Apple regularly adds new games to its Apple Arcade gaming service, and this week's addition features characters from the popular SpongeBob cartoon. Described as a platform running game, SpongeBob: Patty Pursuit allows players to take on the role of SpongeBob to defeat Plankton's minions and rescue SpongeBob's friends.
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Trouble has come to Bikini Bottom! The evil "mastermind" Sheldon J. Plankton has once again hatched a plan to steal the secret Krabby Patty formula. This time he has enlisted his army of cousins to capture all of SpongeBob's friends! Play as SpongeBob on his epic, most side-scrolly quest through Bikini Bottom ever! Explore, collect coins and spatulas, and crush obstacles as SpongeBob races to rescue his friends, defeat Plankton's minions and take back the formula. Keep an eye out for your favorite Bikini Bottom residents...you never know who you might run into!
Gameplay includes familiar locations like Bikini Bottom, Glove World, and Chum Bucket, along with mechanics like trampolines, zip lines, and transformation machines to morph SpongeBob into a range of silly forms.
SpongeBob universe characters that include Patrick, Sandy, Squidward, and Plankton are present in the game, and there are plenty of enemies to defeat, such as the Jellyfish King.
SpongeBob: Patty Pursuit is available in the App Store for iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV and in the Mac App Store for Macs. Playing the game requires a subscription to Apple Arcade, which is priced at $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year.
Apple Arcade provides access to more than 100 games on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac with no in-app purchases or ads.
Top Rated Comments
There are some genres of games that would really fit the "high-quality mobile" space. For instance, a JRPG style game with menu-based combat, great art, and a good plot. I love the idea of Apple Arcade because games like that have a financial incentive to exist whereas gaming the iOS App Store just became a race to the bottom. However, it seems that Apple is unable to get many high-end devs interested in the service and the sorts of games I hoped would appear on the service just aren't.
We played with a controller on an Apple TV 4.
The game uses voice actors from the series and has old school cut scenes to set up the story. It would have been nice if these were fully animated, but it got the point across.
As for the gameplay, it’s almost a platform game. Once you start moving, Sponge Bob keeps going and you can make him jump and attack enemies. You can make him stop and stand in one place if you want, or go back in the other direction.
When it’s time to fight the boss, you keep chasing them as they drop stuff that you have to throw back at them. If you don’t defeat them, the level just keeps looping.
It’s not too hard, and it does get more difficult as you progress.
It’s fun, but not great. 3/5.
I keep looking for that new experience but I’m not finding it.