SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman

Last updated
SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman
Spongebob Squarepants - Revenge of the Flying Dutchman Coverart.png
North American PlayStation 2 box art
Developer(s) BigSky Interactive, Inc. (PS2, GC)
Vicarious Visions (GBA)
Publisher(s) THQ
Director(s) Vasken N. Sayre
(PS2, GC)
Jonathan Russell (GBA)
Producer(s) Billy Joe Cain (PS2, GC)
Di Davies (GBA)
Designer(s) Vasken N. Sayre
Jeremy Arntson (PS2, GC)
Jonathan Russell (GBA)
Programmer(s) Mike Bowman
Waylon Calabrese
Paul Hyman
Jim McHugh (PS2, GC)
Artist(s) Matt Scibilia
Grant Pimpler (PS2, GC)
Composer(s) George Oldziey (PS2, GC)
Martin Schioeler (GBA)
Series SpongeBob SquarePants
Platform(s) PlayStation 2, GameCube, Game Boy Advance
ReleaseGame Boy Advance
  • NA: September 12, 2002 [1]
  • EU: March 28, 2003
PlayStation 2
  • NA: November 21, 2002 [2]
  • EU: March 14, 2003
GameCube
  • NA: December 17, 2002 [3]
  • EU: March 28, 2003
Genre(s) Platform
Mode(s) Single-player

SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman is a platform video game based on the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants , developed by Vicarious Visions and BigSky Interactive, Inc. and published by THQ for both GameCube and PlayStation 2 home video game consoles, and the only portable Game Boy Advance video game console. 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. [4]

Contents

Plot

Home console version

A screenshot of the Jellyfish Fields level in the home console version Revenge of the Flying Dutchman Jellyfish Fields.png
A screenshot of the Jellyfish Fields level in the home console version

One day, SpongeBob wakes up and begins playing fetch with Gary, leading the snail to dig up a treasure chest. SpongeBob opens the chest and finds a bottle, which, upon rubbing it, releases doubloons all over Bikini Bottom and releases The Flying Dutchman. The Flying Dutchman tells SpongeBob that he will take Gary to work on his ship for all eternity for digging him up; after briefly leaving to check on his ship, he makes good on this promise.

SpongeBob proceeds to travel across seven different locations to recover letter tiles; there are nine in each, which spell out his name, and each set leads to a treasure. These treasures, as explained by one of Squidward's books on "How to Defeat Evil Spirits", are personal possessions from when the Dutchman was alive, which can apparently weaken him; according to the book, collecting all seven will make SpongeBob immune to the Dutchman's hypnotizing spell, allowing him to put up a fight to save Bikini Bottom.

To collect the tiles, SpongeBob must complete a wide assortment of challenges and missions for other characters, such as delivering food for Mr. Krabs in Downtown Bikini Bottom, fixing Patrick's TV antenna, helping Sandy rid her tree dome of bees and wasps after giving her a beehive (that he mistakes for an acorn) as a gift, bringing Patrick food, winning a jellyfishing contest, beating all the games at Plankton's new amusement park "Chum World", assisting Sandy with cleaning up garbage, curing Patrick's stomachache, chasing down Plankton, and defeating Larry the Lobster and Sandy in karate matches.

As SpongeBob continues in his quest and becomes increasingly impervious to the Dutchman's power, the Dutchman hypnotizes and kidnaps his other friends (apparently extremely satisfied with Gary's hard work, unlike his old crew) and terrorizes Bikini Bottom. This culminates with attempting to murder SpongeBob by dropping heavy crates and barrels into his house, forcing him to flee. He winds up in the Dutchman's graveyard, where he assists the Dutchman's disgruntled pirates get their fair share of "booty" (i.e. doubloons) in exchange for the use of their cannons and collects the seventh and final treasure.

Believing himself to now be immune to the Dutchman, SpongeBob boards the Dutchman's ship and rescues his friends, but is confronted by the Dutchman. His cockiness is crushed by the omniscient narrator, who informs him that Squidward's book was out-of-date and that the new edition explains he is mostly immune to the Dutchman's magic, but not completely; while he is immune to the hypnosis spell, he is not immune to getting hurt. He proceeds to fight the Dutchman anyway, and his victory is cemented by sucking the Dutchman back into his bottle. Afterward, as the Dutchman's ship catches fire, SpongeBob escapes with his friends on a flying boat to celebrate at the Krusty Krab.

Game Boy Advance version

SpongeBob SquarePants is giving Gary a walk through Jellyfish Fields; Gary then smells Kelp Nip and runs off. After SpongeBob finds Gary, he finds a chest, opens it and finds a bottle. SpongeBob then opens the bottle and the Flying Dutchman appears. After SpongeBob mistakes the Dutchman for a genie that will grant him a wish, he tells SpongeBob to find his ten treasures and doubloons that got scattered around Bikini Bottom. SpongeBob does so, but the Dutchman ultimately abducts Gary, Patrick, Sandy, Mr. Krabs, and Squidward. After SpongeBob finds all of his friends on the Dutchman's ship, he battles the Dutchman himself. After the Dutchman is defeated, the player is given a list of wishes to choose from, each one depicting a screenshot of said wish. One of them involves giving SpongeBob his own TV show; when that one is chosen, a screenshot of the show's original logo appears.

Gameplay

The home console versions consist of 3D platform gameplay. Playing as SpongeBob, the player gains several abilities throughout the game that are needed to progress. The player can alternate between abilities by entering tents set up in each level. Throughout each level, the player must locate and collect letter tiles. After each level is completed, the player must solve a sliding puzzle that forms a picture of where to locate the next treasure, each time that happens SpongeBob has a diving rod that would let him know if he (and the player) is close.

The Game Boy Advance version is a side-scrolling platform game with five worlds: SpongeBob's Home, Jellyfish Fields, Sandy's Treedome, the Krusty Krab, Doubloon Bonus World, and a final world on The Flying Dutchman's ship. All levels have SpongeBob looking for the ten treasures (which are unlocked with three keys) and doubloons. Upon completing the game, the player can replay all the levels to go back for what they missed.

Reception

The game's frequent loading screens, featuring the same bubbles in the transitions from the animated series, were a subject of derision for reviewers. Revenge of the Flying Dutchman loading screen.png
The game's frequent loading screens, featuring the same bubbles in the transitions from the animated series, were a subject of derision for reviewers.

On Metacritic, the GameCube version holds a score of 66 out of 100, while the Game Boy Advance version holds a score of 71, both indicating "mixed or average reviews". [9] [8] The GameCube version has a 72% rating on GameRankings, [6] while the Game Boy Advance version has 75% on GameRankings. [5] The PlayStation 2 version was met with a mostly negative reception due to a glitch that causes the game to freeze while loading. It has a 53% rating on GameRankings. [7]

Anise Hollingshead of GameZone wrote a favorable review of the GameCube version; she praised the use of a checklist, saying it was "motivating and keeps players on track." However, Hollingshead criticized the game's crude background designs and concluded that while it was a "great game" for children, "Older fans of SpongeBob may want to just rent." [12] Steven Hopper of GameZone wrote a generally positive review of the Game Boy Advance version calling it an excellent game for young children that could also appeal to people of all ages who were fans of the television series. [11] Ryan Jones of Nintendo World Report wrote a more mixed review of the GameCube version concluding: "The game has everything you could want if you are a huge SpongeBob fan, but the gameplay and graphics are far from perfect." [15]

Mark Ryan Sallee of IGN wrote a negative review of the PlayStation 2 version, criticizing it for its sluggish controls, annoying music tracks, Nintendo 64-style graphics, frequent and obnoxious loading screens, simplistic gameplay, somewhat tedious fetch quests, and the unnecessary use of a checklist (it made the game feel like a chore). Sallee ended his review saying: "...Yes, pre-school-aged kids will probably get a kick out of the game, though they'd likely be more entertained mowing down prostitutes in Grand Theft Auto ." [13] Play magazine also wrote a generally negative review, giving the game 2 out of 5 stars, citing its mediocre and sparse levels, bad models, and the fact that there are loading times where there should not be any. [16]

The Game Boy Advance version sold an estimated 740,000 copies; in August 2006, the game was ranked at number 31 on Edge magazine's list of "The Century's Top 50 Handheld Games," arranged by the number of copies sold. Edge called it "yet another mediocre game that sold brilliantly because of the sponge on its cover," writing that: "Most major review outlets don't even cover these games as they know their opinion won't matter, and they're right – this game knew exactly where its audience was, and delivered right to them." [17] Nintendo Power wrote a generally favorable review of the GBA version, citing the how: "Great graphics, goofy music and the entire kooky cast of the show add life of the deep-sea derring-do." [14] G4 likewise called it: "A great example of how to translate an existing property into a videogame". [10]

Related Research Articles

<i>The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie</i> 2004 film by Stephen Hillenburg

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie is a 2004 American live-action/animated adventure comedy film based on the animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. It was co-written, co-produced, and directed by series creator Stephen Hillenburg and features the series' regular voice cast consisting of Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Mr. Lawrence, Jill Talley, Carolyn Lawrence, and Mary Jo Catlett. Guest stars Alec Baldwin, Scarlett Johansson, and Jeffrey Tambor voice new characters, and David Hasselhoff appears in live-action as himself. In the film, Plankton enacts a plan to discredit his business nemesis Mr. Krabs, steal the Krabby Patty secret formula and take over the world by stealing King Neptune's crown and framing Mr. Krabs for the crime. SpongeBob and Patrick team up to retrieve the crown from Shell City to save Mr. Krabs from Neptune's wrath and their world from Plankton's rule.

<i>SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom</i> 2003 video game

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom is a 2003 platform video 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.

<i>SpongeBob SquarePants: Employee of the Month</i> 2002 video game

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. It is based on the television show SpongeBob SquarePants, which premiered on Nickelodeon in 1999.

<i>Nicktoons Unite!</i> 2005 action-adventure video game

Nicktoons Unite! is a 2005 action-adventure video game featuring characters and levels from The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, The Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom, and SpongeBob SquarePants. The game was developed by Blue Tongue Entertainment and Climax Action and published by THQ.

<i>SpongeBob SquarePants: The Yellow Avenger</i> 2005 video game

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Yellow Avenger is a SpongeBob video game developed by Tantalus Media and published by THQ for Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable. It is the first SpongeBob game to be released on both consoles.

Shanghaied (<i>SpongeBob SquarePants</i>) 13th episode of the 2nd season of SpongeBob SquarePants

"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.

<i>SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab</i> 2006 video game

SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab is an action-adventure platform game released for Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Advance, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS and Wii by THQ. An Xbox version may have been planned at some point, but was cancelled for unknown reasons. The PS2, GameCube, and Wii versions are all ports of the same game developed by Blitz Games, while the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and PC versions were separate games developed by WayForward Technologies and AWE Games respectively. It is based on the Nickelodeon animated sitcom SpongeBob SquarePants, and stars the title character, his best friend Patrick Star and their enemy Plankton as they journey to nine different worlds, supposedly inside the dreams of the characters. The Wii version was a North American launch title. It is also the first SpongeBob game released in Japan, but was released under the title SpongeBob, to mark it as the first video game in the SpongeBob series to have a Japanese release. The PC version of the game is titled SpongeBob SquarePants: Nighty Nightmare.

<i>SpongeBob SquarePants: Legend of the Lost Spatula</i> 2001 video game

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.

<i>The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie</i> (video game) 2004 video game

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie is a 2004 platform video game based on the film of the same name and published by THQ for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Microsoft Windows, and Game Boy Advance. The PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube versions were developed by Heavy Iron Studios. The Game Boy Advance version was developed by WayForward Technologies. The Microsoft Windows version was developed by AWE Games. The Mac version was developed by Aspyr. Most of the film's cast reprise their roles.

<i>SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation Krabby Patty</i> 2001 video game

SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation Krabby Patty is a 2001 video game published by THQ on Microsoft Windows PC, and is based on Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants television series. The gameplay consists of playing five simplistic mini-games.

<i>SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge</i> 2001 video game

SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge is a 2001 2.5D platform game developed by Climax Development and published by THQ. The game is based on the Nickelodeon cartoon series of the same name. It was released for the PlayStation on September 20, 2001 and for the Game Boy Advance on November 8, 2001. The Game Boy Advance version was also released on a Twin Pack cartridge bundled with SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman and a Triple Pack cartridge bundled with Tak and the Power of Juju and Rugrats: I Gotta Go Party in 2005.

<i>SpongeBobs Atlantis SquarePantis</i> (video game) 2007 video game

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.

<i>Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition</i> 2008 video game

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SpongeBob SquarePants vs. The Big One</span> 11th episode of the 6th season of SpongeBob SquarePants

"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.

Graveyard Shift (<i>SpongeBob SquarePants</i>) 16th episode of the 2nd season of SpongeBob SquarePants

"Graveyard Shift" is the first part of the 16th episode of the second season, and the 36th episode overall, of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. The episode was written by Mr. Lawrence, Jay Lender and Dan Povenmire, and the animation was directed by Sean Dempsey. Lender and Povenmire also served as storyboard directors. The episode was copyrighted in 2001 and aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on September 6, 2002.

<i>SpongeBob SquarePants: Planktons Robotic Revenge</i> 2013 video 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.

<i>SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated</i> 2020 video game

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated is a 2020 platform game developed by Purple Lamp Studios and published by THQ Nordic. Based on the Nickelodeon animated series SpongeBob SquarePants, it is a remake of the console versions of Heavy Iron Studios' SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom (2003). It is the first major game in the series since SpongeBob HeroPants (2015) and the first since the death of the show's creator Stephen Hillenburg in 2018. The game was released on June 23, 2020 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, and Stadia. A version for mobile devices was released on January 21, 2021.

<i>SpongeBob SquarePants</i> video games Licensed video games based on the SpongeBob SquarePants television series

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 2000's 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.

<i>SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake</i> 2023 video game

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is a 2023 platform 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.

References

  1. ↑ "PR - 9/12/02 - THQ AND NICKELODEON SHIP SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS: REVENGE OF THE FLYING DUTCHMAN". 2004-04-16. Archived from the original on 2004-04-16. Retrieved 2023-03-19.
  2. ↑ "PR - 11/21/02 - THQ AND NICKELODEON SHIP SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS: REVENGE OF THE FLYING DUTCHMAN FOR PLAYSTATION 2". 2004-04-16. Archived from the original on 2004-04-16. Retrieved 2023-03-19.
  3. ↑ "PR - 12/17/02 - THQ AND NICKELODEON SHIP SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS: REVENGE OF THE FLYING DUTCHMAN FOR GAMECUBE". 2004-04-16. Archived from the original on 2004-04-16. Retrieved 2023-03-19.
  4. ↑ "SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge / Revenge of the Flying Dutchman (GBA) - GameFAQs". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  5. 1 2 "SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman (GBA)". GameRankings. Archived from the original on October 19, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
  6. 1 2 "SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman (GameCube)". GameRankings. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
  7. 1 2 "SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman (PS2)". GameRankings. Archived from the original on March 29, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
  8. 1 2 "SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman (Game Boy Advance)". Metacritic. Archived from the original on December 3, 2015. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
  9. 1 2 "SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman (GameCube)". Metacritic. Archived from the original on March 8, 2016. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
  10. 1 2 "SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman". G4 TV. Archived from the original on 2004-04-05. Retrieved 2021-11-04. A great example of how to translate an existing property into a videogame, as it incorporates the elements and characters of the show in such a way that you don't necessarily have to be familiar with the cartoon to appreciate the wacky production design or gentle humor.
  11. 1 2 Hopper, Steven (October 2, 2002). "SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman Review - GBA". GameZone. Archived from the original on December 5, 2003.
  12. 1 2 Hollingshead, Anise (January 22, 2003). "SpongeBob Squarepants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman Review - GameCube". GameZone. Archived from the original on December 4, 2003.
  13. 1 2 Sallee, Mark Ryan (November 25, 2002). "SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman review (PS2)". IGN. Archived from the original on July 7, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  14. 1 2 "SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman". Nintendo Power . Vol. 161. October 2002. p. 198.
  15. 1 2 Jones, Ryan (April 23, 2003). "SpongeBob Squarepants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman". NintendoWorldReport. pp. 1–2. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Spongebob squarepants Revenge of the Flying Dutchman Review". Play. No. 14. Imagine Publishing. February 2003. p. 90.
  17. ↑ "The Century's Top 50 Handheld Games". Edge . August 2, 2006. Archived from the original on September 20, 2008.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.