By Brad Cook

I knock on the door of the pineapple home belonging to Bikini Bottom’s favorite resident and hope he’s not mad that I’m late for the interview. When he opens the door, a Kelpsi in one hand and a big smile on his face, I apologize profusely.

“Late?” he asks with his usual high-pitched giggle. “I thought you were early for our next interview!”

As we walk into his living room, I marvel at the ability of a sentient sponge who wears square pants to so easily defuse a potentially tense situation. I can see why he’s always picked as Employee of the Month at Mr. Krabs’ Krusty Krab.

We sit down and I ask him what he thinks of the game.

“Game?” he replies. “I beat Patrick the other day at checkers.”

Knowing how busy his schedule must be, I remind him of the videogame based on the movie he recently starred in. He scrunches his face as he thinks that one over. I try to jog his memory: The movie in which he and Patrick saved Mr. Krabs from being blamed for the theft of King Neptune’s crown, despite his disappointment with Mr. Krabs for failing to promote him as manager of the Krusty Krab 2.

“Can you give me another clue?” he wonders.

Of Plankton and a Robot SpongeBob

Once we’ve viewed the movie twice and spent a few hours playing the videogame, SpongeBob seems ready to talk about it. The videogame, not the movie, I note. The one based on the movie, which we just watched. Again he ponders this.

The third time does the trick, along with another chapter or two of the videogame (there are eight in all, unfolding in a storybook-like manner that mimics the film’s plot). With my deadline mere hours away, SpongeBob finally begins to discuss at length what may have been his greatest adventure yet.

After getting another Kelpsi. And after answering the phone and almost telling Patrick he’d be thrilled to play checkers with him again. Finally guided back into focus by my loud coughing fit, SpongeBob offers his thoughts.

“I really like how you can play as Plankton during the second chapter in the game,” he blurts, his trademark stuttered laugh punctuating the remark. “It helps you understand that he really just needs a hug.”

I remind him that Plankton launched his infamous Plan Z, which caused King Neptune to freeze Mr. Krabs in a block of ice and almost resulted in Bikini Bottom becoming Planktopolis. “But his robot SpongeBob sure is neat,” my interview subject interjects. “I wish I had one of those.”

Puzzling Situations

After extolling the many uses to which he’d put a robot SpongeBob — and placing me way beyond my deadline — he finally agrees that the Plankton chapter does a great job of demonstrating the overall gameplay. As you move through the game, you collect items and talk to other characters as you wrack your brain trying to solve various puzzles.

For example, Plankton needs his jetpack to fly to Neptune’s castle, but the robot SpongeBob stands in the way, unwilling to listen to his voice commands. If you can figure out how to get the robot to move, you can get to the jetpack.

The situations become increasingly difficult as SpongeBob and Patrick head for Shell City to find Neptune’s crown and save not only Mr. Krabs but all of Bikini Bottom. Some of the puzzles are real stumpers. “They sure are hard,” agrees SpongeBob. “I mean, who knew it would be so difficult just getting some toothpaste from Squidward so I could brush my teeth before work?”

As he rattles off the many ways he tried to accomplish that task in the game, I excuse myself, noting the dark waters outside the window and realizing my editor won’t be very happy. When I open the front door, however, he snaps out of his reverie and asks when my article will be published.

“Probably never,” I reply, partly in jest.

“Great!” he says. “I can’t wait! Thanks for telling me I was in a movie!”