top Disappointment of 2020

Scoob!

Scoob! is an example of what happens when you try to start your own Cinematic Universe and not only forget to make sure the first installment is good on its own, but also misunderstand the source material in the process. The typical mystery formula that Scooby-Doo fans have come to expect is discarded nearly wholesale in favor of an action movie crossover with Blue Falcon, Wacky Races and Captain Caveman of all things, featuring lightning-fast pacing and several missed opportunities to truly tap into the emotional core of the story. Throw in a wholly unnecessary, and somehow plot-critical, cameo from American Idol’s Simon Cowell of all people and you get possibly one of the biggest missteps for any Hannah-Barbera property in recent memory.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated (PS4)

Around the time I got around to actually playing SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom on the PS2, THQ Nordic announced an HD remake of the game developed by Purple Lamp Studios, known as SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated, for modern systems in a similar fashion to Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy. Since I was going to anyway, I played through the original game and thoroughly enjoyed it, anticipating what they would do to bring the game up to modern standards. Building the anticipation further was the announcement that they would reintroduce content that was cut from the original game, including an entire boss fight known as Robo-Squidward. After getting a chance to play the PS4 version of the remaster upon release, I had just as much, if not even more, fun as I did with the initial release even with some flaws.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom (PS2)

When SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom, based on the long-running SpongeBob SquarePants cartoon on Nickelodeon, was first released in 2003, I did not actually own any of the home consoles it was initially released on, and so had to settle with experiencing the PC version, which was presented as a point-and-click game. If memory serves, it was generally serviceable, however for years I had been wanting to see what the console version was like, even after finally getting a PS2 as a gift just as the PS3 was around the corner. After finally getting a PS2 copy of the game a few months ago, I was just planning on playing it after playing through the Spy Fox trilogy when a remake was announced by THQ Nordic for later this year, entitled SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated, which promises a Crash Bandicoot-style graphical upgrade and the inclusion of a number of cut content from the original release, making me anticipate playing the original even more to see what it was like. After getting the experience I always wanted, I found the game had held up surprisingly well, even with some minor setbacks.