This article needs additional citations for verification .(January 2008) |
SpongeBob SquarePants: Employee of the Month | |
---|---|
![]() Artwork of the game released only for North America | |
Developer(s) | AWE Games |
Publisher(s) | THQ |
Designer(s) | Scott Nixon |
Composer(s) |
|
Series | SpongeBob SquarePants |
Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
Release | |
Genre(s) | Point-and-click |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
SpongeBob SquarePants: Employee of the Month is a 2002 point-and-click adventure video game developed by AWE Games and published by THQ for Microsoft Windows. [2] It is based on the television show SpongeBob SquarePants , which premiered on Nickelodeon in 1999. [2]
The story focuses on SpongeBob SquarePants receiving two tickets to Neptune's Paradise, a theme park, but many unexpected things happen along the way.
Employee of the Month is a point-and-click adventure game in which the player controls SpongeBob SquarePants. Gameplay consists of the player accomplishing various tasks and collecting items for citizens of Bikini Bottom. A treasure chest acts as an inventory for the player's items, which frequently must be combined to proceed forward. The player can also access a map of the current chapter. Animated cutscenes begin and end each level, and subsequently become available for viewing on the game's main menu. Several videotapes are hidden throughout the game; locating them unlocks special footage of the game's development. [2]
The story focuses on SpongeBob "winning" two tickets to Neptune's Paradise, a theme park. But along the way many unexpected things happen, such as a storm hitting while on the bus to Neptune's Paradise and sending them into Rock Bottom.
SpongeBob, an employee of the Krusty Krab restaurant, wins the "Employee of the Month" award again, making him "Employee of the Year". As a prize, he receives two tickets to Neptune's Paradise, a local theme park which Mr. Krabs had won free tickets to in the mail.
After receiving the tickets to Neptune's Paradise, SpongeBob first serves a Krabby Patty for a grumpy customer and then is informed by the customer how to get to the park; to take a bus there. After his shift at the Krusty Krab is over, SpongeBob heads downtown where he meets Patrick to board the bus. Unfortunately, SpongeBob does not have money for bus tokens. SpongeBob goes to Goo Lagoon, the local beach, to find the Flying Dutchman's buried treasure to pay for tokens. After SpongeBob completes a series of tasks for various characters, he finds the Flying Dutchman's treasure, which is a chest entirely full of bus tokens. After SpongeBob completes several more tasks in order to convince a bus driver to agree to take them, he and Patrick depart for Neptune's Paradise.
SpongeBob and Patrick, end up in Rock Bottom due to heavy rain, and the bus driver gets upset with SpongeBob and Patrick for getting him trapped there. He refuses to help SpongeBob any further until the weather clears up and SpongeBob gets left on his own. SpongeBob eventually learns that the rainstorm is being caused by Marlin the wizard, who is upset at a local weatherman for wanting to build a machine that can control the weather. Marlin feels threatened by the machine since controlling the weather is his job. After SpongeBob and Patrick destroy the weather machine, Marlin stops the rain and the pair continue their travel to Neptune's Paradise. However, the bus driver gets irritated more than he can handle with SpongeBob and Patrick's childish antics and eventually tricks them into getting off the bus back in Bikini Bottom before he drives away.
Just as SpongeBob was about to give up, Patrick remembers that Sandy was building a rocket inside her treedome that can take them to Neptune's Paradise. SpongeBob tackles numerous challenges so as to prepare for the flight. SpongeBob needs his water helmet to enter Sandy's treedome. When he finds a sea snake in the helmet, he decides to use Squidward's clarinet to lure it out. However, Squidward is in a deep sleep, so SpongeBob uses a pair of Dream Glasses from Sardine's Sundries to enter his dreams, where he is partially transformed into Squidward himself. SpongeBob convinces Squidward to give him the clarinet, which SpongeBob uses to retrieve his water helmet from the sea snake. The gang then sets off again for Neptune's Paradise, but unbeknownst to them, Patrick accidentally breaks the oxygen pipe before the rocket tanks are completely filled.
Sandy's rocket crashes in the affluent town of Bottoms Up. SpongeBob then embarks on a search for oxygen fuel for the rocket, leading him on a quest to complete various tasks. Sandy instructs SpongeBob to get oxygen at Oxygen Springs Resort and Spa where geysers are used as hot-tubs but with bubbles of oxygen. However, the intercom denies SpongeBob access to the springs on the grounds that SpongeBob is not wearing a jacket. So the pivotal point of this chapter is SpongeBob must find a jacket from somewhere to get into the springs. Meanwhile, Patrick searches for a bathroom after eating junk food in the previous chapters. After a series of tasks to get his jacket, SpongeBob ends up traveling to a small wealthy city, Waverly Hills where he finds himself at a very fancy seafood restaurant inside of the wreck of the Titanic. SpongeBob receives a loaned jacket at the restaurant but is then kicked out after he accidentally reveals that he is from Bikini Bottom, a town that the waiters of the restaurant dislike. Luckily, the waiter forgets to take back SpongeBob's jacket. After successfully getting into the Springs, and refilling the oxygen tanks, they leave for Neptune's Paradise.
The gang finally gets to Neptune's Paradise, but an employee tells them that the park is closed for a private party. SpongeBob and Patrick show their tickets, but the employee reveals the tickets are for next week, which saddens the pair, however, the employee also reveals that it is their party, and they are allowed to enter. Inside the park, they meet all of the characters they met along the way, who seemed to have planned this for SpongeBob. They all then enjoy the rides and attractions.
The game was released in North America on September 22, 2002, [3] and in the UK in the same year. Focus Multimedia later re-published the game in the UK as part of their "PC Fun Club" range which also includes other SpongeBob SquarePants games.[ citation needed ]
Tom King of Adventure Gamers rated the game 3 out of 5, and praised its fun gameplay and colorful graphics, but also called it, "Very easy, and extremely short." King wrote, "The replay value is moderate to low; it took some 3.5 hours for me to complete, and although the game is certainly fun enough to play more than once, you're not going to see anything different. Were this game just a little longer, I would add a half-star to the score." [2]
The editors of Computer Gaming World nominated SpongeBob SquarePants: Employee of the Month for their 2003 "Adventure Game of the Year" award, which ultimately went to Uplink: Hacker Elite . [4] During the 6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Employee of the Month for "Family Game of the Year", which was ultimately awarded to Mario Party 4 . [5]
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom is a 2003 platform game based on the Nickelodeon animated series SpongeBob SquarePants, developed by Heavy Iron Studios and published by THQ for the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Separate versions, developed by Vicarious Visions and AWE Games respectively, were released for the Game Boy Advance and Windows. While the versions released for consoles were 3D platform games, the Windows version of the game is a mini-game compilation, and the Game Boy Advance version is a 2D platformer.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Lights, Camera, Pants! is a video game based on the TV series SpongeBob SquarePants. It was released in October 2005 for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, and the PC. It is the first SpongeBob SquarePants title to feature multiplayer mini-games, similar to the Mario Party video game series.
"Shanghaied", also known as "You Wish", is an episode of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. It is the first part of the 13th episode of the second season, and the first half of the 33rd episode overall. It was directed by Aaron Springer and written by Springer, C. H. Greenblatt, and Merriwether Williams, with the animation directed by Frank Weiss. Greenblatt also served as the storyboard artist.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Legend of the Lost Spatula is a 2001 platform action video game developed by Vicarious Visions and published by THQ for the Game Boy Color handheld game console. It is the first video game to be based on SpongeBob SquarePants. The game's story centers on SpongeBob SquarePants, a sea sponge who lives in the undersea town of Bikini Bottom and works for Mr. Krabs as the fry cook of the Krusty Krab fast food restaurant. SpongeBob is destined to become the ocean's greatest fry cook, and must embark on a quest to retrieve a golden spatula from the Flying Dutchman, a pirate ghost. The game features platforming-style gameplay, as well as many characters from the television series.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman is a 2002 platform game based on the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants, developed by Vicarious Visions and BigSky Interactive, Inc. and published by THQ for the GameCube and PlayStation 2, and Game Boy Advance. It was the last game to be developed by BigSky Interactive, Inc. The game was released in North America in late 2002, while in Europe it was released in early 2003. The Game Boy Advance version was also released on a Twin Pack cartridge bundled with SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge in 2005.
"Best Day Ever" is the first segment of the 20th episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, and the 80th episode overall. The episode was written by Nate Cash, Tuck Tucker, and Steven Banks, and the animation was directed by Larry Leichliter; Cash and Tucker also functioned as storyboard directors. It originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on November 10, 2006.
SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis is a 2007 video game based on the Nickelodeon animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, specifically the Atlantis SquarePantis TV movie even though it came out about a month after the game was released. The Wii and PlayStation 2 versions were developed by Blitz Games. The Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS versions were developed by Altron. It was followed by Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition, this was the last SpongeBob SquarePants game to be released on the Game Boy Advance console.
SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis is the first television film and the 92nd episode of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, and a 2007 made-for-television musical comedy film directed by Andrew Overtoom. It first aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on November 12, 2007, serving as the twelfth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. It released again on November 23, 2007 with Patchy segments. In the special, SpongeBob and Patrick discover a half of an ancient medallion that helps them and their friends get to the lost city of Atlantis.
Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition is a video game for the Nintendo DS. It is a spin-off of 5th Cell's 2007 DS game Drawn to Life, and is based on the Nickelodeon animated comedy series SpongeBob SquarePants, specifically the episode "Frankendoodle". The game was developed by Altron and published by Play THQ, a former subsidiary of THQ. It was released in North America, Australia, Europe, and Japan in 2008.
"What Ever Happened to SpongeBob?" is the 18th episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, and the 98th episode overall. It first aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on October 13, 2008.
"SpongeBob SquarePants vs. The Big One", also known as "The Secret of Kahuna Laguna" and "SpongeBob SquarePants and The Big Wave" is the 11th episode of the sixth season and the 111th overall episode of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. The episode was written by Aaron Springer who also directed the storyboards, Paul Tibbitt, and Steven Banks, and the animation was directed by Andrew Overtoom and supervising director, Alan Smart. The episode was part of the series' tenth anniversary celebration in 2009. It features guest appearances by Johnny Depp as the voice of Jack Kahuna Laguna, Bruce Brown as the narrator, and Davy Jones as himself. It originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on April 17, 2009.
SpongeBob's Truth or Square is a 2009 video game based on the animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants episode with the same title. It was released on October 26, 2009, for the Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS and the PlayStation Portable. Altron developed a Nintendo DS version of the game.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Plankton's Robotic Revenge is an action-adventure platform video game developed by Behaviour Interactive and published by Activision, based on the SpongeBob SquarePants series by Nickelodeon; in the game, players control SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, Mr. Krabs and Sandy as they attempt to stop Plankton from stealing the Krabby Patty formula; it was released on October 11, 2013, in North America for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Wii U, Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS.
SpongeBob SquarePants 4D: The Great Jelly Rescue is a 4-D film attraction and successor to SpongeBob SquarePants 4-D. It follows SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy as they rescue the jellyfish of Jellyfish Fields from Plankton's evil clutches.
SpongeBob HeroPants is a 2015 action-adventure platform video game based on the animated movie The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water. It was released on February 3, 2015 in North America and on March 26, 2015 in Europe for the Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation Vita, and Xbox 360. The game was developed by Behaviour Santiago and published by Activision.
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical is a stage musical, co-conceived and directed by Tina Landau with songs by various artists and a book by Kyle Jarrow. It is based on the Nickelodeon animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants and made its world premiere in June 2016 at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago. Following a month of previews, the musical opened on Broadway at the Palace Theatre in December 2017.
SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout is a 2019 made-for-television live-action/animated comedy special based on the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. It was written by Kaz and Mr. Lawrence, and was directed by Jonas Morganstein. The special, produced as part of the show's twelfth season, originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on July 12, 2019, celebrating the series' twentieth anniversary. The cut version of this episode was released on October 5, 2019. The bonus edition of this episode was released on July 17, 2020.
The SpongeBob SquarePants video game series is a collection of video games and arcade games based on the Nickelodeon animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants and its film series with the same name. The television series' massive rise in popularity during the 2000s led to a myriad of video games that span different genres. Several of these games are based on concepts from specific episodes, two of which are based on theatrical releases. Some of these titles had multiple distinct versions developed for a variety of home consoles and handheld consoles. Until 2013, the vast majority of titles were published by THQ. From 2013 to 2015, the license for most titles was handed to Activision. The license is currently held by THQ Nordic. Video games based on the series have often received mixed reviews from critics, yet many of these titles have performed well in sales.
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is a 2023 platform video game developed by Purple Lamp and published by THQ Nordic. The game is based on the Nickelodeon animated series SpongeBob SquarePants. The player controls SpongeBob, who, along with Patrick, journeys across several alternate realities called "Wish Worlds" to save their friends and the town of Bikini Bottom while collecting Cosmic Jelly for the mermaid fortune teller Madame Kassandra. It was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on January 31, 2023. It was also released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on October 23, 2023, iOS on December 12, 2023 and Android on December 21, 2023.