If you had to get a cat down from the roof of a house, how would you do it?
What if you had to break out of prison, surrounded by belligerent inmates and trigger-happy policemen?
Or stop a boat from crashing into an iceberg?
In Scribblenauts, the new game for the Nintendo DS, players are tasked with these and numerous other objectives.
Sound difficult?
Never fear! Developer 5th Cell has equipped the game with a word bank of over 10,000 widely various nouns for you to discover and utilize in your exploits.
Simply write in your desired tool/animal/weapon/whatever (excluding copyrighted material, alcohol, drugs and adult-themed words) and it will appear in the game world to help (or maybe hurt!) you in your journey.
The game offers a unique, charming, often hilarious and challenging experience to the player, though it can be hampered by touchy controls from time to time.
The initial appeal of the game is its immense word bank.
Indeed, much of the game’s fun comes from testing the scope of included items, which can be done right from the get-go on the game’s title screen. This area is a virtual “sandbox” where you can create whatever you want and have your character, Maxwell, interact with your creations.
The meat of the game, however, lies in its over two hundred action and puzzle levels. These challenges are nicely varied and creative, although the difficulty is inconsistent at times.
Occasionally, a seemingly impossible level will follow a no-brainer.
It is also possible that, due to the unorthodox game play, different players may experience considerably different learning curves.
But on the whole, the challenges are fun, reasonable and most importantly, can be solved in any number of ways. Players can expect to spend a solid chunk of time tackling these obstacles, and doing it all over again later on.
The charm of Scribblenauts is undeniable. Maxwell is adorable, always smiling and cheerful as he runs about solving puzzles. The music is catchy and upbeat. Characters make short utterances to indicate their mood, from an interested “Hmm!” to a guttural battle cry. Objects are easily recognizable and animate in a dapper fashion.
The simplicity of the graphics is more than made up for by a style and humor that distinguishes the game from its less-inspired contemporaries.
The action is controlled entirely by the touch screen, while the camera can be operated by the directional buttons. This simple interface allows players to pick up the game and get going with little explanation needed.
However, it can lead to frustrations when attempting to work quickly. A misplaced tap on the screen can send Maxwell running gleefully to certain doom, often via a pit of lava or an unfriendly beast.
Time and experience will somewhat diminish these annoyances, but the game sometimes demands precision that one can’t be expected to perform in a single attempt.
At the end of the day, Scribblenauts’s unique mechanics and charming atmosphere shine through despite its occasional shortcomings in control and consistency. Players who take advantage of what the game has to offer will find a gold mine of entertainment.
For a Conn-themed take on the game, see how many puzzles you can solve using a camel!
