Ryan Scott, Executive Editor: I guess the big question with this game is... is the dictionary any more comprehensive? How creative can you get this time around?
Eric Neigher, Contributing Editor: Well, as you know, Scribblenauts is based on a system where you type words into a virtual keyboard, and then the stuff you type spawns on the screen. Then things interact with each other (or you), and entertainment ensues. It's known for the incredible breadth of its dictionary – when the game first came out, the ability to drop in odd nouns that the game somehow recognizes was nothing short of amazing.
This time around, the designers made two wise (and equally impressive) additions. First, apart from nouns and basic verbs, the game now recognizes adjectives. So you can put "pregnant tree" instead of just "tree," and the tree you spawn will then shortly give birth to another, smaller tree. The quantity of adjective phrases seems equally gargantuan as the nouns were the first time, and you can string them together in adjectival phrases (for example, "brown, fat, annoying tree") to create a whole plethora of new stuff to create.
The second addition is directed gameplay, in the form of puzzles that need to be solved, and a coherent series of missions. One that I played through required me to turn a test subject (human) into a dragon by feeding him certain kinds of potions. So, you put in "scaly potion" and then use the potion on the dude, and -- poof! -- he turns scaly. Pretty darn impressive, actually... and the addition of the puzzles should help make Super Scribblenauts much more than just a novelty item this time around.
Ryan Scott: Did you ever manage to stump the game's dictionary?
Eric Neigher: Funny you should ask, I'm sure the guy who was demoing the game was dealing with smart-ass journalists trying to do just that all day, so I just asked him: "Has anyone stumped the game yet?" He just ruefully mentioned something about Ryan Scott and Tobin's Spirit Guide. But, actually, I put in some pretty complex word combinations and Scribblenauts was able to realize them all -- usually by reducing them to a synonym. For instance, "tachyon" gets you a molecule-lookin' thing. The game's database (both in terms of the way it can quickly access information and its sheer size) is rightfully regarded as astounding, in my opinion.
Ryan Scott: So it's better than the first Scribblenauts, overall? Did you play enough to notice an upturn (or not) in the variety of puzzles and solutions?
Eric Neigher: It's definitely better in terms of versatility and direction, in the sense that it has more of a focus. I felt like I was really playing a game here, instead of a tech demo. Still, I think this is largely the same game as last time, and if you enjoyed the first Scribblenauts, Super Scribblenauts will be right in your wheelhouse. If you looked at the first one and said "neat, but that's not really a game," the focused challenges may help a bit... but my guess is that you're still not gonna put this one first on your Christmas list.
