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SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman (GameCube, PlayStation 2)

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Debug Features#

Performance Metrics#

A display with details regarding the game's performance can be enabled by using the following command in SCRIPT.TSC:

DisplayFps

Alternately, you can use one of the following codes, which will also render player coordinates:

PlayStation 2

GameCube

204E7384 00000018

041E9E28 00000018

(Source: Punk7890 (PS2 code), escape209 (GCN code))

Level Select#

In the GameCube version, press and hold L + R + B + X, use the Control Stick to select a level, and press Z to enter. In the PS2 version, hold L1 + R2 + Square + Circle and press Select to enter. The level names will appear in the top-left corner.

Unused Attacks#

Whirlpool#

To do:
Actually restore the attack and make it work, if possible.

Watch on YouTube

An animation and sound effect for an unused Whirlpool attack can be found among the assets for the Mermaid Man costume.

Speaker

Sound

Subtitle

French Narrator

Use the Whirlpool attack to hit targets in all directions.

In addition, there is an unused line from the French Narrator describing the attack.

Power Chop Attack#

Watch on YouTube

An animation of SpongeBob charging up an unused power chop attack.

Thanks to various evidence, it is known the game was at some point meant to have GBA Link functionality with the Game Boy Advance version of the game. To make this happen, collaborative efforts were made between the developers of both versions, but difficulties arose at some point relatively late in development, leading to the feature being scrapped.

In a 2019 interview with YouTube channel Who Needs Normal?, Producer Billy Joe Cain gives his thoughts on what led to the feature being dropped:

At the end things started getting all fast, and although our team was small, just trying to make that kind of thing happen was not going to occur. I was really disappointed about it but even then, we tried to get in touch with Vicarious. I'm sure just as much as they tried to get a hold of us. But nobody had time to communicate because they were so busy trying to rush to get their own products out.

radar.bin#

Present at the root directory of the GameCube version is a file named radar.bin. This is actually a working GBA ROM which was clearly intended to be used in a more finalized form for the scrapped GBA Link functionality.

The ROM can be manually loaded on a GBA, and a looping test demo will play on the GBA, shown below:

Attempting to connect a GBA with the ROM loaded to the GameCube will result in a simultaneous crash on both systems.

Voice Clips#

Voice clips describing another version of the Jellyfish Rodeo mini-game present in the GBA version using GBA Link remain in the game's audio files. Certain levels would have a special Jellyfish Rodeo Tent that appears when a GBA is connected and you would enter one to start the mini-game.

Bikini Bottom

Audio

Speaker

Subtitle

Notes

SpongeBob

I don't remember this tent being here before.

This conversation plays when you walk up to the Jellyfish Rodeo Tent in Bikini Bottom for the first time.

French Narrator

The Jellyfish Rodeo must have left that tent behind, the last time they were in Bikini Bottom. Perhaps it is still occupied.

SpongeBob

A Jellyfish wrangler! That must be the neatest job under the sea, except for being a fry-cook.

SpongeBob

If only I could ride a wild Jellyfish!

French Narrator

This is possible. You simply need to connect your GBA to your GameCube and insert the Game Pak for Revenge of the Flying Dutchman. Then, enter the tent to ride the Jellyfish inside it.

French Narrator

If your GBA is connected to your GameCube, but you don't have the Game Pak inserted, then you can at least see a radar whenever you go treasure hunting.

If you connected a GBA to the GameCube without a Game Pak inserted, you would have been able to use a Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles-style radar that would show the location of the Dutchman's Treasure for that area. The final game instead uses the controller's rumble feature for a similar purpose.

Jellyfish Fields

Audio

Speaker

Subtitle

Notes

Jellyfish Rodeo

Don't tell me you're one of those Jellyfishers, too.

Played when you talked to the character - complete with a horrible southern accent and audio reverberation problems - who starts the GBA Link mini-game in Jellyfish Fields for the first time, but you don't have a GBA plugged in. A cut character named Whirlpool is mentioned, and the prototype reveals that Whirlpool is a female jellyfish you would ride in the minigame.

Jellyfish Rodeo

What kind of sissy-fish uses a net to catch the little ones? You gotta find the biggest one in the herd and ride it until one of you gives! Whirlpool will show you what I mean if you can bring me one Game Boy Advance.

Jellyfish Rodeo

Stop wastin' your time with those little Jellyfish. Bring me one Game Boy Advance and Whirlpool will show you a real challenge!

Plays when you talk to him again while a GBA is not plugged in.

Jellyfish Rodeo

You've got enough Game Boy Advances for me, but there's still somethin' you've gotta do, pardner.

Plays when you have at least one GBA plugged in.

Jellyfish Rodeo

Your own Game Boy Advance must be connected with your GameCube, and the Game Pak for Revenge of the Flying Dutchman must be plugged into it.

Tells the player to make sure everything is set up correctly before starting the mini-game.

Jellyfish Rodeo

If your Game Boy Advance is connected to your GameCube, but you don't have a Game Pak inserted, then you can at least see a nifty radar whenever you go treasure huntin'. Now, hit the trail!

Apparently, you would initiate the mini-game (at least in Bikini Bottom) by going into a special tent with a Jellyfish inside.

SDK Leftovers#

The GameCube version contains many leftover files from the GameCube SDK.

Voice Clips#

File Name

Audio

Translation

gcn.pcm16

Nintendo GameCube

left_channel.pcm16

Left channel

right_channel.pcm16

Right channel

center_channel.pcm16

Center channel

rear_channel.pcm16

Rear channel

Sound Clips#

File Name

Audio

stream

helicopter.pcm16

MIDI Files#

The axdemo folder has the standard GameCube SDK midi files and sound tests.

File Name

Audio

2nd_time.mid

annie.mid

autumnal.mid

j_cycle.mid

worm.mid

fish.thp#

GCSDK_fish.webm

rebirth.thp#

GCSDK_rebirth.webm

Unknown Task#

Tasks have a setting which determines whether or not they are "available". Checkbox tasks use this setting, but they simply don't appear in the list if set. If set for a letter tile task, the task's description becomes "Unknown Task". No letter tile task uses this setting, so all letter tile task descriptions are shown from the start of the game. This is likely a development oversight, as this spoils the entire progression of the game from the outset.

Version Differences#

  • If the music starts again after being interrupted in any way, it will reset to the beginning of the track in the GameCube version and continue from where it was stopped in the PS2 version.
  • The visuals have some differences between platforms:
    • Lighting in the PS2 version appears lighter than in the GameCube version.
    • The level models are of much higher quality in the PS2 version.

PlayStation 2

GameCube

  • The PS2 version features the show's intro and a special DVD trailer. While the GameCube version does not, the disc still contains the files for both movies.
  • The Nick Games logo FMV plays at 60fps on PS2 and 30fps on GameCube.
  • The tile puzzles make SpongeBob's eyes transparent in the PS2 version.
  • Collision in the PS2 version is slightly modified, as SpongeBob won't get stuck on a platform if he is holding an object.
  • The PlayStation 2 version has a tendency to hang on loading screens and eventually crash on newer models. This bug is not present in the GameCube version.
  • In the PlayStation 2 version, the opening cutscene has visible ZZZZs above SpongeBob when he is about to wake up; the GameCube version lacks this, although the texture is still present.
  • Timing for cutscene subtitles is different between versions, with the GameCube version often having the correct line appearing slightly later than PlayStation 2.