SpongeBob SquarePants: Awesome Friendly Adventure

SpongeBob SquarePants: Awesome Friendly Adventure is a 2003 2D platform video game, the fourth title in the SpongeBob SquarePants franchise, released by Activision. This is the first SpongeBob game that contains no licensed songs; this is the third SpongeBob video game that is not a platformer. It was released in Japan as SpongeBob Adventure 2. Gameplay: Similar to other games in the series, Awesome Friendly Adventure has the player controlling SpongeBob SquarePants as he travels through the game's level to save his friends from the game's antagonist. The game features new gameplay elements and a new villain, Mr. Krabs. Although there is no licensed music, there is a few karaoke parodies of SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick SquarePants songs from previous games in the series. The original soundtrack to the game is the same as the soundtrack of the previous game, but the music is different than previous SpongeBob SquarePants games. The game was released as an Xbox or PlayStation game in Japan. A PC version was also released that was identical to the Xbox and PlayStation versions. Development and marketing SpongeBob SquarePants: Awesome Friendly Adventure was developed by American studio The Collective in conjunction with Pacific Content, who also published the game in North America. The game was initially announced by Pacific Content in October 2002 and released in Japan on December 2, 2003. The game was also released on September 29, 2003, on the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC. The game was also released in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand on the same day as the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC versions. Activision distributed the game to retail stores for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC. Awesome Friendly Adventure was later released in North America on June 29, 2004. The game features voice work from many of the show's cast members, including Bill Fagerbakke, Rodger Bumpass, Mr. Lawrence, Mr. Krabs, Squidward, and Sandy Cheeks. The game features some new voices including Tom Kenny, who voices SpongeBob SquarePants, Patrick Star, and Plankton. Activision and Hasbro's CEO Henry Yoon has stated that Awesome Friendly Adventure will not be followed by a sequel. The game was the last game to be released on the PlayStation 2 until LittleBigPlanet in 2010. The player takes the role of SpongeBob SquarePants in each level as he plays a musical game along with the other characters. There are five distinct levels in Awesome Friendly Adventure, as well as a few optional bonus levels that can be accessed in order to earn extra time for completing the main mission. A short minigame titled Pinch-A-Squid, where the player can pinch the enemy for a high score, was also included at the end of each level, and a short story for each main character in Awesome Friendly Adventure was also included, telling what the character did during the time period when the game is occurring. The game's villain Mr. Sbark, is a new character introduced into the franchise in Awesome Friendly Adventure. Sbark is a crab with a yellow shell, who constantly wants to eat Squidward and SpongeBob. He is voiced by Tom Kenny. Krabs's voice and mannerisms are based off George Takei, the actor who plays Mr. Sulu from the television series Star Trek. He made his video game debut in the 2006 game LittleBigPlanet. The game's characters, and in particular Mr. Krabs, were also based off the game's developers. Mr. Krabs' voice was based off that of producer Bill Fagerbakke, while his voice actor is Rodger Bumpass. Reception: The game received mixed reviews, but most of them were favorable towards the game's music and art style. GameSpot gave the game 7 out of 10, saying "The game looks great and features some fun sound effects, like squealing when you bump into an enemy or hear the squish of your victims when they hit the ground. The cartoonish cut-scenes with the characters in motion, combined with the cute game play, give the game a surprisingly good feel." IGN gave the game 8.8 out of 10 and said "SpongeBob's world is colorful and fun to explore; and each level's boss fight against a villain is a nice feature for all the players out there looking for an adrenaline rush." The Australian Video Game Classification Board gave the game a rating of T13+ for mature audiences, making it the first SpongeBob SquarePants video game to receive an T13+ rating