Scribblenauts Review

Written by: Steve Martin Posted: 15th December 2009

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Scribbling on DS.

Scribblenauts Details:

	Puzzle
	Nintendo DS
	5th Cell
	Warner Bros.

12+

Out Now

Scribblenauts is a title I've personally been looking forward to since I first heard about the fascinating premise behind the gameplay. The goal of each level is to help your character Maxwell obtain a starite, at his disposal is anything you can think of! Tapping the notebook icon in the corner of the screen brings up a keyboard, you type in whatever object you need to aid Maxwell in his attempt to get the starite and suddenly the object is in the level with you and you can drag it around and place it where it is needed or give it to Maxwell or any of the other people onscreen, whatever you think will help complete the level. This opens up all sorts of possibilities and allows your imagination and inventiveness run wild! A simple example is one of the earliest levels which places the starite in a tree, the obvious solution would be a ladder which Maxwell could use to reach it, my solution was to use a chainsaw to remove the pesky tree! Objects can be used in conjunction with each other by using connecting objects such as glue, rope, leads, wires etc.

There are a number of different stages to unlock in the main story modes, ranging from ancient to city areas, and each of these is split into 11 puzzle levels and 11 action levels. Puzzle levels give you an initial hint as to what you have to do to obtain the starite (which is occasionally not onscreen) such as one level that shows you a policeman, fireman, doctor and a chef and it says to give 2 of them objects that you would use in their hands. Whereas action levels require you to navigate your way to the starite by using the objects you create. All the levels have a par which is the number of objects the level should be completed in, but this is not a limit! There is a bar that shows you how full the level is and if this is full then you will not be able to conjure up anymore objects, but to remedy this you just have to drag an unwanted object to the trash can object in the corner of the screen. Completing the level the first time, opens up the next level, however the real challenge occurs when you retry a level, as this will then require you to beat the same level but using three different sets of objects, any objects used in a previous attempt are not allowed! This is truly challenging and will test your brain and your vocabulary!

It’s easy to praise this unique game mechanic and it is indeed praise worthy, until you discover that it has its limitations. This happens when you think of an ingenious idea to solve one of the games many puzzles, you set everything up and find that it doesn’t work the way you expected it to, this can range from disappointing to soul-destroying depending on how much thought has gone into your plan. There are other flaws too, the control system is a nightmare at times with taps and slides being used for object grabbing and placing as well as to direct Maxwell around the level, many times Mr Maxwell ended up in the lava or in the lake being eaten by piranhas or barracudas, causing you to start all over again.

The graphics are also a little disappointing with the 2D levels lacking any sort of character with stages looking the same as each other just with some new obstacles. The design style is best described as simplistic, despite this if you fill the level with lots of moving objects and you will encounter some graphical glitches as the game struggles to cope. The audio is also dull with dollops of uninspiring background music that is best left turned off, there is also little in the way of sound effects but many of these seem very similar to each other.

The level designer mode is also far too limited, as there is a limit to the amount of objects that can be on screen at the same time, also you can only choose from stages used in the main game. This just makes the whole process a little boring and stops you from creating the grand level designs you have in your head!

It’s great to see such a unique and ambitious game on a popular games platform and 5th Cell should be highly commended for a brilliant effort, even if there are some irritating flaws with the control system and the fact that the game can easy be beaten using the same set of items, but players who choose this way of playing are missing out on the foundations of what the game is trying to illustrate which is experimentation. The game is challenging and equally rewarding, and its flaws are forgivable, I really hope I’ve managed to convince many of you to give this game a go as it is truly a diamond of a game albeit one which has yet to be refined.