Happiness is as happiness does.
The video game adaptation very loosely based off the episode of the same name and released in 2009 for the Xbox 360 and Wii, being the final SpongeBob SquarePants game developed by Heavy Iron Studios (who also worked on SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom and The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (THQ)). In the game, SpongeBob forgets where the Krabby Patty formula is, and tries to regain his memory by remembering past events.
A PlayStation Portable version by Barking Lizard Technologies was also made, alongside a completely different Nintendo DS game by Altron.
SpongeBob's Truth or Square contains examples of:
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Tropes that apply to all versions
- Abnormal Ammo: SpongeBob in his base form is able to shoot water balloons, while having the Squidward power up will cause you to shoot musical notes.
- Actor Allusion: One loading screen question asks what Patrick's last name is; one of the incorrect choices is "Fagerbakke".
- Adaptation Expansion: The PSP and DS versions include two additional levels not found in the home console version, based on "Culture Shock" and "Krusty Krab Training Video".
- Advancing Wall of Doom: The final boss of the game requires SpongeBob to jump across collapsing buildings. If you fail to cross one of the buildings before it collapses, the game eventually kills you instantly.
- All for Nothing: The ending is this for both SpongeBob and Plankton: turns out Mr. Krabs accidentally gave SpongeBob his to-do list instead of the Secret Formula, meaning that he [Krabs] had it the entire time and all of SpongeBob and Plankton's work trying to find it was purposeless.
- All Just a Dream: The game opens with SpongeBob being put to sleep by Plankton to find the Krabby Patty formula, and the final boss begins with him waking up.
- And Your Reward Is Clothes: Using coins collected throughout the game will unlock alternate costumes for SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, Mr. Krabs, Sandy and Gary.
- Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: Robo-Patrick, Robo-Squidward and the Chum Bucket.
- Big Bad: Plankton, as per usual.
- Boss-Only Level: Bikini Bottom (in the console versions) and the Krusty Krab vault.
- Call-Back: Once again, SpongeBob is fighting robotic versions of his friends.
- Continuity Cavalcade: Even more so than Battle for Bikini Bottom.
- Crate Expectations: Tikis return from BfBB, though none of the specific ones are reprised. Instead, they're based on characters from the franchise: Plankton (the ordinary default tikis), Mr. Krabs (explodes a few seconds after being touched), Flying Dutchman (can float in midair), and Mrs. Puff (immune to everything except being sprayed with water).
- Damn You, Muscle Memory!: Especially apparent if you played Heavy Iron's previous two games, as SpongeBob controls nothing like he used to.
- Dolled-Up Installment: The game originally had nothing to do with the episode, being developed as Happiness Squared until Nickelodeon stepped in late into production.
- Demoted to Extra:
- Patrick, who is just a temporary power up in this game after being fully playable in Heavy Iron's previous two SpongeBob games.
- From the perspective of Altron's DS SpongeBob games, every temporary power up character is hit with this since they were all fully playable characters in the DS version of SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis.
- Elaborate Underground Base: The Mermalair.
- Evil Knockoff: Robo-Patrick and Robo-Squidward.
- Excuse Plot: Essentially SpongeBob needing to remember where he put the Krabby Patty formula, only to be revealed at the end he never had it.
- Glass Cannon: The Muscle Arms power up; he can kill everything in one hit, but also loses the power up in one hit. The console and PSP versions also take away the power-up if SpongeBob absorbs water, whereas the DS version has him lose it in quicksand.
- Gotta Catch Them All: The end of every level includes a "Happiness Item" ("Happy Memory" in the DS version), with two others being unlocked by completing mini challenges ("Memory Item" on DS).
- Green Hill Zone: Jellyfish Fields is the first level of the game, set in the typical fields where SpongeBob jellyfishes. It's full of natural greenery and a handful of caves, with little threats and simple Mooks to defeat.
- Hub Level: SpongeBob's house. The level select is set here in a photo album, and you can also explore around to find interactive objects and purchase items to furnish it nicely. There's also a shop to buy costumes and health upgrades.
- Implausible Deniability: Plankton stating that the robots in Jellyfish Fields were always there; keep in mind they have his face on them.
- In Name Only: Aside from its name and taking place the day before the Krusty Krab's eleventy-seventh anniversary, this game has no particular relation to the episode of the cartoon it shares a title with. In fact, it was originally titled Happiness Squared before
Executive Meddling requested a name change to tie into the special. - Invincibility Power-Up: The Patrick, Sandy and Squidward power-ups act like this, as aside from bottomless pits, nothing can hurt them.
- It Was with You All Along: Subverted; SpongeBob does pull a piece of paper out of his pants, but it turns out it was Mr. Krabs' lottery numbers.
- Law of 100: Collecting 100 coins will grant the player a 1-Up.
- Lethal Lava Land: Rock Bottom in this game, which has a lava lake section.
- Lighter and Softer: Compared to The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (THQ) and even SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom, this game is considerably more in tone with the series. There isn't any threat of Bikini Bottom being destroyed outside of the final stage.
- The Lost Woods: Karate Island.
- Made of Explodium: The Krabs Tiki in the console/PSP versions, and the Plankton Tiki in the DS version.
- Metropolis Level: Bikini Bottom in the fights against Robo-Patrick and the Chum Bucket, alongside Squidward's Talent Show in the handheld versions.
- Mythology Gag: Has its own page.
- New Work, Recycled Graphics:
- Although it doesn't reuse the same engine as its predecessors from Heavy Iron Studios, it does reuse much of its music. However, most of the textures were redrawn for this game.
- Played straighter with the DS version whose graphics and character models are pretty obviously lifted from Altron's previous SpongeBob games on the DS: Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition and SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis.
- No Campaign for the Wicked: Averted in the console and DS versions. The Xbox 360 and Wii allow Plankton to be controlled by the second player, whereas the DS version has him give SpongeBob some help using the touch screen.
- Series Continuity Error: The developers appeared to have assumed that Karate Island took place in Kelp Forest, being named as such in the PSP/DS versions. Even the console version would be identical if it wasn't for the oriental architecture.
- "Shaggy Dog" Story: The secret formula was in Mr. Krabs' pocket the whole time.
- Shapeshifter Weapon: All of SpongeBob's attacks have him change into different forms to dish out dirt. By default he turns into a spatula to slam in front of him, a ship's wheel to hit in a circle around himself, and a cannon to shoot out projectiles. He can also turn into a hammer as MuscleBob or with the Patrick powerup, an industrial fan with MuscleBob, a pair of kar-rah-tay gloves worn by Sandy, and a clarinet that Squidward uses to shoot a spread shot.
- Spin Attack: The Spin Slap has SpongeBob turn into a pirate ship's wheel, or when using the MuscleBob powerup, an industrial fan. With the Sandy powerup, he turns into a pair of gloves worn on the hands of Sandy, who spins around and can be controlled temporarily.
- Spread Shot: When using the Squidward power-up, SpongeBob turns into a clarinet that Squidward uses to shoot three projectiles, with one going straight forward and the other two moving at diagonal angles on the side of the middle one.
- Timed Power-Up: All the character power-ups are this, while MuscleBob is a One-Hit-Point Wonder.
- Version-Exclusive Content:
- The multiplayer mode in the console versions has Plankton fighting with SpongeBob, while the PSP version is a minigame collection.
- The handheld versions include 2 levels not present in the console versions.
- Womb Level: "24 Hours of Fun at the Krusty Krab" has a point in the level where SpongeBob ventures through a giant creature's innards.
- Yank the Dog's Chain: Happens during the final boss where Plankton learns of the formula's location, only for the Chum Bucket to rampage through Bikini Bottom instead of the Krusty Krab. Not that it mattered, as the formula was never there to begin with.
Tropes for the home console and PlayStation Portable games
- Adaptational Badass: Both Robo-Patrick and Robo-Squidward are immune to regular form SpongeBob on the PSP version, instead requiring SpongeBuff to be used. Robo-Patrick is also much bigger than on console.
- Anti-Frustration Features: The home console version allows the player to directly warp to each challenge after initially completing the level, rather than forcing them to traverse the stage as normal. This applies to the PSP game as well, but that allows the player to attempt the challenges on their first runthrough.
- Art Evolution: The home console game looks more dynamic and polished than its sixth-gen Heavy Iron predecessors, as it utilizes an updated, in-house engine, rather than RenderWare.
- Big "NO!":
- Plankton yells this out in the PSP version when Patrick tells SpongeBob to remember all the memories he has had at the Krusty Krab.
- He has another one in both versions when the Chum Bucket starts to rampage Bikini Bottom instead of the Krusty Krab.
- Boss Rush: In the PSP version of "Ambush at the Krusty Krab", where SpongeBob fights all three minibosses.
- The Cameo: Prawn can be seen in the Mermalair.
- Checkpoint Starvation: Averted for the most part, but played straight in the Chum Bucket boss fight.
- Comically Missing the Point: SpongeBob trying to remember who he met on Christmas Day.Squidward: Wait, I remember a certain jolly fellow that you and I had the pleasure of meeting one fateful night.
SpongeBob: Oh, you don't mean David Hass...
Squidward: SANTA! Santa Claus. You DOLT! - Co-Op Multiplayer: The console versions allow this, with Plankton being controlled by Player 2; the PSP version lack this feature, instead going for a Minigame Game.
- Idle Animation: Leave SpongeBob alone, and he'll play hacky sack with his buckteeth, look around curiously, wipe the sweat off his forehead, look down on the ground, restore his collapsed arm, imitate a grandfather clock, happily bounce around, pull up his pants, extend his height, play jump rope with his arms, play around with his bouncing eyes, and grow a beard and wield a cane. For the lattermost animation, he will eventually decay into a skeleton and collapse onto the floor.
- Minigame Game: The multiplayer mode in the PSP version.
- No Fair Cheating: Think you can just bring SpongeBuff into any of the minibosses? Too bad for you! The home console versions immediately take it away the moment you step into the arena. Though, using the SpongeBuff cheat itself will not cause this.
- Promoted to Playable: Downplayed; Sandy (who was previously unplayable in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (THQ)) and Squidward are both temporary power-ups, but are not playable by themselves.
- Recycled Soundtrack: Unlike just about every previous SpongeBob video game, there isn't a single unique song composed specifically for the game. Every song is either recycled from previous Heavy Iron Studios SpongeBob games or just lifted from the show itself.
- Shows Damage: SpongeBob will look rather exhausted if he is down to his last hitpoint in the console versions, even getting some rugged breathing.
Tropes for the Nintendo DS game
- Adaptation Deviation: In the console/PSP versions, SpongeBob spends the fourth/fifth level reminiscing on the day he became a fry cook. In the DS version, he is instead remembering the time he entered into the Fry Cook Games.
- Anti-Frustration Features: Cards are always saved when collected, regardless of if the player collects them all, meaning the player doesn't have to recollect them if they miss the Memory Item.
- Recycled Soundtrack: While not to the same extent as the home console and PSP games, the DS version recycles a few tracks from Altron's previous SpongeBob games.
- Spared by the Adaptation: The robotic Patrick and Squidward bosses aren't destroyed in the DS version. Instead, Robot Patrick just flies away sulking, while Robot Squidward leaps into the pile of Krabby Patties and starts devouring them all.
- Tactical Rock–Paper–Scissors: Slam enemies are weak to the Cannon Shot, spinning enemies are weak to the Spatula Slam, and ranged enemies are weak to the Spin Slap.
- Trap Disarming: Spraying water at Plankton Tikis will cause them to not explode.