Last year I reviewed Scribblenauts, a critically acclaimed and highly unique 2-D action puzzler where you type in whatever word your want, and it’ll appear in the game for you to use to solve puzzles and bypass obstacles. Now the sequel, Super Scribblenauts is here. So what makes it so super? You’ll just have to read on to find out.

Just like the first game, you control Maxwell in small, 2-D levels where you must collect a Starite. Why? Who knows? The game doesn’t say. Maxwell just feels like doing that. In most levels, they’ll give you a task and you must fulfill it to get the Starite. Help a lion fall asleep by typing in ‘moon’ to make it nighttime, or help make people happy by giving them their favorite foods. Even though there is some action-styled levels like in the first game, most of the events are puzzle oriented, since those were more fun anyway.

I’m probably about to show my age here, but anyone remember School House Rock’s “Unpack Your Adjectives?” Well that’s just what you get to do in Super Scribblenauts. Not only have they added more words, but you can link adjectives onto those words for some hilarious results. Make a green man, a giant mouse, a dizzy tree, or an evil toaster. You can even string along several adjectives to make a friendly, undead, colossal hippo! Maxwell can interact with these objects, such as drive a car, ride a horse, or shoot a weapon. Objects will interact with each other, too. Natural enemies in the animal kingdom will fight each other, a policeman will chase after a bad guy, etc.

Another thing that makes this game ‘super’ is the play control. In the last game, one of the main problems was you could only control Maxwell with the stylus, and it didn’t always work. Now you can use the D-pad and buttons to make Maxwell move, or the stylus if you so wish. It makes the levels a lot less frustrating. You can type in words or handwrite them, but typing is the best way to go. With the money you earn from beating levels, you can buy avatars to play as or hints to help you solve those tougher puzzles.

Super Scribblenauts has more levels, merits to earn (think like Xbox Achievements), and other secrets and goodies to find (Protip: Type in Arcade Machine or Time Machine and see what happens). There is even a level editor where you can design your own devious stages and send them to a friend to try via WiFi! Heck, even messing around freely on the title screen is fun!

Only problems with this game is that sometimes you can’t get your objects to do what they’re supposed to do, and a little bug or glitch might cause you to have to restart a level (luckily, levels are short). But the improvements really overshadow the minor quibbles in this great game. If you’ve never played Scribblenauts before, you’ll want to pick up this sequel to see what the fuss is about. And if you’re already a Scribblenauts veteran, you’ll want to get this game, too, and see how much more improved it is!

Kid Factor:

Super Scribblenuats is rated E-10 with ESRB descriptors of Cartoon Violence and Comic Mischief. Even though the violence is cartoony and looks like a kid’s doodles, you can still create some pretty horrific scenes. Type in “Suicidal Man” and a guy will appear and shoot himself! Santa Claus can be turned into a zombie. And God can wage an epic battle with Cthulhu! The game is only as twisted as you make it. At least there’s no blood and gore, it’s just silly doodles, and you can’t type in anything vulgar.

Super Scribblenauts could be considered educational, too! How so? Well, many of the levels make you use different words and adjectives, and not repeat the same ones. So it helps build vocabulary and grammar skills. Proper spelling, too! Some levels have objects in boxes and you must add other objects with related qualities and adjectives to fill the equation. Kind of like analogies on the SAT test. They won’t even realize they’re learning because your kids will have so much fun being creative. That’s why, as long as they can read and write, I would let any kid of any age play Super Scribblenauts.

Tags: Game Reviews