Nicktoons Unite!

Nicktoons Unite! (also known as SpongeBob SquarePants and Friends: Unite! in Europe) is a 2005 video game featuring characters and levels from SpongeBob SquarePants, Danny Phantom, The Fairly OddParents, and The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. Before it came out, a video game called Nicktoons: Freeze Frame Frenzy was released a year earlier. It spawned 3 sequels named Nicktoons: Battle for Volcano Island, Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots, and SpongeBob SquarePants featuring Nicktoons: Globs of Doom. In the game, the player can control four Nicktoons characters which are SpongeBob SquarePants, Jimmy Neutron, Timmy Turner, and Danny Phantom. An Xbox version was planned, but was cancelled. The games received generally mixed reviews.

Plot

SpongeBob SquarePants sees Plankton has taken over Bikini Bottom as Goddard exits a portal, showing a message from Jimmy Neutron. Following Goddard through the portal, he meets Jimmy, Danny Phantom, and Timmy Turner. Jimmy coats SpongeBob with a self-regenerating moisture to keep him healthy. Jimmy explains the Universe Portal Machine was copied by Prof. Calamitous, who used it to form a Syndicate with Plankton, Vlad Plasmius, and Denzel Crocker; they're stealing energy from each world. Since Calamitous' lair can't be found, they start with the other worlds first.

They arrive in Vlad's new castle by accident, where he reveals his ghost portal is syphoning energy from the Ghost Zone to further the Syndicate's plans. As a precaution, Vlad captured Danny's parents. Vlad knocks them out and imprisons them in the Ghost Zone Prison. Befriending the Box Ghost, the heroes escape after knocking out Walker. Danny leads the heroes to the Fenton Works ghost portal, where he claims no relation to the Fentons and that they're Ghost Hunter experts. They meet Danny's friends, Sam and Tucker, who explain some ghosts have possessed the citizens. Danny drives out the ghosts, before the group cuts through the Amity Park Graveyard to Vlad's castle. Upon arrival, Jimmy realizes there are generators keeping the portal open. They destroy the generators, shutting off the portal. Confronting Vlad, Danny possesses his dad Jack, using the 'Ghost Gauntlets' to pummel Vlad. Vlad gloats the Syndicate is building something and have sufficient ghost energy to help power it before fleeing.

They next arrive in Bikini Bottom (with Jimmy, Danny, and Timmy using Jimmy's air gum to breathe underwater). They meet Sandy, who explains Plankton uses harvesters to capture jellyfish to extract power from their sting; he also captured Mr. Krabs. Sandy sends them to Jellyfish Fields to meet Patrick, but he's sucked into a harvester. Destroying the harvesters, the group find themselves on the Flying Dutchman's ship; they (minus SpongeBob since he's annoying) are to be his new crew. However, Danny persuades him to let them go in exchange for bringing back his old crew. Arriving at the Chum Bucket, they free Patrick and the jellyfish. On the roof, they face Plankton (using a robot crab) and rescue Mr. Krabs. The heroes learn the Syndicate is extracting energy for a Doomsday Device, and Crocker is still supplying power to it.

In Dimmsdale, the heroes infiltrate Crocker's golden fortress, finding a rainbow of Fairy Magic ending there. After reactivating the prisim, they arrive in Fairy World. Since Jimmy has been here before, he gives an incorrect explanation. Jorgen explains Crocker is extracting the magic from the Big Wand to feed the Doomsday Machine. After freeing the fairies, they go to The Big Wand, where they defeat Crocker. SpongeBob and Danny deduce the villains are retreating to Retroville to regroup after being defeated. Timmy believes everything will be okay with the Big Wand giving fairies back their full magic, by wishing the bad guys into jail and the dismantling of the Doomsday machine. However, Wanda says Da Rules only allow changes to Dimmsdale's dimension, disappointing the heroes.

They return to Jimmy's lab, where Calamitous contacts them, saying the Doomsday Machine is almost finished. SpongeBob sees Goddard scratching his ear, making Jimmy realize Calamitous planted a flea-bot in Goddard to spy on him. They shrink down and enter Goddard, defeating the flea-bot; Jimmy uses the flea-bot's circuitry to locate Calamitous' lair. Upon arrival, the Syndicate declares the world will be destroyed as a show of power; the machine will shield them. Despite the heroes damaging the machine, the villains continue the count down. SpongeBob unplugs the Doomsday Machine; Calamitous laments he forgot a back-up system.

With Calamitous arrested, the heroes part ways. Jimmy gives each a Neutronic Recaller in case of a future repeat. SpongeBob leaves first, most likely holding Plankton captive in his pocket. Danny gives Jimmy a second Fenton Thermos (since Vlad is trapped in the original), which Jimmy thinks will help him figure out what "those phantasmol images really were". Timmy thanks Jimmy for a Hyber-Cube, which is holding Crocker captive. Cindy waves Timmy off. After this, Jimmy says a familiar line: "Cindy, get out of my lab!"

Gameplay

In the console version, the player can play with three computers and no other human players, or with a friend or two with the remaining computer(s). One can switch abilities, which have multiple uses. There are also things only a certain character can do. For example, SpongeBob is needed to use Bubble Bombs to blow up a pillar, Danny is needed to use Ghostly Wail on some glass, Timmy is needed to use Freeze Glove to freeze some water, or Jimmy has to shoot down some things with his Neutron Flare.

Goddard can be found in all four worlds (and oddly enough, inside himself) so he can upgrade the player's weapons and abilities.

Reception

In a IGN review, Mark Bozen gave the DS version of the game 5/10 stars stating "Product isn't bad" however the crossover has done "far better in previous games." In a Gamezone review, for the PlayStation 2 Version, stated "While somewhat repetitious, the linear design and simple control schemes will draw players along and it is not hard to work through the levels." Metacritic gave the PlayStation 2 version and the DS Version 53% out of 100.

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Nicktoons Unite!

• THQ Main Page|THQ official website
• Nicktoons Unite at Internet Movie Database
• GameSpot Coverage|GameSpot