Seeing as this game came out almost a month ago and the 2 minute attention span of the Internet has moved on to the next “big thing” I thought it’d be appropriate to talk about Scribblenauts the game by 5th cell for the Nintendo DS. The game enjoyed near universal praise while it was being shown at conventions and show… Everyone kept talking about how great the concept was and how much fun they had solving the various puzzles the game presents you using the most ridiculous items possible (a personal friend kept telling me about using Cthulu and a laser sword (lightsaber being copyrighted) to complete one). On this wave of praise I made sure I had ordered the game and looked forward to playing it especially because it looked like just the type of game D would love as well.
When the game arrived I eagerly slid it into my DS and booted the system up, the game has a short tutorial (that I felt was still too long, this isn’t rocket science and besides the manual is lying right here in front of me!) and then you dive into the meat and potatoes. A quick description might be in order, in Scribblenauts you solve puzzles by summoning objects that you write into the game. The first 30 minutes was a blast, as I spent most of the time trying to think up the ridiculous things to summon into the world: black holes, clones, pirates, ninjas, etc., etc. After playing around I settled down into solving the puzzles and my enjoyment began to wane almost immediately. It wasn’t the concept of the game that had failed though, rather it was the imagination of the designers who came up with the puzzles. Very soon the obstacles placed before you become repetitive. And, despite the vast vocabulary at your disposal there are only so many variants on a flying, diving, and tying things together… I’m going to surmise that 90% of the words included in Scribblenauts dictionary will never be used. For one, there is no list and so players do not know their options. Second, players vocabularies aren’t vast. Finally, the game doesn’t really give you a reason to think outside the box, the puzzles are all variants on common themes: fetch this, bring these two things together, avoid this, etc. I could use a vine, wire, cord, or chain to tie two objects together but in the end I’ll keep using the rope.
An hour in and I had become bored and set it down.
I’ve gone back to it but each play is for a short period, never more than a puzzle or two, anymore than that and I find myself being burned out on how unimaginative the designers were and how despite all the tools at my disposal I’d only ever need a handful of them to get through the entire game. Scribblenauts is a great concept, a nice toolbox, a good first draft, but it isn’t much of a game, and definitely not a fun one.
10. Braid – Braid is the future of video games, movies, life, everything. Don’t believe me? Just asks its creator, Jonathan Blow, who has managed to make his own ego the main selling point of this brainy platformer. Now, you don’t actually have to beat the game, you don’t even have to play it. Simply mention Braid, or it’s creator, in any video game discussion as an excellent example of form reflecting content, or comment on the delicate and multi-layered story in a condescending voice and you’re peers will soon be asking you what games they should like and why.
6. Any game that sells on the secondary market for more than $200 – Obviously it has to be complete… That cardboard box adds anywhere from $25-$100 dollars to the aftermarket price. Why do you need one of these? For a number of reasons: you get to brag to everyone just how much your complete MIB copy of 
4. Japanese copies of Games released in English – That’s impressive that you own Casltevania 1,2, and 3 complete MIB. Did I tell you I have a copy of Akumajō Dracula, Dorakyura Tsū: Noroi no Fūin, and Akumajō Densetsu? No, well I do. What’s that you have Final Fantasy 3? That’s nice, check out my copy of Fainaru Fantajī Shikkusu. Things are just better when you can’t understand them, also they have crosses and boobies in the original versions.
With the bill load at work hitting maximum this week and next I don’t have the time I’d like to write up a few of the things that are on the back burner… I don’t even have time to get out of the office and record the goings on around the Capitol. I’ll be going in this weekend in order to have everything I have to turn in done and ready for session Monday morning
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