Proto:SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge (Game Boy Advance)

This page details one or more prototype versions of SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge (Game Boy Advance).

To do: Finish documenting the newly-released prototypes and the July 31, 2001 prototype. - https://archive.org/details/sbagbarchive , as the .mdf file mostly contains the ROMs of sorts.

While the many prototypes of the PlayStation version have made themselves known in the SpongeBob community due to the large quantities they came in, a total of sixteen builds for the GBA port have also surfaced and happen to contain equally as intriguing content.

Sub-Pages

November 28, 2000 Prototype The earliest prototype of them all, managing to both be very and not at all advanced for the time.

January 8, 2001 Engine Tests Two early builds with the purpose of testing graphical and gameplay capabilities.

"Petro Visit" (February 5, 2001 Prototype) Rocks.

June 6, 2001 Prototype At long last, the game is finally starting to resemble the final product.

General

Music

The Game Boy Advance version shares the same soundtrack as its PlayStation counterpart and had few changes over the course of its development. However, few does not mean there were none.

Title Screen

Early	Final

• Much like the PlayStation version, the title screen was intended to play the SpongeBob SquarePants theme song, but was changed last minute to what we hear in the final game.

Fish Hooks Park

Early	Final

• The March builds only have the Fish Hooks Park theme, but utilize less-compressed samples than heard in the final game.

"Music Driver" (February 15, 2001)

• The title screen has been removed, although it was re-implemented in the February 26 build.
• SpongeBob is in a 'free movement' mode, completely ignoring any sort of physics.
• There are six 'levels' playable, each with a few segments:
  • The first level would become Kelpazoic Jungle in the PlayStation version, noticeably being simpler in detail.
  • The second level would become the Inside the Whale, and features a more realistic pink coloring instead of the final's purple coloring.
  • The third level resembles Road to Rock Bottom in the PlayStation version.
  • The fourth level would become Lonely Souls in the final.
  • The fifth level would become the Graveyard, and notably still uses the earlier palette.
  • The sixth level would become Last Stop.

February 26, 2001 Prototype

• Interestingly, this build of the game uses music from Yoshi Sample.
  • Though on emulators, if a BIOS is not used, some glitched sounds will play instead.

March 1, 2001 Prototype

• For SOME reason, the first level is a very bright version of a cutscene frame from Zero Wing.

April 3, 2001 Prototype

• More music-tracks have been implemented, with the title theme being a remix of the show theme.
• This is the last prototype with free-movement.
• Interestingly, levels are much closer to the PlayStation version.
• The title screen looks much better.
• To beat a level, the player must touch a spinning Patrick, or press Select.
• Only one object is implemented, clams.
• SpongeBob uses a new sprite, but it's still not the final one.
• After beating the final level, the game sends you back to level 1.

July 31, 2001 Prototype

To do: Everything past the menus. This build also appears to be slightly corrupted, as Downtown Bikini Bottom can (albeit rarely) tend to hang randomly, the text string for the "Mud Pack" is missing, as is one of the level icons…

Download July 31, 2001 Prototype File: SBSPants.bin (4 MB) (info)

Title Screen

June Prototype	July Prototype	Final

• A crustier version of the final logo with a mistakenly-opaque shadow can be seen. In addition, the ™ by Patrick's arm is unreadable due to the GBA's low screen resolution.
• The whole title graphic was centered. It was shifted slightly up-right in the final to instead center SpongeBob's name.
• The "Press Any Button" text was changed to "Press START" in the final.

Menus

• The title screen music still plays instead of the actual options music.
• Button reminders haven't been added yet.