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SpongeBob UnCanon is a crossover video game based primarily on the Nickelodeon animated television series, SpongeBob SquarePants. It was developed by Nickelodeon and Digital Eclipse in association with The Pokémon Company, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Namco, and Lucasarts, and published by THQ and Nintendo. It was released for the Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS, and Game Boy Advance on April 13, 2006, in Japan, and on May 2, 2006, in the United States. It was later released for the Wii as a launch title on November 19, 2006, in the United States, and on December 2, 2006, in Japan. While all versions are platformers, the GameCube and Wii versions are 3D, and the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS versions are 2D.
The game is a crossover between SpongeBob SquarePants and other popular franchises, including Pokémon, Star Wars, Super Mario, Namco arcade hits, and even The Flintstones. The story follows SpongeBob and Patrick as they embark on an adventure to chase Plankton in pursuit of the Krabby Patty Formula, but end up warping to other universes, and team up with other characters along the way. However, Plankton has formed his own evil organization by the name of "Team Copepod" and is causing mayhem in each world SpongeBob and Patrick travel to, so it's ultimately up to the heroes to take back the formula and save both Bikini Bottom and the other universes.
Upon the release of the GameCube, Nintendo DS, and Game Boy Advance versions, and prior to the release of the Wii version, SpongeBob UnCanon was met with universal acclaim from both critics and fans, and since then, has gained a cult following, as it was highly regarded as one of the best SpongeBob video games ever made, right next to SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom, as well as one of the best crossover video games of all time. It also became one of the highest-rated, best-selling video games of 2006, but lost to New Super Mario Bros. in competition.
Plot[]
Cold Opening[]
On a quiet night in Bikini Bottom, Plankton sneaks into the Krusty Krab, knowing that it was closed, thus giving him the perfect opportunity to steal the Krabby Patty Formula after countless failed attempts. However, Plankton also knows that if he stays at the Chum Bucket with the formula, Mr. Krabs could easily take it back from him. Plankton "runs away from home" in search of a place where nobody would ever be able to find him with the secret formula finally in his grasp.
The Adventure[]
The next morning after the night in which Plankton took off with the Krabby Patty Formula, SpongeBob wakes up and gets ready for another day of work at the Krusty Krab while also being excited about Mr. Krabs giving him and Squidward discount tickets for Glove Sea, the water park subsidiary of Glove World. But once he and Squidward arrive at the Krusty Krab, they see Mr. Krabs feeling hopeless after discovering that the secret formula was gone, and that Plankton had finally succeeded in stealing it. Patrick arrives and asks if he can have a Krabby Patty, but SpongeBob tells him that Plankton had stolen the formula and is hiding wih it somewhere far away. Everyone goes to the Chum Bucket and ask Karen for the whereabouts of Plankton. She reluctantly tells them that he had taken the formula with him to a legendary dangerous mountain in Jellyfish Fields known as "Stinger Summit", describing that thousands of jellyfish made colonies in the mountain under the commands of the Prince Jellyfish, the King Jellyfish's royal son, who is unwelcoming of visitors who set foot on Stinger Summit. After knowing the location of Plankton, SpongeBob and Patrick proceed to embark on their adventure to take the secret formula out of Plankton's hands and return it to the Krusty Krab where it belongs.
MORE PLOT DETAILS COMING SOON!
Gameplay[]
GameCube and Wii versions[]
The core gameplay in the Wii and GameCube versions of the game is primarily 3D platforming, similar to Pac-Man World 2 and Super Mario 64, with the additional element of beat 'em up style of gameplay on certain occasions. There are seven levels and each one is separated into five stages; the first four stages are normal platforming levels in which the player must fight waves of Team Copepod members and enemies that are native to each of their respective franchise universes with some stages having mini-boss fights, while the fifth stage is always a boss fight stage.
There are three playable characters - SpongeBob, Patrick, and Pikachu - and they each possess their own unique abilities, which can be upgraded. SpongeBob is also able to obtain three more Pokémon throughout the progression of the Hoenn level - Slowpoke, Staryu/Starmie, and Eevee. Characters can be switched to grant them the leading role while the rest of the characters are bot-controlled when they're not controlled by the player. Because Pikachu is a playable character all by himself, SpongeBob's other three Pokémon are separate and can be swapped using SpongeBob's Pokéballs and also have their own respective abilities to aid the playable characters in times of need. In addition, SpongeBob has a team of backup helpers known as the Calvary, which consist of different characters from the universes the main characters travel to, with the exception of Pokémon, and while they are non-playable, they each have their own abilities that can aid the playable characters in times of serious need. The wait time for Calvary characters already summoned starts off long, but can get shorter with each upgrade.
There are five different types of items that each serve their own different purposes - Doubloons, Stones, Krabby Patties, Nasty Patties, and Vaults. Doubloons are the in-game currency and are used to upgrade the playable characters' abilities and the Calvary's wait time, Stones are elemental items that can power up the special attacks of SpongeBob's Pokémon depending on their elements, Krabby Patties restore health, Nasty Patties decrease health, and Vaults unlock bonus content when collected.
Another notable element in the Wii and GameCube versions, which is derived from the video game adaptation of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, is that there are three different types of bonus levels that consist of their own challenges for the characters to beat - the Copepod Combat Challenge, the Pokémon Battle Challenge, and the Obstacle Course Challenge. Copepod Combat Challenges are beat 'em up challenges that summon waves of enemies and must be defeated without dying; Pokémon Battle Challenges are self-explanatory - SpongeBob battles Team Copepod members using his four Pokémon until the opponents' Pokémon faint; Obstacle Course Challenges are also self-explanatory, as they consist of obstacle courses that must be beaten within the time limit. If time runs out, the player can choose to either start over or exit the challenge and try again later. Each bonus level appears in specific stages - Obstacle Course Challenges always appear in the second stage of a level, Copepod Combat Challenges always appear in the third stage of a level, and Pokémon Battle Challenges always appear in the fourth stage of a level.
MORE GAMEPLAY DETAILS COMING SOON!