SpongeBob Cartoon Creator (partially found original version of Flash game; 2008-2013)
The SpongeBob Cartoon Creator was a 2008-2013 Nick.com Flash game in which users could create animations starring SpongeBob SquarePants characters.
Gameplay
The Cartoon Creator worked in similar fashion to drag-and-drop animation platforms such as Vyond/GoAnimate. The user would drop SpongeBob SquarePants characters onto the scene, with 27 available backgrounds. The user could then record the characters moving around and doing things like dancing or waving. The available characters were SpongeBob, Patrick, Mr. Krabs, Gary, Sandy, Squidward, and exceptionally Jack Kahuna Laguna from the episode "SpongeBob SquarePants vs. The Big One". There was also an option to create your own fish avatar to use in your movies.
Movies could be saved and published on Nick.com for others to watch, similarly to the Nickelodeon Game Builder.
History
The SpongeBob Cartoon Creator was released on the English Nickelodeon website on December of 2009.[1] However, the game appears to have been released in The Netherlands as early as April of 2008.[2] The game remained available until January of 2013, when the creator was replaced with a picture stating that the game was "off-line right now".[3][4] The picture also urges the user to check out old movies that were made, as they could still be watched. Although the picture implied that the Cartoon Creator would be eventually back, the page remained this way until atleast July 2014.[5] The page was eventually removed as Nick.com got re-branded.
Remake
A remake of the SpongeBob Cartoon Creator was released in 2017, alongside a The Loud House version of the game.[6] However, this version is considerably more limited and watered-down compared to the original. For one, instead of being actual animated movies, the cartoons are now simply 1/4/8 panel comic strips. The asset selection is simpler, and the speech bubbles are now pre-made, as opposed to being able to write your own. You cannot publish your cartoon online anymore, either.
Availability
After the shutdown, the main creator was still secretly available at cartooncreator.nick.com/indexCreatorFB.html. Unfortunately, the page was completely removed sometime during 2016. Archived versions of the Cartoon Creator page still have some functionality; the game loads up to the Fish Builder menu, where one could make their own avatars. It doesn't go far beyond that though; selecting "Load Your Avatar" locks up the game, and "New Avatar" leads to the gender selection menu, which doesn't appear to work, as selecting either male or female doesn't do anything.
Gallery
References
- ↑ First available archive of the open Cartoon Creator page. Archived 24 Dec '09.
- ↑ First available archive of the Dutch version of the Cartoon Creator page. Archived 09 Apr '08.
- ↑ Last available archive of the open Cartoon Creator page. Archived 29 Oct '12.
- ↑ First available archive of the closed Cartoon Creator page. Archived 15 Jan '13.
- ↑ Last available archive of the closed Cartoon Creator page. Archived 23 Jul '14.
- ↑ The remake of the Cartoon Creator. Retrieved 12 Aug '19.