Spongebob Squarepants - battle of Volcano Island

The game’s story takes place on a tropical island known as Volcano Island. Volcano Island one day falls under attack by the evil Mawgu, a sinister being who aspires to take control of the peaceful island and eventually, the entire globe. Ancient legend however, foretells the arrival of the great Chosen Ones who are destined to stop Mawgu once and for all. As it just so happens, SpongeBob, and his said Nicktoon buddies, are the Chosen Ones and they set out to free the island from the clutches of Mawgu.

Like many other 'team' platform games, Battle for Volcano Island allows players to switch between any member of their party. This is where the DS version outshines the PlayStation 2 version as each character has their own unique abilities, and thus different gameplay mechanics. Timmy, being the only character who can double jump, is able reach high platforms and cross over wide chasms, while Danny has stronger melee attacks making him more suited to combat. As for SpongeBob, he can inflate his pants and slowly float to lower ledges that would otherwise be inaccessible. Unfortunately, it isn’t always obvious which character you need to switch to due to the game’s tendency to hide platforms and hazards. Needless to say, this often results in you through no fault of your own.

The game is played across both screens, and levels are broken up into two main areas: Field and Action. The Field area is where a bulk of the game takes place. Essentially, your main objective is to locate three jewels which will open a door to the Action area. In order to do this, you’ll have to explore the level and find weird animal-plant hybrid creatures who, upon being tapped with the stylus, will either spit out a jewel, a power-up item or a hazard. There are also 20 volcano coins scattered throughout the level which are used in conjunction with the game’s ranking system. The Action area plays similarly to the Field stage only the level is more linear, you don’t have to collect jewels, and it has a bigger emphasis on combat. For example, you could be walking down a seemingly bare pathway only to be ambushed by a group of enemies that you must defeat in order to proceed.