Are ye ready to get totally absorbed in a new aquatic cleaning adventure for PowerWash Simulator? We’ve got you covered! The SpongeBob SquarePants Special Pack for PowerWash Simulator is available now for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, featuring six iconic maps from the famous underwater town of Bikini Bottom.
Nautical Nostalgia
Sitting down with a bowl of cereal and an episode of “SpongeBob Squarepants” was a childhood ritual of mine, and millions of others. With over 20 years on the air, it is a show we grew up with, but never out of.
As such a well-loved IP, we knew it was paramount to recreate it as faithfully as possible. The SpongeBob SquarePants Special Pack is a love letter to the source material, created in the distinct style of the original cartoon in collaboration with the team at Nickelodeon.
In comparison to the base game and the Special Packs we have released previously, the visual identity of SpongeBob SquarePants is a whole different kettle of fish. Being able to explore Bikini Bottom in three dimensions, whilst keeping the 2D aesthetic, is a joyful novelty.
On ‘cartoon-ifying’ PowerWash Simulator, Lead Artist Torger Newland explains, “Research was key; we spent a lot of time analysing how SpongeBob is drawn and painted (in the television show). Most of our result is achieved through texturing so it was important that we could replicate what was seen in the show. We discovered lots of interesting nuances such as Squidward’s house having the effect of a dry brush on canvas. In the end we set on several sets of Gouache style brushes that we used repeatedly to get the right look.”
“I’m just so proud of all the texture work we put into the SpongeBob SquarePants Special Pack, the paint process was detailed and long, but the results were definitely worth it!”, adds 3D Artist Laura Fontaine.
We hope that the tremendous care and effort the team has put into maintaining the look and feel of SpongeBob set your nostalgia neurons alight. You could even work in a spoonful of cereal here and there, in between power washing of course.
Become a Bikini Bottomite
SpongeBob SquarePants and PowerWash Simulator have a common trait in that neither takes itself too seriously. In an underwater world where sea life talks, campfires burn and beaches… exist, we chose to ignore many of the physical implications of power washing underwater – aside from adding bubbles (we couldn’t resist!) – opting to stick to our established super-satisfying washing physics.So, we didn’t tinker with the physics, we did redesign your gear, your get-up and, well, you!
Exclusively for this Special Pack, we’ve given the PowerWash character model a marine makeover. You’ll fit right in with the crowd as a true Bikini Bottomite, with a custom-designed power washer that could rival even Sandy Cheeks’ best inventions.
Torger explains, “We closely examined the Bikini Bottomites (Bikini Bottom’s inhabitants) and their characteristics, allowing us to concept a line-up of potential character models. We also concepted new power washing equipment for the pack that would look at home in the world. We worked closely with Nickelodeon to get the final results just right.”
We can’t wait for the Xbox community to get their fins on this new expansion. It has been another labour of love from our team to bring Bikini Bottom to life… and then cover it in dirt. Over to you!
Xbox Game Pass members can play the original PowerWash Simulator as part of their subscription. SpongeBob SquarePants Special Pack is available for a separate purchase on the Xbox Store (a copy of PowerWash Simulator is required to play).