The MERV is an enemy character in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie video game.
Description[]
MERVs are generally small fish that pilot flying vehicles. MERVs hover in the air and shoot lasers at SpongeBob or Patrick if they approach them.
In the level "Shell City, Dead Ahead," they are fish under the control of Plankton. They are blue fish who wear red and yellow horizon-striped shirts and a Chum Bucket bucket helmet on their heads. They pilot vehicles that resemble buckets without handles. The fish sits in the bucket's top, along with two levers. The bucket has a flat wing on each side, and on its back is a bamboo tube attached to a bucket, which excretes smoke and fire. On the bucket's bottom is a laser-shooting weapon.
In the level "Welcome to Planktopolis... Minions," they are upgraded of the previous MERVs seen in "Shell City, Dead Ahead." A bamboo handle is now attached to the bucket and a propeller is attached to the handle. The wings are replaced by missile launchers that shoot red firework-shaped missiles. The bucket spitting out smoke and fire now has a rudder and the laser attached to the MERV is upgraded and square-shaped.
Abilities[]
- Hovering
- Defensive laser system
- Rockets
Role in game[]
MERVs are the eighth and last enemy type introduced in the game. They first appear in the Combat Arena Challenge of the level "Now That We're Men". They hover above the ground, and if SpongeBob or Patrick approach them, MERVs will target them with orange-yellow lasers before blasting them with a blue laser. The laser can only be dodged if SpongeBob or Patrick move away from the MERVs.
In the level "Welcome to Planktopolis... Minions," they gain missile launchers, which shoot missiles that split into five mini-missiles. These can be spun back once SpongeBob or Patrick's spin attacks are upgraded. Their laser can now push away SpongeBob's SpongeBowl via a purple laser.
MERVs and Mini-MERVs alike are safest to defeat from a far range. While the Mini-MERVs can be safely taken care of with nearly any ranged attack, you do need to be cautious of the MERVs' missile attack. MERVs can be easily defeated by either deflecting their missiles with an upgraded spin attack, or dealt with from a very long range with the Sonic Wave attack. While it is very risky to defeat Mini-MERVs and MERVs close-range due to their laser attack, it is possible if you can keep yourself behind or under them and performing your spin or bash attacks there. They are however very tanky, with Mini-MERVs taking six hits to be defeated, and MERVs taking nine hits to be defeated (however alike from all enemies, the amount of hits needed to defeat them can be decreased with certain attacks).
The Mini-MERVs give the player 70 manliness points when defeated, while the MERVs give the player 200 manliness points.
Trivia[]
- They are most likely inspired by the Monsoon and Sleepy-Time from Battle for Bikini Bottom, as MERVs float like Monsoons and can only be damaged from afar like Sleepy-Times.
- The MERVs found in "Shell City, Dead Ahead" are called "Mini-MERVs."
- All MERVs are piloted by Incidental 65s.
Gallery[]
