SpongeBob's Boating Bash (Nintendo DS) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

Incredibly, Boating Bash is the ninth outing for Spongebob on the DS alone and for a franchise, which appeared too strange and 'out there' to get past the first season, it's certainly stood the test of time. Most of these games have been simple platform/adventures allowing fans to interact with Spongebob and the other inhabitants of Bikini Bottom. Outside of this there's been a version of the incredibly popular Drawn to Life and a kind of Cooking Mama (or Spongebob) title, which had you rustling up all manner of dishes. Boating Bash neatly ticks off yet another genre and this time it's the kart/racer which is being tackled but, even though racing masters Firebrand have taken on development duties, is this just one racing game too far?

Gameplay

Because Boating Bash isn't just a generic racer it needs a plot and given that it's based in the strange and wacky world of SpongeBob it also needs to suit the style of the show. With this in mind it appears that our hero has failed his driving test after 78 attempts and now out of desperation has decided to undertake the D.R.I.V.E. test offered by a shady shark named Seymore Scales. This takes you right into the Story Mode section of the game where Spongebob must meet a variety of race criteria to get his license. These can be as simple as winning the race but you'll also have to complete timed sections and ram other vehicles off the track. It can get a little repetitive as there's not much variety and, other than the ability to collect money, there's a distinct lack of 'power-up's. The money means you can purchase more powerful boats although the time we spent with the game, we didn't notice much difference in the way the boats handled.

If you don't wish to enter the career or 'Story Mode' you can simply jump into a 'Race' in any one of the gaming areas or indulge in a Multiplayer bout but as this is a single cart 'download' it's unlikely you'll find anyone else to play with you.

Controls

The only thing the traditional controls do here is to activate a short, sharp nitro boost but apart from that, nothing.

Graphics

There are two very different sides to the visuals here and while most of the game is given over to the isometric racing engine, the other sections feature a series of cut screens involving SpongeBob and Co. in an attempt to round out the story. It is all very similar to the cartoon series although everything here is delivered in static cut screens when it would have been nice to see it as a FMV. The racing sections are fine, but only just, as the viewpoint doesn't allow for much in the way of scenery and the landmarks on the side of the tracks are minimal. The drivers themselves also appear a little pixilated although this is always a problem with this viewpoint. The only real highlights are the night races where each of the contestants must rely on their headlight in order to get to the finish.

Sound

The music is excellent and perfectly suits the Bikini Bottom Setting, as do the sound effects although you do get the usual looping. The voice acting is a different story. The main players expertly deliver their lines but these are only edited highlights, it seems that the developers have selected some favorite lines from the show and used them repeatedly. This gets a little tiresome in the end especially as this current trend of only using some of the dialogue only serves to highlight the areas of text where nothing is spoken.

Dual screen

Firebrand have already tried a more 'experimental' control system in Planet 51 and here they take the concept much further. In other words, forget your traditional control buttons because everything is manipulated with the stylus using the touch screen. Point in a direction and your boat will move that way and the further the stylus is away from the boat, the faster it will go. No doubt in an attempt to please the DSi users, Firebrand have also added a Photo Studio which allows you to take a picture of yourself or a friend and decorate it in a Bikini Bottom style. It's an interesting addition but don't expect to spend much time with it.

Final comments

Firebrand have had a great deal of success with their handheld racers and no one knows how to push the DS in terms of visuals and performance quite as well as they do. Sadly, this is not a game that shows off their talents. The most glaring problem is the game's perspective, which makes the courses very unpredictable due to gamer's inability to see what's coming next. Unfortunately, the rest of the gameplay is so bland that even fans of Spongebob are likely to tire of the whole experience very quickly. There are many solid racing games already out there but Boating Bash certainly isn't destined to be one of them. Check out their incredible Race Driver series instead.

Pro: Great Music
Con: Bland Repetitive Gameplay, Problematic Controls.
Final score: 4.1

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