Scribblenauts

 

Scribblenauts was probably one of the most anticipated original titles to come out on the DS because it was something never before seen but did it deliver everything we hoped it could?  Well…almost.

 

 

Scribblenauts is a side-scrolling puzzle game that basks on the idea of being able to think of anything you need to solve a puzzle, be it a ladder, shotgun, helicopter or maybe a Triceratops; this is done very well in the game boasting more than 22,000 different words.  Each level or puzzle will have a scenario such as a Starite stuck in a tree and before you start one hint is given to you. For this scenario obviously the hint will be “get the Starite out of the tree”.  Basic puzzles like these are nicely put at the beginning to help players get the feel of the game and let them explore their creative juices before really needing it on the difficult puzzles later on. 

 

There are 22 scenarios in each world, 11 being puzzle scenarios and the other 11 being “action” puzzles where you might need to equip yourself with a weapon to complete or do something within a time period.  Each of the 10 worlds supports a different theme: city, snow, desert, zoo, etc. but don’t think because you’re at the zoo you have to use only animals, the game wants you to switch it up and once again bring in those creative minds to the game.  Even more entertaining is replaying each level to get a gold rank, the players must replay the level back to back three times but cannot use the same items as they did the previous time they played it so you really have to dig deep in creativity on that last playthrough but that’s just another reason why Scribblenauts is so entertaining. 

 

 

There’s just one major problem with the game that really drags it down; the controls.  Being on the DS it’s obvious it’s touch screen based but not all the time is this the way to go.  Movement and placement of your thought up creations are both used via the touch screen so this comes a problem when you are trying to precisely move a small piece, say, a rope but you miss by a millimeter and the game registers it as a “move here” which sends your character running around and sometimes right into danger unexpectedly.  This is especially annoying if you are setting up something to get you over danger and you miss tap a placement and your avatar moves right into the lava or pit of spikes.  This takes some getting used to and soon you will know what you should/ shouldn’t do to avoid it but it could have been avoided if movement was with the directional pad and placement of objects/creatures was with the touch screen. 

 

 

Replay value is essential for puzzle games and Scribblenauts does not disappoint.  Completing puzzles and replaying them for gold rank rewards you with “ollars” (game currency) which you can spend on unlocking the other worlds to play on, a new avatar look or background music to buy for your created level which brings me to the next short topic of praising the audio in Scribblenauts.  Almost every object has its own audio (a few are recycled, a lot of the dinosaurs sound the same for example) and the background music is very whimsical setting the mood of the game which is pretty whimsical and relaxing. 

 

 

There are a lot of puzzles to test your creative skills but if you tire of doing those puzzles in the game why not create your own puzzle and share them with your friends?  You can surely do that too.

 

 

Scribblenauts is an entertaining game for anyone that likes the ability to pick up and play for awhile and go back to later. It’s also a great game for those hardcore types because despite what the game looks like graphically the puzzles in the game do become quite challenging.  All DS owners should give Scribblenauts a try and even though it may be hard to look past the control issue it is manageable.

 

 

Pros:  A lot of puzzles, variety in puzzles, the more creative the better, high replay value, WiFi puzzle creation/sharing.

 

Cons:  Controls

 

 

4/5