Nickelodeon
| Nickelodeon | |
| |
| Founded | 1977 (Network) 2002 (Nick Games) |
| Current State | Active |
| Headquarters | One Astor Plaza, New York City, New York, U.S. 🇺🇸(Main HQ) |
| Type | Network Licensor Studio |
| Worked On |  (🇦🇺 Competition)  (Co-Produced/Licensed) |
| Website | Current Website Sep. 2008 Website |
Nickelodeon is an American cable network and animation studio, one of the largest in the world. They are responsible not only for animated and live-action children's programming, but also movies and video games, the latter of which they've had a long history with under their Nick Games banner alongside THQ. One of these games is Drawn to Life: Spongebob Squarepants Edition, the sole licensed game of the series.
History[edit]
Founded in 1977 under the QUBE block as C-3 with Pinwheel[1], Nickelodeon eventually rebranded and grew into an even grander success globally. This was owed in part to their original animated programming "Nicktoons", varied live-action programming and subsidiaries such as Nick Jr and Nickelodeon Movies. SpongeBob SquarePants, The Loud House, iCarly and Henry Danger account for their most successful original programming, whilst Avatar: The Last Airbender, Invader Zim, Hey Arnold!, The Adventures of Pete & Pete and Are You Afraid of the Dark? are among their most critically-acclaimed.
Starting in 1988 with Double Dare, Nickelodeon would venture into licensing and co-producing video games, with the Nick Games banner being introduced in 2002. Nickelodeon released a large number of games, most notably those published by THQ, starting their collaborations with The Ren & Stimpy Show: Space Cadet Adventures in 1992. These include games based on their licensed properties, such as SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, as well as original franchises such as Tak and the Power of Juju.
Development of Drawn to Life[edit]
Nickelodeon was not involved with development of the original Drawn to Life; however, they became intertwined with the series in terms of promotional material. Launching exclusively in Australia, a competition was held to promote Drawn to Life on the game's website, with the goal being to play a now-lost demo of the game. The grand prize winner received a Nintendo DS Lite for themselves and all of their classmates, as well as a copy of the game and a year's worth of THQ titles. Runner-ups won their schools an art pack worth $200 AUD.
Development of Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition[edit]
After Drawn to Life's release, THQ was looking to publish the next SpongeBob SquarePants game on the DS, and discussed a potential licensed crossover title with Nickelodeon. The idea came after both companies noticed the similarities between the game and the episode Frankendoodle, which the game would end up being based on. After Jeremiah Slaczka refused to have 5th Cell develop it, THQ instead turned to Altron to work on the game, utilizing assets from their previous title Atlantis SquarePantis. Nickelodeon would co-produce the game, as they did for previous SpongeBob titles.
Much like the first game, Drawn to Life: Spongebob Squarepants Edition would have a promotional website and competition in Australia. The goal again being playing a short demo of the game to draw your Hero, this demo, much like the first game's, remains lost. The winner would receive a Nintendo DS Lite for themselves and each member of their class, as well as a copy of the game; although no runner-up prizes were given out.
An exclusive DS carry case was also developed for the game's release as a pre-order bonus, one of the few pieces of official merchandise the franchise ever got.
The uDraw and Aftermath of THQ[edit]
In 2010, the uDraw GameTablet was released for the Wii. Originally convieved as a Drawn to Life peripheral for more licensed spin-offs in the vein of the SpongeBob SquarePants Edition[2], it eventually spun-off into it's own accessory with it's own exclusive, and limited, lineup of games. Although no Drawn to Life games released for it, two licensed Nickelodeon games would release in 2011 - SpongeBob SquigglePants and The Penguins of Madagascar: Dr. Blowhole Returns – Again!.
THQ's last few years saw a decline in the number of collaborations with Nickelodeon, with the two companies eventually cutting ties with each other for financial reasons. In 2011, the two released their very last game together, SpongeBob's Surf & Skate Roadtrip; the very next year saw THQ declaring Chapter 11 bankruptcy and selling off most of their franchises - and eventually their name - to Nordic Games, now known as THQ Nordic. The Drawn to Life Series was not among them, being sold to 505 Games in April 2013. Nickelodeon's licensed games remained in the hands of the network, with their games division teaming up with other publishers to licensed their franchises to, including THQ Nordic.
Notable Works[edit]
| Show | Creator | Production Company(s) | Start/End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinwheel | Dr. Vivian Horner | Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment | Dec. 1, 1977 - Jul. 31, 1984 |
| Double Dare | Geoffrey Darby Dee LaDuke Robert Mittenthal Michael Klinghoffer |
Nickelodeon Productions | Oct. 6, 1986 – Feb. 7, 1993 |
| Rugrats | Arlene Klasky Gábor Csupó Paul Germain |
Klasky Csupó Games Animation |
Aug. 11, 1991 - Aug. 1, 2004 |
| Doug* | Jim Jenkins | Jumbo Pictures Ellipse Programme Games Animation |
Aug. 11, 1991 - Jan. 2, 1994 |
| The Ren and Stimpy Show | John Kricfalusi | Spümcø Games Animation |
Aug. 11, 1991 -Dec. 16, 1995 |
| Are You Afraid of the Dark? | D. J. MacHale Ned Kandel |
CINAR Nickelodeon Productions |
Aug. 15, 1992 - Jun. 11, 2000 |
| The Adventures of Pete & Pete | Will McRobb Chris Viscardi |
Nickelodeon Productions Gordon Productions Wellsville Pictures |
Nov. 28, 1993 - Apr. 1, 1996 |
| All That | Mike Tollin Brian Robbins |
Nickelodeon Productions Tollin/Robbins Productions |
Apr. 16, 1994 -Oct. 22, 2005 |
| Hey Arnold! | Craig Bartlett | Snee-Oosh Games Animation |
Oct. 7, 1996 - Jun. 8, 2004 |
| SpongeBob SquarePants | Stephen Hillenberg | United Plankton Pictures Nickelodeon Animation Studio |
May 1, 1999 - Present |
| The Fairly OddParents | Butch Hartman | Frederator Studios Nickelodeon Animation Studio |
Mar. 30, 2001 -Jul. 26, 2017 |
| Invader Zim | Jhonen Vasquez | Nickelodeon Animation Studio | Mar. 30, 2001 -Aug. 19, 2006 |
| The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius | John A. Davis | O Entertainment D.N.A Productions Nickelodeon Animation Studio |
Jul. 20, 2002 -Nov. 25, 2006 |
| Drake and Josh | Dan Schneider | Schneider's Bakery Nickelodeon Productions |
Jan. 11, 2004 -Sept. 16, 2007 |
| Danny Phantom | Butch Hartman | Billionfold Inc. Nickelodeon Animation Studio |
Apr. 3, 2004 -Aug. 24, 2007 |
| Avatar: The Last Airbender | Michael Dante DiMartino Bryan Konietzko |
Nickelodeon Animation Studio | Feb. 21, 2005 -Jul. 19, 2008 |
| Tak and the Power of Juju | John Blackburn** | THQ Nickelodeon Animation Studio |
Aug. 31, 2007 -Jan. 24, 2009 |
| iCarly | Dan Schneider | Schneider's Bakery Nickelodeon Productions |
Sept. 8, 2007 - Nov. 23, 2012 |
| House of Anubis | Hans Bourlon Gert Verhulst |
Studio 100 Lime Pictures Nickelodeon Productions |
Jan. 1 2011 - Jun. 17, 2013 |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Ciro Nieli Joshua Sternin Jennifer Ventimilia |
Nickelodeon Animation Studio LowBar Productions |
Sept. 28, 2012 -Nov. 12, 2017 |
| Henry Danger | Dan Schneider Dana Olsen |
Schneider's Bakery Nickelodeon Productions |
Jul. 26, 2014 -Mar. 21, 2020 |
| The Loud House | Chris Savino | Nickelodeon Animation Studio | May 2, 2016 - Present |
| Big Nate | Mitch Watson | John Cohen Productions Nickelodeon Animation Studio |
Feb. 17, 2022 Aug. 26, 2024 |
| Wylde Pak | Paul Watling Kyle Marshall |
Nickelodeon Animation Studio | Jun. 6, 2025 - Present |
| Garfield | John Trabbic Jim Davis |
Paws, Inc. Nickelodeon Animation Studio |
TBA |
*Nickelodeon only produced Seasons 1 - 4, as Disney would later acquire the series and make the rest.
**Blackburn created the original games the show is based on.
| Game | Publisher/Developer | System | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Double Dare | Gametek Rare |
Commodore 64 MS-DOS NES |
1988 |
| The Ren & Stimpy Show: Space Cadet Adventures | THQ Imagineering |
Game Boy | November 1992 |
| Aaahh!!! Real Monsters | Viacom New Media Realtime Associates |
SNES/Genesis | Aug. 15, 1995 |
| Rugrats: Search for Reptar | THQ n-Space |
PlayStation | Nov. 1998 |
| SpongeBob SquarePants: Legend of the Lost Spatula | THQ Vicarious Visions |
Game Boy Color | Mar. 5, 2001 |
| Hey Arnold!: The Movie | THQ Altron |
Game Boy Advance | May 29, 2002 |
| SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom | THQ Heavy Iron Studios Vicarious Visions |
PlayStation 2 GameCube Xbox Game Boy Advance |
Oct. 29, 2003 |
| Tak and the Power of Juju | THQ Avalanche Software Helixe |
PlayStation 2 GameCube Game Boy Advance |
Oct. 15, 2003 |
| Nicktoons: Freeze Frame Frenzy | THQ Altron |
Game Boy Advance | Sept. 27, 2004 |
| The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie | THQ Heavy Iron Studios WayForward |
PlayStation 2 GameCube Xbox Game Boy Advance |
Oct. 27, 2004 |
| SpongeBob SquarePants: Lights, Camera, Pants! | THQ THQ Studio Australia WayForward |
PlayStation 2 GameCube Xbox Game Boy Advance |
Oct. 19, 2005 |
| Nicktoons Unite! | THQ Blue Tongue Entertainment Climax Studios |
PlayStation 2 GameCube Game Boy Advance Nintendo DS |
Oct. 26, 2005 |
| Avatar: The Last Airbender | THQ THQ Studio Australia Tose Halfbrick |
PlayStation 2 GameCube Xbox Wii PlayStation Portable Game Boy Advance Nintendo DS |
Oct. 10, 2006 |
| SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab | THQ Blitz Games WayForward |
PlayStation 2 GameCube Wii Game Boy Advance Nintendo DS |
Oct. 18, 2006 |
| Drawn to Life* | THQ 5th Cell |
Nintendo DS | Sept. 10, 2007 |
| SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis | THQ Blitz Games Altron |
PlayStation 2 Wii Game Boy Advance Nintendo DS |
Oct. 23, 2007 |
| Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition | THQ Altron |
Nintendo DS | Sept. 15, 2008 |
| SpongeBob's Truth or Square | THQ Heavy Iron Studios Barking Lizards Technologies Altron |
Xbox 360 Wii PlayStation Portable Nintendo DS |
Oct. 26, 2009 |
| SpongeBob SquigglePants | THQ WayForward |
Wii Nintendo 3DS |
Apr. 12, 2011 |
| The Penguins of Madagascar: Dr. Blowhole Returns – Again! | THQ DreamWorks Animation Griptonite Games |
Xbox 360 Wii PlayStation 3 Nintendo DS |
Sept. 6, 2011 |
| SpongeBob's Surf & Skate Roadtrip | THQ Blitz Games Sabarasa Inc. |
Xbox 360 Nintendo 3DS |
Nov. 8, 2011 |
| SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated | THQ Nordic Purple Lamp Studios |
Steam PlayStation 4 Xbox One Nintendo Switch |
Jun. 23, 2020 |
| Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl | GameMill Entertainment Ludosity Fair Play Labs |
Steam PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5 Xbox One Xbox Series X/S Nintendo Switch |
Oct. 5, 2021 |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge | Tribute Games Dotemu |
Steam PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5 Xbox One Xbox Series X/S Nintendo Switch |
Jun. 16, 2022 |
| SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake | THQ Nordic Purple Lamp Studios |
Steam PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5 Xbox One Xbox Series X/S Nintendo Switch |
Jan. 31, 2023 |
| Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 | GameMill Entertainment Fair Play Labs |
Steam PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5 Xbox One Xbox Series X/S Nintendo Switch |
Nov. 7, 2023 |
| SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide | THQ Nordic Purple Lamp Studios |
Steam PlayStation 5 Xbox Series X/S Nintendo Switch 2 |
Nov. 18, 2025 |
*Australian competition only.
Trivia[edit]
- Despite 505 Games buying the Drawn to Life franchise, Nickelodeon retains the rights to SpongeBob SquarePants Edition, as they own the rights to the TV series.
- Nickelodeon would not create a competition for either version of Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter in Australia, as THQ instead created it themselves.
- The in-game variant of the Spanish version's logo in Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition uses the 2009 Nickelodeon logo, rather than the "Pink Lemonade" variant of the 1984 logo the other versions used.
- This version also uses Truth or Square's DS icon rather than the regular one.
- Nickelodeon would reuse the box art for SpongeBob SquarePants Edition for the board game DoodleBob Draw-Off, albeit with a more determined expression on SpongeBob.
- Interestingly, Altron's SpongeBob game trilogy would use the Nick Arcade and standard Nickelodeon logos rather than the Nick Games logo, despite the latter still being used at the time.
Media[edit]
The prompt presenting links for either the main website or the website based on the original Drawn to Life.
The competition page for the first Drawn to Life's website.
The SpongeBob SquarePants Edition website starting up. (Click to View)
The SpongeBob SquarePants Edition website loading after startup. (Click to View)
The SpongeBob SquarePants Edition website homepage being drawn. (Click to View)
The SpongeBob SquarePants Edition website homepage being erased. (Click to View)
The SpongeBob SquarePants Edition website homepage.
The SpongeBob SquarePants Edition website game Page.
The SpongeBob SquarePants Edition website gameplay Page.
The SpongeBob SquarePants Edition website competition page containing the winning results for a DTL SB-themed contest.
The SpongeBob SquarePants Edition website's DoodlePants' Profile.
The SpongeBob SquarePants Edition website's SpongeBob's Profile.
The SpongeBob SquarePants Edition website's Patrick's Profile.
The SpongeBob SquarePants Edition website's Squidward's Profile.
The SpongeBob SquarePants Edition website's DoodleBob's Profile.
The boxart of the board game DoodleBob Draw-Off, with an altered expression on SpongeBob.
A Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition branded DS carry case.
The Nickelodeon logo in-game when Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition starts up.
The game's logo featuring the 1984 Nickelodeon logo.
The Spanish version of the game's logo featuring the 2009 Nickelodeon logo.
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| Nintendo DS | 5th Cell • THQ • Agatsuma Entertainment |
|---|---|
| iOS | 505 Games • WayForward |
|
| |
| Altron • Nickelodeon • THQ | |
|
| |
| Planet Moon Studios • THQ | |
| 5th Cell • THQ | |
| Most Regions | 505 Games • Digital Continue |
| South Korean Release | H2 Interactive |
Directory: Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition → Nickelodeon | |
