Proto:SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge (PlayStation)
This page details one or more prototype versions of SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge (PlayStation).
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51 prototype ISOs and source code for every change made to the game (with the exception of some lost files) during development were dumped. These can be downloaded here.
Contents
General
Music
Some tracks received changes to the samples used (likely to minimize copyright concerns, as some of which were taken from the show's soundtrack), while others were replaced completely. The call to remove all traces of the show's soundtrack came very late in development.
Title Screen
| Prototypes | Final |
|---|---|
The title screen uses a remix of the show's theme song. According to composer Matt Simmonds, the new title track was done in about an hour right at the end of production.
Options
| Prototype (Earliest) | Prototype (Later) | Final |
|---|---|---|
Originally, the Options menu theme featured percussion samples (perhaps taken from "War Blower", one of the show's songs), and a tin whistle instrument sampled from the end of the show's theme song. The former would be replaced with more generic samples early on, while the tin whistle persisted for a while longer before getting changed as well.
Save File
| Prototypes | Final |
|---|---|
The save file music is completely different.
Credits
| Prototype (Earliest) | Prototype (Later) | Final |
|---|---|---|
The credits theme, like the title theme, is based on the show's theme song, and has changed as well. These are the only two songs that had the theme song removed; it can still be heard in the Jellyfishing Net's pickup jingle, Kelpazoic Jungle, and Graveyard. It originally used the same percussion samples as the options theme, until it was replaced with more generic samples early on. The tin whistle sample taken from the show's theme song was also replaced with a generic sample.
Game Over (Unused)
| Prototype (Earliest) | Prototype (Later) | Final |
|---|---|---|
The unused game over theme surprisingly went through numerous iterations, originally having the theme song's tin whistle at the end.
The first starts differently than the others, resembling the melody of the "Hawaiian Adventures SpongeBob Theme", and can be found in the earliest commits of the source code.
Game Over
Many of the prototypes have a different game over screen with Plankton instead of Patrick in SpongeBob's living room.
| Prototypes | Final |
|---|---|
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Intro
| To do: There are two more versions of the FMV, but they're both very similar to the final. Document them here. |
| May | June | July | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
Over the course of development, the game went through four different intro sequences. The first was the show's opening. The second is almost completely different from the rest as it exclusively uses clips from the episode Valentine's Day and also cuts off early. The third is an earlier version of the final opening, with the red bird and green fish at the start missing, all the texts except the SuperSponge one at the beginning have different colors and/or placement, SpongeBob's name is misspelled "SpongBob", and Mr. Krabs is wrongfully labeled by the name of his restaurant. There are no sound effects, and SpongeBob is not surfing on a jellyfish when the game's title is shown.
May Prototypes
 | SBSP_020501 The earliest compiled prototype. |
SBSP_040500
This prototype is documented on Hidden Palace.
Dated May 4th, 2001, this build is slightly more complete.
- Pressing Select causes the game to lag.
- Flowers are now present in the backgrounds of Jelly Fields, Bikini Bottom Town, Last Stop, Jelly Fields 2, and Polluted Seabed.
- The missing space in the health bar is a slightly more opaque yellow instead of red.
| SBSP_020501 | SBSP_040500 |
|---|---|
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- A position debugger is now present.
- Enemies can now be defeated.
- All enemies are now slightly bigger.
- Some jellyfish platforms are now transparent.
Jelly Fields
- Squidward is now bigger and faces to the left instead of the right.
| SBSP_020501 | SBSP_040500 |
|---|---|
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Sandy's Bio-Dome
- A placeholder water meter has been implemented, which can be refilled by crouching in the pools of water.
- Falling acorns have been added to the level.
| SBSP_020501 | SBSP_040500 |
|---|---|
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Fish Hooks Park
- The big rocks in Fish Hooks Park are now at their correct positions.
Thermal Tunnels
- Beating Thermal Tunnels takes you to Precipice Canyon instead of Acrid Air Pockets.
Kelp Jungle
- Kelp Jungle is missing.
Oil Rig
- Many sections of the level have been added.
SBSP_MS9-/ms9
Dated May 5th, 2001, two versions of this build were found, with the file dates being exactly the same.
- Patrick is now present in Thermal Tunnels and Kelpazoic Jungle.
| SBSP_040500 | SBSP_MS9-/ms9 |
|---|---|
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- Acrid Air Pockets and Lava Fields have been added.
- Kill plains now kill SpongeBob.
- The icon for powerups has been moved to the top-right corner of the screen.
- Road to Rock Bottom and Lonely Souls have more detailed backgrounds.
- Skipping to the next level after the last Six Clams level will bring you to the FMV level.
Even though the player cannot move here in the final, there is a teleport trigger to go outside. The level plays the theme song.
- An animated THQ logo now plays before the intro.
Jelly Fields
- Removed most of the spatulas at the start of the level.
| SBSP_040500 | SBSP_MS9-/ms9 |
|---|---|
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Sandy's Bio-Dome
- Sandy and a helmet pickup are now at the start of the level.
| SBSP_040500 | SBSP_MS9-/ms9 |
|---|---|
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Tuna Canning Factory
- A very basic version of Tuna Canning Factory has been added.
SBSP_PRE_E3
 | SBSP_PRE_E3 Differences Dated May 10th, 2001. A very early prototype. Many things found unused on the main page are used here, plus more. |
SBSP_140501
Dated May 14th, 2001.
- The game now loops between three levels: Jelly Fields, Sandy's Bio-Dome, and Fish Hooks Park.
- The debug power-up toggles have been removed from the pause menu.
- A spatula counter has now been added to the pause menu.
| SBSP_PRE_E3 | SBSP_140501 |
|---|---|
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- The "Start" option on the title screen now takes you to Jelly Fields.
- Removed the intro FMV.
- This build has a unique (obviously placeholder) copyright screen, which only remained for this build, using a wallpaper formerly available at Nick.com.
- The "Credits" option has been removed from the title screen.
Jelly Fields
- Removed a crab from the section before the first jellyfish platform.
SBSP_E3
Dated May 14th, 2001.
- SpongeBob's looking down animation has been changed to an animation of him looking down.
- Control Style B is now the same as Control Style A.
- Added a new legal screen.
| SBSP_E3 | Final |
|---|---|
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SBSP_220501
Dated May 22nd, 2001.
- The "Credits" option has been re-added to the title screen.
- The level select screen is now accessed by pressing the "Start" option on the title screen again.
- It is now possible to go to the Six Clams levels using the level select screen.
- You can now change the selected chapter on the level select screen using ↑ and ↓.
| SBSP_PRE_E3 | SBSP_220501 |
|---|---|
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- There are now icons of the collectibles for each stage on the level select screen.
- Added a "Change Weapon" button to the Controls menu.
| SBSP_160501 | SBSP_220501 |
|---|---|
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- Added fake teeth to the end of every level, except Last Stop and Polluted Seabed.
Bikini Bottom Town
- A very basic Mother Jellyfish fight has been added.
SBSP_250501
Dated May 25th, 2001.
- Changed the sprites of the hermit crab enemy.
Jelly Fields
- Changed the fake teeth to a jar of jellyfish jelly.
Tuna Canning Ship
- Changed the fake teeth to a wrench.
- Added a basic Sub-Shark fight which dies in one hit.
SBSP_290501
Dated May 29th, 2001.
- NPC dialogue now automatically starts when colliding with them.
- The level select background and Chapter 1 level icons are glitched.
Tuna Canning Ship
- Removed the plugs from the conveyor belts.
- Sub-Shark now dies in more hits.
- Sub-Shark now moves around.
SBSP310501
Dated May 31st, 2001.
- Mother Jellyfish now has a health bar texture.
- The loading screen level name format has changed.
| SBSP_020501-SBSP_290501 | SBSP310501-SBSP_310501 | SBSP_040601-Final |
|---|---|---|
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- The level select background is now the same as the final.
- There are now button controls on the level select menu.
- The collectible icons for the level select stages are now bigger.
- There are now counters for the highest amount of spatulas collected for each level on the level select screen.
- Checkpoint objects have been added to various levels.
Bikini Bottom Town
- Mother Jellyfish now has tentacles.
June Prototypes
SBSP_040601
Dated June 4th, 2001.
- The loading screens have been changed to their final versions.
| SBSP310501 | SBSP_040601 |
|---|---|
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BORRYS_SBSP_BUILD!!_070601
Dated June 7th, 2001.
Jelly Fields
- Added an exit gate to the end of the level.
SBSP_180601
 | SBSP 180601 Differences Dated June 18th, 2001. Most differences are in the main menu. |
SBSP_250601
Dated June 25th, 2001.
- The title screen now only uses 1 background.
- The "Credits" option has been removed from the main menu.
- Renamed "Kelp Jungle" to "Kelpazoic Jungle".
- Renamed "Polluted Seabed" to "Man Ray's Lair".
- Renamed "Tuna Canning Ship" to "Canning Factory".
- Added a basic cutscene to the start of the game.
- Updated the intro FMV.
SBSP_280601
Dated June 28th, 2001.
- The "Change Weapon" button has been renamed to just "Weapon".
- A vibration toggle has been added to the Controls menu.
- A lives counter has been added to the pause menu.
- Added a background to the opening cutscene, however in this version it is too zoomed in.
- Updated the intro FMV.
July Prototypes
| To do: Rip button icons from the game and compare them here. |
SBSP_020701_2
| SBSP 020701 2 Differences Dated July 2nd, 2001. |
SBSP_060701_2
Dated July 6, 2001.
- The spatula counter has been removed from the pause menu.
- The FMV has been changed to the final version, but with a different color of the "SPONGE BOB SQUARE PANTS" text.
SBSP_060701
Dated July 6, 2001.
- It is no longer possible to keep your existing spatulas by carrying a net and reequpping it every time you get hit.
- The vertical lines used in the Screen and Sound menus have been changed to an image of Gary.
SBSP_100701
Dated July 10, 2001.
- The "Screen" option has been renamed to "Screen Adjust".
- The legal screen has been changed to the final version.
SBSP_110701_2
Dated July 11, 2001.
- A Nickelodeon logo has been added to the logos shown upon starting the game.
SBSP_120701
Dated July 12, 2001.
- Control Style D has been removed.
- Control Style C has been changed to its final iteration.
- It is no longer possible to duplicate Jelly Launcher or Bubble Mixture ammo by repeatedly reequipping and unequipping them.
- Changed the intro FMV to the final version.
SBSP_BOOT_NAME_TEST
Dated July 13, 2001.
- The Nickelodeon logo has been changed to a jellyfish design, but glitched in this build.
- The boot name has been changed from
BOOTUSAto the final boot name.
SBSP_140701
Dated July 14, 2001.
- Changed the D-Pad icons.
- Fixed the Nickelodeon logo.
SBSP_180701
Dated July 18, 2001.
- This build has a unique boot screen that wasn't in the game for long, as it was taken out by the next build.
- The Butt Bounce is now activated by pressing X in mid-air.
SBSP_230701
Dated July 23, 2001.
- Renamed "Road to the bottom of Rock Bottom" to "Road to Rock Bottom".
- Changed the D-Pad icons again.
- Changed the boot screen to the final version.
SBSP_250701_2
Dated July 26, 2001.
SBSP_290701
Dated July 30, 2001.
- Changed the D-Pad icons to their final versions.
SBSP_290701_B
Dated July 30, 2001.
- Fixed the capital I in the character set.
SBSP_310701
Dated July 31, 2001.
- Removed the "Vibration" option from the Controls menu.
August Prototypes
SBSP_010801
Dated August 1st, 2001, this prototype is an edited version of SB_TEST, with very few differences.
| SBSP_010801 | Final |
|---|---|
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The checkpoint reflects a passed early indicator. Also, the phone booth's interior doesn't light up.
SBSP_050801
Dated August 6th, 2001.
- Added a spinning flower icon to the game's boot screen and all loading screens.
- Added the text "loading" to the game's boot screen.
August 8th, 2001
Two versions of this build were included, one hilariously named SBSP_080801_THIS_PEN_IS_SHIT, probably referring to some developer’s frustration at Climax.
- Button controls have been added to the Options menus.
SB_TEST
 | SB_TEST Differences Dated August 17th, 2001. This prototype is much more complete. |
SBSP_220801
Dated August 22nd, 2001.
- Renamed "Sandy's Bio-Dome" to "Sandy's Tree Dome".
