• Log In | Sign Up

  • News
  • Reviews
  • Top Games
  • Search
  • New Releases
  • Daily Deals
  • Forums

The Puzzling (Mis)adventures: Volume 3 - Limbo, Super Scribblenauts UnderGarden page 2

Puzzling misadventures 3
Puzzling misadventures 3
Continued from the previous page...


Super Scribblenauts

Robin Parker

In 2009, developer 5th Cell tried to redefine how we look at puzzle games. The innovative Scribblenauts was released on the Nintendo DS under the tagline “Write anything, solve everything”. Through the clever implementation of emergent gameplay, it concentrated on using the power of the player’s imagination in order to overcome obstacles. Able to type in and summon any item from their ‘Objectnaut’ list of thousands of items, players were challenged to create their own solutions. The game was a critical success, but wasn’t without its faults, so the developers set to work on an improved sequel. The end result is Super Scribblenauts, which has taken the original concept and improved upon it in many ways.

It should be noted right away that there is no storyline in this game. The selection of roughly 200 levels is divided into smaller groupings with loose thematic similarities, but there is no plot to connect any of these stages. You control Maxwell, a young boy who must solve each individual puzzle in order to collect as many Starites (star-like objects) as possible. There is no mention of why you need to collect these Starites until the final level, however, when Maxwell is suddenly thrust into a very special final confrontation that requires them. Instead, the motivation for completing each stage comes not from a strong narrative driving you forward, but from the simple joy and challenge of the ingenious game mechanics.

 

Image #3What made the first Scribblenauts game revolutionary was the ability to solve each situation nearly any way you saw fit, by calling objects into existence simply by typing them in. Almost every stage allowed for multiple solutions, and to a degree players were only limited by their own imaginations. Obviously, to enable this the developers had to create a vast database of words that the engine could understand and create onscreen. For instance, if a Starite was placed atop a tree, a ladder could be summoned to help climb it, or the player could create a saw and cut the tree down. Once enabled, these items could also be manipulated and combined to solve a puzzle. Creating a stick, then combining it with fire, for example, would create a flaming torch that could easily burn a tree down.

Super Scribblenauts has improved on this mechanic hugely by adding the option to use adjectives. Now, rather than creating the stick and fire separately, a flaming stick can be written directly into the game. Trying to solve a colour-specific task? An orange whale can now be summoned rather than a regular one. A normal bridge won’t reach across that chasm? What about a gigantic bridge? Although this simplifies the actual item procurement process, the ability to assign attributes to objects multiplies the scope of possibilities immeasurably, adding new opportunities to experience more intricate and detailed solutions. One great level is a “monster war” situation, where the scene pits several monsters against you that you have to defeat with your own creations. Deciding on the combinations of attributes to assign to your creatures is a lot of fun. Would a giant, poisonous snake defeat a fire-breathing white griffin? Try it out. In general, you can attempt whatever you can imagine, even if just for fun.

Of course, there are some words and phrases the game will not recognise. Foul language aside, the game won’t always be able to put together certain combinations, even though you think it might work. For instance, you can’t make a loud boy or a talking boy; the game simply rejects it. Such omissions can be frustrating at the time, but it’s an understandable limitation of a game that depends not only on being able to recognize words but replicate them as well. There are simply too many possible combinations in the English language to cover everything, and some are too difficult to demonstrate effectively. This does not spoil the game, though – far from it. There is still plenty of experimenting possible, and the fact that there are so many different ways to solve puzzles means that you will never be stumped for long. Solutions can range from the entirely logical to the downright crazy, or even some of both in the same puzzle. Everyone will play this game differently, and you can take an entirely different approach yourself in playing the level again. The enjoyment comes from striving to complete the level in a way no-one else on the planet might even conceive. That is true interaction.

While solutions can be complex, the actual input is simple. Super Scribblenauts provides two options in the form of either handwritten answers or stylus-based typing. When writing by hand, the game tries to interpret what you have written, but if your handwriting is illegible, you can simply use the QWERTY keyboard input system. The game even makes things another step easier by remembering your recent inputs, allowing you to recall them quickly. This is especially useful when having to retry a level after not getting it quite right the first time around.

Navigation is handled either by stylus control – pressing the touch screen point where you would like Maxwell to move – or through the use of the directional pad, which is a welcome addition to the sequel. Using the pad allows you direct control over Maxwell, and it not only prevents accidental interaction when you wish to simply walk (or vice versa), it also allows for more precise movement. When using the stylus, jumps are carried out automatically for you, but if using the button configuration, you can jump where and when you want. Items can be picked up, dropped or used logically, like climbing ladders or flicking switches, simply by tapping on them with the stylus.

Image #4

Maxwell can die, and probably will often throughout your game. But no extra lives are needed, and there is no real penalty for failure, as you simply restart the same puzzle screen afterwards. Many levels offer no danger and can be taken at a slower pace, but some will require quick thinking and sometimes quicker reflexes in order to complete all the tasks necessary. For instance, a level with a falling Starite may require you to quickly create an object onto which it will make a safe landing, whilst also avoiding spikes on the way down and stopping a pesky bat from getting in the way. This will need some forward-thinking and object management from the player, as only a certain number of user-created items (depending on size) can be onscreen at once, so you have to strategize what you need to do and when, quickly shifting your focus once each part of the task has been taken care of.

That said, the overall difficulty of Super Scribblenauts’ stages throughout the main game is fairly low. It is really only the two sets of special stages that will challenge you greatly, and they are only revealed after completing most of the regular levels. These will require you to pull off one quick action after another, and fast reflexes will be needed at several points. The game tells you these stages focus more on action and danger, so you’ll be fully forewarned that such challenges are not for the more relaxed puzzler.

The sequel retains the cartoony art style of its predecessor, looking once again like something a child might have drawn. Items are simplified and creatures characterised to look cute and simple, in keeping with the create-it-yourself style of game you’re playing. This presents a problem sometimes, as smaller items become difficult to identify and differentiate between, though a simple tap of the stylus brings up a tag to reveal what an object is. Animations are kept very basic, with most characters behaving like cardboard cut-outs, but this too suits the sensibility of the design. Sound effects are quite generic, with many of the same noises attributed to a number of different creatures, but they are functional enough for something that has very little impact on the gameplay. Music is not present throughout the majority of the game, but where it is, the themes are childlike and jolly without becoming irritating.

There are a lot of levels to work through to reach the end, and the basic stages are likely to last you a good four or five hours. With the addition of the much tougher special levels, you could be looking at another three or more hours on top of that. The length of time you spend with the game will vary depending on how adventurous you are, however. Don’t be surprised to find yourself trying a lot of levels again – even immediately after completing them – to find out what other methods might work. This option gives the game great replay value far beyond its initial playthrough. There are virtually endless possibilities for resolving a situation, and an inquisitive mind will want to try alternatives. Overall, there is little to criticise about this game, as it will really let your mind run free. Even more than the original, this sequel encourages you to “create anything”, and it’s hard to argue with its ability to offer just what it advertises. In short, Super Scribblenauts is an “excellent game”.

Next up: the UnderGarden...

Continued on the next page...

 

continue reading below
continue reading below
feature
Back to the top