SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is a colorful 3D platformer from Purple Lamp, published by THQ Nordic. Unlike an extensive role-playing game, it focuses on clearly defined platform levels, collecting tasks and the character world of the cartoon series. Players control SpongeBob while the transformed Balloon Patrick accompanies and comments on him.

The adventure runs through seven so-called wish worlds with different settings. The gameplay combines jumps, fights and movement abilities such as karate kicks or swinging on hooks. The original full version came out in January 2023; later, native versions for PS5 and Xbox Series and ports for smartphones and tablets were added.

On Jan 31, 2023, The Cosmic Shake came out simultaneously for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. Standalone versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S followed on Oct 23, 2023. Important: THQ Nordic had previously announced Oct 16, but postponed the date by a week in a later official statement. The later correction is authoritative for the release chronology.

On Dec 12, 2023, iOS and Android followed as separate mobile versions via the respective app stores. This date does not mark the start of the console series, but another native release. The game thus has eight platform slots, which do not result from mere backward compatibility.

The main game was released natively for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch. The later iOS and Android ports partly carry the shorter store name SpongeBob: The Cosmic Shake, but are standalone mobile editions of the same adventure. The Windows release is available via Steam, among others.

An older version that can be played on a newer console is not automatically its native version. Especially on PlayStation and Xbox, PS4/Xbox One versions and the October 2023 ports for PS5/Xbox Series are therefore listed separately. The Switch 2 compatibility shown by Nintendo for Switch software also does not count as a separate Switch 2 release. HandyGames distributes the mobile versions; this does not change the game's origin at Purple Lamp and THQ Nordic.

The core is classic 3D platforming: SpongeBob jumps over obstacles, dodges enemies and finds hidden paths and collectibles. Abilities such as the Karate Kick and swinging on the fishing hook expand his movement options. Such techniques help not only in fights, but also in reaching difficult platforms and hidden areas.

The stages are designed for recognition, exploration and varied movement tasks. Instead of a freely populated huge game world, the sections lead through designed wish worlds. The adventure is geared toward one controllable main character; Patrick is a companion, not a second freely controllable co-op character.

The official Costume Pack is paid additional content with seven more outfits. These include RoboBob SteelPants, Mermaid Man Bob, Purple Sponge, Primitive Sponge, Dried Sponge, Opposite Day Bob and Band Geek. Nintendo and Epic list the DLC as a separate product, which requires the main game to be used.

The pack adds to the wardrobe, but it does not add an eighth wish world or a new campaign. It therefore must not be classed as a standalone full game or as a new native release of the main game. If you compare several editions, you should also check whether the costume pack is already part of a bundle.

The Steam page lists as minimum requirements an AMD Phenom II X4 925 or Intel Pentium Dual Core G3320, 4 GB RAM, a GeForce GTX 660 or Radeon HD 7870, DirectX 11 and 10 GB storage. Recommended specs include an AMD FX 6300 or Intel Core i5-3570K, 8 GB RAM and a Radeon R9 380 or GeForce GTX 1050 Ti.

The store still lists older Windows versions in its historical game requirements. This must be distinguished from the current OS requirements of the Steam client. Mobile devices, consoles and Windows PCs have their own technical requirements; the PC list does not automatically apply to iOS or Android.

SpongeBob and Patrick receive mermaid tears that can grant wishes. Their thoughtless ideas tear open portals to other worlds. Familiar places and residents of Bikini Bottom get mixed up, and SpongeBob has to find his friends again. The story uses the characters and humour of the TV series as a starting point for separate levels.

The wish worlds turn familiar places into themed adventure landscapes. The game features, among others, the Wild West jellyfish fields and Rock Bottom, which has a Halloween theme. The seven worlds are not seven standalone games or paid expansions; they are part of the campaign. Balloon Patrick remains SpongeBob's companion for the journey.

The seven major wish worlds offer different themes for platform sections and enemies. You can also find collectibles, including Doubloons, which are linked to cosmetic unlocks. According to the publisher, collecting every Doubloon can unlock the “King Doubloon” costume, for example. Another outfit is named for earning all achievements.

Collecting activities give completed levels an extra purpose. They are part of regular game progress and not a required online service. For an overview, it helps to separate costumes you earn in the game from the Costume Pack sold separately.

THQ Nordic lists more than 30 costumes for SpongeBob. The outfits draw on series ideas, such as “SnailBob” and “SpongeGar”, and become available during the adventure and through collecting tasks. The costume system is mainly a lasting visual feature of the game, not a separate character editor with freely combinable body parts.

Later versions and free updates added more unlockable outfits. Which clothing items are included in which edition should therefore not be equated with the scope of the separately sold Costume Pack.

Steam and the mobile stores classify The Cosmic Shake as a single-player adventure. Balloon Patrick remains the main character's companion, but that does not automatically make it a local or online co-op mode. The game does not focus on competitive online matches or require a permanent multiplayer service.

THQ Nordic announced a photo mode in 2023 for the existing platform versions. It lets players capture scenes and style them with 19 different filters. It is one of the product's long-term features, not a time-limited event. Some platform features, such as the adaptive triggers and audio effects of the DualSense controller, are explicitly for the PS5 version only.

The official game page lists German text and German voice acting. English, French, Spanish, Japanese, Polish and Hindi are also listed among the voiced languages. The exact languages available may differ by platform and regional store listing, so for individual mobile or console editions the respective store remains the authority.

The soundtrack combines new pieces with many melodies from the series. THQ Nordic points to composers who already worked on Battle for Bikini Bottom. The music and the familiar voices of Bikini Bottom's residents are a defining part of the presentation, not just interchangeable background effects.

The mobile versions are sold through the Apple App Store and Google Play. Google Play lists HandyGames as the provider, while the German App Store names THQ Nordic Mobile GmbH. Both list the adventure with SpongeBob and Patrick as a mobile product, not as a cloud streaming version.

Apple lists iOS 14 or later for iOS, plus a device with at least an A12 Bionic chip, and notes controller support. These minimum technical requirements must not be applied to Android; there, device-dependent store rules apply. Likewise, the mobile port launched in 2023 is no proof of a native Switch 2 release.

The Cosmic Shake was developed by Austrian studio Purple Lamp and published by THQ Nordic. The mobile version is offered via HandyGames or THQ Nordic Mobile. The title follows the video game tradition of the SpongeBob series but is its own adventure with new wish worlds, and it differs from SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated, also worked on by Purple Lamp.

The cartoon characters and the underlying brand come from the SpongeBob SquarePants series. Differences between the full game, the Costume Pack and platform ports therefore depend on the actual software, not just the shared franchise name.