SpongeBob Moves In!
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''SpongeBob Moves In!'' was a
city-building game A city-building game, or town-building game, is a genre of simulation video game where players act as the overall planner and leader of a city or town, looking down on it from above, and being responsible for its growth and management strategy. ...
originally created and developed by Los Angeles-based game developer
Kung Fu Factory Kung Fu Factory is an American video game developer located in Los Angeles, California in the United States. The company was formerly known as Just Games Interactive, which developed '' Mortal Kombat: Unchained'' and '' Mortal Kombat: Armageddon ...
and published and distributed by
Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
; the video game is based on the American animated television series ''
SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It chronicles the adventures of the title character a ...
''. It was first released for
iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...
on June 6, 2013, and became delisted and inactive on June 24, 2021. In the game, players could build Bikini Bottom to their own tastes and were tasked with keeping the residents happy by making all their wishes fulfilled. As players advanced in the game, they could unlock exclusive-to-the-app stories about how their characters first arrived in the town. These stories were written by the show's writing staff, and were told through animated shorts.


Gameplay

In ''SpongeBob Moves In!'', players can customize the look of Bikini Bottom with different characters, buildings, and accessories. In the ongoing quest to keep the residents happy by granting their wishes, players can fill the town's happiness meter by collecting happiness. The Bikini Bottom inhabitants wish for food and gifts from various Bikini Bottom establishments, such as Krabby Patties from the
Krusty Krab The Krusty Krab is a fictional fast food restaurant in the American animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants''. It is famous for its signature burger, the Krabby Patty, the formula to which is a closely guarded trade secret. The resta ...
. Once their wish was granted, the player could collect gold coins, happiness, or a recipe to add to their collection. When the happiness meter is filled, players advance to the next level in the game, earning coins, game experience, and unlocking more quests, buildings, and accessories to buy in the store. Throughout the game, players earn gold coins and jellyfish jelly as rewards for performing various activities like fulfilling wishes, adding buildings, making recipes, collecting rent, and expanding their city. Players could purchase additional land area, ingredients, buildings, and decorations using the game coins and jellyfish jelly they earned.


Release

The game was released worldwide through the
App Store An App Store (or app marketplace) is a type of digital distribution platform for computer software called applications, often in a mobile context. Apps provide a specific set of functions which, by definition, do not include the running of the co ...
for iPhone,
iPad The iPad is a brand of iOS and iPadOS-based tablet computers that are developed by Apple Inc. The iPad was conceived before the related iPhone but the iPhone was developed and released first. Speculation about the development, operating s ...
, and
iPod Touch The iPod Touch (stylized as iPod touch) is a discontinued line of iOS-based mobile devices designed and marketed by Apple Inc. with a touchscreen-controlled user interface. As with other iPod models, the iPod Touch can be used as a music pl ...
on June 6, 2013. Steve Youngwood, the General Manager for Digital at the Nickelodeon Group said "Millions of fans around the world experience the fun and magic of ''SpongeBob'' on television every day, and now they can live out their very own Bikini Bottom adventures with ''SpongeBob Moves In!'' whenever and wherever they want." The game cost $3.99 (prior to $1.99 on release) to purchase, but then had in-app purchases ranging in price from $0.99 up to $99.99.


Closure

In early 2021, it was revealed that ''SpongeBob Moves In!'' would close at the end of May 2021. No reason was provided on the cause of the closure, but it was most likely due to expiring licensing rights. Despite this, the game could still be download and played until June 24, 2021, when it was officially removed from stores.


Reception

Since the release of the game, ''SpongeBob Moves In!'' was one of the top apps on the App Store. For the week ending July 1, 2013, the game ranked at #6 at the App Store Official Charts of Top Paid iPhone Apps, and on #4 at the Top Paid iPad Apps. The following week, the game was ranked at #5 at the Top Paid iPad Apps. ''SpongeBob Moves In!'' received mixed reviews from critics, mainly due to the in-app purchases that are expensive. Peter Willington of ''
Pocket Gamer ''Pocket Gamer'' is a video game website that focuses on mobile, portable and handheld games. The site launched in 2005 and is published and owned by UK company Steel Media Ltd. The site covers all major portable and mobile gaming formats, incl ...
'' said "I do still love the music, and it's clearly the best aspect of the game - but if that's what you're after then you're probably better off watching this rather than shelling out your hard-earned money." ''SpongeBob Moves In!'' is also among the ten mobile games for kids with £69.99 in-app purchase options, as chosen by ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' staff Stuart Dredge. Amy Cheung of iTouchApps.com said "For the love of god if you do download this for your kids make sure your in app purchases are turned off or else you can expect a pretty hefty credit card bill at the end of the month." She added "To me ''SpongeBob Moves In!'' offers nothing new and the fact that it is not even a free download makes this a game I in no way can recommend." David Oxford of Slide To Play said "Crazy how the more meta aspects of the game are more interesting and truer to the show than the actual game itself, isn’t it?" Pip Elwood of ''Entertainment-Focus'' gave the game 6 out of 10 stars and wrote "''SpongeBob Moves In!'' is an addictive game. We whiled away hours playing it and found it a joy to be immersed in Bikini Bottom." He added "We think the in-app purchases should be reconsidered but overall we enjoyed it."


References


External links

* {{SpongeBob SquarePants video games 2013 video games Android (operating system) games City-building games IOS games Video games developed in the United States SpongeBob SquarePants video games Single-player video games Kung Fu Factory games