MadCap's Game Reviews - "Super Scribblenauts"

"Words! Words! Words!" - Hamlet, Hamlet Act 2, Scene 2

And with that  quote from a far, far better writer than I, here's Super Scribblenauts.  Given to us by 5th Cell and WB Games, it's a game about a boy in a bizarrely phallic hat who uses a magic notepad in order to capture stars, because...I don't know, everybody needs a hobby, don't they?

Really, there's no real reason given for this within the narrative - what little of it there is - but still, we've had little plot or reason in so many other games throughout the years and so there's no reason to get hung up on this.  As stated before, Maxwell is a little man in a stupid hat that uses a magical notepad to create virtually anything the developers thought of...I mean, that your mind can conceive of.  Sadly, this is an area where - while I know the game is limited by how much it can store - the promise of "Create Anything" falls flat.  While, of course, you can't create anything racially insensitive, overly violent, or vulgar - you also have a selective group of things that you can create.

So, my dreams of creating a giant flaming black cock were realized as the magnificent black-feathered rooster on fire crushed the earth beneath its feet.

...yeah, I know what you were thinking.  Perverts.

Really, that's all there is to it.  Maxwell journeys along constellations to capture "Starites", which are granted upon the completion of a puzzles.  The puzzles can range from recreating the ending to the Wizard of Oz to having a Mission Impossible-style heist, and many, many things in between. Of course, some of the solutions to the puzzles are complete nonsense and counter-intuitive to how one might think.  Hints are buyable with "ollars" that are obtained within the levels, but sometimes they're either too vague or just plain unhelpful even after buying up all three tiers.

Still, it's very fun and the nice title screen section allows the player to move around in an environment that is completely their own and shape and destroy things to their will.  It's pretty fun, though, and enjoyable enough for a few hours.  Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to ride Shai-Hulud and avoid the rainclouds one more time!

Super Scribblenauts is now available from 5th Cell and WB Games on Nintendo DS.

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