Yeah and compare that to Rugrats which didn't even get popular until 1995 and that was only because Nickelodeon was airing way too many reruns of the first 3 seasons, spongebob meanwhile was already a hit with viewers by the end of 1999 and 2000. So it just shows that Spongebob had a whole lot more charm and appeal than Rugrats
It wasn't just reruns. Rugrats never aired on prime time until 1995, and Nickelodeon as a creative business was in its formative years. I do like Spongebob a lot, but I've always found Rugrats more relatable and 'at home' with me.
They all really were fans. They knew and used the source material they had at the time and had they not been fans they never would have finished the game. If it was just a cash grab they would have given up when the money was gone. By the end of development none of them were getting paid
Who Needs Normal? Yeah I know I was agreeing with you . I was just referencing that the guy who gave the game so much hate never even bothered to look into the company
@@frostycane5134 I know your agreeing lol I just liked what you said and had to put my two cents in. I'm not familiar with this guy you are talking about though, but people like that are the reason I made this video to spread the truth
@@frostycane5134 I will say in all fairness I went to a lot of trouble and had to put in a lot of work to find the whole story, but yeah a few minutes of research would show that they loved SpongeBob
This video NEEDS, absolutely NEEDS to be WAYY more popular than it already is. This is a great video, and I can't stop recommending my friends this. I found this video through a BFBB modding server, and this is great.
Huh, I'm not sure who shared it there but that's awesome! Thanks so much for the kind words. I spent a lot of time making it so I'm glad you enjoyed it 🙂
I just want to say, keep on going. This is great content, and way more in-depth than anything else I've seen on the internet. You may not have a lot of subscribers or views, or even likes, but this is some really good content and I usually don't go out of my way to compliment a video like this.
@@WhoNeedsNormal No, seriously, he actually is. I found a comment that he made on a Chadtronic video watching TJS and I didn’t believe it at first, until i checked his profile and his name is jake.
IGN’s Mark Ryan Sallee, became extremely harsh on this game when he reviewed the PS2 version, stating that preschool-aged kids would have a better time with GTA3…except for the fact that he doesn’t know that preschool-aged kids have PARENTS! and parents would not allow their kids to play GTA, Screw you Mark Ryan Sallee!😡. Sure Revenge of the Flying Dutchman is not perfect, it has some good ideas, but it could have been better if the team didn’t attack each other.
I feel like the reason is because at the time that review was written, GTA: Vice City had just been released. That game was one of the most anticipated games of 2002. Perhaps Mark Ryan Sallee was only interested in playing that game than anything else.
@Revenge120 Or maybe...and I'm just spitballing here...he was an ableist dirtbag/angry little boy who hated SpongeBob. And hey, maybe he has changed. I don't think old mistakes define us, but some of the statements he made in that article were waaay over the line, regardless of his gaming opinions.
thats a real sad development story, kinda makes me want to see more good in this game than bad like everyone usually does. It's not a great game but certainly was charming at times. The fact that they got out what they did despite THQ's BS and the tragedy throughout development is pretty impressive.
Blacklisting entire companies like this should be illegal. Only a government agency should have the privilege to do that sort of thing. A corporate executive, on the other hand? That is both morally and ethically wrong.
@@AmaroqStarwind Are you insane? All government agencies are completely corrupt and should have their power minimized and severely restricted if they're not outright dismantled, otherwise they'd just be doing the bidding of people similar to Lapin. Governments and corporations are the same entity.
This video has really changed my view on the game. I was one of those disappointed kids who had the PS2 version crash on them repeatedly. I remember I used to be really scared of the Blue Sky logo. I was surprised to hear that it was made by people who were genuine fans of the source material. They tried to make a fun game but so many problems were going on behind the scenes. I bought the GameCube version a year ago and played all the way through. I have so much respect for the game now. it’s not the most fun you’ll ever have but it’s a very relaxing and chill experience. Occasionally, I’d boot it up and just chat with friends while 100%ing it. Thank you for documenting a strange part of my childhood. Wonderful video!
It's sad that the Phantom Strider, which is how I heard about this game, considers this game shovelware. Sure this game is bad but the devs were actually huge fans of Spongebob and wanted to make a fun game
@Competitive and Casual Phantomstrider is an uninspired content creator who has most of the same problems as WatchMojo, so I wouldn't trust his opinion on certain games. There's a much better review of the game by Cartoon Review, who is on a mission to review every single Nickelodeon game.
SBSP: ROTFD Producer at Big Sky here: One of the challenges of working to get a Sony game approved at the time was that you could only have 7 seconds of black screen. Our level loads took too long, so we did a "hack" where we soft-reset the PS2. The "fun" of working on a hardware platform is that they keep UPDATING the hardware, and then those "tricks" don't work anymore. And the software emulators will not allow this to work either. So, we can "blame" Sony for that. Or we can "blame" the dev team for not having the time to fix it correctly. Or we can "blame" THQ for not funding the appropriate amount of time required to do it correctly. I can tell you that we did everything we could to get it out the door.
@@BillyJoeCainstill y'all shouldnt have been treated like that especially by thq it's funny since thq went under in 2012 and was bought by another studio that called it thq Nordic
This game is special to me, I was born in ‘98 and this game, especially the Jellyfishing gear theme reminds me of playing this game with my mom, long before my parents split. My mom is a sweetheart and it reminds me of spending time with her so it will always hold a very special place in my heart
It's a real shame that BSI was treated like this. Sure the atmosphere's a little depressing, especially with the lighting, but... everything else looks pretty fun, honestly. I'd try the game out if I had a GameCube. Either way, I enjoy videos like this that provide insight as to why things ended up the way they did. Game development is like an iceberg...what you see above the water isn't everything.
I am SO glad this video exists. I've always had a huge soft spot for Revenge of the Flying Dutchman, but it's always bothered me that not much was know about the studio behind the game. I also never really bought into the story that it was this game alone that put them out of business. Things are rarely that cut and dry, especially when it comes to the video games industry. Thank you so much for taking the time to research and put this video together though. I really hope more people see it as I feel there's a lot of misinformation out there surrounding this game and BigSky interactive. Looking forward to your future content. :)
It’s really more in tune with the humor and style of the franchise then most give it credit for. Who can forget SpongeBob’s singing to Larry, that’s comedic gold!
Wow! This video is an absolute masterpiece! It got me hooked throughout the whole thing. I've always found this whole "SpongeBob killed BigSky" thing very suspicious. I mean, the game is a little unpolished, but it isn't exactly bad. Specially when compared to other licensed games for kids of its era. Of course, Battle for Bikini Bottom and the Movie game are surprisingly better than any licensed game deserves to be, but there were other fairly well-made SpongeBob games too. I tried searching the web for the reasons of why this rumor started and what actually made BigSky close its doors, but everything was so obscure that I gave up looking for an answer . But you... you went out on a big research project to find the truth and even made contact to the original developers of the game! This is extremely admirable. If it wasn't for you, nobody would come out to tell what really happened. Thanks a bunch! Now that I know the truth... I'll admit, this is a very sad story. I always had this itch in the back of my mind that the game had potential to be better. The ideas were there, but the execution was very sloppy. Man... if none of this crap had happened the game could be turned out great. Of course, not as good as BFBB (that game had a lot more variety, polish and a bigger budget), but I bet it still could be remembered as one of the better SB games. And THQ blacklisting them was such a dick move. The world of business can be so unfair sometimes. :/ Well, at least most of the crew seems to have moved on with their lives and working on things they like. :) Congratulations for the effort. The video turned out amazing! The script, narration, editing and everything else was really flawless. I really hope more people find about this video. The world needs to know about this! Cheers!
Hey there! I didn't reply before because your comment left me kind of speechless and I wasn't sure what to say haha. You have no idea how much reading this meant to me. It was incredibly flattering and made the whole process of making the video worth it. I made this video for people like you and me. I wanted answers and when I had them I wanted people to know the truth and I had to share them. The fact that I was able to give that resolution to you is the most meaningful thing in the world to me. Like you, I hope more people can see the video, but that is incredibly hard when people aren't actively looking for info on BigSky. If it's at all possible it would be amazing if you could share it with anyone you think would want to watch. If you can't though that is totally fine. I plan on making more Nicktoons and other licensed game videos in the future so maybe stick around. Thank you for the kind words and the motivation to keep going when very few people are watching.
You're welcome. :) This really is a very passionate and well-researched video. I bet it was really hard to put it together. The thing is, most of the SpongeBob games are very niche and almost nobody talks about them if they're not BFBB and (sometimes) the Movie Game. I'll admit, I found this video by pure luck. And I enjoyed every single moment of it. Maybe it's because I'm such a sucker for game-development stories and nostalgia-blinded by SpongeBob stuff, but it was a real treat to watch. Like, 99% of the info in this video is new. It gave me a whole new perspective on this game. I would love to share it, but most people I know don't care too much about SpongeBob. But I recommend you make some posts about the video on sites like Reddit, Twitter and some SpongeBob-related online communities. I bet it would be a huge hit, because it explains about everything surrounding the game and its mysterious nature. I really hope you keep up with your videos. I really liked your style. And sorry for my bad English, I'm not a native speaker.
@@WhoNeedsNormal You deserve the praise for this video. It warmed my heart a bit to see these folks get their truth who made the game. As weird as it is, it makes me see the game in a better light than I did before. It's a shame they couldn't achieve their full vision.
I'm so glad a deep dive like this into Big Sky Interactive exists. Loved both their games as a kid. I stumbled upon this video while doing research about the company and was thinking about doing a similar documentary myself, as I didn't think much was known about the company. This was wonderfully put together, thank you so much for putting in the time and dedication it took to bring this story to light!
I'm actually currently working on a revised version with corrections and new info for the five year anniversary of this video. I really appreciate the kind words.
@SeanMacProductions For the record, I would love to see someone else's take on the story. And if you want to be involved with the revised version I am looking for narrators and feedback. Even after 5 years my editing needs a lot of work among other things lol.
I’m super glad to hear you’re on the positive side when it comes to Revenge of the Flying Dutchman. As it is (exclusively the GCN version), it’s a damn good 3D platforming collect-a-thon that does an excellent job at capturing the essence of the show while still being its own thing. The locations are super well-designed and resemble the show super well, the platforming and collecting is super satisfying, I love how the costumes stand out from each other, and it set the standard for 3D Spongebob games. Anyone who loves Battle for Bikini Bottom should at least be thankful to this game for setting the foundation. Despite all the love, nostalgia, and respect I have for it though, I’m still well aware of its glaring flaws. The graphics aren’t very good, the combat is lacking, the lack of music for each world really hinders the soundtrack, and the fact that you can’t go back to 100% the game once you’re in the Dutchman’s Graveyard is beyond stupid and I always hate it when games like Super Metroid do that. However, if they were to remake this game just like they did with Battle for Bikini Bottom, maybe they could improve upon those shortcomings and more people will start to appreciate it and give it the respect it deserves.
To be fair, most collectathon games have very weak combat, with the only exception being the Spyro games, particularly 1 & 3. I didn't know it's possible to not be able to 100% the game, quite the oversight. Still looks more fun to 100% than Donkey Kong 64 though, I'll say that.
1. Bethesda used the same trick for Morrowind on the original Xbox. 2. It's good they didn't sell themselves to THQ. The guy that co-created WhatsApp sold it to Facebook and he regretted that so much he works for Signal now.
One of two things would've happened: They would've either been shut down once THQ started going into their early-2010s slump, or they would've branched off like what Heavy Iron did
Contrary to what the video said, you CAN actually play this game on a PS3. In fact I played the whole game from beginning to end. For reference, I played it on a 20GB PS3 originally and that has the original hardware for the PS2. Surprisingly, there was no loading bug in sight (I played it on my original fat PS2 and it was present). The game played just like the Gamecube version. Now, I am not sure if it worked because it is not emulated but instead the original hardware. Therefore, it could work for any 20GB and 60GB PS3. If you guys want, I can use my 80GB PS3 to confirm the rumor that "it can't be emulated" since the 80GB model relies on emulation and not the original hardware. All in all, great video. People should really get to know the full story! 👍🏼
For the longest time since around the mid-2000s, false assumptions were made about BigSky Interactive shutting down strictly due to a loading glitch in Revenge of the Flying Dutchman on the PlayStation 2. Sadly, that incorrect information has been spread for many years since. But at long last, we have a video that ultimately proves the real reason BigSky Interactive shut down.
Honestly, I always felt like, from the first time I played it the game always had a good heart behind it, it never felt like it was supposed to be the way it ended up, and even then, I still kinda like it as it is, it sure as hell has more love put into it than shit like Robotic Revenge and HeroPants.
24:55 Interestingly, that bonus video uses music that was composed and used for the SpongeBob PC games, the first one being Operation Krabby Patty. I wonder what the story is behind the use of that game's music here. Another fun fact: we sadly only have compressed mono music in those PC games, but in this bonus video, the music is stereo, which means there are unreleased stereo masters of the PC game's music (which I hope we'll ever get).
I know that AWE Games typically likes to use production music for their games, for example from Sound Ideas, so maybe it's possible they aren't originally composed for the game - otherwise they would've credited a composer, which they don't in any of the games from them I've seen. In fact it's even possible both studios decided independently of one another to use the same production track, which would explain it's use in both places. As a side note, Open Media Toolkit (which the games were created using) does not in fact use compressed audio, it is PCM audio just at a lower frequency than the standard 44100 Hz (I believe 22500 Hz iirc.) Druaga1 has a video talking about this with another one of their games, Hot Wheels Mechanix. th-cam.com/video/NuwwjF0PcHM/w-d-xo.html
I still quote this game from time to time, just as much as my favorite episodes of the show, especially SpongeBob’s singing to Larry. “OH THERE once were two fellas who met at the beach. One needed a belt that seemed out of reach. IT had a big letter that would open a treasure. But the big guy who had it did not want to remove it. So SpongeBob decided to sing him this song. If you think I’ll give up, boy are you WROOOOOOONG!”
Man I never knew the company who made the game had so many different companies messing it up. You had the 1st company who was over confident with their software and made their partner too dependent on them. Then you had THQ who kept dragging Big Sky through gravel. Before cutting them off from what they need to survive. Gaming companies can be brutal at times. This story reminds me of how companies like EA treats other companies today
Came over after Shadow Streak shouted this video out in his recent review of this game. Mad props - this is some incredibly thorough investigation. Most people wouldn't decide to go out of their way to contact the dev team, but that type of effort really paid off. Even as someone who's never heard of this game before today, this was still an interesting and entertaining video to watch. Also, Lapin is an evil monster and that IGN reviewer isn't too far off with his straight up ableism. Seriously, how was that allowed in the final version?
This is an incredible video. The research, the music, seeing some of the cut content and finding out what happened to Big Sky Interactive along with the infamous loading glitch from the PS2 version. THQ did a very scummy thing to them. I feel bad for the Big Sky team. I never liked the game growing up but being the big Spongebob fan I am and watching this video, I found a new appreciation for it. Well done. Would love to see more Spongebob videos. This video needs to be seen.
I had a hunch that maybe Nick Games would add a...I don't know what it is called, but to have the games share a connection through a style, not like Data Design's games...
You know, between Revenge of The Flying Dutchman, and CAPCOM Vancouver's Dead Rising 4, it makes me wonder if there's so many games that ranges from mediocre to bad reputations with little-known behind the scenes madness that was going on that many don't know... Still, it was weird that Kalisto Entertainment, the same company that made Nightmare Creatures, was related to BigSky Interactive all these years till my teen years...
Man, I feel so bad for Big Sky, I can't believe they got sabotaged and left out to die. I hope all the devs are doing well and I hope they're all doing well now. Thank you Big Sky for making a game I still remember fondly to this day.
I feel like the reason is because at the time this review was written, GTA: Vice City had just been released for the PS2. That game was one of, if not the most anticipated game of that year. Perhaps whoever wrote that review was only interested in playing that game than anything else.
imagine being some random ass business folk at thq and getting absolutely fucking angry at some random people mourning the lost of loved ones because your fucking spongebob game wasn't gonna be released early
I've been closely following news about Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated since its announcement a year ago, and I was brought to this video by RidersDX, who you've done a collab with. I stand with many other commentors here when I say that this video's view count is criminally low for the amount of time and research put into it. Massive props to you for making this, man. Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated hype!
You took the words right out of my mouth about the costume themes belonging in a different level. Also they could’ve had the squarepants theme for both the home world AND the tree dome level.
I would love to see a Revenge of the Flying Dutchman remake in the likes of BFBB:R, with at least some of the original devs working with Purple Lamp. I had RotFD for PS2 as kid, and while it wasn't much fun to play, I really enjoyed the atmosphere and environments. I think the game deserves another chance, given the ammount of passion that went into it.
Man... Such a great, well edited video you put together here. I can tell this was something you really wanted to get right. I think you did the company, game, and those responsible for its development a great service! This is one of those games that really do hit home just hearing any line of dialog, or, like you said in the beginning of the video, hearing the BigSky Interactive intro audio, or watching the landscape change and the birds chirping. Something about that is so memorable. I played this game on a fat original PS2 back in 2002 as a kid. I still own the same console, and I recently revisited this game last year after like 15 or so years of not touching it. A year has past since and like many other memorable games I've played, I have always been curious as to what happened to the company since, and the history of its development. You really hit every single important thing you needed to hit for this video man. Not one thing you said could have been summed up better. I am so glad you even got to show us some of the cut ideas, models, and even short explanations about different aspects of the game straight from the developers themselves! I think your video finally tells their true story, rather than just denoting them as the people who made a lazy cash grab game and closed their company due to game breaking bug reports. Instead, they are a company wanting to start fresh, with a new name, a fresh, exciting IP to work on, and a team willing and excited to use their skills to execute on a game with creative ideas. Only to be soon after crushed by the industry and broken up, releasing a game held together only with tooth picks and crazy glue due to time constraints and engine limitations. They weren't lazy, just at the mercy of bad circumstances. The right people in the wrong place. It really feels like the end of a chapter that long needed to be addressed. Finally, your video is like closure, the epilogue, if you will, to the fans, company, and all those involved in the game, as it sheds what was much needed light on their situation, and you did an amazing job addressing this topic. Thank you for this, I appreciate your hard work and efforts to release this video. After watching this video and seeing the developers thank players for playing the game growing up and enjoying it despite its obvious flaws, I can much more appreciate their original vision. Their work was not for nothing, they gave people memories even if they think otherwise, and I am thankful this game exists for that very reason. So the next time I revisit this game, I will think back to this video every single time, and be reminded of their original vision, hard work, and efforts to try and release their best work despite the setbacks. Again, thank you for this video, your efforts are much appreciated!
God it felt weird getting recognized for my world record in 100% in this video, especially sense it's so well made and formal, it really inspires me to keep on speedrunning, especially this game specifically. But also finally knowing what happened to BigSky (something I've been wondering about for a long time now especially sense i speedrun Boy Genius too) really gives me a new perspective on this game i love so much, really makes me appreciate the work that went into Dutchman even if it is pretty sloppily made. Thank you for this video and keep up the great work.
This was one HELL of a debut video! Such a niche topic, yet it was very important to get it out there now that the Spongebob video game community is bigger than ever with BFBB Rehydrated on the horizon.
Who didn’t think The Flying Dutchman was a great game? It was very unique in multiple ways. The DownTown construction site and high rises were cool, and so was all of Goo Lagoon and Jellyfish Fields. Chum World wasn’t too bad, either. It could’ve had more kid fish on the amusement park rides so that you didn’t feel as lonely in Plankton’s secret place, but that’s the only criticism I had.
Who Needs Normal? I get not liking the unrealistic mouth movements from the other characters though or using the same music from Chum World for Chum Putt or the Big Top (a game could’ve been added to the circus inside of Chum World). After completing the game, you should’ve been able to see how what was built in the construction site.
This game was my childhood. One of the first games I played and finished on my own. I hate to hear the truth on this game and the development. Honestly when we were kids we didn’t care about the politics behind the games, we cared if they were good or not and if they put a smile on our faces. To me, I found it so fun catching jelly fish, going to other maps and wearing the different costumes. It was truly an amazing game. I will always remember it as a great experience
Great video! I also have something to say as well. While the GCN versions of Dutchman and Jimmy are the better versions the PS2 versions had exclusive videos. Dutchman had the Spongebob into while Jimmy had a mini documentary on how the game was made. It’s really fascinating!
PS2 was the version I grew up with but I didn't have access to one at the time of making the video. That bit about Jimmy Neutron sounds super interesting I will have to look into that.
Since I Had A Gamecube I Just Had to Find The Videos on Th3 Internet and Put Them On My Fan-Made Bonus Discs for Jimmy Neutron & SpongeBob Best 100 Episodes.
The exclusive videos are mainly the reason why I prefer the PS2 versions of those games, despite the flaws. They also look better than the GameCube versions as well.
Man, I can't believe you have less than 200 subscribers, this video was so well written and documented! The way people talked about BigSky always felt unfair to me (as someone who has never played Revenge of the Flying Dutchman or Jimmy Neutron), and I always thought that there was something off about the story. The fact you went out of your way to talk to former members of the team to tell the true story is very fascinating, and there were points in the video where I was genuinely frustrated by hearing the things they had to endure, such as 9/11 or being blacklisted without previous notice by THQ. The fact one of the developers of Kalisto USA went on to become the CEO of the company involved on Battle for Bikini Bottom truly made me happy. Your documentary was so good in general. You have earned a like and a sub! I would love to see more videos of this style from you, maybe talking about other license games with rocky productions or stories that are not too well known. SpongeBob Super Sponge has always given me the vibe that something wrong went during the production, specially with the leaked hard drives and prototypes showing signs of actual hostility towards the project and property (Rule34 of the characters being there for no reason, assets from Nickelodeon being labelled as "like we care" and documents about things to be changed being rude and full of profanity). Also maybe a review of that Jimmy Neutron game by the same developer, that one seems interesting too.
"i have no interest in touching your booty" LOOOOLL Hands down one of my favourite titles as a kid, it's really a shame the politics behind the scenes brought an end to the company, but i'm glad to see most of the members went onwards to attain success. The efforts behind this game and jimmy neutron as well did not go unnoticed or unappreciated, rather they were greatly adored and loved, having these titles go down as classics, to me at least. Sincerely, All the kids who played them :)
Well let’s put it this way, from a Consumer’s point of view, we can all appreciate what THQ has done 4 the Gaming Industry. Providing us w Top Notch Licensed Games (SpongeBob in Particular). However from a Corporate point of view, i can totally c y BigSky never took off & ultimately went Belly up, so 4 that m on BigSky’s side on this.
Sad to hear such story. Rough times for them, sadly. You should make a video on Crash Twinsanity (Crash Bandicoot Evolution/Crash Unlimited) development, it's quite a similar story.
It is what it is. It's a pretty niche topic. It's been getting about a hundred every week or so now so that's a plus, but the only thing that's important to me is that those who have watched it enjoyed it.
16:23-17:13 and 17:26-18:18 Hearing the voice clips about the scrapped GBA link cable function creeps me out for some strange reason. It’s like we’ve trespassed a forbidden area of the game’s files.
Here from Snapcube showing the first half of the video! The stuff they went through was crazy and they did NOT deserve that bullshit from THQ on top of it. The game is a little creepy but ultimately you can see the effort put into it.
Welp, that was a childish move of them from THQ to cancel BigSky like that. How did you find out about the truth though? It sounds like something that wouldn't get leaked that easily. Also, thank you for the great video! I appreciate the effort you put in it. :)
I talked directly with the producer and art director of the game/part owners of the company. Most of the quotes in the video, unless otherwise specified, came directly from interviews I conducted myself.
This story is similar to what happened with Sonic Boom Rise of Lyric when Sega rushed Big Red Button Entertainment making them remove features from the game and forcing them to use an engine that wasn't designed to work on the Wii U. You should make a video on the development of that game.
This was entertaining to watch, as well as educational. I want to thank you for doing this. Many people jump to uneducated conclusions. I, for one, am also to blame sometimes. You revealed the other side of the story. And for that, thank you. I bet it was fastidious for you to gather all the info and contact various personnel. Epic effort on your end. Alongside some voice acting that almost got me! Nicely done. Unbiased and concise. Man, that IGN fellow. Could not disagree more. I love this game. Always have and always will. Nothing beats the nostalgic feelings it brings on me. The only downside I could find was this: Played the game, collected "ALL the doubloons, and caught ALL the jellyfishes. Was about to save Mr. Krabs in the crow's nest, in the final section of the game. Had 3 more coins to collect. Collected 2, one more to go on that tiny nest. The game cut to the cutscene. One coin T_T Nevertheless, awesome game. Wish it was remade. The Best.
I love videos like this since it really can change someone's perspective when it comes to the behind the scenes story, it's clear how really screwed over Big Sky was, it is great to know that many of the people are still working in something.
Wow I was not expecting this. Crazy how I never saw this video until 4 years later… the soft reset would explain the game going back to the developer’s logo during a loading screen. Great video though, definitely got my sub.
I've always found it extremely suspicious that this game actually killed a company. I mean definitely isn´t very good (in my opinion it's just mediocre, if having a Season 1 charm to it), but there were far worse license games at the time.
+L.J It is nice to see he development of this games, & all the issues it went through. Before this video tho, I already knew Scrapped GBA Link Idea & Unused Dialogue/Lines.
See that's what I always liked about it. It felt a lot like season 1. That's a great way to describe it. And yeah man to each their own I say. The game has issues but I still get enjoyment out of it. Also yeah I knew a lot of people already knew about the GBA and voice lines, but my interviews shed just a tiny bit more light on it and so I thought I would include it. Hope you liked the video.
This video made me realize that people should start appreciating what the devs were able to accomplish with a game, rather than dwell on all of the failures. What Big Sky still managed to do is incredible and I will attempt to purchase their two games soon, play them and soak in all of what they managed to do.
I loved this game and looking back into it I was wondering why it got so much hate when I used to search for YEARS to find it to play again but never could (little me never understood eBay i guess). It makes me feel better to hear it got generally good feedback from the audience just those more critically acclaimed it was rated bad. I wish I could play it again but no longer have a ps2.
I never played the console version, but I still have my GBA copy that I revisit from time to time. And all things considered, this game has one thing over Battle for Bikini Bottom: Mr. Krabs is voiced by Clancy Brown. Also, from a fellow fan of niche games (Wallace & Gromit is still my jam), great video.
Glad that nitro rad recently linked to this video. It's super interesting and makes me feel secure knowing that even some of the most flawed games had effort and people suffering for it
Was playing through this game (on ps2) as i listened to your video and literally found the first dutchman's treasure and did the slide puzzle just for it to crash... and of course I didn't save... When i was younger i thought my disc was just scratched. Turns out that's just how the game is.
Yikes 😬 Yeah I never dealt with that but a LOT of people have. More than I realized when I made this video lol. I said it could only happen on the fat models in the video because thats what I was told by multiple sources but I've since learned that is inaccurate.
This was very well done! I'm one of those people that played this around the time of release and found it becoming an icon of their childhood. I've played it about once a year as time went on and mostly considered it a guilty pleasure of mine thinking that everyone else hated it and thought it was bad. Then, ten years ago I had the crazy idea to do a video walkthrough of this game thinking a few people might watch and be helped. Much to my surprise, it exploded in views and that combined with all the comments I saw showed me that there was a community of people who were the same as me enjoying it as a kid and having fond memories of it despite its many flaws. I like to think of it as a chill laid back collectathon of sorts. It was the breakthrough game that really got me into that type of game as a kid. It just came at the perfect time for me I guess. Nevertheless, it was super awesome to finally learn some of the story behind this game from the developers. It's clear they had a passion for what they were doing and just had a lot of road blocks to overcome. Thank you for making this!
I liked Revenge of the Flying Dutchman but in an antagonistic way. I hated it, it always crashed and the things the game expected you to do were frustrating, not to mention the lack of direction causing me to wander around for 40 minutes lost. I didn't want it to beat me, and yet I couldn't beat it without my mom's help using a GameFAQs guide. I still hold some nostalgia for how utterly nightmarish the game felt to me back then and the creative ideas it inspired in me.
I dont care what anyone says Revenge of The Flying Dutchman will always be one of my favourite games to ever be made. I constantly think about buying back a PS2 just to play it again like I used to all the time. Great vid btw🙂
As a HUGE SpongeBob fan for as long as I can remember, I’ve loved Revenge of the Flying Dutchman since I’ve learned to play video games. There’s so many great comedic moments that have always made me laugh, like SpongeBob singing to Larry to get his belt and the interactions between SpongeBob and the Chum World clown.
Damn... Had no idea the development of this game was this rough... from shady companies making false promises, to greedy, miserly and entitled publishers. I don't envy them one bit, and looking at it now, it's a miracle either of these games managed to be released at all, knowing that, had things gone more smoothly for them, they could've perhaps worked on a more finalized vision for their game, and maybe have released a really nifty classic, discussed by fans about as often as Battle for Bikini Bottom. Really, their story is one of inspiration... And y'know, while some parts of this game definitely look pretty rough and some really weird decisions were made... it also has this strangely alluring vibe to it. The early 3D games of the PS2 and GameCube era, with a weird progression structure and odd design choices that, as a kid, only seem really interesting and curious to ya. I think I'd like to at least try this game at some point.
Spongebob revenge of the flying dutchman is my favorite game because if that game didn't exist i would never play games and also I have alot of fun playing it
Happy Belated 20th Anniversary to SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman! 🙂😀😊🥳🎉🎊🎂❤️💛🧽💚👻🏴☠️ 2002-2022 (11/21/2002-11/21/2022) It's sad that BigSky Interactive was shut down due to internal conflicts within THQ and production mishaps, but I'm glad the people working at the studio have normal lives now that the original THQ is defunct. Though THQNordic is now around making remastered video games of Nickelodeon IP‘s, I've kinda wonder if they would eventually remaster Revenge of the Flying Dutchman.
Please keep doing what you're doing! You don't see these types of videos all the time, especially with the same quality and research. It's clear to me you're passionate about this topic, you can just see it in the video quality. Keep up the good work!
I plan to do a lot more in the future! However I was recently hired as a journalist at a brand new gaming news site so my time is spread a bit thin. I definitely have plans for future videos though. Glad you liked it 🙂
It's sad that the Phantom Strider, which is how I heard about this game, considers this game shovelware. Sure this game is bad but the devs were actually huge fans of Spongebob and wanted to make a fun game.
I had the glitchy ps2 version and couldn't beat it for years. It will always hold a spot in my heart as one of my first games ever. I can even appreciate the weirdly dark atmosphere. Battle for Bikini Bottom might be more widely beloved, but revenge of the flying dutchman has its charms
BfBB and this game have a lot more in common than you might think. In fact, this game was basically almost BfBB in the lesser quality engine. Stay tuned.
Very good documentary, it's a shame knowing the absolute truth of why they ended up closing. Even though I'm a big SpongeBob fan, I never ended up getting this game. I think I'll eventually give it a try.
Would you be interested in doing a video on SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab? It's considered one of the weirdest and most divisive SpongeBob games ever, with many even calling it a SpongeBob game in-name-only in the same vein as SuperSponge thanks to it's odd style, music and story. Even as someone who finds it mediocre i still want to know what the thought process was when making it and if it had any development issues or stories that haven't been documented yet.
I can definitely look into it(I had already planned to eventually) but there's no guarantees I'll be able to find any new info. Really depends on if I can find and get in contact with any developers. Let's hope I can!
Hey man! Just wanted to let you know I was actually able to get in contact with someone that worked on CftKK in a major capacity. I'll be putting a video together on it here in the coming months, but I will say development seems far more straight-forward and there isn't a ton that isn't already known. I was given some internal material that I am unsure whether or not is already public somewhere but regardless it will be interesting so I hope I can give you what you are looking for. Thanks for watching my stuff and hopefully I'll see you soon.
This was such a pleasant watch, it's very nice to see more people try to find the good in games that may not seem immediately obvious, especially from games that don't have the best reputation in the public eye. thank you for putting this all together!
Thank you so so much for bringing the story of this company to our attention. It was sad to hear that a group of enthusiastic game developers who seemed to provide a good environment for their staff got screwed thanks to the entitled jerk Jeff Lapin. It is heartwarming though to hear that they've moved on to a few better things, and I hope they're all doing well. And you, Sir, who compiled all this information and debunked a silly, yet popular rumor, you deserve (as many other comments have pointed out) even more recognition for your excellent work. Hope you have a great day!
It’s crazy how in 2000, dev teams were already clamoring for SpongeBob, and even were “Big fans” that just shows how quickly this series gained steam.
Yeah and compare that to Rugrats which didn't even get popular until 1995 and that was only because Nickelodeon was airing way too many reruns of the first 3 seasons, spongebob meanwhile was already a hit with viewers by the end of 1999 and 2000. So it just shows that Spongebob had a whole lot more charm and appeal than Rugrats
It wasn't just reruns. Rugrats never aired on prime time until 1995, and Nickelodeon as a creative business was in its formative years. I do like Spongebob a lot, but I've always found Rugrats more relatable and 'at home' with me.
Lambhoot “ this was made as a cash grab by non fans”
Big Sky Entertaiment” we were big fans”
They all really were fans. They knew and used the source material they had at the time and had they not been fans they never would have finished the game. If it was just a cash grab they would have given up when the money was gone. By the end of development none of them were getting paid
Who Needs Normal? Yeah I know I was agreeing with you .
I was just referencing that the guy who gave the game so much hate never even bothered to look into the company
@@frostycane5134 I know your agreeing lol I just liked what you said and had to put my two cents in. I'm not familiar with this guy you are talking about though, but people like that are the reason I made this video to spread the truth
@@frostycane5134 I will say in all fairness I went to a lot of trouble and had to put in a lot of work to find the whole story, but yeah a few minutes of research would show that they loved SpongeBob
lambhoots anger imo gets in the way of seeing the good in games. His review of the spongebob movie game really dissapointed me for this reason
This video NEEDS, absolutely NEEDS to be WAYY more popular than it already is. This is a great video, and I can't stop recommending my friends this. I found this video through a BFBB modding server, and this is great.
Huh, I'm not sure who shared it there but that's awesome! Thanks so much for the kind words. I spent a lot of time making it so I'm glad you enjoyed it 🙂
I just want to say, keep on going. This is great content, and way more in-depth than anything else I've seen on the internet. You may not have a lot of subscribers or views, or even likes, but this is some really good content and I usually don't go out of my way to compliment a video like this.
Thank you. It means more than you realize.
@@WhoNeedsNormal Keep up with the work
Hey I remember you, didn’t you comment on the ost of super sponge?
this deserves so many more views
Yes
Not as surprising to see you here as NecrosVideos, but still surprising somewhat.
Oh hey, Jake from the Jake show
Wooooa wait he's Jake from The Jake Show!? 😂 That's amazing
@@WhoNeedsNormal No, seriously, he actually is. I found a comment that he made on a Chadtronic video watching TJS and I didn’t believe it at first, until i checked his profile and his name is jake.
Holy crap, IGN had no chill back then; they'd never get away with those sorts of comments nowadays.
IGN’s Mark Ryan Sallee, became extremely harsh on this game when he reviewed the PS2 version, stating that preschool-aged kids would have a better time with GTA3…except for the fact that he doesn’t know that preschool-aged kids have PARENTS! and parents would not allow their kids to play GTA, Screw you Mark Ryan Sallee!😡. Sure Revenge of the Flying Dutchman is not perfect, it has some good ideas, but it could have been better if the team didn’t attack each other.
I feel like the reason is because at the time that review was written, GTA: Vice City had just been released. That game was one of the most anticipated games of 2002. Perhaps Mark Ryan Sallee was only interested in playing that game than anything else.
@Revenge120 Or maybe...and I'm just spitballing here...he was an ableist dirtbag/angry little boy who hated SpongeBob. And hey, maybe he has changed. I don't think old mistakes define us, but some of the statements he made in that article were waaay over the line, regardless of his gaming opinions.
thats a real sad development story, kinda makes me want to see more good in this game than bad like everyone usually does. It's not a great game but certainly was charming at times. The fact that they got out what they did despite THQ's BS and the tragedy throughout development is pretty impressive.
I can't believe Jeffrey Lapin managed to destroy an entire company by blacklisting them.
...I do fear if Mr. Lapin is still involve with THQ since their revival...
Blacklisting entire companies like this should be illegal.
Only a government agency should have the privilege to do that sort of thing. A corporate executive, on the other hand? That is both morally and ethically wrong.
@@AmaroqStarwind Companies are the government so that's never going to happen.
@@AmaroqStarwind Are you insane? All government agencies are completely corrupt and should have their power minimized and severely restricted if they're not outright dismantled, otherwise they'd just be doing the bidding of people similar to Lapin. Governments and corporations are the same entity.
@@Halagini I genuinely wish it were that simple. But it’s not. Nothing is.
Even back then IGN Critics gets pissed off that they had to play and review a Spongebob game.
This video has really changed my view on the game. I was one of those disappointed kids who had the PS2 version crash on them repeatedly. I remember I used to be really scared of the Blue Sky logo. I was surprised to hear that it was made by people who were genuine fans of the source material. They tried to make a fun game but so many problems were going on behind the scenes. I bought the GameCube version a year ago and played all the way through. I have so much respect for the game now. it’s not the most fun you’ll ever have but it’s a very relaxing and chill experience. Occasionally, I’d boot it up and just chat with friends while 100%ing it. Thank you for documenting a strange part of my childhood. Wonderful video!
It's sad that the Phantom Strider, which is how I heard about this game, considers this game shovelware. Sure this game is bad but the devs were actually huge fans of Spongebob and wanted to make a fun game
@Competitive and Casual
Phantomstrider is an uninspired content creator who has most of the same problems as WatchMojo, so I wouldn't trust his opinion on certain games.
There's a much better review of the game by Cartoon Review, who is on a mission to review every single Nickelodeon game.
SBSP: ROTFD Producer at Big Sky here:
One of the challenges of working to get a Sony game approved at the time was that you could only have 7 seconds of black screen. Our level loads took too long, so we did a "hack" where we soft-reset the PS2. The "fun" of working on a hardware platform is that they keep UPDATING the hardware, and then those "tricks" don't work anymore. And the software emulators will not allow this to work either.
So, we can "blame" Sony for that.
Or we can "blame" the dev team for not having the time to fix it correctly.
Or we can "blame" THQ for not funding the appropriate amount of time required to do it correctly.
I can tell you that we did everything we could to get it out the door.
I haven't had mine crash
@@BillyJoeCainstill y'all shouldnt have been treated like that especially by thq it's funny since thq went under in 2012 and was bought by another studio that called it thq Nordic
This game is special to me, I was born in ‘98 and this game, especially the Jellyfishing gear theme reminds me of playing this game with my mom, long before my parents split. My mom is a sweetheart and it reminds me of spending time with her so it will always hold a very special place in my heart
It's a real shame that BSI was treated like this. Sure the atmosphere's a little depressing, especially with the lighting, but... everything else looks pretty fun, honestly. I'd try the game out if I had a GameCube.
Either way, I enjoy videos like this that provide insight as to why things ended up the way they did. Game development is like an iceberg...what you see above the water isn't everything.
I am SO glad this video exists. I've always had a huge soft spot for Revenge of the Flying Dutchman, but it's always bothered me that not much was know about the studio behind the game. I also never really bought into the story that it was this game alone that put them out of business. Things are rarely that cut and dry, especially when it comes to the video games industry.
Thank you so much for taking the time to research and put this video together though. I really hope more people see it as I feel there's a lot of misinformation out there surrounding this game and BigSky interactive. Looking forward to your future content. :)
I've got something cool coming next month 😉. Stay tuned!
@@WhoNeedsNormal Can't wait!!
Wait jak from jak and lev?
@@wolf9423 That is Jak's separate channel.
He was the only one to really play that game, I still watch the videos
This is really impressive, great work
Whoa! CMB, didn't expect to see you here!
I always enjoyed ROTFD a lot more than most people, it’s kind of calming tbh
It’s really more in tune with the humor and style of the franchise then most give it credit for. Who can forget SpongeBob’s singing to Larry, that’s comedic gold!
Wow! This video is an absolute masterpiece!
It got me hooked throughout the whole thing. I've always found this whole "SpongeBob killed BigSky" thing very suspicious.
I mean, the game is a little unpolished, but it isn't exactly bad. Specially when compared to other licensed games for kids of its era. Of course, Battle for Bikini Bottom and the Movie game are surprisingly better than any licensed game deserves to be, but there were other fairly well-made SpongeBob games too.
I tried searching the web for the reasons of why this rumor started and what actually made BigSky close its doors, but everything was so obscure that I gave up looking for an answer .
But you... you went out on a big research project to find the truth and even made contact to the original developers of the game!
This is extremely admirable. If it wasn't for you, nobody would come out to tell what really happened. Thanks a bunch!
Now that I know the truth... I'll admit, this is a very sad story. I always had this itch in the back of my mind that the game had potential to be better. The ideas were there, but the execution was very sloppy.
Man... if none of this crap had happened the game could be turned out great. Of course, not as good as BFBB (that game had a lot more variety, polish and a bigger budget), but I bet it still could be remembered as one of the better SB games.
And THQ blacklisting them was such a dick move. The world of business can be so unfair sometimes. :/
Well, at least most of the crew seems to have moved on with their lives and working on things they like. :)
Congratulations for the effort. The video turned out amazing! The script, narration, editing and everything else was really flawless.
I really hope more people find about this video. The world needs to know about this!
Cheers!
Hey there! I didn't reply before because your comment left me kind of speechless and I wasn't sure what to say haha. You have no idea how much reading this meant to me. It was incredibly flattering and made the whole process of making the video worth it. I made this video for people like you and me. I wanted answers and when I had them I wanted people to know the truth and I had to share them. The fact that I was able to give that resolution to you is the most meaningful thing in the world to me. Like you, I hope more people can see the video, but that is incredibly hard when people aren't actively looking for info on BigSky. If it's at all possible it would be amazing if you could share it with anyone you think would want to watch. If you can't though that is totally fine. I plan on making more Nicktoons and other licensed game videos in the future so maybe stick around. Thank you for the kind words and the motivation to keep going when very few people are watching.
You're welcome. :)
This really is a very passionate and well-researched video.
I bet it was really hard to put it together.
The thing is, most of the SpongeBob games are very niche and almost nobody talks about them if they're not BFBB and (sometimes) the Movie Game.
I'll admit, I found this video by pure luck. And I enjoyed every single moment of it.
Maybe it's because I'm such a sucker for game-development stories and nostalgia-blinded by SpongeBob stuff, but it was a real treat to watch.
Like, 99% of the info in this video is new. It gave me a whole new perspective on this game.
I would love to share it, but most people I know don't care too much about SpongeBob.
But I recommend you make some posts about the video on sites like Reddit, Twitter and some SpongeBob-related online communities. I bet it would be a huge hit, because it explains about everything surrounding the game and its mysterious nature.
I really hope you keep up with your videos. I really liked your style.
And sorry for my bad English, I'm not a native speaker.
@@NintendoFan Your English is actually pretty perfect lol I know native speakers who are worse.
@@WhoNeedsNormal You deserve the praise for this video. It warmed my heart a bit to see these folks get their truth who made the game. As weird as it is, it makes me see the game in a better light than I did before. It's a shame they couldn't achieve their full vision.
I'm so glad a deep dive like this into Big Sky Interactive exists. Loved both their games as a kid. I stumbled upon this video while doing research about the company and was thinking about doing a similar documentary myself, as I didn't think much was known about the company. This was wonderfully put together, thank you so much for putting in the time and dedication it took to bring this story to light!
I'm actually currently working on a revised version with corrections and new info for the five year anniversary of this video. I really appreciate the kind words.
@SeanMacProductions For the record, I would love to see someone else's take on the story. And if you want to be involved with the revised version I am looking for narrators and feedback. Even after 5 years my editing needs a lot of work among other things lol.
I’m super glad to hear you’re on the positive side when it comes to Revenge of the Flying Dutchman. As it is (exclusively the GCN version), it’s a damn good 3D platforming collect-a-thon that does an excellent job at capturing the essence of the show while still being its own thing. The locations are super well-designed and resemble the show super well, the platforming and collecting is super satisfying, I love how the costumes stand out from each other, and it set the standard for 3D Spongebob games. Anyone who loves Battle for Bikini Bottom should at least be thankful to this game for setting the foundation. Despite all the love, nostalgia, and respect I have for it though, I’m still well aware of its glaring flaws. The graphics aren’t very good, the combat is lacking, the lack of music for each world really hinders the soundtrack, and the fact that you can’t go back to 100% the game once you’re in the Dutchman’s Graveyard is beyond stupid and I always hate it when games like Super Metroid do that. However, if they were to remake this game just like they did with Battle for Bikini Bottom, maybe they could improve upon those shortcomings and more people will start to appreciate it and give it the respect it deserves.
To be fair, most collectathon games have very weak combat, with the only exception being the Spyro games, particularly 1 & 3. I didn't know it's possible to not be able to 100% the game, quite the oversight.
Still looks more fun to 100% than Donkey Kong 64 though, I'll say that.
1. Bethesda used the same trick for Morrowind on the original Xbox.
2. It's good they didn't sell themselves to THQ. The guy that co-created WhatsApp sold it to Facebook and he regretted that so much he works for Signal now.
One of two things would've happened: They would've either been shut down once THQ started going into their early-2010s slump, or they would've branched off like what Heavy Iron did
19:45 how heartless do you have to be to get mad at someone for wanting to go to the funeral of a family member
Unfortunately thats the way corporate people act sometimes.
Contrary to what the video said, you CAN actually play this game on a PS3. In fact I played the whole game from beginning to end. For reference, I played it on a 20GB PS3 originally and that has the original hardware for the PS2. Surprisingly, there was no loading bug in sight (I played it on my original fat PS2 and it was present). The game played just like the Gamecube version. Now, I am not sure if it worked because it is not emulated but instead the original hardware. Therefore, it could work for any 20GB and 60GB PS3. If you guys want, I can use my 80GB PS3 to confirm the rumor that "it can't be emulated" since the 80GB model relies on emulation and not the original hardware.
All in all, great video. People should really get to know the full story! 👍🏼
For the longest time since around the mid-2000s, false assumptions were made about BigSky Interactive shutting down strictly due to a loading glitch in Revenge of the Flying Dutchman on the PlayStation 2. Sadly, that incorrect information has been spread for many years since. But at long last, we have a video that ultimately proves the real reason BigSky Interactive shut down.
Honestly, I always felt like, from the first time I played it the game always had a good heart behind it, it never felt like it was supposed to be the way it ended up, and even then, I still kinda like it as it is, it sure as hell has more love put into it than shit like Robotic Revenge and HeroPants.
That's a really good way to put it. Better to be kinda weird than generic.
Just played it on Dolphin. Shame though that there's no reward for collecting everything
24:55 Interestingly, that bonus video uses music that was composed and used for the SpongeBob PC games, the first one being Operation Krabby Patty. I wonder what the story is behind the use of that game's music here.
Another fun fact: we sadly only have compressed mono music in those PC games, but in this bonus video, the music is stereo, which means there are unreleased stereo masters of the PC game's music (which I hope we'll ever get).
I know that AWE Games typically likes to use production music for their games, for example from Sound Ideas, so maybe it's possible they aren't originally composed for the game - otherwise they would've credited a composer, which they don't in any of the games from them I've seen. In fact it's even possible both studios decided independently of one another to use the same production track, which would explain it's use in both places.
As a side note, Open Media Toolkit (which the games were created using) does not in fact use compressed audio, it is PCM audio just at a lower frequency than the standard 44100 Hz (I believe 22500 Hz iirc.)
Druaga1 has a video talking about this with another one of their games, Hot Wheels Mechanix.
th-cam.com/video/NuwwjF0PcHM/w-d-xo.html
I don't care what anyone says, Revenge of the Flying Dutchman was a biiig part of my childhood, I'll defend that game to my grave haha
Absolutely!
I still quote this game from time to time, just as much as my favorite episodes of the show, especially SpongeBob’s singing to Larry.
“OH THERE once were two fellas who met at the beach.
One needed a belt that seemed out of reach.
IT had a big letter that would open a treasure.
But the big guy who had it did not want to remove it.
So SpongeBob decided to sing him this song.
If you think I’ll give up, boy are you WROOOOOOONG!”
Man I never knew the company who made the game had so many different companies messing it up. You had the 1st company who was over confident with their software and made their partner too dependent on them. Then you had THQ who kept dragging Big Sky through gravel. Before cutting them off from what they need to survive. Gaming companies can be brutal at times. This story reminds me of how companies like EA treats other companies today
Came over after Shadow Streak shouted this video out in his recent review of this game. Mad props - this is some incredibly thorough investigation. Most people wouldn't decide to go out of their way to contact the dev team, but that type of effort really paid off. Even as someone who's never heard of this game before today, this was still an interesting and entertaining video to watch. Also, Lapin is an evil monster and that IGN reviewer isn't too far off with his straight up ableism. Seriously, how was that allowed in the final version?
This is an incredible video. The research, the music, seeing some of the cut content and finding out what happened to Big Sky Interactive along with the infamous loading glitch from the PS2 version. THQ did a very scummy thing to them. I feel bad for the Big Sky team. I never liked the game growing up but being the big Spongebob fan I am and watching this video, I found a new appreciation for it. Well done. Would love to see more Spongebob videos. This video needs to be seen.
"fairly oddparents: breakin da rules" did the playable menu thing too, i guess it was just a thing with ps2 era nick games
I had a hunch that maybe Nick Games would add a...I don't know what it is called, but to have the games share a connection through a style, not like Data Design's games...
This was the first video game I ever owned. Even though it was flawed, I loved it, and I still love it to this day.
You know, between Revenge of The Flying Dutchman, and CAPCOM Vancouver's Dead Rising 4, it makes me wonder if there's so many games that ranges from mediocre to bad reputations with little-known behind the scenes madness that was going on that many don't know...
Still, it was weird that Kalisto Entertainment, the same company that made Nightmare Creatures, was related to BigSky Interactive all these years till my teen years...
Man, I feel so bad for Big Sky, I can't believe they got sabotaged and left out to die.
I hope all the devs are doing well and I hope they're all doing well now.
Thank you Big Sky for making a game I still remember fondly to this day.
38:00 That review by IGN sounded.. pretty cruel. And I don't approve of their way of talking about autistic people.
Agreed. That comment would have received massive backlash if it was posted today. Just keep in mind that it was wrong then and today.
I feel like the reason is because at the time this review was written, GTA: Vice City had just been released for the PS2. That game was one of, if not the most anticipated game of that year. Perhaps whoever wrote that review was only interested in playing that game than anything else.
@Revenge120 Nah
imagine being some random ass business folk at thq and getting absolutely fucking angry at some random people mourning the lost of loved ones because your fucking spongebob game wasn't gonna be released early
The PS2 getting rebooted during a load screen is a straight up Morrowind Xbox move. 10/10.
46:05 These beautiful words bring tears to my eyes. Thank you for the great video and an awesome quote.
30:00 funny he didn't just say the flying dutchman kidnap gary or something.
I've been closely following news about Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated since its announcement a year ago, and I was brought to this video by RidersDX, who you've done a collab with. I stand with many other commentors here when I say that this video's view count is criminally low for the amount of time and research put into it. Massive props to you for making this, man.
Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated hype!
Honestly, this game isn’t half bad!
You took the words right out of my mouth about the costume themes belonging in a different level. Also they could’ve had the squarepants theme for both the home world AND the tree dome level.
I would love to see a Revenge of the Flying Dutchman remake in the likes of BFBB:R, with at least some of the original devs working with Purple Lamp. I had RotFD for PS2 as kid, and while it wasn't much fun to play, I really enjoyed the atmosphere and environments. I think the game deserves another chance, given the ammount of passion that went into it.
Man... Such a great, well edited video you put together here. I can tell this was something you really wanted to get right. I think you did the company, game, and those responsible for its development a great service! This is one of those games that really do hit home just hearing any line of dialog, or, like you said in the beginning of the video, hearing the BigSky Interactive intro audio, or watching the landscape change and the birds chirping. Something about that is so memorable. I played this game on a fat original PS2 back in 2002 as a kid. I still own the same console, and I recently revisited this game last year after like 15 or so years of not touching it. A year has past since and like many other memorable games I've played, I have always been curious as to what happened to the company since, and the history of its development. You really hit every single important thing you needed to hit for this video man. Not one thing you said could have been summed up better. I am so glad you even got to show us some of the cut ideas, models, and even short explanations about different aspects of the game straight from the developers themselves! I think your video finally tells their true story, rather than just denoting them as the people who made a lazy cash grab game and closed their company due to game breaking bug reports. Instead, they are a company wanting to start fresh, with a new name, a fresh, exciting IP to work on, and a team willing and excited to use their skills to execute on a game with creative ideas. Only to be soon after crushed by the industry and broken up, releasing a game held together only with tooth picks and crazy glue due to time constraints and engine limitations. They weren't lazy, just at the mercy of bad circumstances. The right people in the wrong place. It really feels like the end of a chapter that long needed to be addressed. Finally, your video is like closure, the epilogue, if you will, to the fans, company, and all those involved in the game, as it sheds what was much needed light on their situation, and you did an amazing job addressing this topic. Thank you for this, I appreciate your hard work and efforts to release this video. After watching this video and seeing the developers thank players for playing the game growing up and enjoying it despite its obvious flaws, I can much more appreciate their original vision. Their work was not for nothing, they gave people memories even if they think otherwise, and I am thankful this game exists for that very reason. So the next time I revisit this game, I will think back to this video every single time, and be reminded of their original vision, hard work, and efforts to try and release their best work despite the setbacks. Again, thank you for this video, your efforts are much appreciated!
Blaming Revenge as the sole cause of BigSky going Belly Up is like Blaming Yoko Ono 4 the Breakup of The Beatles
God it felt weird getting recognized for my world record in 100% in this video, especially sense it's so well made and formal, it really inspires me to keep on speedrunning, especially this game specifically.
But also finally knowing what happened to BigSky (something I've been wondering about for a long time now especially sense i speedrun Boy Genius too) really gives me a new perspective on this game i love so much, really makes me appreciate the work that went into Dutchman even if it is pretty sloppily made. Thank you for this video and keep up the great work.
It felt crazy seeing a familiar name sub to me as well 😂 Thanks so much, and I'm glad I could give you some answers.
This was one HELL of a debut video! Such a niche topic, yet it was very important to get it out there now that the Spongebob video game community is bigger than ever with BFBB Rehydrated on the horizon.
Thank you! I truly believe that this was an important story to put out into the world, even if only a few people care.
@@WhoNeedsNormal And thank you for letting BigSky's story be told, they deserved it. Can't wait for your BFBB video next!
I had BfBB when I was younger, then I played Dutchman... what a downgrade.
Same.
Psychonauts had a playable menu.
Such a long video, but holy cow now we know. I definitely enjoyed watching!
I just think it;'s funny how they managed to get Clancy Brown to voice Mr. Krabs for this but not BFBB
Who didn’t think The Flying Dutchman was a great game? It was very unique in multiple ways. The DownTown construction site and high rises were cool, and so was all of Goo Lagoon and Jellyfish Fields. Chum World wasn’t too bad, either. It could’ve had more kid fish on the amusement park rides so that you didn’t feel as lonely in Plankton’s secret place, but that’s the only criticism I had.
I agree. I don't understand the mindset of most people that it is bad. I was really young when it came out though so I was much more forgiving.
Who Needs Normal? I get not liking the unrealistic mouth movements from the other characters though or using the same music from Chum World for Chum Putt or the Big Top (a game could’ve been added to the circus inside of Chum World). After completing the game, you should’ve been able to see how what was built in the construction site.
This game was my childhood. One of the first games I played and finished on my own. I hate to hear the truth on this game and the development. Honestly when we were kids we didn’t care about the politics behind the games, we cared if they were good or not and if they put a smile on our faces. To me, I found it so fun catching jelly fish, going to other maps and wearing the different costumes. It was truly an amazing game. I will always remember it as a great experience
Great video! I also have something to say as well. While the GCN versions of Dutchman and Jimmy are the better versions the PS2 versions had exclusive videos. Dutchman had the Spongebob into while Jimmy had a mini documentary on how the game was made. It’s really fascinating!
PS2 was the version I grew up with but I didn't have access to one at the time of making the video. That bit about Jimmy Neutron sounds super interesting I will have to look into that.
Since I Had A Gamecube I Just Had to Find The Videos on Th3 Internet and Put Them On My Fan-Made Bonus Discs for Jimmy Neutron & SpongeBob Best 100 Episodes.
The exclusive videos are mainly the reason why I prefer the PS2 versions of those games, despite the flaws. They also look better than the GameCube versions as well.
Man, I can't believe you have less than 200 subscribers, this video was so well written and documented! The way people talked about BigSky always felt unfair to me (as someone who has never played Revenge of the Flying Dutchman or Jimmy Neutron), and I always thought that there was something off about the story. The fact you went out of your way to talk to former members of the team to tell the true story is very fascinating, and there were points in the video where I was genuinely frustrated by hearing the things they had to endure, such as 9/11 or being blacklisted without previous notice by THQ. The fact one of the developers of Kalisto USA went on to become the CEO of the company involved on Battle for Bikini Bottom truly made me happy. Your documentary was so good in general.
You have earned a like and a sub! I would love to see more videos of this style from you, maybe talking about other license games with rocky productions or stories that are not too well known. SpongeBob Super Sponge has always given me the vibe that something wrong went during the production, specially with the leaked hard drives and prototypes showing signs of actual hostility towards the project and property (Rule34 of the characters being there for no reason, assets from Nickelodeon being labelled as "like we care" and documents about things to be changed being rude and full of profanity). Also maybe a review of that Jimmy Neutron game by the same developer, that one seems interesting too.
"i have no interest in touching your booty" LOOOOLL
Hands down one of my favourite titles as a kid, it's really a shame the politics behind the scenes brought an end to the company, but i'm glad to see most of the members went onwards to attain success. The efforts behind this game and jimmy neutron as well did not go unnoticed or unappreciated, rather they were greatly adored and loved, having these titles go down as classics, to me at least.
Sincerely,
All the kids who played them :)
I don’t know which moment of dialogue in the game always made me laugh more, the booty stuff or SpongeBob singing to Larry.
This video is seriosuly underrated!
Well let’s put it this way, from a Consumer’s point of view, we can all appreciate what THQ has done 4 the Gaming Industry. Providing us w Top Notch Licensed Games (SpongeBob in Particular). However from a Corporate point of view, i can totally c y BigSky never took off & ultimately went Belly up, so 4 that m on BigSky’s side on this.
Was gonna go to bed but this popped up, wasn’t disappointed. Super well made and interesting video!
I Wish Bigsky Interactive Was Still Operating
Sad to hear such story. Rough times for them, sadly. You should make a video on Crash Twinsanity (Crash Bandicoot Evolution/Crash Unlimited) development, it's quite a similar story.
This was a very thoughtful video. It made me sympathize with Big Sky and made me appreciate game developers a whole lot more. Thank you. :)
How after almost a year does this video not even have 2k views yet? There was clearly a lot of research that went into this.
It is what it is. It's a pretty niche topic. It's been getting about a hundred every week or so now so that's a plus, but the only thing that's important to me is that those who have watched it enjoyed it.
16:23-17:13 and 17:26-18:18 Hearing the voice clips about the scrapped GBA link cable function creeps me out for some strange reason. It’s like we’ve trespassed a forbidden area of the game’s files.
Here from Snapcube showing the first half of the video! The stuff they went through was crazy and they did NOT deserve that bullshit from THQ on top of it. The game is a little creepy but ultimately you can see the effort put into it.
Welp, that was a childish move of them from THQ to cancel BigSky like that. How did you find out about the truth though? It sounds like something that wouldn't get leaked that easily.
Also, thank you for the great video! I appreciate the effort you put in it. :)
I talked directly with the producer and art director of the game/part owners of the company. Most of the quotes in the video, unless otherwise specified, came directly from interviews I conducted myself.
This story is similar to what happened with Sonic Boom Rise of Lyric when Sega rushed Big Red Button Entertainment making them remove features from the game and forcing them to use an engine that wasn't designed to work on the Wii U. You should make a video on the development of that game.
I love how in depth this is! Fantastic job on the video 👏👏👏
This was entertaining to watch, as well as educational. I want to thank you for doing this. Many people jump to uneducated conclusions. I, for one, am also to blame sometimes. You revealed the other side of the story. And for that, thank you. I bet it was fastidious for you to gather all the info and contact various personnel.
Epic effort on your end. Alongside some voice acting that almost got me! Nicely done. Unbiased and concise.
Man, that IGN fellow. Could not disagree more.
I love this game. Always have and always will. Nothing beats the nostalgic feelings it brings on me.
The only downside I could find was this: Played the game, collected "ALL the doubloons, and caught ALL the jellyfishes. Was about to save Mr. Krabs in the crow's nest, in the final section of the game. Had 3 more coins to collect. Collected 2, one more to go on that tiny nest. The game cut to the cutscene. One coin T_T
Nevertheless, awesome game. Wish it was remade.
The Best.
I love videos like this since it really can change someone's perspective when it comes to the behind the scenes story, it's clear how really screwed over Big Sky was, it is great to know that many of the people are still working in something.
Wow I was not expecting this. Crazy how I never saw this video until 4 years later… the soft reset would explain the game going back to the developer’s logo during a loading screen.
Great video though, definitely got my sub.
This needs more views. Great retrospective of the game and its development
I've always found it extremely suspicious that this game actually killed a company. I mean definitely isn´t very good (in my opinion it's just mediocre, if having a Season 1 charm to it), but there were far worse license games at the time.
+L.J It is nice to see he development of this games, & all the issues it went through. Before this video tho, I already knew Scrapped GBA Link Idea & Unused Dialogue/Lines.
See that's what I always liked about it. It felt a lot like season 1. That's a great way to describe it. And yeah man to each their own I say. The game has issues but I still get enjoyment out of it. Also yeah I knew a lot of people already knew about the GBA and voice lines, but my interviews shed just a tiny bit more light on it and so I thought I would include it. Hope you liked the video.
I always want a remake of this game just like battle of bikini bottom😞
You've heard of Goodbye Blue Sky.
Now get ready for Goodbye Big Sky.
This video made me realize that people should start appreciating what the devs were able to accomplish with a game, rather than dwell on all of the failures. What Big Sky still managed to do is incredible and I will attempt to purchase their two games soon, play them and soak in all of what they managed to do.
I loved this game and looking back into it I was wondering why it got so much hate when I used to search for YEARS to find it to play again but never could (little me never understood eBay i guess). It makes me feel better to hear it got generally good feedback from the audience just those more critically acclaimed it was rated bad. I wish I could play it again but no longer have a ps2.
Maybe keep an eye out for used PS2's or GameCubes. I got both of mine for less than $5 and they work perfectly.
I never played the console version, but I still have my GBA copy that I revisit from time to time.
And all things considered, this game has one thing over Battle for Bikini Bottom: Mr. Krabs is voiced by Clancy Brown.
Also, from a fellow fan of niche games (Wallace & Gromit is still my jam), great video.
Glad that nitro rad recently linked to this video. It's super interesting and makes me feel secure knowing that even some of the most flawed games had effort and people suffering for it
Was playing through this game (on ps2) as i listened to your video and literally found the first dutchman's treasure and did the slide puzzle just for it to crash... and of course I didn't save...
When i was younger i thought my disc was just scratched. Turns out that's just how the game is.
Yikes 😬 Yeah I never dealt with that but a LOT of people have. More than I realized when I made this video lol. I said it could only happen on the fat models in the video because thats what I was told by multiple sources but I've since learned that is inaccurate.
this game definitely needs a remake
This was very well done! I'm one of those people that played this around the time of release and found it becoming an icon of their childhood. I've played it about once a year as time went on and mostly considered it a guilty pleasure of mine thinking that everyone else hated it and thought it was bad. Then, ten years ago I had the crazy idea to do a video walkthrough of this game thinking a few people might watch and be helped. Much to my surprise, it exploded in views and that combined with all the comments I saw showed me that there was a community of people who were the same as me enjoying it as a kid and having fond memories of it despite its many flaws. I like to think of it as a chill laid back collectathon of sorts. It was the breakthrough game that really got me into that type of game as a kid. It just came at the perfect time for me I guess. Nevertheless, it was super awesome to finally learn some of the story behind this game from the developers. It's clear they had a passion for what they were doing and just had a lot of road blocks to overcome. Thank you for making this!
I liked Revenge of the Flying Dutchman but in an antagonistic way. I hated it, it always crashed and the things the game expected you to do were frustrating, not to mention the lack of direction causing me to wander around for 40 minutes lost. I didn't want it to beat me, and yet I couldn't beat it without my mom's help using a GameFAQs guide.
I still hold some nostalgia for how utterly nightmarish the game felt to me back then and the creative ideas it inspired in me.
I dont care what anyone says Revenge of The Flying Dutchman will always be one of my favourite games to ever be made. I constantly think about buying back a PS2 just to play it again like I used to all the time. Great vid btw🙂
As a HUGE SpongeBob fan for as long as I can remember, I’ve loved Revenge of the Flying Dutchman since I’ve learned to play video games. There’s so many great comedic moments that have always made me laugh, like SpongeBob singing to Larry to get his belt and the interactions between SpongeBob and the Chum World clown.
Damn... Had no idea the development of this game was this rough... from shady companies making false promises, to greedy, miserly and entitled publishers. I don't envy them one bit, and looking at it now, it's a miracle either of these games managed to be released at all, knowing that, had things gone more smoothly for them, they could've perhaps worked on a more finalized vision for their game, and maybe have released a really nifty classic, discussed by fans about as often as Battle for Bikini Bottom. Really, their story is one of inspiration...
And y'know, while some parts of this game definitely look pretty rough and some really weird decisions were made... it also has this strangely alluring vibe to it. The early 3D games of the PS2 and GameCube era, with a weird progression structure and odd design choices that, as a kid, only seem really interesting and curious to ya. I think I'd like to at least try this game at some point.
Spongebob revenge of the flying dutchman is my favorite game because if that game didn't exist i would never play games and also I have alot of fun playing it
Happy Belated 20th Anniversary to SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman! 🙂😀😊🥳🎉🎊🎂❤️💛🧽💚👻🏴☠️ 2002-2022 (11/21/2002-11/21/2022) It's sad that BigSky Interactive was shut down due to internal conflicts within THQ and production mishaps, but I'm glad the people working at the studio have normal lives now that the original THQ is defunct. Though THQNordic is now around making remastered video games of Nickelodeon IP‘s, I've kinda wonder if they would eventually remaster Revenge of the Flying Dutchman.
Rest in peace Kalisto Entertainment. Your contribution to horror games with Nightmare Creatures will never be forgotten.
Would you ever consider doing a review on BigSky Interactive's other game, "Jimmy Neuron: Boy Genius".
Possibly. I initially intended on saying more on it in this video but ended up cutting it for time. I will keep it in mind.
@@WhoNeedsNormal Thank you for the response! I loved the video! It was pretty informative and I love "Behind the Scenes" for games.
Please keep doing what you're doing! You don't see these types of videos all the time, especially with the same quality and research. It's clear to me you're passionate about this topic, you can just see it in the video quality. Keep up the good work!
I plan to do a lot more in the future! However I was recently hired as a journalist at a brand new gaming news site so my time is spread a bit thin. I definitely have plans for future videos though. Glad you liked it 🙂
It's sad that the Phantom Strider, which is how I heard about this game, considers this game shovelware. Sure this game is bad but the devs were actually huge fans of Spongebob and wanted to make a fun game.
I LOVE this. This is one of the mysteries I always wanted to know. Thank you for solving it.
I had the glitchy ps2 version and couldn't beat it for years. It will always hold a spot in my heart as one of my first games ever. I can even appreciate the weirdly dark atmosphere. Battle for Bikini Bottom might be more widely beloved, but revenge of the flying dutchman has its charms
BfBB and this game have a lot more in common than you might think. In fact, this game was basically almost BfBB in the lesser quality engine. Stay tuned.
Very good documentary, it's a shame knowing the absolute truth of why they ended up closing. Even though I'm a big SpongeBob fan, I never ended up getting this game. I think I'll eventually give it a try.
You really should, it has so much of the SpongeBob charm.
Fantastic video my friend you will go places 💪🏻
Huh, you’re here?
The amount of quailty in this video is honestly inspiring, great work here.
amazing video. this game was a big part of my childhood.
Would you be interested in doing a video on SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab? It's considered one of the weirdest and most divisive SpongeBob games ever, with many even calling it a SpongeBob game in-name-only in the same vein as SuperSponge thanks to it's odd style, music and story. Even as someone who finds it mediocre i still want to know what the thought process was when making it and if it had any development issues or stories that haven't been documented yet.
I can definitely look into it(I had already planned to eventually) but there's no guarantees I'll be able to find any new info. Really depends on if I can find and get in contact with any developers. Let's hope I can!
Hey man! Just wanted to let you know I was actually able to get in contact with someone that worked on CftKK in a major capacity. I'll be putting a video together on it here in the coming months, but I will say development seems far more straight-forward and there isn't a ton that isn't already known. I was given some internal material that I am unsure whether or not is already public somewhere but regardless it will be interesting so I hope I can give you what you are looking for. Thanks for watching my stuff and hopefully I'll see you soon.
Next month ;) There may or may not be a tease related to the project coming this Sunday.
This was such a pleasant watch, it's very nice to see more people try to find the good in games that may not seem immediately obvious, especially from games that don't have the best reputation in the public eye. thank you for putting this all together!
Thank you so so much for bringing the story of this company to our attention. It was sad to hear that a group of enthusiastic game developers who seemed to provide a good environment for their staff got screwed thanks to the entitled jerk Jeff Lapin.
It is heartwarming though to hear that they've moved on to a few better things, and I hope they're all doing well.
And you, Sir, who compiled all this information and debunked a silly, yet popular rumor, you deserve (as many other comments have pointed out) even more recognition for your excellent work. Hope you have a great day!