All Things Super Scribblenauts E3 2010
Ready for more Scribblenauts? Of course you are. I had the chance to play the sequel, Super Scribblenauts, briefly while taking the Warner Bros. Interactive booth tour with Pete Betcher at this year’s E3.
Super Scribblenauts, while bringing the game to new heights, does not change all that dramatically, so I’ll keep this brief. The biggest draw of the sequel is the new use of adjectives, which I put into use right away. I’m happy to report that while they work, and work well, “ugly” does not work as a descriptor. That purple top hat wearing T-rex didn’t get any uglier at all. And while I was waiting to see all sorts of deities show up in this next one (as the last had an appalling lack of Jesus in it), I don’t think they’ve made the addition. But the rest of it was entertaining. The 5th Cell guys have obviously been reading the complaints on the Internets, ’cause the ability to solve all puzzles with a winged pair of shoes is null and void. The level I tried immediately killed me off when I tried to solve a cut-in-line puzzle by flying over the crowd.
The controls are also vastly improved. Previously, the complaint was that the D-pad (used to look around) function should be switched with the stylus, which was used to move your character forward. Well, Super Scribblenauts has not only reversed this to a more natural style, it also has the switch optional–you can return to the original style at anytime. I did not get to try the new “hint” system (that’s cheating in my book!) or the new universal feed system that tracks your progress with thumbs up and thumbs down as you make decisions. I have a feeling I wouldn’t use either, though.
All in all I was pleased with the new changes and I think it should be just enough to freshen up the franchise. Check out the E3 2010 trailer above, and click here for screen shots.
