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Parents rejoice, for the DS has brought us yet another TV-to-game adaptation of one of your children's favorite daytime cartoons. Yes, Spongebob is back (Ed's Note: Did he ever go anywhere?) in Creature from the Krusty Krab. It almost goes without saying, but this title will be appreciated by a much, much younger market. I'll admit I love Spongebob, even if teens and adults shrug him off as a mere fad. It's always good to look past the name and fame of a cherished cartoon character, to really see if it merits a video game.
Truth is, it depends on who you're aiming for. Creature from the Krusty Krab pulls you in over a dozen quirky, yet all too familiar, events from the Spongebob Squarepants universe. This game reminds me much of the things my drama teacher in College once told me never to do; create a universe in which everything inevitably becomes a dream. Of course, it's just a game, so it shouldn't be taken seriously. You'll have to trek through several dream sequences Spongebob will have during the entirety of the game, pushing your little yellow friend with the aide of the stylus. Spongebob can jump, push, break or use switches, depending on how many stylus gimmicks you take advantage of.
...it's the kind of game you would want your kids to play, though not because of the brand, but because of the simplicity.
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It's like a new age puzzle game for kids. This feels all too reminiscent of the kind of simple-minded puzzles found on the NES and SNES way back when, though Krusty Krab is a more developed version of that classic platforming style with its stylus features. It's pretty fun for a while, but unless you're under the age of 10, you won't find much to do after the first few missions. If anything, it's only after that point that you realize that the bits and pieces that string together are all more like tech demos. Simple and shallow at once.
It raises the question of what kind of game should you expect out of Spongebob. Typically, it's the kind of game you would want your kids to play, though not because of the brand, but because of the simplicity. It's another DS game that focuses the users attention solely on the handheld's gimmick functionalities. It still manages to be entertaining for the first few moments, but even those young at heart can see that this level of shallow gameplay and platforming was really targeted at minds that see less as more and the familiar as entertaining. Realizing this, Spongebob Squarepants: Creature from the Krusty Krab is another cartoon licensed game for the DS, which should deliver your kids for quite a deal of fun, but anyone else will dismiss it with a shrug of apathy.
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