Not all games can be great. It's hard to deal with, but is a generally accepted side effect of games, movies, music, and any other entertainment medium.

Over the years we all have come to expect a certain something from certain games. Some are deemed unappealing before they ever hit the streets because they have bad graphics or an unorthodox premise. Others are praised from the day they're announced because of the developer's name or studio attached, or because of its exceptional visuals.

Sequels – they are the most demanded, and the most demanding. Any time a great game is released, we start thinking of the future. That's why it is with great disappointment that I have to review SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab with anything less than praise. Because I know that if the game lets me down, it will let down other fans as well.

Multiplicity or Simplicity?

All is well in the land of Bikini Bottom until somebody starts dreaming. First it's SpongeBob, the one you'd expect to be controlling. SpongeBob goes a little crazy, fires up a diesel-powered go-kart, and proceeds to drive down a linear path of box destruction and psychedelic visuals. The sky does some interesting things, sporting waves of multi-colored fire. It's the kind of thing only a Bob made of sponge could envision.

Green boxes block your way to victory. It's best to avoid them as much as possible. But if you can't, you'll soon discover that it's not much of a problem. The race is timed, but it's not really much of a race – not yet at least. There are no opponents to ward off, and no other karts to beat to the finish line. It's just a simple, narrow drive with green boxes and turbo arrows that give SpongeBob a speed boost.

Take enough damage and SpongeBob's kart will slow down temporarily. This happened once out of carelessness. I started to lose interest as soon as I realized that there wasn't much of a challenge involved. Had I been playing at full capacity, it's doubtful that I would have slowed down. But even with that one slowdown, I was able to recover and cross the finish line long before my time was up.

Next up I learned that SpongeBob's vehicle had been destroyed. Now he had to move on foot, collect a few parts to fix the vehicle, and get back in the race. Finally some classic SpongeBob gameplay!

...Not quite. The first level was just as linear as the course. Every path was laid out with too much clarity. The introductory movie sequence could be skipped, but all others after that are considered important to the progress of the game and cannot be bypassed. They tell you exactly where to go, and exactly what to do.

If you've played the other SpongeBob games – which is very likely if you're interested in Krusty Krab – then you don't need the game's directions. You don't need to be told that there's a crate in the middle of the room, and that ramming into it will cause it move to forward, triggering an important event. Come ‘on: if there's a crate – just one – in any room, I think it's safe to say that most gamers, young or old, will be able to figure out that they need to do something with it.

I collect the pieces, repair my kart (done automatically in between more cutscenes), and get back on the course. Another race ensues. I win, and it's back to the scavenger hunt. This goes on for a few more times before the player will gain control of Patrick.

The Square Button

Don't know where the square button is on your PlayStation 2 controller? Well gamers, you had better go and find it. For the next 30 minutes, it is the only button you're going to need. Occasional stops at "x" and "triangle" will be made, but then it's back to square-mashing.

Like SpongeBob's adventure, Patrick has to go on a scavenger hunt. He has different reasons, none of which are funny or interesting. It has something to do with the retrieval of an Elvis impersonator's costume -- I can tell you that. But the rest? It has slipped my mind.

This is the complete opposite of Battle for Bikini Bottom, whose dialogue had me laughing for hours.

Amidst his item-hunting, Patrick will run into numerous paper-thin enemies. They come out of posters on the wall, and they look just like Patrick. You'll have to sit through a cutscene every time an enemy appears, every time they're defeated, every time a switch is activated, and every time you enter a new room. In other words, your gameplay experience is going to be interrupted a lot.

The first several batches of enemies take just one punch to defeat. This means that, within a 60 second timeframe, you could defeat two batches, watch three or four cutscenes, and still have time to wonder if anything exciting was going to happen.

Boxes must be destroyed, items need to be collected, and more switches will have to be pushed.

To the game's credit, the controls are pretty smooth and reliable. The camera is a little stiff at times, and will get caught behind a wall every now and then. But as far as the technology goes, Krusty Krab is more than acceptable.

The gameplay, however, is much too repetitive to enjoy. I didn't have much fun button-mashing the first 20 enemies – why would I have fun button-mashing another 50? Another 100+?

Later levels offer other types of gameplay – including a plankton chase – all of which are repetitive in their own way.

Gameplay: 5.0
A mix of simplicity and monotony. Creature from the Krusty Krab is a far cry from the last game, and an even further departure from the first two – both of which still stand as some of the best action/adventures created for PlayStation 2. Krusty Krab puts too much of its focus on button-mashing, and unnecessary, un-playable story interruptions. Whereas the other SpongeBob games featured hilarious cutscenes that added to the experience, these serve as a guide to carry you every step of the way. The scenes are completely unnecessary, and not at all entertaining.

Graphics: 7.5
Trippy backdrops and a cel-shaded Patrick keep Krusty Krab from falling below PS2 standards.

Sound: 5.0
The music is decent, but the annoying, constantly repeated voice-overs and lines of self praise are more than anyone’s ears should have to endure.

Difficulty: Easy
It’s SpongeBob for dummies. If there was a smidgen of challenge to be found it’s doubtful that anyone would know it. Krusty Krab shows you everything you need to do, repeatedly, forcing anyone but the most inexperienced players to shout at their TV, “I got it already!”

Concept: 6.0
On the outside, Creature from the Krusty Krab appears to have more variety than the other SpongeBob games. Each world has its own play style – at least that’s the way it appears. In reality, you’ll spend hours hammering the square button (a reference to SpongeBob’s last name? Nah…). Collect an item, press the square button to beat the enemies that follow, and then sit through a boring cutscene that should’ve been cut from the game. That’s the style of Krusty Krab, plus a few mini-games that do nothing to enhance the tiring experience.

Overall: 5.0
The fact of the matter is, Krusty Krab comes from a series that has prided itself on being a spectacular alternative to the mascot game leaders. For it to be anything less now – for it to be so repetitive, so easy, and so filled with useless interruptions – is a colossal disappointment.