SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis is a video game based on the SpongeBob SquarePants franchise, particularly from the Season 5 TV special of the same name. The main version was developed by Blitz Games and released in 2007 for the Wii and PlayStation 2, with portable versions developed by Altron for the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS. All versions were published by THQ.
Much like in the episode, SpongeBob and Patrick discover half of an ancient amulet that leads them to the lost city of Atlantis, with Sandy, Squidward, and Mr. Krabs joining them on their journey. Unlike SpongeBob's previous video game outings, this game ditches platforming for a variety of puzzle, first-person shooting, and rhythm-based gameplay (although the handheld versions still have platforming gameplay).
SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis contains examples of:
- Adaptation Expansion:
- The cave scene early into the story is expanded into a full puzzle minigame where SpongeBob and Patrick have to work together to navigate multiple levels of the cave. The handheld games similarly turn this scene into platforming stages in which they have to escape from a cave-in after retrieving the amulet.
- The Nintendo DS game expands on the plot with a new sequence where the magical bus runs out of Song power and crash-lands in the Lost Continent of Mu. SpongeBob and friends have to find ancient sheet music for Squidward to play in order to continue onward to Atlantis.
- The GBA game extends the Atlantis escape sequence by having Sandy get captured when fighting off the Atlanteans, requiring the others to take a detour through the dungeons to find her.
- Adaptation-Induced Plot Hole: The game keeps the reveal at the end that the tanks in Atlantis shoot ice cream as ammo. However, while in the special, Plankton only discovers this when he tries to blast the heroes near the end (with it being made clear he hadn't fired it before), here he spends two whole levels going on a rampage around Atlantis, during which it's very obvious that he's shooting ice cream and making him look like an idiot for not realizing it.
- Adapted Out: Patchy and his subplot of trying to return to Encino are absent from all versions of the video game.
- Advancing Wall of Doom: One section of the DS game involves outrunning an advancing laser grid created by the Atlanteans.
- American Kirby Is Hardcore: Most versions of the game use the same cover of SpongeBob giving an adventurous smirk, with the exception of the Japanese DS version, which replaces it with a proper smile.
- And Your Reward Is Clothes: In the console versions, you can unlock a variety of outfit parts to customize SpongeBob on the main menu. However, these changes aren't reflected in the levels themselves.
- Blackout Basement: A level in the DS game's Mu Continent takes place in a dark temple with a constantly-draining lantern as your only source of light. You need to use jars of lantern oil scattered throughout the level in order to keep the lights on long enough to reach the end.
- Blatant Lies: In the console's commentary, SpongeBob says that Plankton believed in
Method Acting to justify him driving a tank. Naturally, SpongeBob believes him. - Bookends: Both the first and last levels of the console version has the player go on a tank rampage with Plankton.
- Call-Back:
- Squidward complains that he wants to move back to Tentacle Acres, although he erroneously refers to it as Squidville after the episode it's from.
- SpongeBob calls finding the ladder exit an old pioneer trick. He also calls his spatula "Spat."
- Demoted to Extra: Mr. Krabs has a significantly reduced role in the console game compared to the original episode (he doesn't even speak, only grunting and screaming), while Squidward has a reduced presence in both handheld games.
- Don't Try This at Home: SpongeBob's response to how they spent hours of fun firing themselves out of cannons in "Amulet Adventure!".
- Equippable Ally: The DS and GBA games allow characters to team up to perform special character-specific moves, like picking up Mr. Krabs and using him as a lawn mower to cut through obstacles, or inflating SpongeBob like a balloon to glide long distances.
- Friendly Ghost: The director's commentary for "Amulet Adventure!" reveals that the ghosts are actually pretty nice people, even teaching SpongeBob how to talk like a pirate.
- Gameplay Roulette: All three versions have several minigames throughout. The home console version is entirely a Minigame Game, while the DS and GBA versions include platforming levels between the minigames.
- Grievous Harm with a Body: In the DS version, Patrick's team-up action has the other character toss him like a throwing star to eliminate enemies in a wide area.
- Hub Level: There's three of them in the DS game: Conch Street in Bikini Bottom, the temple entrance in the Continent of Mu, and the front gardens of Atlantis. The Bikini Bottom hub is the most robust, allowing you to enter SpongeBob's and Squidward's houses to view the trophy gallery and the sound test, respectively.
- In-Character Commentaries: A rare video game example. The player can buy director commentaries for every level, in which SpongeBob acts as if they are in the middle of filming a movie.
- In Medias Res: The console game begins with Plankton's rampage as he gets to the Atlantean capital, before it shows SpongeBob and Patrick flashing back into how they got into the situation.
- Lethal Lava Land: The Continent of Mu in the DS version includes a volcano for SpongeBob and friends to trek through.
- Mini-Game Credits: The end credits play out as a rhythm minigame similar to the ones earlier in the game, except this time you're an Atlantean guard rushing the Amulet to the nearest dumpster.
- Minigame Game: The PS2 and Wii version is a series of minigames based on scenes from the TV special. The handheld games are platformers instead, but they still include numerous minigames based on key scenes between levels.
- New Work, Recycled Graphics: Like the previous Blitz Games SpongeBob title, the main console version reuses many assets from the original Heavy Iron Studios duology. The DS game has mostly original models and textures, but does reuse some of SpongeBob's animations from Battle, such as his idle animations (which were also reused in the console versions verbatim, as well as Sandy's).
- Promoted to Playable: Mr. Krabs and Squidward are made playable in certain minigames. Sandy also returns to being playable after getting cut from The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (THQ).
- Recycled Soundtrack: Naturally, being composed by the same person and being developed by the same company, this game reuses some tracks from SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab. The Shop music is directly lifted from the "Z Shop" in Creature, the main menu music is a remix of Creature's (with the original version from said game being played briefly in the opening cutscene), the tank rampage levels reuse music from the "It Came from Bikini Bottom" level (albeit without space sounds), while the first and last parts of "Armory Antics" use a track that was actually unused in Creature outside of cutscenes.
- Scooby-Dooby Doors: At the end of every segment in "Hide and Sneak!", there is a cutscene
where the Bikini Bottomites are chased by the Atlanteans through a hallway that reeks of a Scooby-Dooby Doors hallway, even though there are no doors. - Squashed Flat:
- During the DS game's final boss, your characters can be briefly flattened if they get caught under the treads of Plankton's tank.
- The console versions have this happening to the characters if they miss or press the wrong button during "Tour Trouble!", where an anvil may fall on top of them. SpongeBob and Patrick also briefly end up like this after being fired out of the cannons in "Amulet Adventure!". Plankton may also end up like this when he gets stepped on in "Armory Antics" if the player fails to keep the meter full when he comes across a guard.
- Timed Mission: The DS version has two segments that involves escaping the area the player spent time exploring under a time limit; with SpongeBob and Patrick rushing back to the cave entrance once they find all pieces of the amulet, and the volcano erupting after defeating a horde of red jellyfish in the continent of Mu.
- Villain Protagonist: A few levels have the player controlling Plankton as he schemes to take over Atlantis.
- The Voiceless: For some reason, Mr. Krabs is silent in all versions. This is mainly noticeable in the console game, as nobody has full voice acting in the handheld versions.
- What Could Have Been: Played for Laughs. In the director's commentary, SpongeBob says that the first draft written by Squidward had everyone except him getting sucked into a trench five minutes in, while he soothed the player with his clarinet and interpretive dances.