SpongeBob's Truth or Square is one of those childhood games I look back on and think, "Man, I really should've found something better to play".

I'm somewhat joking, of course, but this game is so strange in retrospect, especially now that I know more about the other SpongeBob games. It trades in the previous games' multiple characters and Battle for Bikini Bottom's semi-open levels for more linear levels focused entirely on SpongeBob. Except the other characters are here; they're just relegated to power-ups. That's not inherently bad, but the levels themselves do feel a bit samey after a while, with them repeating gimmicks, level themes, enemies, and music.

Speaking of which, the weirdest thing about this game by far is how the music is all reused either from the show or from Battle for Bikini Bottom. It's a good soundtrack, so I don't really mind, but it's a clear sign of troubled development.

The game was originally supposed to be called "Happiness Squared", but because the actual Truth or Square special was about to release, the devs had to change the title and rush it out to completion. The actual game has very little to do with the special or the other episodes it's supposed to be referencing, so I don't really get the point of that.

I still like the game. Part of it is due to nostalgia, but it has its good points, too. SpongeBob controls pretty well and I do like the power-ups. The levels are pretty fun, despite their aforementioned sameness and lack of meaningful connection to the show. And the story's cute enough with some pretty funny lines. I especially like the banter between SpongeBob and Plankton, even if it does get repetitive.

Check out Truth or Square if you're curious about it, but if you want to play a SpongeBob game, I'd just play Battle for Bikini Bottom. It's more accessible at this rate, anyway.