SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated

Also known as: Bob l'eponge: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated (FR), SpongeBob: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated (IT), Bob Esponja: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated (ES/LA), SpongeBob Schwammkopf: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated (DE), SpongeBob Kanciastoporty: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated (PL)
Developer: Purple Lamp Studios^[1]
Publisher: THQ Nordic^[1]
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, Google Stadia
Released internationally: June 23, 2020^[1] (Switch/PS4/Xbox One/Windows), December 8, 2020 (Stadia)

This game has unused areas.
This game has unused code.
This game has hidden development-related text.
This game has unused objects.
This game has unused models.
This game has unused sounds.
This game has revisional differences.

This game has a prerelease article

To do:
Document the numerous differences that exists between the version of the game on the disc (which is essentially a very late beta) and the day one patch version.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated is a remake of the 2003 console original for newer systems (including PC for the first time as the original PC version was completely different from the older console version) with updated graphics, even more references to both classic and modern moments from the show, and notably, a new multiplayer mode decorated with several cut elements from the original.

Unfortunately, Nickelodeon rushed Purple Lamp to complete it, most likely in an attempt to have it coincide with The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (which, ironically, ended up getting delayed and having its theatrical release be cancelled due to COVID-19), and that led to a 7 GB day one update. Despite that and some debatable design and aesthetic liberties, it's still seen as a generally faithful recreation of the cult classic.

Sub-Pages

Prerelease Info

Out of Bounds Objects
Objects hidden outside of normal view.

Unused Models

SM_BB_Police_Vehicle_01

A police boat likely meant to be seen near the police station in Bikini Bottom. A similar police boat is in the intro cutscene map, but unseen by the player.

SM_SyHouse_BaseMesh01_DELETE

The geometry of the original game's Bikini Bottom can be found among Sandy's Treedome which, given the filename, was likely left in by accident. It has no textures.

SM_BB_Skate

A skate ramp. Based on its appearance and file name, it was most likely intended for the ramp used to get to the SpongeBall Arena in the hub. For some reason, it doesn't show up there after defeating the final boss like it did in the original. Interestingly, using the SpongeBall Arena's starting line to exit it still spawns SpongeBob back in the hub in the exact spot the ramp was in the original.

Unused Levels

SpongeBobDream_05_P

The same unused version of the Patrick's Dream level from the original game still exists in the game's files, but now it's completely textureless. Interestingly, while most of the map uses the same geometry as the original level, some parts of the map are in higher quality, implying this level barely went through the "rehydrating" process before history repeated itself.

BattleArena_P

A test level that tests all the enemies' behaviors, with each enemy having its own door. At the end of the room is a giant door with Squidward's moose head. Inside the door are all of the game's enemies in a straight line. They appear idle and seemingly can't be interacted with by the player.

ChumBucketLab_01_P

The unused fight against SpongeBot SteelPants with his Anchor Arms still exists here as well, and like Patrick's Dream is untextured. There is also no fight against him, but above the area there are two duplicates of the Anchor Arms SpongeBot SteelPants model T-posing. The model seems to be a direct rip from the original since the inside of the head is still modeled. The stones Patrick throws are there as well. There is also Sandy in a T-pose, and Squidward using his normal idle animation.

Unused Text

Game.locres

"4837318845CF9A50F82D9DADBA88B229": "<GameCmd>Press</> <img width=\"100\" height=\"42\" id=\"R1_Button\"/> <GameCmd>to travel to the Spongeball Arena</>",
"D93CE5E94435203A9119D59653109BF3": "<GameCmd>You Need more Golden Spatulas to unlock the SpongeBall Arena</>",

A file that lists all the subtitles for dialogues and menus in the game. There's also similar files with translated equivalents for every language supported in the game. It contains strings referencing the unused entrance to the SpongeBall Arena.

Manifest_DebugFiles_Win64.txt

Pineapple/Binaries/Win64/Pineapple-Win64-Shipping.pdb	2020-06-19T15:14:49.956Z
Engine/Content/SlateDebug/Fonts/LastResort.tps	2020-06-10T16:47:42.000Z
Engine/Content/SlateDebug/Fonts/LastResort.ttf	2020-06-10T16:55:24.000Z

A file that lists debug files that were present in development builds of the game. This includes a program database for the main executable that would later be removed for the game's release.

Internal Project Name

The internal codename of the game is "Pineapple", according to the strings in the executable.

Unused VR Files

In the initial Steam release of the game, launching the game will launch Steam VR alongside it.

For whatever reason, Unreal Engine 4's Oculus plugin is in the game's files. It was eventually removed after an update, though the file "OculusVR.ini" is still present.

Unused Dialogue

Realistic Fish Head

Filename	Subtitle	Usage
FAB1072	And here we are folks, the main event! A gauntlet of ever increasing ferocity!	The original game's commentary for the start of the first phase and all of the second phase of the SpongeBot SteelPants fight are still in the files but are unused for some reason. They were even dubbed in all the other supported languages and their subtitles are also still present in the Game.locres file.
FAB1073	Will SpongeBob be able to neutralise the giant robot's brain?
FAB1074	Or will SpongeBob go home, defeated and dejected? Stay tuned.
FAB1076	Now there's a large suspicious piece of mechanical equipment you don't see every day.
FAB1077	SpongeBob, hit the fuse!
FAB1078	That giant robot brain has to have vulnerability somewhere.
FAB1079	If SpongeBob could just get past that robot brain's armored shell!
FAB1080	A cruise bubble down one of those drain holes could be prudent about now.
FAB1083	That's it! Now issue the coup de grâce.

Development Oversights

Due to the game's rushed development, countless bugs were present at launch that would eventually be fixed. These are still present, however.

Sandy and Patrick Inside SpongeBob's House

While playing as Patrick or Sandy, if you go into the world map and warp back to SpongeBob's house, instead of the game switching the playable character back to SpongeBob like in the original game, the game will keep your current character (Patrick or Sandy), attempting to talk to Gary as them will do nothing as Gary was normally programmed to talk only to SpongeBob in this area, and interacting with the typewriter in the kitchen and the television in the living room will result in them to speak in SpongeBob's voice.

Patrick	Sandy

Revisional Differences

To do:
Get version numbers.

June 23, 2020 Update

The huge day one patch.

Changed the usual SpongeBob font for the HUD to an entirely different one.
Various unspecified bug and optimization fixes.

June 26, 2020 Update

Released on PC only.

Added Unreal Engine 4's crash reporting system.
Removed Unreal Engine 4's Oculus and OpenVR plugins from the files due to the issue mentioned above where they would automatically be launched alongside the game.

June 29, 2020 Update

Released on PC only.

Added back the Oculus and OpenVR plugins, but this time they were altered so they wouldn't automatically be launched.

July 1, 2020 Update

Released on PC only, more specifically the GOG version.

Unknown changes.

July 17, 2020 Update

Fixed a bug where Invert Controls settings were reset after switching characters.
Fixed a bug which made it impossible to collect the "Annoy Squidward" Spatula after accepting the quest, leaving Squidward’s house and then returning.
Resolution and performance were slightly increased in both docked and handheld mode (Switch only).
Removed yet again the Oculus and OpenVR plugins (PC only).
Added controller scheme to in-game menu.
Added options for friend invites in multiplayer.
Localisation bug fixes.
Minor bug fixes.

To do:
Compare the voice clips.

In the Japanese language, Squidward wasn't originally voiced by Yoji Ueda, the same actor from the show's dub, but by the replacement actor Michitake Kikuchi instead. This was changed with this update, where Ueda now voices Squidward.

July 23, 2020 Update