Scribblenauts
© 2009 Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment
See also Super ScribbleNauts. See also Scribblenauts Remix for iPad. Short words, like "tree," "ladder" or "stool" work like keys in this powerful open-ended collection of logic puzzles for the Nintendo DS. Like a small flannel board, children use the DS stylus to drag and drop objects and move through 220 progressively more difficult levels by "typing" in words, using a pop-up QWERTY keyboard. In one puzzle, for example, a large tree might get in the way. So you can type out "beaver" and a beaver appears, who gnaws the tree down. Spelling suggestions are offered, so exact spelling is not required. The fun to the game is in the experimentation -- the game knows thousands of words, and each object behaves differently. Content includes ten worlds, each with eleven puzzles and eleven action levels for a total of 220 challenges. Each level has a “par” for the number of objects suggested to finish the level. Beating a level with under par, earns “Ollars”, the in-game currency, which players can use to purchase new levels and music. A Playground Mode lets you play the entire game in a sandbox style, from the title screen, and it is possible to create and share levels online using the Nintendo DS Wi-Fi Connection. For a child learning to read and write, this is a very strong language experience, because you see words coming to life. Developed by Jerimiah Slaczka of 5th Cell (the creators of Drawn to Life, published last year by THQ), this language title has a lot of potential for providing an early language experience. Visit http://games.kidswb.com/scribblenauts/
$30, Nintendo DS
Teaches: writing, spelling, creativity, logic
CTR Rating: 94%