In the notepad, you can write anything you can think of! However, there are a few rules to what objects you can write. First, it must be a real-life physical object. Additionally, it cannot be: a place, proper name, suggestive material, shape, Latin or Greek root word, alcohol, race or culture, vulgarity, or copyrighted.
That is the explanation found in a tutorial level of Scribblenauts for the Nintendo DS. I assure you that if those stipulation seem limiting they are not. Here are a few things that Maxwell -- the main character -- can create that I didn't even know about before playing Scribblenauts: Ahool, xun, and verger. All of those things are in the game. Not only are they in the game, but just about everything behaves and interacts as it should. Give a fireman a hose and he'll put out fires. It works and it works surprisingly well. That leaves us with the game bit, which is a split between Donkey Kong '94 type "action" levels and logic-testing "puzzle" levels. No one can argue that the mechanics behind scribblenauts are not fun, but does it work as a game?
In order for Scribblenauts to reach it's potential it needs to provide levels that give ample opportunity to have fun with the word-manifestation device, which is called the notepad. The two types of levels ask the player to use his brain in slightly different ways. The puzzle levels usually require the creation of a specific type of object. For example, one level requires you to wake up a boy and feed a girl. Seems easy and it is. The difficulty comes from trying not to repeat items you used in the game previously, because that earns you merits (basically achievements). A bell and eggs will work to earn you the Starite (the shiny thing you are trying to get to end the level), but the game begs for creativity. Prepare to feel disappointed with yourself if you can't get more creative than that.
On the other side of the split are the action levels. There is a Starite somewhere in the level. There are a number of obstacles in the way. Get to the starite. It sounds simple, but the difficulty ramps up quickly. For example, one level places the starite on one side, Maxwell on the other, and a Tornado in the middle. Every level start with a usually useless hint. This levels hint is "Definitely not in Kansas anymore... or wait..." The tornado knocks everything out of the way. Tunnels, wizards, and wicked witches on bicycles all failed to work. It took me several tries to figure this one out. This becomes especially difficult when trying to keep under "par." Par being the typical number of items the developers decided it should take to beat the level.
Which brings this review to the most fun I had with Scribblenauts; setting it down and asking my friends, family, and co-workers for help. Everyone had an idea and there was visible excitement when someone would think of something they were sure would work. It became a group effort and had universal appeal among the people I introduced it to.
That is not to suggest that scribbling alone isn't fun. The game is addicting and when one level is conquered it is difficult to stop playing. However, Scribblenauts is occasionally disappointing. It is hard to ignore the feeling that the game doesn't demand cleverness a lot of the time. Sure, you can choose to be clever, but the simplest solutions almost always work. The Tornado level's solution was so easy and none of the puns or references to Wizard of Oz that I was expecting to work had any effect. Sure, I may have just missed it, but I think 5th Cell may have been the ones to miss it.
Besides a few missed opportunities for cleverness 5th Cell's little game amazes. The dictionary is complete, which keeps the novelty fresh for the duration of experience. There are a ton of levels and you will be discovering new interactions up until the end. It is like having a Holodeck on your Nintendo DS, but like everything in Scribblenauts it is up to you to create the fun.
Pros: Works as advertised, amazingly predictable interactions, lots of unexpected things in the dictionary
Cons: Not all the levels exploit the dictionary as well as they could have
Darke
said:
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You know, I haven't bought a DS game in a while. But this looks great! The only problem is, instead of typing in "Trampoline" every level. I will have to use self imposed rules every time. Like the latest Forwards Compatible, I will "finish" the game under par. But I will "beat" it however I want  |
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