Scribblenauts Review

Scribblenauts

Sometimes the most simple of ideas can spark the biggest innovation and buzz. Name an object and it appears out of thin air. Then use said object to solve a wide array of puzzles. What could be simpler? In a game that is basic on premise but big on imagination, Scribblenauts gives gamers of all ages a surprise.

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What’s Good

What else did they add? Hot Air Balloon, check. Black Holes, check. Depth Charges, check. It seems like almost any common object you think of, developer 5th Cell thought of it first and made sure to add it into the game. It’s rumored that over 20,000 individual items have entered into the game. I can barely think of what’s outside of my house let alone 20,000 things! What can only amount to be countless nights of going through the dictionary from A-Z, the hard work pays off as a user’s imagination is tested during each scenario.

Simple fun, simple execution – Scribblenauts offers two types of modes. One is a puzzle mode in which you need to solve a specific criteria such as creating a tool for a child to break his pinata. Why go for a simple stick when a sledgehammer is so much more enjoyable? The other mode is an action mode which allows you to create objects to reach the star on the map. Though both modes differ in premise they execute with simplicity. Even those skeptical of playing video games find themselves racking their brain to create even the most obscure objects. In fact, don’t be surprised if you spend most of your time on the title screen just to see what 5th Cell has or hasn’t included.

Plenty to Do – Scribblenauts awards you with Ollars, which you use to unlock more characters, music, and levels. With 10 levels in all you’ll be able to pick up and play the numerous amount of scenarios. The game will even challenge your imagination further by going into advanced mode, which permits you from reusing old words to solve the puzzles. There’s also the fact that the way you solve a puzzle could be totally different from the way another person solves it. Watching someone else play is just as enjoyable as playing yourself. Adding the ability to create and share you own custom levels gives you more to choose from, which extends the life of the title.

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What’s Bad

Go here, NO I SAID HERE! It seems odd that Scribblenauts forces you to use a stylist when the d-pad would have been totally acceptable. Interacting with Maxwell can often be unresponsive and would have worked better without the use of one. Sometimes you’ll click to interact with an object only to have Maxwell continually jump on the edge of the screen or jump into a cavern of lava. Both the d-pad and main buttons are used to pan the camera around the map which seems a bit like overkill. It can make inexperienced (and impatient) gamers a bit frustrated.

A one trick pony – The main draw is the huge dictionary embedded into the game.  It’s unlike anything we’ve ever played.  However, it’s the only real bullet point. After the 4th or 5th level you might start to get fatgiued by the whole premise. It’s a double edged sword that tends to happen on games with a small amount of features regardless of how interesting they might be.

One Part Boat, Two Parts Whale – Scribblenauts is victim of its own creation. Creating too many objects on the screen produces some significant slow down for the tiny handheld. Just be sure to keep away from the big objects and things shouldn’t get too bad.

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Worth Remembering

Handing Scribblenauts to your girlfriend (or boyfriend), and watch as they create 10x more interesting objects. Some people are just more creative than others. In this case, mine surpassed me without hesitation.

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Worth Forgetting

The music might be cute in creation but after hearing it for hours it’s becomes one of those annoying tunes forever destined to be stuck in your head.

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Scribblenauts takes a simple idea and creates a fun puzzler that everyone can enjoy. Some might sit down for hours while others might tire of the main attraction after a few levels. Regardless of the type of person you might be, the game’s accessibility tempts people of all ages to give it a go. It’s a title that is both ageless and timeless in its presentation. One in which you might pick up three months or a year from now. Scribblenauts is definitely one of a kind.

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