Write Anything, Solve Everything

Nintendo DS developers and the software developers at 5th Cell have generated a great deal of buzz in recent months about their latest, greatest innovation in gaming technology: Scribblenauts. Scribblenauts is a pioneering venture in emergent gameplay, encouraging-even demanding-creativity and imaginative thinking from the player in a way that has never before been explored. Scribblenauts' genius lies in its departure from the conventional puzzle-solving game format, introducing innovative technologies to engage the player in interactive and creativity-driven gameplay. The game is composed of 10 different worlds, each consisting of 22 missions. Within each mission, the player is required to maneuver their character, Maxwell, to attain a Starite. Attaining the Starite marks the successful completion of the mission. In each world, 11 of the 22 missions are "action" levels, which require you to physically maneuver Maxwell in order to obtain an out-of-reach Starite. One action level requires the player to conquer a werewolf and a vampire; the objective can be reached in a number of ways depending on the player's imagination. For example, one player might summon the Sun to vanquish both of the enemies, while another player may summon a stake and a silver bullet to dispose of the enemies individually. The 11 "puzzle" levels require the player to meet certain conditions in order to make the Starite appear. For instance, one puzzle level displays a man and a woman, and simply demands that the player "make their night romantic." This can be achieved in a variety of ways: placing a full moon in the sky, equipping the male with a diamond ring, placing a shooting star in the sky, as well as a number of other solutions. The game's most impressive feature is easily its extensive and often obscure vocabulary. I found that I had more fun testing the game developers' foresight and lexicographic skills than I did actually completing the assigned missions. The game's recognition of minor and timely cultural references amused me to no end. Type in terms such as "Rickroll," "lolwut," and "Leeroy Jenkins" (for those virally internet-savvy) and observe what happens. The game's only limitations in terms of vocabulary are associated with copyrighted terms and lewd material. Not only does the game's software allow it to recognize the player's vocabulary input, but the software also attaches certain properties to each term, allowing the player to interact with and utilize many of the objects summoned. These interactions can be employed by the player for the purpose of achieving certain tasks. These interactions ultimately grant the player the ability to overcome physical and abstract obstacles in their quest to attain a Starite in each level. My main qualms with Scribblenauts lie in its lack of precision in control and letter recognition. Navigation and movement of Maxwell grow somewhat annoying as well; rather than the typical directional pad controls, Maxwell is entirely controlled by tapping the screen incessantly with the DS stylus. Another quality I found Scribblenauts to be lacking in was consistent and enduring entertainment value. As much as I enjoyed the novelty of the game's incredible technology and vocabulary, solving puzzle after puzzle after puzzle became a bit of a drag towards the end. It is also very frustrating to summon multiple objects only to have each of them fail you in your objective. It tests the player's patience, and patience is a quality which I irrefutably lack. Additionally, as a game player who enjoys living vicariously through fictional characters to fill the void in my socially awkward life, I lamented the game's lack of character depth. However, Scribblenauts cannot be placed at fault for this lack of personal investment; it serves exactly the purpose it advertises: mentally stimulating problem-solving and imagination-driven puzzles. For any puzzle enthusiast, there is little better way to challenge the mind and the imagination than this inventive and delightfully interactive game. While there are several flaws to be worked out in the basic gameplay, Scribblenauts is certainly a winner.