Scribblenauts, released for the original Nintendo DS back in 2009, intrigued many gamers, including myself, with its unique premise; you can conjure up just about any object you can think of, provided it’s kid friendly and not trademarked, to solve the game’s many puzzles. While the game was certainly unique, a number of issues, mainly poor physics and controls, as well as a below average level editor, held it back. Then, in 2010, Super Scribblenauts was released, and upped the ante. It added thousands of applicable adjectives that really fleshed the game out in a way that felt right. Add that on top of much improved controls and physics, as well as a truly awesome level editor, and you had a great game on your hands. Now, Scribblenauts Unlimited is here, and it’s a mixed bag overall.
One thing the game has changed is the way it’s structured; previous games had you selecting what level you wanted to play, much like a Mario platformer. In this game, the world is split into various different open levels, and you solve most puzzles in that level. This approach is interesting in that each level is essentially a playground for you to flex your creative brains in. However, it also gives the game the feeling of being a “chore.” You can enter a special vision mode that allows you to see where Starites or Starite shards are hidden. It makes it very simple to figure out what to do, since you can tap on a highlighted individual or object to get a hint about what you need to do to satisfy them. The total number of collectibles are displayed on the top screen, which makes it incredibly easy to know when to move on.
That’s one of the biggest issues with the game; it’s incredibly easy, even compared to previous entries. The objectives are always laid out for you in an extremely orderly fashion. And when you’re playing an individual level, hints are given to you after a minute. Hell, in one level, where I somehow got stumped because I tried all I could think of, the game spawned the solution for me. It’s still more fun to come up with your own solutions to puzzles, but it does cheapen the experience a bit. The game is aimed at kids, so this is a nice feature, but there’s no reason it needs to be automatic.
But another issue that was in past games that made its way to this one is that sometimes solutions that would make sense don’t work, and the hints do little to alleviate that. For instance, in one level, you must feed a cannibal something “fresh.” The hints say that he wants his usual. I tried spawning every body part I could think of, then every type of person I could think of. The answer? I had to spawn a vegetable. While this logic is rare than in previous games, it’s still troublesome whenever it does crop up.
One more issue with the puzzles is that they too closely follow the idea of Occam’s Razor; often times, the simplest solution to a problem is the best one. Not only that, but trying to find creative ways to approach a problem usually results in failure. It completely undermines the entire creative idea behind the game.
Even with those issues, the gameplay is still a ton of fun to mess around with. Riding a gigantic Cthulu while wielding a flaming polka dotted sentient chainsaw is something that only this series can deliver. Applying adjectives has also been made easier than the previous installment; rather than needing to type out the words when you spawn an object, you can instead spawn something and then click on it with the stylus, then select “apply adjective.” It’s a brilliant case of streamlining that seems small but really pays off in meaningful ways.
However, arguably the biggest feature of the previous installment that gave it the “playground for your mind” feel was the level editor. It was hugely robust; you could create your very own levels from scratch, deciding entirely what you wanted to make, right down to the script for any character you may have spawned. It took some learning, but creating truly unique and fun levels was well worth the curve. Now, that feature has been yanked entirely. It really hurts the game; the previous game felt it was made for all ages since the level editor was truly something that took skill; now, the game feels like it’s directed at kids and kids only.
Not only that, but the much hyped object editor is totally absent from this version of the game. It’s really baffling, since the game’s graphics don’t seem like they’d take up too much cart space. Once again, this missing feature prevents the game from achieving the same heights as its predecessor.
The 3DS version of Scribblenauts Unlimited is an enjoyable game. Just don’t expect to be challenged, or feel that the game was made for all ages. It still has the charm of previous entries with its simplistic but cute graphics and sound, but the total dearth of challenge or game editing takes a game that could have been “great” and makes it “all right.” If you know a young kid who needs some vocabulary building, this game can serve that purpose. If you’re looking for something with actual longevity, look elsewhere.