Patrick Star is pro-union. Source: Author

For me, one of the first times aging turned from concept to reality was when a scene from newer SpongeBob episodes appeared on my social media feed in the 2010s. I heard rumblings of the series’ transitions before this, of it being something almost unfamiliar save for its stupidly popular characters, but these newer clips confirmed the truth of these rumors. The characters had been sanded down to their most extreme traits, jokes felt like they were in a rush to end, and substance seemed to be purposely avoided in favor of spectacle. Overall, SpongeBob SquarePants had changed.

This was a big departure from the Bikini Bottom I knew. Not many people realize just how old SpongeBob SquarePants is. In fact, it’s older than me — I was born in 2000 and the show first premiered in 1999. People also don’t realize that many, if not most, of the iconic SpongeBob memes are from its first few seasons in the early 2000s. While I’m sure this is partially due to Gen Z nostalgia and our initial chokehold on meme culture as the generation that got iPhones in adolescence, I’m willing to gamble it’s also because early SpongeBob is hilarious.

I don’t mean hilarious for a kid’s show either. Early seasons of *SpongeBob SquarePants *are some of the best surrealist, slapstick comedy TV you’ll find anywhere. Despite the absurdity of a yellow sponge living under the sea in a hollowed-out pineapple, the show was surprisingly grounded in its plots at first. The characters had more fleshed out personalities that were thrown into situations that, while getting out of hand quickly, viewers could easily see themselves in. It explored relatable issues like insecurity, making new friends, working at a terrible job (and striking!), going to prom, and more. I am being completely serious when I say that Season 1 Episode 10, “Culture Shock”, where the Krusty Krab throws a talent show hosted by Squidward, may be one of the best episodes of any TV series to examine the difference between an artist and a phony. Overall, the aforementioned memes aren’t just recalling memories of deceptively simpler times — they’re reminding many people of some truly funny bits.

With all this quality seemingly in the rearview mirror, I’d unconsciously written off laughing at anything new from SpongeBob and the gang. Then, I played the demo for SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide. Developed by Purple Lamp, the same team behind SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle For Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated, the remake of the 2003 cult classic platformer that shares the same name minus ‘Rehydrated,’ you play as SponBebob and Patrick as the Bikini Bottom gets caught in a fight between the Flying Dutchman and King Neptune. With all manners of ghosts now causing mayhem, you’ll be fighting and platforming your way across transformed landmarks from the show in order to stop “total ghostification.”

Beating enemies with their own minions will never, ever get old. Source: Author

The *Titans of the Tide *demo feels like Battle For Bikini Bottom in all the best ways, while also adding new flourishes that enhance how levels can be explored. Some of my favorite style choices from the original game — such as each new enemy getting introduced with a cutscene of them terrorizing a Bikini Bottom citizen, idle animations where SpongeBob and Patrick just start goofing off, and coral acting as the collectable currency — are not only brought back, but also given a modern sheen that makes them look better than ever. Similar to its predecessor, the demo also rewarded curiosity, as it held more than a few off-the-beaten-path secrets that offered both references to the TV show and chests full of coral coins. New additions to movement like dodging, burrowing underground as Patrick, karate kicking through the air as SpongeBob, and surfing on a ghost board let players move around as smoothly as, well, a fish underwater.

However, without a doubt, the best surprise of the *Titans of the Tide *demo was how many laughs it got out of me. From an annoyed Flying Dutchman waiting in line for a Krabby Patty to ghost Patrick telling Mr. Krabs that the cheapskate will be hearing from Patrick’s union (Patrick does not work at the Krusty Krabs), Purple Lamp quickly establishes a tone reminiscent of SpongeBob’s best moments. The cutscenes utilize some of the same joke pacing as the TV show’s older seasons, actually letting scenes breathe and develop without racing to the next thing, while bolstering each line with some excellent voice acting. An additional treat of the voice acting is that the original cast of the show is behind it, which helps explain the great chemistry between characters. These actors have known each other and SpongeBob’s characters for a long time, and the game benefits from the warm energy created by that familiarity.

Also, the large 3D levels are brimming with visual gags featuring the best peanut gallery in the world: the Bikini Bottom’s citizens. SpongeBob’s background characters have always been a little unhinged, which also means they’ve been responsible for some of the series’ funniest moments. *Titans of the Tide *maintains their presence, making you laugh with jokes like seeing three children actively, patiently, watching a fish struggle to swim. These fish are often voice-acted too, and their off-handed comments might be the best addition to the SpongeBob-platformer formula. These fish were everywhere in the demo, commenting on and reacting to SpongeBob, Patrick, and the impending ghost apocalypse at large. They make the entire world feel more alive and humorous, keeping the energy high even when SpongeBob and Patrick aren’t doing the silliest thing under the sea.

It’s nice to see a game that is an extension of classics in a way that captures not just their aesthetics, but their hearts, while managing to confidently present its own touches. Not too long ago, I would’ve laughed at anyone who told me one of my most anticipated games of 2025 would be a SpongeBob game. Now, I hope to be laughing with anyone who also decides to check out *SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide *when it drops on November 18.

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