RJ Writing Ink

Jay’s Month of Screams, Day 31- Spongebob Squarepants

Alright, boys and ghouls, are you ready for Halloween? I know I am, thanks to my month of screams! I’ve had a blast talking about all the specials, movies, and scary web shows I’ve watched all October, and before it ends, I wanted to share one of my favorites. It’s a classic Halloween special from one of the greatest cartoons of all time. First, though, I need you guys to answer a question: who live nears a graveyard under the sea? SPONGEBOB SCAREDYPANTS!

Spongebob Scaredypants

Fed up with being the easiest person in to scare in Bikini Bottom, Spongebob decides to do the scaring on Halloween. So he dresses up as the Flying Dutchman, and after a quick shave courtesy of Patrick, he tries to get rid of his embarrassing nickname for good.

As kids, we could all sympathize with Spongebob’s desire to not be so scared on Halloween. Halloween’s about getting scared, yes, but it’s supposed to be in good fun. Therefore, not being able to enjoy it is the worst.

Unfortunately for him, Spongebob’s flimsy idea of a scary costume doesn’t scare anyone. At best, it confuses people to see someone run around with a sheet over him. That’s the joke, though, so it’s pretty funny.

Spongebob Scares Everyone

Taking said joke to its logical conclusion, Spongebob and Patrick try to crash the Halloween party at the Krusty Krab. However, thanks to a jellyfish sting, the operation goes belly up; or pants up. I know it may be a bit mean, but even I couldn’t help but laugh at Spongebob’s failure.

The first appearance of the Flying Dutchman was the perfect level of scary for me as a kid. He looked and sounded terrifying, but Brian Doyle-Murray knew how to ham it up so that kids could like him. However, that made his reaction to the sight of what’s underneath Spongebob’s costume even funnier.

While the sight of Spongebob’s brain was weird, I was too young to fully understand how weird it was. Besides, I liked everyone’s reactions.

Scaredypants Was An Instant Classic

It’s been twenty years since Spongebob premiered on Nickelodeon. Even two decades on, “Spongebob Scaredypants” remains one of my favorite Halloween specials. It’s got all the hallmarks of what would make Spongebob a legendary cartoon. The humor, the voice acting, even the music all blend perfectly to create a 90s classic. I watch it every Halloween, and I hope that it remains a classic for years to come.

Click here to see the FANDOM Article I did for Halloween last year.

Click here to see my other animation stuff. Or here to see all holiday related posts.

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Hey everybody! It’s Leif Erickson day!

Spongebob’s Birthday Blowout Review!

This post’s dedicated to the legendary Tom Kenny on his 57th birthday, the cast and crew of Spongebob, and to the late Stephen Hillenberg. Thank you for twenty years of absorbent, yellow, and porous fun. Happy birthday Spongebob and Tom!

This year, one of the greatest cartoons of all time reached a historic milestone. That’s right, mateys: Spongebob Squarepants celebrates his twentieth birthday! If you’ve seen some of my posts in the past, you know how much Spongebob means to me. So when I heard that Nickelodeon planned to celebrate their favorite show with a birthday special, I had to watch it and say happy birthday, Spongebob!

Considering that it premiered on the night before Tom Kenny’s actual birthday, the timing makes perfect sense.

Quick Synopsis

It’s Spongebob’s birthday in Bikini Bottom and all his friend’s team up to make it his best birthday ever. Patrick takes Spongebob on a sightseeing tour to celebrate, but not just any trip. They go on a bus tour to a place that Spongebob’s only been to twice: THE SURFACE!

It’s all part of Sandy’s plan to get Spongebob out of the house so she and all his friends can decorate it for a surprise party. The hardest part was getting Patrick to understand the plan.

“I’m gonna collect all the pretty eggs that I can see and repeat it back to me.”

Review

I still remember the special that Nickelodeon made for Spongebob’s 10th anniversary, “Truth or Square.” That was a lackluster special, and I honestly remember little of it. So I was skeptical about this special. I’m pleased to say that, as the title indicates, this special’s a love letter to what’s made Spongebob one of the greatest cartoons of all time. From the cameos to the Easter eggs and callbacks, this episode has everything a longtime fan of the show could ask for. Heck, let’s start with me counting out all the cameos I could find.

Cameos

Let’s take a little sightseeing tour down memory lane. As the 20th anniversary special, we got a lot of cameos from the show’s long and colorful history.

The French Narrator, AKA “Frenchy,” appears in his scuba gear. I didn’t know they made him an onscreen character so I thought he was that Shell City “Cyclops” from The Spongebob Squarepants Movie.

Speaking of the Spongebob Squarepants Movie, next we have the heroic lifeguard himself, David Hasselhoff!

Spongebob’s surprise party includes several characters from the show’s long history, but two stood out to me the most. First, we have Princess Mindy. You may remember her as Neptune’s daughter from the Spongebob Squarepants Movie. The second is Fred, the “My Leg!” guy. He’s so popular that he ended up getting an entire episode dedicated to him, which seems like a dream come true.

Spongebob Live-Action Cast

The most prominent cameo of the special, though, comes during Spongebob’s trip to the surface when they visit a restaurant called the Trusty Slab. The voice actor’s for Spongebob play their characters in live-action form, with the voices and everything. It was AWESOME! Watch the likes of Clancy Brown, Bill Fagerbakke, and Tom Kenny play their long-running roles live, and in-character was indeed a meta-joke to behold. It’s one of the big highlights of the entire special.

Thank You Spongebob and Steve

The other big moment for the special for me comes in the closing minutes when Spongebob gets a surprise gift from none other than Patchy the Pirate. Patchy’s always been Spongebob’s biggest fan and has longed to meet him in real life. While he failed in the 10th anniversary, I’m thrilled to say that he finally got his wish. He then led the entire cast in singing “Happy Birthday, Spongebob!” to the tune of the theme song.

The cherry on top is that the last scene is a simple message:

Thank you, Steve Hillenberg.

It’s the perfect tribute to the late creator of Spongebob, who you may remember died on November 2018 from ALS. This moment, more than anything brought tears to my eyes. Tears for all the joy that Spongebob has given kids over the years, and sadness that Steve couldn’t live to see his creation reach the big 2-0.

Seeing that simple “thank you” to Hillenberg re-affirmed what I thought when watching this special: it’s a love letter to everything that Stephen Hillenberg created. He may be gone, but he left behind something that will stand the test of time. Spongebob’s earned his place as one of the most famous animated characters of all time, standing alongside the greats like Goku, Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse, and others.

Growing up, my parents couldn’t understand what’s so appealing about Spongebob. They saw it as silly and pointless, and they’re right, to an extent. I would say that that’s what a lot of cartoons should be, though. When I look at Spongebob, though, I don’t see a hyperactive man-child: I see someone who’s not afraid to be himself, even if people call him a “goofy goober” for it. I see someone who always tries to see the best in the world and the people in it; that’s something this world sorely needs. If we had more people as lovely as Spongebob, I think the world would be a better place.

Happy Birthday Spongebob

What I’m trying to say is that this unique show us what make’s Spongebob so great. It has all the humor and jokes we expect from Spongebob, but it also got all its heart and love. It’s everything that we could want from Spongebob Squarepants, and I wish we got this ten years ago. If you’re a fan of Spongebob, then I’m telling you to see this special. Happy birthday, Spongebob, and happy birthday, Tom Kenny. Thanks for twenty years of laughter.

I Give Spongebob’s Birthday Blowout a 4.8/5.

Click here to see this birthday tribute to Spongebob

Click here to see my other animation stuff.

My Reaction to the remaster of Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom

That’s right, my fellow millennial and 90’s kids, one of the games that helped make our childhood is getting a long-awaited remake.

Earlier today, THQ Nordic released the above teaser trailer for “rehydrated” version of the classic Spongebob game, Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom.

Released in 2003 for the PC, PS2, Xbox, Gamecube, and Gameboy Advance, the basic plot’s the same across the board. Plankton tries building an army of robots, but they turn on him and start running amok! It’s up to Spongebob, Sandy, and Patrick to defeat the robots and save the city.

I played the game on the PC and console, and I still look back on it with fond memories. It most of the show’s cast (Clancy Brown couldn’t play Mr. Krabs for some reason) and all the silly humor of the show. I loved bashing away at enemies with Spongebob’s bubble blower or tongue-boarding down a mountain. This game was an instant classic, and while the critics had mixed reviews of it, fans of the show remember it as the best Spongebob game ever.

New Features

According to what THQ Nordic said, the remaster will feature modern graphics, improved game play, and greater resolution. Most important, though, are the new features being added. A multiplayer mode’s coming, and players will be able to play on split-screen or online, from what I heard. They’re even adding new content that was cut from the original game, like a giant robot Squidward. I didn’t even know they had thought of putting that in the game. So cool.

I, for one, am very excited about this. Spongebob Squarepants is one of my all-time favorite cartoons, and Battle for Bikini Bottom was one of my favorite games as a kid. This is the kind of nostalgia bait that I’ll support. I can’t wait to learn more

We do know that it will release on consoles and Steam, but no release date’s been set. With E3 only a week away, though, I don’t think this is a coincidence. THQ Nordic will be making an announcement about it at E3, and I’m ready! Are you ready, kids?

Top Ten Animated Characters You’d Want As a Best Friend

Before we begin, I would like to give a shoutout to Karandi from 100 Word Anime for giving me the inspiration to write this.

Admit it, at some point in your life you saw a character in a cartoon and you thought “Wow. I wish they were real so they could be my best friend.” Having spent much of my life watching good cartoons, I’ve seen tons of characters that make for awesome friends. They can be the characters who make you laugh from their antics, or put stars in your eyes from being so cool. I’m Roderick Jay Fritz, and these are my picks for the ten animated character’s you’d want as your best friend.

For this list, I will be including characters from animations regardless of who made them. That means that anyone from western animation and anime is open for this. No CGI characters, though.

Ed, Ed Edd n’ Eddy

He’s big, he’s yellow, and he’s the glue that holds his friends together; his name is Ed. As part of the titular trio, Ed’s a good-natured guy who will do anything for his friends. Too bad he’s not very smart, though; whenever his friends come up with a plan, they pick him to do the heavy-lifting. Ed never seems to mind though, and considering he’s strong enough to lift a house, it’s not much of a problem.

When I saw Ed on tv as a kid, I thought that he was the funniest person I had ever seen. I even considered him my spirit animal for a while, until my parents tried to make me stop watching the show. Constantly spouting out non-sequitours and obscure sci-fi references, Ed’s the goofball that you can’t help but love. While his hygiene’s non-existent and his stupidity may get on people’s nerves at times, I can’t help but love the big guy. Plus, since we both love comics and sci-fi stories, I could spend hours enjoying the subjects with him!

Genie, Aladdin Franchise

How many people do you know that have a song about how awesome a friend they’d be? One of the main characters from Disney’s Aladdin franchise, Genie’s one of Aladdin’s closest friends and the source of much of the humor in the film and its tv follow-up. While his cosmic powers are amazing to behold, what makes him so endearing is his compassion and willingness to help others out.

Having a friend who can do the things Genie can is awesome, but that’s not why I want him as a best friend. It’s because much of his personality stems from the man who first portrayed him, the late Robin Williams. Williams brought Genie to life with manic improv and impressions, but kept audiences glued with his sincerity and kindness. Others have played Genie since Robin, but his personality remains the same: a big-hearted goofball who can be anyone’s friend. It’s just like the song say: we ain’t never had like him.

Monkey D. Luffy, One Piece

The hero of the hit One Piece franchise, Monkey D. Luffy’s one of the most fearless people a person could ever meet. With a body that stretches like rubber and a boundless thirst for adventure, Luffy’s goal in life is to become King of the Pirates. As Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, he’s well on his way, too. His true power, though, is his infectious charisma and childlike charm, winning him friends almost everywhere he goes; even in the marines that are hunting him.

Another idol from my childhood, I loved watching Luffy’s adventures on TV; to my shame, it was the 4Kids dub of One Piece. While his fearlessness and sense of adventure are both great qualities, the reason that I’d want him as a best friend is for his loyalty. Once he calls you a friend, no matter how long he’s known you, then you’ret his friend. Time and again, Luffy’s been willing to go through hell to help the people he cares about. He’s even gone so far as declare war on the World Government to get a friend back. No matter who stands in his way, Luffy will fight past it to protect those he loves, and he almost always manages to win.

Mordecai and Rigby, Regular Show

I know this is cheating, but you can’t have one of these two without the other. An anthropomorphic blue jay and racoon, Mordecai and Rigby are the embodiments of “brother from another mother”. Lifelong best friends, these cool dudes live and work at a park; that’s what they’re supposed to do, at least. In reality, they spend most of their time slacking off, coming up with sweet songs, or getting caught in surreal misadventures.

As a 20 something young man who loves sitting around and playing video games, I can relate a lot to Mordecai and Rigby. We’re all at that age where we want to enjoy our lives to the fullest, and Mordecai and Rigby do so every day. Even if they didn’t get into all sorts of crazy adventures, they’re still two of the coolest guys I’ve seen on TV, and I’d hang with them in a heartbeat. Plus, I’m a huge fan of their crazy songs.

Rainbow Dash, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

It was a tough choice between her and Pinkie Pie, but I had to go with Rainbow Dash. Ponyville’s resident athlete and daredevil, Rainbow lives for adventure and thrills. She’s the fastest in the world, able to reach speeds that exceed the sound barrier, and a member of the prestigious acrobatics team the Wonderbolts. Don’t let her competitive and brash demeanor fool you, though. She represents the element of loyalty, and won’t hesitate to help her friends when they need it.

I never thought much of My Little Pony until the current iteration. Then I saw Rainbow Dash beat the snot out of Starscream on the web show Death Battle, and I realized they’re awesome, especially Rainbow Dash. She’s the kind of friend that would feel at home joking around or on some high-flying adventure. She may get brash and cocky at times, but her loyalty to her friends means she learns her lesson in the end. If I had to pick anyone in the group to be my best friend, I’d go with Rainbow Dash.

Star Butterfly, Star vs. The Forces of Evil

Mix Mabel from Gravity Falls with Usagi Tsukino from Sailor Moon, add a dash of Buffy from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and you get Star Butterfly. In her own words, she’s a “magical princess from another dimension!” Sent to Earth to learn how to use her family’s magic wand, Star’s like a living sugar rush, always looking to have fun. Since she can travel the multiverse and fights the forces of evil on a daily basis, she has a lot of fun!

Star Butterfly’s the living personification of fun, able to make people smile just by showing up. Even without magic, she’s the super awesome girl that everyone wants to be friends with. As we see with her close friends, she manages to bring out the best in them and help them grow as people (i.e. Marco). While she starts out as hyperactive and reckless, by the end of the show, Star’s pretty much an example of what it means to be responsible while still knowing how to have fun. While it may seem a little extreme to do so, the fact that she willingly destroyed the source of all magic, something she loved using, so people wouldn’t abuse it anymore, shows how far she’s come. While we may have to wait until a potential sequel to see the official, canon consequences of this, fans can be happy knowing that she can spend the rest of her life going on adventures with her best friend/boyfriend, Marco.

Spongebob Squarepants, Spongebob Squarepants

Absorbent, yellow, and porous is he, and we all love him for it. Spongebob Squarepants stands among cartoon icons like Mickey Mouse, Popeye, and Bugs Bunny. Making generations of kids laugh, this happy-go-lucky sponge spends his time flipping Krabby Patties at his job, hanging out with his friends, or just being a virtual embodiment of optimism. With his infectious laughter and smile, it’s no wonder kids have loved him for twenty years and going.

As a kid growing up, Spongebob was one of my childhood heroes. I admired the way that he always saw the good in the world over the bad, and gets the most out of life as a result. I admit, sometimes his naivete and obliviousness to how annoying he can get makes me wanna throttle him. Most of the time, though, I spent my childhood wishing he was real so he could be my best friend. Looking back, I still want him as a best friend.

Team Four Star Nappa, Dragon Ball Z Abridged

Team Four Star took a one-dimensional brute like Nappa and turned him into the breakout character of Dragon Ball Z Abridged. Their version of Nappa’s essentially an idiotic man-child with the ability to blow up the planet, yet is more interested in playing pattycake and Pokemon. The character proved so funny that TFS chose to ignore his canon death. After spending time as a ghost haunting Vegeta, Nappa came back for real, moved to Hollywood, and became a major film producer. He continues to make cameos in various Team Four Star media to this day.

My reasoning behind wanting the Abridged Nappa as a best friend can be summed up with this quote:

I am hilarious and you will quote everything I say.

I can’t remember the last time that I laughed as hard as I did when I first saw Abridged Nappa. From treating his fight with Goku’s friends like a game of tag to driving Vegeta insane with his antics, this guy’s a barrel of laughs. I’d love to hang out with him an play video games any time, if he wasn’t so busy doing it with Vegeta.

Wander, Wander Over Yonder

An orange, furry creature of undetermined origins, Wander is friendliness personified. Optimistic and lovable, Wander’s only goal in life is to help anyone who needs it. With his best friend Sylvia, he travels across the galaxy to see new worlds, make new friends, and spread joy to all. Much to the annoyance of Lord Hater, who can’t stand his upbeat attitude.

I admit, Wander’s insistence on trying to befriend everyone, no matter how bad they are, can be annoying at times. That said, it attests to the fact that Wander wants to help everyone he meets be happy, even if it means putting himself in danger. If we had more people in this world as kind and selfless as Wander, then it would be a much better place. Plus, with Wander as a best friend, I could travel the galaxy and see all sorts of amazing things.

Thanks again, Karandi. I also just realized that I forgot to include Hestia. My bad.

*The following was originally published on FANDOM. Due to the FANDOM Contributor Program being shut down, it has been copied and moved to my blog. Thank you!

Three things make Halloween a fantastic holiday: costumes, candy, and TV specials. Every October networks air special episodes to help people get in the spirit of the holiday. When it comes to a holiday that children love, though, no one can get kids hyped for a night of tricks and treats quite like Nickelodeon, “The First Kids’ Network.”

In its first ten years on the air, Nickelodeon gave kids shows that they’re now nostalgic for as adults. Many of these shows would air annual Halloween specials. When it comes to laughs and scares, these five classic Nicktoons Halloween specials are among the most frightful and funny in Nick’s first ten years on TV.

“CANDY BAR CREEP SHOW” — RUGRATS, 1992

It’s Halloween night at the Pickles’ house in episode “Candy Bar Creepshow,” and the babies have only one thing on their mind: Reptar Bars. They’re delicious candy bars molded in the likeness of their favorite dinosaur, Reptar. The only problem is that they have to go to a haunted house. A haunted house filled with spaghetti brains and grape eyeballs (cue scary music)!

Few things are as memorable as going trick-or-treating as a kid. Through the Rugrats, this episode captures the joy, and fear, of the holiday. This episode also built on the in-show popularity of Reptar with the Reptar Bars. The candy proved to be enduring enough to warrant a real-life release in 2017 by FYE, just in time for Halloween.

“SUGAR FROSTED FRIGHTS” — ROCKO’S MODERN LIFE, 1995

In the episode “Sugar Frosted Frights,” Rocko and Heffer discover Filburt is afraid of Halloween, so they try and teach him the joy of the holiday. Their plan backfires when Filburt goes into a sugar-induced frenzy and begins to tear apart O-Town in search of candy, ultimately ending up at an old cemetery. Of course, the cemetery is haunted by a local ghost, the Hopping Hessian.

Nick may have canceled it in 1996, but Rocko’s Modern Life has maintained a cult following among fans. With the revival movie coming soon, now is the perfect time for fans to rewatch this special episode. The real cherry to this episode, though, is the Hopping Hessian, which spoofs Washington Irving’s Headless Horseman. Way to reference an American classic, Nickelodeon.

“ARNOLD’S HALLOWEEN” —  HEY ARNOLD!,1997

On Halloween night, Arnold and Gerald decide to prank the residents of the Boarding House. They broadcast a fake radio transmission about an alien invasion, but things get out of hand. The host of a local UFO show picks up their broadcast and shares it with the entire city, causing panic. It doesn’t help that Arnold’s classmates dressed as aliens for Halloween, either.

This episode serves as a tribute to Orson Welles’ famous “War of the Worlds” broadcast in 1938. The UFO host is even voiced by the king of Orson Welles impersonators, Maurice LaMarche, aka the Brain from Pinky and the Brain. The nods to the legendary actor, along with the Halloween setting, make for a hilarious special. Not to mention, Arnold and Gerald pulled a great prank.

“SCAREDY PANTS” — SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS, 1999

When SpongeBob gets tired of everyone scaring him on Halloween, he decides to do the scaring for once. So, after Patrick gives him a quick head shave, SpongeBob becomes the Ghost of the Flying Dutchman. The duo tries to scare everyone at Mr. Krabs’ Halloween party, only to incur the wrath of the real Flying Dutchman.

“Scaredy Pants” is classic SpongeBob at its finest. From SpongeBob jumping at everything to people’s confusion at his attempts to be scary, this episode has plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. The funniest moment by far, though, is everybody’s reactions to what’s underneath Spongebob’s costume. Watching the Dutchman and partygoers run away from the sight of Spongebob’s brain is comedic gold.

“HALLOWEEN SPECTACULAR OF SPOOKY DOOM” — INVADER ZIM, 2001

Following a mishap with one of his dad’s inventions, Dib, and Zim, get sucked into a nightmarish world based on Dib’s imagination. Led by a monstrous version of Ms. Bitters, the nightmare creatures want to use Dib’s head as a portal to the real world. As such, the two rivals are forced to work together to escape the dimension and return home. Meanwhile, GIR is terrorizing kids and stealing their candy.

If you’ve seen Invader Zim before, then you know that it is the darkest Nicktoon to ever air. So you know that the Halloween special is going to be dark and disturbing, if not more so given the holiday. Not to mention, inhabitants of the Nightmare Realm are grotesque and terrifying to look at. The scariest thing, though, is the sight of a bloated chocolate-covered GIR resting on a pile of stolen candy.

*The following was originally published on FANDOM. Due to the FANDOM Contributor Program being shut down, it has been copied and moved to my blog. Thank you!

Not every video game based on a cartoon is going to be good. In fact, one of the most reviled games in history is based on a superhero cartoon! It’s actually better that video games based on cartoons don’t try and appeal to critics. It’s more important that these games stay true to their cartoons, as fans are the ones most likely to want to play the game.

Gameplay and critical reception aside, what the players and fans of the shows think about a game can be of bigger importance. In that regard, these five games live up to the fans’ love for their respective shows.

RUGRATS: THE SEARCH FOR REPTAR

Nickelodeon’s Rugrats was one of its first shows, and one of its most successful. This success led to several movies, spin-offs, and even video games such as Rugrats: The Search For Reptar. The game focuses on the efforts of Tommy Pickles and his friends to find his missing Reptar puzzle. This means going through more than a dozen levels, most of them based off episodes from the show itself.

Now, the graphics for this platformer have not aged well over the years, but that doesn’t stop it from being a fun game. For any kid who watched Rugrats on TV, being able to play through different episodes would have been a dream. This game ended up a huge hit with kids on the PlayStation, enough to be re-released under Sony’s “Greatest Hits” brand. Plus, how awesome was it to rampage through a city as the big dinosaur himself, Reptar?

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS: THE BATTLE FOR BIKINI BOTTOM

In his latest scheme to steal the Krabby Patty Formula, Plankton builds a massive army of robots in Spongebob Squarepants: The Battle For Bikini Bottom. It backfires, though, when the robots throw him out of the Chum Bucket. They proceed to run amok in Bikini Bottom, leaving it up to Spongebob, Patrick, and Sandy to clean up the mess — which includes giant robot versions of themselves.

This action-adventure game is so enjoyable because it stays true to the show by being as silly as possible. Even the character’s moves are ridiculous — Spongebob’s moves revolve around bubble-blowing! This game has gotten a cult following over the years and will likely be one of Spongebob’s best games. Also, if you 100% the entire game, you will get a special reward …

ED EDD N’ EDDY — THE MIS-EDVENTURES

Cartoon Network’s trio of idiots may have had a hit TV show, but their short track record with games made us want refunds. The exception to this was their console release, Ed Edd N’ Eddy — The Mis-Edventures. Ed-fans get to control their favorite trio as they run through the Cul-De-Sac and annoy the other kids. That, or earn money for Jawbreakers — if you saw the jawbreakers, you’d understand.

This 3D platformer is short at six hours, and there is no overarching plot at work. This can hinder the game’s creative potential as a whole, but at the same time, each level feels episodic. Combine that with the game retaining the art style and humor of the show, and it’s clear why fans of the show like it. This makes for a short, but fun, romp through one of Cartoon Network’s most successful shows.

THE ADVENTURES OF JIMMY NEUTRON BOY GENIUS: ATTACK OF THE TWONKIES

Players control Jimmy as he saves Retroville from the menace of the Twonkies in this game based on the Jimmy Neutron special. Yeah, they may look cute at first, but when they hear music, they go full Gremlin and wreak havoc. So, it’s up to us to use terrible singing and a Ghostbusters-esque vacuum to round them up and ship them off to space.

The most impressive thing about this game is that it takes a single TV special and expands it into a full video game. Not something a lot of video games have done that or have done so in as entertaining a fashion. By the end of the game, players will have traveled all over Retroville and visited places found in the show. This action-adventure is a must-have for fans of this 2000’s Nicktoon, and it’s a fun parody of the Gremlin movies, to boot.

SOUTH PARK: THE STICK OF TRUTH

If the other games were like episodes of a cartoon, then this was an entire flipping season! Since no one else could do it right, the creators of South Park decided to make their own game for their hit show. The end result is South Park: The Stick of Truth.

You play the game as a new kid who has recently moved to South Park and go outside to make friends. Before you know it, you’re caught in this giant fantasy game played out by the town’s kids. That’s only how it starts, though: there are Nazi Zombies, Aliens, and Al Gore dressed as ManBearPig. It’s something you have to play to believe.

Since the game’s made by the show’s writers and actors, it resembles the show on every level. Not only is the art style the same as the show, but the show’s love of ripping on everything carries over, as the game pokes fun at RPG tropes every chance it gets. Even the in-game items contain callbacks and references to the show’s history. Bottom line, if you’re a South Park fan, you have to play this game.

2019 Super Bowl’s Failed Halftime Show

I wanted to write this yesterday, but since the Super Bowl was still fresh in my mind, I decided I would get too emotional to do anything about it. So, I gave it an extra day to let myself cool off.

As many already know, in November, 2018, Stephen Hillenberg, the creator of the famous cartoon Spongebob Squarepants, died from ALS.

Shortly after his death, a petition began to go around the internet. With the Super Bowl coming up, one fan came up with an idea to create the perfect tribute to Hillenberg: have the song “Sweet Victory” play at the Super Bowl Halftime show.

Sweet Victory

Any fan of Spongebob has heard or seen “Sweet Victory”. At the climax of the Season Two episode “Band Geeks“, Spongebob helps Squidward lead the citizens of Bikini Bottom in playing the song at halftime for a spoof on the Super Bowl, the Bubble Bowl.

That performance and the final shot of Squidward leaping into the air in joyful triumph is legendary in cartoon lore. “Band Geeks” was critically acclaimed and is considered by most fans and critics to be the show’s best episode. I affectionately call it “Squidward’s finest hour.” So when that petition went up to play it at Super Bowl LIII, hundreds of thousands signed it as the ultimate tribute to the late Hillenberg.

In January, it looked like fans were going to get their wish:

Here’s what we got instead:

What. The heck. Was that? Just thinking about it makes me upset!

While some fans were happy that Spongebob got a cameo at the halftime, many were livid, myself included. So, we did what angry fans do: go to social media and spew our bile. Currently, the #1 trending video on YouTube, the Super Bowl LIII Halftime’s overwhelmingly disliked. It stands at 622k dislikes, last time I checked. And the comments are just as bad:

I don’t hate Sicko Mode, i actually think it’s an amazing song. But when you do Spongebob dirty like that, that’s when you’ve crossed the line

Lee Croc, YouTube

“Hey Patrick, what am I now? “”Uhh, stupid? “”No, I’m the NFL!” “What’s the difference!”

Hello, YouTube

We are disliking the video faster than nfl can remove it

Rocky Reyes, YouTube

I could go on! Everyone hated it!

We Got Ripped Off

I am aware that we were never outright promised that “Sweet Victory” would be played at the Super Bowl, but it was implied that it would be, given the footage of Spongebob in Maroon 5’s promo for the Halftime. I know that it can be argued that we should be lucky that we even got that cameo.

I don’t want to argue that, though. Because it felt like the cameo was an even bigger insult to the fans. The people who run the NFL and the Super Bowl thought that fans would be content with a brief cameo, but they underestimated us.

An Insult To the Fans

Having Spongebob reduced to a small cameo not only felt lazy, but disrespectful. Disrespectful to the fans who fought so hard for this, and disrespectful to Spongebob, Hillenberg, and the impact they’ve had on so many lives. Even if they didn’t have the cameo, the Halftime Show would have gotten a lot of hate. It was bland, forgettable, and honestly, it sucked.

At least there are people out there who have tried to do something to correct the NFL’s mistake. The morning after the Super Bowl, the Dallas Stars posted this video on their Twitter feed, giving us the halftime show fans deserve.

There’s no point in dwelling on the past any longer, though. All we can do is make sure the NFL learns their lesson and move on. Maybe someday, we can give Hillenberg the tribute he deserves, and get the sweet victory we deserve. As for Maroon 5, I hate them now. Plus side is, we have our first Dank Meme for 2019.

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The First Spongebob Christmas Special

This special has been on long enough that I don’t think I need to explain much about the plot. So let’s just go over the basics.

After Sandy teaches Spongebob about the concept of Christmas, he shares the holiday with the rest of Bikini Bottom, and soon everyone is in on it. Everyone except for Squidward, who thinks everyone is being stupid.

So Christmas Eve comes, and Squidward is being the Scrooge who refuses to celebrate the holiday. So while everyone is waiting for Santa to come, he goes to sleep. Santa doesn’t show up, and everyone becomes disillusioned with the holiday. Even Spongebob tearfully admits that Squidward was right. Feeling guilty, Squidward decides to dress up as Santa to make Spongebob happy, and then ends up giving away all his stuff as gifts. Then the real Santa shows up and thanks him.

Good Times With Spongebob

As a kid who was making the transition from Nick Jr. to Nickelodeon proper, this was one of the first Christmas specials that I saw growing up, and I loved it. I was a huge Spongebob fan throughout my childhood and tried to emulate him as much as possible. I enjoyed watching his Christmas special every year. That being said, there was one thing about the special that always bugged me: why did everyone stay up to wait for Santa?

As a kid growing up, I was always taught that if you wanted Santa Claus to show up, then you needed to go to sleep so that he wouldn’t be seen. Granted, I know that that was so that parents could put out the presents. Why wouldn’t Sandy tell him that? Most kids will know that idea.

Furthermore, I get why Squidward wanted to rub the fact that he was right in Spongebob’s face. I would be probably be annoyed by Spongebob’s attempts to get him into the holiday spirit. But being right doesn’t give him the right to be a total jackass. Even so, I think Squidward’s decision to dress up as Santa was one of the nicest things I’ve ever seen him do. Too bad I don’t see him do that any more.

In all, though, this remains one of my all-time favorite Christmas Specials, and I hope that you guys have a Merry Christmas.

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Before we start, I would just like to say that I do not, repeat, DO NOT consider Nickelodeon’s idea of “Spongebob Merrypants” to be a Christmas Special. Including Santa Claus in an episode does not make it a Christmas Special by default.

Now, today as a tribute to Stephen Hillenburg, the man who created their most popular cartoon, Nickelodeon ran an 8-hour marathon of SpongeBob. Some of the best episodes from the first three seasons of SpongeBob (AKA what fans call “The Golden Age”) running from noon to 8. Since I hadn’t watched a holiday special yet today, I decided to cap off the night with a SpongeBob Christmas special. 

I was tempted to do the first special, “Christmas Who?”, but I wanted to save that for another day. So instead, I did the more recent one, “It’s a SpongeBob Christmas!”

I had always loved SpongeBob, but once I reached a certain age, I moved on to new shows. Plus I had to worry about school more. I kept up with the show, but it didn’t entertain me as much as before. Then I saw the stop-motion SpongeBob Christmas Special and fell in love all over again!

Just Like The Old Days

This special has all the trappings of the legendary stop-motion Christmas Specials of the 1960s and 70s. Several songs about Christmas? Check. A problem that threatened to ruin Christmas? Check. An appearance by Santa Claus himself as Christmas is saved? Check! And as an added bonus, Patchy the Pirate even plays a mailman delivering mail to Santa. Well, more like he steals a mailman’s truck to get his letter to Santa

The whole special revolves around Plankton’s attempts to ensure that he finally gets on Santa’s nice list. Rather than be nice, though, he decides to turn everyone else in Bikini Bottom into jerks using a convenient new element called Jerktonium. It turns everyone who ingests it into jerks, so he laces fruitcake with it, and tricks SpongeBob into feeding it to everyone in Bikini Bottom.

Pretty soon everyone in town is mean and grumpy. Except for SpongeBob, whose love of the holidays makes him immune. It also means he’s the only one who can save Christmas. One Christmas Song later…

It works, though Santa nearly writes off the whole town as naughty. Thankfully, Plankton’s Plan B (release a robot SpongeBob to ruin his good name) backfires when tries to kill Santa.

SpongeBob ends up saving Santa and everyone gets back on their rightful place on Santa’s list, but I’m confused at how Plankton thought this would work. It was two days before Christmas. How could everyone being jerks in two days put them on the naughty list so easily, or get Plankton off it? 

Thank You, Spongebob Christmas

Well, it doesn’t really matter. I liked this special. It was original, it captures the spirit of the original SpongeBob Christmas Special, and it hearkens back to some of the specials that my parents grew up on. It was an excellent way to cap off a day dedicated to the memory of the man who helped make my childhood. RIP Stephen Hillenburg! And to all of my readers, happy holidays!

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