SpongeBob SquarePants: Lights, Camera, Pants! for PlayStation 2 Reviews by Gamers

Fans of the ultra-surreal cartoon franchise SpongeBob SquarePants come in all age groups, which is undoubtedly a testament to the unlikely underwater hero's wide appeal. Kids get a kick out of the goofy characters and settings while adults appreciate the arbitrary humor, pop culture references, and in-jokes. At least, that's how many grown men justify their SpongeBob infatuation to their wives and girlfriends. Over the years the SpongeBob franchise has spread out from its humble beginnings on the Nickelodeon network to take on new forms in movies, music, and videogames. And publisher THQ has for just as long been partnered with Nick for some platformer-heavy games based on the hit series.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Lights, Camera, Pants! for GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox, is the latest creation from the blossoming partnership, and for better or worse, it doesn't follow the formula of previous series games. Instead, the project, which is developed by THQ's Australia Studio, pays homage to the Mario Party franchise, stressing both a variety of mini-games and immediate multiplayer appeal. The mini-games are fun and the multiplayer aspects entertaining. All of these elements are seamlessly sewn together with a selection of real-time cinematics modeled as though right out of a SpongeBob cartoon, and these successfully drive the off-the-wall storyline that serves as a backbone for the gameplay experiences. The only drawback to the title is that its very nature makes it inherently shallow; pick-up-and-play mini-games are plunged through in minutes. And unlike Mario Party 7, which serves up more than 80 mini-games to trek through, Lights, Camera, Pants! dishes out only 30 by comparison.

Water Games
If we're going to keep making comparisons to the Mario Party franchise -- and we are -- we need to be fair, and the truth is that the cinematic presentation of SpongeBob's latest adventure is far and away superior to Hudson's interpretation of Mushroom Kingdom. Lights, Camera, Pants! begins with a well-crafted cut-scene that perfectly captures the style and humor of the series. Famed producer Gill Hammerstein is filming an unprecedented episode of The New Adventures of Mermaidman and Barnacleboy and he's come to SpongeBob's neck of the undersea woods in search of talent. The main of objective of the title is to compete in leagues of mini-games; the competitor with the most popularity points after the bouts are finished wins a coveted role in Hammerstein's episode. Brief, but colorful cinematics filled with well-voiced characters and surreal situations connect the gameplay scenarios.

THQ Australia has implemented an entertaining director feature that puts players in control of the episodes and simultaneously extends the replay value of the game. Players can progress through the story mode using different characters in order to see how they perform in the respective episode roles, of which there are nine to fill. SpongeBob renders an entirely different interpretation of an underwater police officer than Patrick and there are laughs to be had in each performance, particularly for long-time fans of the series and younger gamers. It's also possible to unlock a fully customizable director's mode where gamers can pick and choose their favorite characters for different parts in Hammerstein's episode, and this is enjoyable for a short time.

SquarePants eliminates the sometimes tedious board simulations of the Mario Party series and is delivers a quicker and more exciting single-player experience because of it. Rather than waiting for computer-controlled competitors to slowly navigate a board environment, players are instead immediately thrust into a selection of wacky mini-games and challenged to compete. The mini-challenges are symbolic of the game as a whole: easy to pick up and play, but shallow in the long run. But that's not to suggest that they aren't fun while they last. THQ Australia has thankfully put some thought into the majority of minis offered and as a result they are oftentimes enjoyable for different reasons.

In one game, players assume the role of their favorite series character -- most of the recognizable stars are immediately selectable -- and participate in a burger flipping contest. A series of burgers rise out of platform and it's up to gamers to flip their patties to their computer-controlled teammate and catch the burgers that he flips back. It's simple stuff, but it's guilty-pleasure-entertaining all the same. In another mini, players are asked to cast a fishing line and reel in objects in the water. The farther they cast their line, the more points they receive. And in another still, SpongeBob and friends participate in a good old fashioned cart race complete with appropriate driving mechanics. The selection of play styles is certainly varied and many of the minis capitalize on the nearly psychedelic presentation of the franchise. In a final example, gamers roll their character of choice across a platform and attempt to knock competitors off for points. Many of these games have appeared only slightly altered in other titles before, but more than a couple are completely fresh.

The big problem -- and this is a sizable one -- is that there just aren't enough mini-games, especially when compared to the norm in the Mario Party franchise. Nintendo's series regularly delivers buyers between 60 and 80 new mini-games (as well as board environments) and Lights, Camera, Pants!, for all of its charm, has barely managed half that number. It's a major point because the mini-games are the title's main appeal and because they are relatively shallow players may grow tired of experiencing them sooner rather than later, which drops the overall replay value of the project. Some of that is regained with multiplayer potential, but double the minis would have gone a lot farther.

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