With SpongeBob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated bringing attention to a platforming classic, many fans were pleased to see an HD version of what is arguably the best SpongeBob game. Naturally, many fans were curious if the content that was cut from the original cult classic would make it into the remake.
While there were some notable things that were added to the remake, the developers at THQ Nordic really tried to stick to what was originally there. So what were some of the major things that the old THQ team left out of the original game and on the cutting room floor?
10 More Krusty Krab
The main hub of the game takes place on the mostly-peaceful streets of Bikini Bottom where SpongeBob’s neighborhood is. Nearby is the Krusty Krab, which players can go in and hang out in the dining room or even a storage area in the back of the restaurant above the diners. But the developers had carved out three other rooms in the building: The kitchen, Mr. Krabs’ office and the bathrooms. While the latter two rooms were never designed, players can see the kitchen from the dining room like it is in the TV show. However, players can’t access this room.
9 Walking NPCs
When dealing with some of the major NPCs in the game, players are used to seeing them just stand in one place waiting for the player to interact with them. But according to animations that didn’t make the final cut, these characters were actually supposed to walk around in ways unique to their characters. Mr. Krabs’ feet go really fast as he walks and Mrs. Puff looks like she is panicking as she stumbles around. Unfortunately, this is something that wasn’t even added into the remake.
8 Alternate Lines
Some recorded lines that never made the final cut actually made it into the remake. Digging deep into the files of the game, fans can find lines that weren’t used, such as SpongeBob reacting to a wooden tiki by saying “Okay, that’s creepy,” or Sandy seeing the Arf robot and exclaiming “Git along, little doggie!”
There are even files of lines being read that didn’t end up making the final game, including a less angry version of when Mrs. Puff says her famous line, “Don’t ask questions you aren’t prepared to handle the answer(s) to.”
7 Gary Sign
Signs with question marks on them are a staple which tell the player how to play the game. In early versions of Battle for Bikini Bottom, this sign’s texture was replaced with Gary in front of a purple background. It’s not clear why they decided to change it, other than for perhaps visual clarity. That said, Gary is the first NPC the player interacts with when the game starts and him being the face of the guide throughout makes sense.
6 Soccer Ball
Another key element of the game is Patrick’s ability to throw objects, with one of the main items he throws being a “throw fruit” that looks like a watermelon. However, it was not always going to be an actual fruit. In early screenshots of the game, fans can spot a soccer ball resting on top of some leaves. In other screenshots, Patrick is carrying the soccer ball like he is about to throw it. The only question would be what the logic of a soccer ball growing in a pile of leaves. That is, of course, unless a fruit was always the plan and the ball was a placeholder.
5 Robo-SpongeBob MusclePants
During the final boss battle, after players defeat Robo-SpongeBob, the robot grows inflated arms like in the SpongeBob Squarepants episode “MuscleBob Buffpants.” However, unlike in the final game where the second phase featured SpongeBob chasing Robo-Plankton inside of Robo-SpongeBob, there is a level in the files that has the player facing Robo-SpongeBob again, this time with the robot having buff arms and a speedo on. The boss is unbeatable, but players can have fun deflating the arms, which appears to be what would have been the method of beating it.
4 Smelly Sundae
This is one of the biggest items left out of the game. The smelly sundae was actually a power-up that the player could consume, which is a mechanic that was not at all used in the final version as there were no power-ups.
This disgusting dessert, from the TV episode “Something Smells,” gave the player the ability to destroy stone tikis with a normal attack and destroy robots a lot quicker as the sundae overall made the character stronger. It also had the characters emit brown steam from their mouths, an indication of the stinky food.
3 Robo-Squidward
THQ Nordic really hammered in the fact that Robo-Squidward was going to make the cut in Rehydrated, making the robot the villain of the game’s new horde mode. In the original game, Robo-Squidward was a planned boss fight with screenshots and concept art of what the robot would’ve looked like. However, the plans to include him were left behind in the final version to the disappointment of many. At the very least, fans can now get a chance to fight the metallic squid with their friends.
2 Patrick’s Alternate Dream
With how dreams are catered to the characters in the game, it’s both disappointing and hilarious that Patrick’s dream in both versions is a dark void where he just stands there and hands SpongeBob a golden spatula without the player doing anything. This was not the original plan, as a level called “Screaming for Ice Cream” is available in the game files. It appears to be a world made out of ice cream and goodies, likely a normal platforming level that Patrick would complete. Unused lines also indicate that Mrs. Puff would’ve been in the dream.
1 Evil Bubble Buddy?
There are some strange unused lines for Bubble Buddy that may shine a light on his dark side. Five text files show lines that Bubble Buddy would say to SpongeBob that were not like the jolly bubble. “Welcome to my nightmare! Hie the hench though spongey freak,” was one of these lines along with, “What about GETOUTTAHERE didn’t you understand?” These may have been some test lines that were never really planned, but fans have to wonder about what an evil Bubble Buddy would do to Bikini Bottom.
NEXT: 10 Forgotten Platformers You Need To Play
