When the original Scribblenauts launched in 2009, it was unlike any game we had seen before. The developers at 5th Cell compiled a database containing thousands of objects, from cute animals to nuclear weapons, and created puzzles that you had to solve by summoning these objects and using their particular characteristics to your advantage. GameSpot reviewer Tom Mc Shea said at the time that "there are very few games in which the biggest obstacle that stands between you and success is the limitation of your own imagination."
A trio of follow-up games appeared in subsequent years, including one based on a crossover with DC Comics properties like Wonder Woman and Batman, titled Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure. These games followed a similar formula to the original Scribblenauts, and if you've played them all up until this point, you might expect more of the same from Scribblenauts Showdown.
Before you get too excited, there's an important change to be aware of: Showdown is a collection of very basic multiplayer mini-games, with a small selection of puzzles relegated to a sandbox mode. This shift may have something to do with the fact that the game was developed by Shiver Entertainment, marking the first game in the series to be developed by a team other than 5th Cell, following the cancellation of Scribblenauts: Fighting Words back in 2016.
In the video above, we run through the new game on Nintendo Switch, which leaves a lot to be desired; it doesn't even have support for Nintendo's Pro Controller. It's very short on content overall and the mini-games are sadly far too simple to have lasting appeal.It's disappointing to see the previous games' potential left unexplored. Scribblenauts deserves better.
