SpongeBob SquarePants: Lights, Camera, Pants!
Publisher: THQ
Official Site: http://www.spongebobthevideogame.com/

ESRB Rating: E
Reviewed Platform: Xbox
Available Platforms: Xbox, GameCube, PS2
For up to 4 players.

Overall: A-
Violence: B
Sexual Content: A
Language: A
Alcohol/Drug Use: A

What is this game about?

Oh, who lives in a pineapple under the sea? If you don’t know the answer to that, then you’ve never watched SpongeBob SquarePants, a yellow sponge with a heart of gold and a fan base that includes children and adults alike.

In SpongeBob SquarePants: Lights, Camera, Pants!, the inhabitants of Bikini Bottom are competing for roles in a special episode of The New Adventures of Mermaidman and Barnacleboy (a priceless riff poking fun at an elderly Batman and Robin).

The game breaks down into auditions, where you’re taking part in silly competitions with and against three other characters from the show. The auditions generally break down into three minigames. You score popularity points by winning the minigames. You have to reach a specified level (usually 12,000) in order to be cast in that particular role. But besides the small bit parts up for grabs, there’s a running tally kept in which you’re competing for the ultimate prize -- the role of the super villain.

After each audition is completed and the role is cast, you’re treated to the final filmed scene involving that character. It makes for some genuinely amusing moments because SpongeBob is such a light-hearted, fun-loving show with a truly irreverent sense of humor.

Is it fun to play?

This is, indeed, a game that is a blast to play especially with your kids. My son and I have really enjoyed the opportunity to not only compete, but also work together in some of the levels.

The game’s sense of humor will appeal to both kids and adults, so you’ll both be getting something out of the jokes and the plot.

The audition minigames are quite varied, which is good because it keeps young kids interested in the gameplay. It’s not mindless repetition. There’s thought required to succeed in just about all the levels, including judging depth, using hand-eye co-ordination and logic and using your memory (more on that below).

Some of the levels my son really enjoyed sees the characters doing bike tricks off ramps, as well as competing in boat races and doing underwater bungee jumping while trying to net jelly fish.

The gameplay never gets boring and that’s a huge plus, especially when playing with your kids.

What do parents need to know about SpongeBob SquarePants: Lights, Camera, Pants!?

From a parent’s perspective, this game has a lot of appeal for gamers of all ages. It’s a great game that up to four players can get into at once providing you have enough controllers.

So, that means you and your child (or children) can spend some quality time together playing a game that’s challenging and has some positive elements. And you’ll be able to participate in and reinforce those messages while having a fun.

One of those messages is co-operation. While you are all competing for a role in the picture, you’re often going to have to team up together during the 30 levels of gameplay. For instance, there are plenty of two-on-two situations in which you must co-operate with another player to win points together. Some of these levels include bouncing packages in the air, preparing and serving food, working together to catch jellyfish or playing two-on-two polo on the backs of seahorses.

Several of the levels feature tasks that will test your child’s memory. For instance, there’s a musical level in which you have to duplicate a drumbeat that another player lays down. You have to watch and listen and then do the same thing in time with the music. It’s difficult to master, but it really promotes using your memory and musical timing.

The only real content warning the scenes of cartoon violence, stuff like characters being zapped by jelly fish, or squirting opponents with goo to try to knock them off a circular piece of land into a moat full of water.

There’s also edginess to the dialogue that some parents may object to as they may believe it promotes a smart-aleck attitude.

But at its core, this SpongeBob game is just like the hit TV show it’s funny, inventive, clever and above all, entertaining.

Wayne Chamberlain

© 2006 One Voice Communications. All Rights Reserved.