Jakks SpongeBob SquarePants TV Game

This game is like the old activision/atari type games, but with a spongebob theme. My children LOVE IT! Great games for the younger children that want to play video games, but find the newer systems too difficult to understand or controll.

I play the games once in a while also. They are fun. Simple for today's standards, but well worth the price. I catch my 17 year old playing it occasionally, to see how high a level he can reach. So it can't be all bad. He is used to playing Nintendo Xbox, PS1/2 games!

I recommend rechargable Nimh batteries for this. It tends to use up batteries like a cd player would. So the rechargable type works well. Especially when a child leaves the thing on overnight "accidentally".

If you have an older TV without the proper hookups, you can hook up the game to a VCR that is attached to your TV. Works great on my old and new tv consoles.

The all inclusive game systems are a great thing to keep at grandma's or a friend's house, without having to haul big systems or "pieces" around.

For those die hard gamers out there who are into speed, graphics and technology, this is NOT for you. Being 37 years old, I remember when this type of video game was state of the art. But by today's standards, this unit is simple with basic graphics and controlls. A tad slow on the response time from the joystick is the only fault I can see. But this is minimal.

GREAT system for younger kids to enter the video game realm with an up to date theme. Wonderful for the older player to "remember" the good ol'days of video games where practice, repetition and remembering "patterns" helped get us to higher scores and levels.

I can't wait for the "Spiderman" system that is coming out at the end of September this year. Just like this Spongebob Game, I'll be the first to buy it!

My son has invited many of the kids in the neighborhood over to play, and they have all enjoyed the different games. The only downside is that they have to take turns playing since more than one person cannot play at a time.

Like one of the other reviews said, it does drain batteries, making the colors go out. But buying batteries is still cheaper than buying a video game that can easily get scratched. This is easily worth the $20 that I paid for it!

Hardware - The controller has one button and a joystick which is also Spongebob's nose. On the bottom is an on/off switch and a reset button, along with a place for 4 AA batteries. The cord from the controller runs to your TV or VCR with the white and yellow cords. No expensive system to buy seperatley, and my niece didn't exactly get the point that you can't buy more games for it.

Graphics - Graphics are somewhere between those of Nintendo and Super Nintendo. Anyone who knows what the SMS (Sega Master System) is will find the graphics of this pretty much the same. They may be a little gritty.

Sound - Mono sound that is somewhat repetitive and limited to a limited collection of sound effects that are reminiscent of Atari, but maybe a little bit better. Nothing fancy.

Game Selection - There are 5 games to choose from (See the additional pictures in the gallery). They are all classic games with a SpongeBob spin.

1. Bubble Pop: The same as Breakout, but with a pearl bouncing off of SpongeBob and into bubbles.

2. Invasion Of The Hooks: You must hit hooks with Krabby Patties before they carry off your friends. Very similar to that one game I can't remember the name of where you try to shoot the aliens before they reach your town.

3. The Super Chum Bucket: Donkey Kong, but with Spongebob and PLakton instead of Mario and Donkey Kong.

4. Patrick And The Maze: Navigate Patrick through a seaweed hedge maze to find his friends and play a Simon Says type mini game.

5. Sandy's Surf Adventure: Never got to see in action, but I'd assume it's self explanatory...Moving up and down to avoid obstacles and surf through the water.

Durability - Not sure how durable it is or if it is still working, but for the price...c'mon, you get what you pay for. Included is a warranty card to fill out and send in. I suggest you take advantage of it.

Overall - Great for younger players, but I definatly would not recommend this for older gamers, or people who already have a game system. They probably wouldn't be impressed with the lack of buttons, limited gameplay, and outdated graphics. On the other hand, these things are great features for children who are just being introduced to video games.

Pros:
Great for younger kids
Bargain price
No console needed
SpongeBob is just plain cool!

Cons:
Doesn't stand a chance against today's games and graphics
No expansion, can only play with included games
Uses 4 AA batteries
Durability?