If you've been following my reviews on here, you could probably tell that I have a bit of a soft spot for "SpongeBob SquarePants" video games. And honestly, why not? After all, "SpongeBob" was one of my favorite cartoons growing up, which is something I'm sure you've heard from...a vast majority of human beings that were children at any point in the last 22 years the show has been airing for. That, combined with my affinity for gaming, meant I played a lot of "SpongeBob" games in my youth. One such game that fell by the wayside just a bit was "SpongeBob's Truth or Square." A game adaptation of the 2009 tenth anniversary TV special, I played a bit of this in my younger years, but not nearly to the extent that I played "Revenge of the Flying Dutchman," "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie" or, of course, "Battle for Bikini Bottom." Yet, the game's addition to the (as of this writing) latest Xbox Games With Gold lineup made me curious to re-experience it. I'd get to finally beat it, and also have some "SpongeBob" holdover content while I wait for Purple Lamp Studios to release "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake," hopefully this year. Sadly, though, it seems some childhood memories are better left in the past.
"SpongeBob's Truth or Square" is not without its positive elements. Heavy Iron Studios had several "SpongeBob" titles under its belt up to this point, so it's no surprise that they really understand and appreciate the world of "SpongeBob" and its characters. The story, where SpongeBob and friends essentially relive classic episodes of the show, is honestly really enjoyable. While I liked the TV special itself, I do agree with the criticism that it felt weird for an anniversary episode given that it was a random clip show that felt like the writers making up ideas as they went. Here, though, the writing feels accurate to those iconic episodes of the show, and there are plenty of fun callbacks and Easter eggs that really show Heavy Iron's love of the franchise. The visuals are very nice and loaded with color and the game's controls are pretty decent stuff. It's a functional game with passable level design that will appeal to kids that are fans of the show.
Sadly, that's about where the positives end for me. This largely felt like a very stale, average 3D platformer without much that really set it apart in a unique way from Heavy Iron's other "SpongeBob" games. In a way, it largely felt like Heavy Iron knew this would be their last "SpongeBob" game, so they tried to catch lightning in a bottle one more time and recapture that "Battle for Bikini Bottom" magic. Sadly, it felt like all they really did was reuse a lot of the assets from "Battle for Bikini Bottom" in a standard 3D platformer that didn't bring much of a unique angle from a gameplay perspective. Awkward musical loops, uninspired bosses and a frustrating camera system only serve to bog the game down even further, stopping it from reaching its true potential.
Overall, "SpongeBob's Truth or Square" is one of those unfortunate moments where childhood memories don't feel the same once you're older. While I once thought this was a lovely pseudo-sequel to "Battle for Bikini Bottom," beating the game for the first time made me see it as little more than an attempt to recapture that game's magic. It doesn't live up to the task, though, and while I'm glad I got to replay it after all these years, it ultimately falls into a category of general indifference for me. If you're a huge "SpongeBob" fan or have kids to play it with (or you can grab it while it's still part of Xbox's Games With Gold monthly lineup), I'd say it's worth a try especially since it can't be too expensive. Otherwise, with what we have now, it might just be best to stick with "Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated," or wait to see what Purple Lamp does next with "The Cosmic Shake."
Final rating: 5 out of 10 "Hmm..."