Review: Scribblenauts (DS)

Scribblenauts Review

by GuruSharky

Scribblenauts

Platform: Nintendo DS

Genre: Puzzle

Publisher: Warner Brothers Entertainment

Developer: 5th Cell

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E10+

It’s rare that one would come across an idea as unique and original as Scribblenauts for the Nintendo DS. This is a game where your greatest asset is your imagination and clever creativity. Scribblenauts is the critically acclaimed puzzle title created in part by Warner Brothers Entertainment. The protagonist, named Max, travels through various worlds where he solves intricate puzzles and helps citizens do their jobs. Max is armed with his trusty journal, which possesses god-like powers; everything the he writes in the journal magically comes to life.

I was excited while first plugging this game into my old and rusty DS Lite. First I was greeted by a bizarre headmaster type individual, who guided me through the game’s training stage. Here is where I became familiar with the game’s controls and the magic journal. In the training stage you are allowed free range to experiment with your newfound powers as much you like. Once I plowed through the ultra-simple training stage, I was only my way having mastered the game’s controls in a matter of minutes.

Scribblenauts contains 10 worlds, each with a different theme (city, mountain, safari, etc.). Each world contains 10 of both of the game’s mission types: Action and Puzzle. These can be toggled easily from the mission select screen. Completing the missions earns you money that you can use to unlock new worlds or buy costumes and extras.

Action Puzzles are my personal favorite. In this mode, the starite (which is basically the finish line of each course, acquired by completing each indicated challenge) is concealed somewhere on the stage, guarded by numerous obstacles. These obstacles include, but are not limited to: Sharks, brick walls, security guards and much more.

Once you select your action mission, the game will give you a quick pan around of the stage before returning to Max, at which point you are given free reign to do whatever you’d like to solve the puzzle. You are given an item par, signifying the recommended amount of items one would use to complete the course. If you go over the par, you lose points.

Action mode is a clever challenge, and required me to thoroughly investigate a level to complete it. Unfortunately, the mode wasn’t free of issues. Some of the stages were obscenely difficult, such as world 1-7, where you only task is to get past a tornado (in all seriousness, what trumps a tornado?). Difficulty levels sometimes jump without warning, but this doesn’t weaken the experience much. A larger frustration is repeating certain levels more times than necessary due to Max being killed by the game’s sloppy controls.

Puzzle mode is simpler in comparison to Action mode. In this mode, you are required to help the seemingly idiotic patrons of the Scribblenauts world complete mundane tasks. Some of these tasks include: help a firefighter to remember that he needs to use a hose to put out a fire, giving trick or treaters candy on Halloween (or in my case, killing them all with a dragon >:]), or having a snowball fight with the neighborhood kids. These tasks often take little or no effort to complete. Doing these missions can sometimes feel more of a chore than a game. They can serve as a good cool down from Action mode frustrations though. Although overly-simple, it works.

Scribblenauts’ biggest weakness is in its control scheme. Weak touch screen controls hamper Max’s claim to fame. In a game where the same command used to move objects also makes Max run, you will find yourself dying time and time again from a single wrong tap. Having your DS touch screen nicely collaborated is key to success. This is also a pain when you want to select commands on smaller objects lying on the floor or next to larger selectable objects. Scribblenauts definitely loses points in this category.

The camera is a second point of frustration. It remains fixed on Max, but can be moved using the D-Pad. The only issue with this is that it pans back to Max after a short period of time. This can be a pain, especially when you are trying to complete delicate tasks that are just too far away to be included in the camera’s default view.

The game’s strong point lies in the magic journal itself. Any object you can think of is available. Any object that appears in the game is also usable. The only exception is inappropriate material, religious material, and copyrighted material. Need to cross a canyon? Create a bridge or a catapult. Need to fly? Put on angel wings, pilot a plane, or ride a pterodactyl (my dream come true!). Seemingly infinite options makes solving the game’s puzzles a great experience. This motherload of potential solutions gives each of Scribblenauts’ 300 puzzles outstanding replay value. You will find yourself trying to complete each mission in the most outrageous ways. Or if you are bored, you can mess around with the journal on the main screen.


Scribblenauts has a very unique set of graphics, although they aren’t anything special. The characters and creatures look like cardboard puppets with brass tacks connecting their joints. The cartoonish environment looks like an online flash game, but lower quality. The music starts off upbeat, but gets repetitive fast. I found myself turning off the volume and plugging in my iPod.

The Good +:

+ Most imaginative and original gameplay I’ve seen in a long time.

+ Over 300 puzzles means countless hours of gameplay.

+ “Magic Journal” recognizes just about anything that comes to mind.

+ Outstanding Replay Value.

+ Action Challenges keep you coming back for more

The Bad -:

- Sloppy Touch screen controls are a pain.

- Camera likes Max a little too much…

- Graphics are subpar and music is repetitive.

When push comes to shove, Scribblenauts is a good game. I recommend anyone to at least try it. If it isn’t your cup of tea then fine. Scribblenaut will likely not fit with the crowds of hardcore gamers. It’s a great game to play on the go, and can pass many hours enjoyably. Scribblenauts is a rare find that I am glad I picked up. I give it 7 pterodactyls out of 10.

7/10