SpongeBob SquarePants is Nickelodeon's most popular show and one of the most popular animated characters of the 21st century. The sponge has inspired a ton of merchandise, multiple feature films and bad video games over the past two decades. Most of those video games, like plenty of games involving a popular cartoon character, were either hastily done cash grabs or initially decent games that aged poorly as technology evolved.
There are, however, a few exceptions to that status quo of terrible SpongeBob video games. These games were very entertaining to play at the time of release and are still fun to play today. These are the five least terrible SpongeBob SquarePants video games.
Creature from the Krusty Krab
While 2002's Revenge of the Flying Dutchman is important as the first major SpongeBob game, Creature from the Krusty Krab has such wild gameplay and imagery that it should be the one that's played again today. In this game, SpongeBob, Patrick and Plankton are playable characters in a surreal dream world. In one dream sequence, Plankton is a giant monster wreaking havoc on Bikini Bottom; in another, Patrick is a comic book superhero called Patrick Starfishman and SpongeBob is involved in Ed Roth-style speed car races. Things get even weirder when a giant Krabby Patty chases Plankton. Whether it's the first time playing or the first time in a while, playing this game now is a surreal trip.
SpongeBob SquigglePants
While most SpongeBob game releases are big events, the 2011 release of SpongeBob SquigglePants went under the radar. This was because it was only released on the Nintendo 3DS and Wii platforms. Unlike the other big SpongeBob games that focus on one plot, SquigglePants features over 100 mini-games on the uDraw tablet in a similar style to the WarioWare games. Not only are the mini-games fun to play with, but the art style for each one is unique and impressive. At a time when 3D animation dominates the video game industry, the 2D animation of SquigglePants is remarkable. The only issue is that playing the game will require the now-discontinued uDraw tablet, so it's a hard one to get your hands on.
Lights, Camera, Pants!
The best multi-player SpongeBob video game by far is 2005's Lights, Camera, Pants!, which is essentially their version of Mario Party. With six playable characters, the game's storyline is that the main characters of the series compete to play the villain in a Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy TV special. There are 30 fun mini-games for multiple players that take place all over Bikini Bottom, such as The Krusty Krab, Mrs. Puff's Boating School and Jellyfish Fields. Out of all the SpongeBob games, this is easily the best to play with the whole family.
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie tie-in game is not just one of the best SpongeBob games; it's one of the better movie tie-in games ever made. Capitalizing on the similar play style of 2003's Battle for Bikini Bottom, the 2004 movie game tie-in provides similar entertainment to its predecessor while also creating its own style. Since the movie's plot is about SpongeBob and Patrick's journey across the ocean to get King Neptune's crown, the player gets to be both of those characters throughout the wild and unknown parts of the sea. An added bonus is the ability to drive the Patty Wagon, which was also featured in the movie.
Battle for Bikini Bottom
Here it is. The greatest SpongeBob game of all-time is 2003's SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom. The game's plot is simple: Plankton accidentally creates a robot army trying to take over Bikini Bottom, and SpongeBob and friends must stop it. The real charm of this game is the characters, as well as their hilarious dialogue and one-liners as they travel around Bikini Bottom collecting Golden Spatulas and Patrick's socks. This is the first time Patrick Star and Sandy Cheeks are playable characters in a video game, and they are just as fun to play with as SpongeBob. This game is important to the SpongeBob franchise and retains such a large cult following, having recently been updated and remade as Battle for Bikini Bottom: Rehydrated.