Spongebob Squarepants: Operation Krabby Patty

Reviewed by Bruce Pulver
Published by THQ

Age Group: Age 8 and up
Type: Arcade, More Fun
Price: $30

PC version requires:
Windows 95+, Pentium II 233MHz, 32MB RAM, 50MB hard drive space, 8x CD-ROM, sound card

Description:

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? Spongebob Squarepants!

Spongebob Squarepants is currently one of Nickelodeon's most popular cartoons. Several video games based on the show have recently been released, most recently the PC title, Operation Krabby Patty. In this game, you play the role of Spongebob, Patrick, Squidward, and other Bikini Bottom characters.

Operation Krabby Patty consists of two "episodes." At the main menu screen, you decide whether to get up on the right or the wrong side of the bed. Your choice determines which episode you will play. The right side episode recounts Plankton's plot to replace Mr. Krab's with "Robo Krabs." In the wrong side episode, Spongebob's pet snail, Gary, has been kidnapped. Both episodes contain the same five mini-games, but present them in a different order and tie them together into the plot differently. The games include: Invasion of the Patty Snatchers, in which you must acquire the various ingredients to make Krabby Patties; Boating School 101, which has Spongebob taking his driving test; Hide N' Go JellyFishin', in which you collect jelly from different colored jellyfish; and more.

Features:

  • Two distinct "episodes"
  • Five mini-games
  • Four levels per game
  • Play as Spongebob and his friends

Technical Aspects:

Operation Krabby Patty installed quickly and easily. Although the graphics, particularly during the cut-scenes, are not high resolution, they are colorful and adequately convey the look and feel of the cartoon. The audio includes background music and great voice-overs by all the original cast members from the show. However, the catchy opening theme song is conspicuously absent.

Report and Conclusions:

Spongebob Squarepants: Operation Krabby Patty does a fine job of capturing the style of the cartoon. It is sure to have great appeal with children. The games are fun, although they tend to be a bit repetitious. The two-episode approach contributes well to the replayability of the game since you must play through each mini-game twice in order to watch both episodes. Although this lack of variety could pose a concern with maintaining interest over the long term, it will likely be outweighed by children's enthusiasm with Spongebob and crew.




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