The plot of the video game is based on the film, albeit liberties are taken occasionally. King Neptune's crown has been stolen by Plankton and SpongeBob and Patrick must retrieve it from Shell City and save Bikini Bottom.
Console versions
The gameplay is similar to that from Heavy Iron Studios' previous game, ', as it was created using the same engine and shares many assets. There are 18 levels in the game that loosely follow the storyline of the film. The player controls SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star, both of whom have their own unique set of abilities. Each level contains a main objective and side tasks. Four levels involve a boss enemy that the player must defeat to progress to the next level. Boss enemies include the giant frogfish from the film, Dennis, and King Neptune. Each main level and side task will give the player a Goofy Goober Token once completed, and the player needs these tokens to learn certain skills and proceed to the game. Although the player only needs to complete a level's main component in order to unlock the next level, it is not possible to complete the game only doing the main levels. There is also an upgrade system in the game. As the player collects "Manliness Points", they will learn new moves for SpongeBob and Patrick which are needed to complete the game. Once the player collects enough manliness points, they get an "Upgrade Point" which can improve a skill's effect. Although very helpful in progressing and completing the game, upgrades are not mandatory to doing so. The game does not use a life system; if the player dies, they are reverted to their last checkpoint, the game does not count deaths.
Platforming - Ultimately, the main levels of the game, the player must use SpongeBob and/or Patrick to proceed through the levels. Several skills such as combat, careful movement, and most notably, the use of SpongeBob/Patrick's move-sets are needed to progress. Each level has side tasks which offer a Goofy Goober Token, including;
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Sonic Wave Guitar - The player has to use SpongeBob's Sonic Guitar to guide the wave throughout rings without missing one.
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Spongeball - The player must guide a ball-form SpongeBob through a platforming area, similar to the Super Monkey Ball series.
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Floating Block Challenge - Patrick must jump from block-to-block to reach the Goofy Goober Token before time runs out. Each block has different attributes.
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Combat Arena Challenges - SpongeBob, with only a few health units throughout the level, must defeat waves of enemies.
Driving - Using the Patty Wagon, sometimes the player will need to drive through an area. All of the driving levels have three identical side tasks: a time challenge, a ring challenge, and a "Macho" time challenge.
Sliding - Using a small bathtub which acts almost like a sled with its movement, the player must slide through the area. The side tasks are the same as in the driving sequences.
Bosses''' - There are a total of four boss battles in the game, none of which contain side tasks.Each completion of a challenge or its side task grants the player a Goofy Goober Token. In order to learn the moves required to advance in levels and the stories, SpongeBob and Patrick will have to complete these side missions to get these tokens. SpongeBob and Patrick have a few moves, and when they get a sufficient number of points, they can upgrade a move or increase their max health. Their health units are measured in Krabby Patties; they each contain only three, but can be upgraded up to six over time. The moves will improve in effectiveness when upgraded. Throughout the game are cutscenes that are either in-game animations or FMV sequences that resemble slideshows and feature stills from the movie.
PC version
The gameplay has features that are reminiscent of point-and-click adventure games, similar to that in ' and the PC version of '. It mainly follows around SpongeBob and Patrick in a various number of locations. The game consists of 8 chapters that loosely follow the plot of the film, with additional story details being described in cutscenes between chapters that feature narration over still pictures.
GBA version
The GBA game is a 2D platformer split between 6 worlds to progress through, plus many bonus levels, and a boss at the end of each world. Unlike the console versions, there is a life system, and there is no save feature; instead, players are given a variety of level passwords as they progress through the game. Like the PC version, the story is told through still pictures, but this time with on-screen text.
According to Metacritic, the GameCube, PC, and Xbox versions of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie have received "Mixed or average reviews," while the PS2 version received "Generally favorable reviews." On GameRankings, the GBA version has a rating of 53 percent.
Home console versions
Juan Castro of IGN, who reviewed the home console versions, stated that "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie delivers an entertaining mix of platform and driving sequences. Controls feel responsive and the camera rarely hinders your view of the action. And the humor of the show practically seeps out of every clamshell and bed of kelp you cross". The PS2 version was noted by Play magazine as "a full blown AAA platformer". GameZone's Louis Bedigian, who reviewed the Xbox version, felt that the game did not take advantage of the system's graphical capabilities, and wrote, "The cut scenes are more like storyboards than movie sequences. You don't get to see too many clips from the film, just stills taken from specific scenes. Why would they do this when all other movie-based games use real-time sequences, if not actual clips from the film? This could come as a disappointment to players expecting to re-live the movie's magic through a game. During the gameplay, you'll be entertained by amusing dialogue, but the still picture movie sequences are a bore." Bedigian concluded that young children would enjoy the game, except for "the frustration" of its driving levels due to its controls, which he wrote, "aren't very accurate, causing a lot of unnecessary screw ups during that part of the game." Anise Hollingshead of GameZone praised the GameCube version for its graphics and music, but noted that "there probably could be more" sound effects for "a better experience." Hollingshead, who felt that the game was not as fun as , also noted that the game's platform-based levels were not as fun as its racing levels, "Maybe because they're dark and dimly lit for the most part, or because they feel small and contained." Hollingshead wrote that the game was probably better for older players because of "the slight difficulty in some of the jumping sequences, and the long races".
Other versions
Nintendo Power, reviewing the GBA version, noted the ability to change paths throughout the game, but wrote that "some areas are more difficult to reach than they should be, making the platforming tricky at times." Hollingshead criticized the GBA version for its repetitive gameplay and its inclusion of Patrick as a playable character, writing that "despite the appearance of a dual partnership in the game, it quickly becomes evident that it's really only one playable character that's been melded from two." Hollingshead wrote that "unlike the console versions, the story here feels tacked on and doesn't really do much to tie the levels together in any sort of cohesive manner." Hollingshead praised the graphics and wrote that the music was "the best part of the game," but concluded that the console versions "are much more fun." Hollingshead praised the PC version for its graphics and sound, and wrote, "The humor from the TV show has been translated very well to this computer game, and some of the dialogue is a riot. The characters all have funny things to say, and there are plenty of sight gags, too. Playing as Plankton was a great idea, and kids will love listening to the diminutive evil-ruler wannabe as he comments on the people and things around him." However, Hollingshead who felt that the game would be best for children who were between the ages of 6 and 10 wrote that "it's a short game, and because the adventure is the same each time through, there's not much replay value here." Kristen Salvatore of Computer Gaming World felt that the PC version and its puzzles would appeal primarily to young children, but wrote that people expecting to "play" the movie would be disappointed. IGN's Levi Buchanan, who reviewed the cellphone game version, praised its graphics but criticized its simplicity. Buchanan wrote that the game "certainly has plenty of goofball charm and personality", but concluded that it was "something of a let-down" in comparison to previous SpongeBob cellphone games, as well as the "pretty fun console version of the game". The GBA version sold an estimated 780,000 copies; in August 2006, the game was ranked at number 25 on Edge magazine's list of "The Century's Top 50 Handheld Games," arranged by number of copies sold.
PlayStation 3 port
On February 5, 2012, it was announced that The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie would be coming to the PlayStation Store as a PS2 Classic on February 7, 2012. The port was poorly received for numerous technical issues, including severe input lag, sound delays of up to one second during in-engine cutscenes, and stretching the 4:3 display to fill a 16:9 aspect ratio. The port was removed from the PlayStation Store shortly after release, with no official explanation given regarding its removal.
