Of all the properties for Madden NFL 21 to have a crossover with, nobody could have expected the SpongeBob Squarepants franchise to make an appearance. However, this is exactly what is happening, as SpongeBob’s appearance in the latest Madden game is set to happen sometime tomorrow. While it is still unclear as to what the crossover is going to include, as it could be anything from special Ultimate Team Cards to a Bikini Bottom-themed stadium, the bigger question is just why the SpongeBob-themed event is happening in the first place.
While it is surely going to be strange to see SpongeBob sharing the stage with football players in Madden NFL 21, the confusing event is not without reason. Surprisingly, there is an explanation behind the unexpected SpongeBob teasers, and it ties back to the property that Madden is based on. With the NFL and Nickelodeon having a mostly undiscussed relationship, a greater understanding of the crossover begins to present itself — though knowing why the SpongeBob connection is being made does not make the fact that it is happening any less weird.
Announced via a post on the official Madden NFL 21 Twitter account on January 5, SpongeBob’s face was seen hidden in a yellow background. Captioned “are you ready?,” a reference to the catchy theme song from the beloved show led by the sea sponge, the post’s January 7 release date teases that something big is coming soon. While what exactly this is remains to be seen, bit of SpongeBob-related news has certainly gotten people talking.
With most people asking why this event is happening, as nobody involved with Madden NFL 21 has commented further on the crossover, it would be easy to assume that there is simply no answer behind the team-up. However, one Twitter post from CBS perfectly explains the logic behind the pairing, as SpongeBob’s role in Madden NFL 21 is connected to the NFL playoffs. This Sunday, the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears will be playing each other in a Wild Card game, with each team hoping to brave the tough path to the Super Bowl. However, the game will not just be broadcasted on CBS, as a dual broadcast will occur on Nickelodeon.
The Twitter post announcing the news showcases some of the things that will be seen in the Nickelodeon version of the event, with the televised appearance including some cheesy graphics such as slime from the Kid’s Choice Awards and googly eyes being placed on NFL stars. With visuals mimicking the popular online game Roblox being used to recap certain plays, the broadcast certainly seems to know its audience. The more child-friendly version of the game will even see sideline reporters being replaced by Nickelodeon stars like All That‘s Lex Lumpkin, and the dual broadcast of the playoff game seems like a unique attempt to get children more interested in the sport of football.
The Tweet also mentions SpongeBob, with the the character’s involvement in the event explained via a post on the ViacomCBS website. With the company owning both CBS and Nickelodeon, the thought process behind the dual broadcast seems obvious, and the post also details a major reason behind the Nickelodeon showing of the Wild Card game. With plenty of people likely tuning in by halftime, Nickelodeon will be able to premiere the first trailer for the SpongeBob Squarepants spinoff show Kamp Koral, which sees everyone from Sandy to Plankton as depicted as kids. A pre-game countdown will see the NFL’s Von Miller recapping SpongeBob’s sports-themed moments, which will surely include clips from the Bubble Bowl performance and Fry Cook competition.
Keeping this special playoff broadcast in mind, the reasoning behind SpongeBob’s appearance in Madden NFL 21 seems clear. Rather than just giving one of 2020’s most disappointing games a second chance at life through a quirky SpongeBob cameo, the football sim is being used as another way to hype up this weekend’s major playoff clash on Nickelodeon. With similar things being done via weekly challenges in Madden’s Ultimate Team mode, the main draw of the series, the thought process becomes even more understandable.
While the reasoning behind the crossover can be figured out, narrowing down what will actually be seen in the special content is a bit more challenging. While the NFL has worked with Fortnite and other well-known games in the past, bringing team logos and memorabilia to the game, having content not related to Football inside a Madden game is relatively unheard of. Still, there are a few possibilities that immediately jump out for SpongeBob content.
For starters, Madden NFL 21 stadiums could be packed with crowds in SpongeBob shirts. Coaches can be placed in mascot-like costumes, mimicking older characters with aggressive personalities such as Mr. Krabs and Squidward. A funny redesign of player helmets could take place, with NFL stars seeing their protective gear replaced by SpongeBob’s Karate helmet. Jellyfishes or Gary the Snail can be tossed around in place of a pigskin, while popular music from the SpongeBob SquarePants show and movies can be used in the menus of Madden NFL 21.
Other possibilities include SpongeBob SquarePants clips being used in between plays, as well as a halftime performance of one of the show’s catchier tracks. The best possible crossover would see SpongeBob and his popular pal Patrick commentating over NFL action for a short time, though this would take a fair bit of work on the part of EA Sports and Nickelodeon. Still, if this collaboration is extensive as it seems to be, including the most prominent members of SpongeBob Squarepants’ voice cast does not seem out of the realm of possibility. It is hard to imagine something more entertaining than Patrick Star delivering the much-memed line “firmly grasp it” upon a fumble happening in a game, and plenty more SpongeBob SquarePants quotes could be used if a commentary team was part of the crossover.
At the same time, it is entirely possible that the crossover is limited to some yellow jerseys and SpongeBob SquarePants character cutouts in the crowd — mimicking how real football games have been referencing games and cartoons with their fake attendees. Regardless of what happens in the crossover, though, Madden players can expect some form of advertisement for this Sunday’s Nickelodeon playoff game between the Bears and Saints. After all, that seems to be the primary reason such a bizarre crossover between SpongeBob and a football game is even happening.
Madden NFL 21 is out now on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Source: ViacomCBS
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